On February 25, 2016, the Florida Springs Institute sent a letter to the Southwest Florida Water Management District regarding our concerns surrounding the establishment of Minimum Flows and Levels for Gum Slough. That letter can be foundhere.
In an email sent later that day, FSI Advisory Panel member, Linda Bystrak, stated that:
SWFWMD is only looking at the flow of Gum Slough from 2003 on, so they can get that big spike in 2004 (from 3 hurricanes in 6 weeks) to average into the flow (see graph below). Then they can justify lowering the spring flow (by allowing more groundwater for new houses) by 6%. At the same time SWFWMD has plans to withdraw 10 mgd of With water at the Outlet River and 25mgd at the junction of Gum Slough and the With. The average flow since 1963 has decreased over 50%, but they do not want to look at the records that far back.
Concerned citizens should plan to attend the March 29thSWFWMD Governing Board Meeting beginning at 9 a.m. at the District’s Headquarters located at 2379 Broad Street, Brooksville, FL 34604.
