St. Johns River Water Management District New Well
The St. Johns River Water Management District is currently drilling a new monitoring well, which is being drilled in the Gold Head Branch State Park near Gatorbone Lake and County Road 352. According to SJRWMD personnel and staff the new long term monitoring well will be drilled to a depth of nearly 2,500 feet. The contractors began drilling the well in May. The cost of the well could be $500,000 to $650,000. The objective of this well is to monitor the hydraulics and quality of the lower Floridan Aquifer water and to determine at what depth saltwater intrudes into the freshwater.
According to a press release from Melinda Grundlan from the Intergovernmental Relations Department of the SJRWMD, “The new well will be used to evaluate groundwater quality and to define aquifer characteristics in the lower Floridan Aquifer in southwestern Clay County. The well is not a water supply or production well, thus it is not designed for pumping water. After construction of the well, water samples will be collected approximately four times a year for the next five years, then less frequently. This infrequent small volume water quality sampling will not cause withdrawal impact.
Presidents Report by Lyndel Hale
“Vision for the Future”
First let me thank everyone who voted for me to be your President. It is an honor to serve in this position for our community.
Our vision for the future: 1. To increase our membership and awareness of our vision and to raise money to help with study costs and hydrologist expenses. 2. To attain a hydrologist who will represent our group and help the people of the Keystone Heights lake area in the process of research. 3. Keep pursuing the goals of implementing all of Schreuder’s options. As General Hetherington (a “Stakeholders” representative from the Camp Blanding Florida National Guard) once said during our meetings, “it is important to keep all fronts open and going”. 4. Prepare now for the day when DuPont is no longer operating; to enhance the flow of water from the old mined area. This area has changed, but it can be changed even more. This “rainfall reservoir” area can be improved even more to be used as a reservoir and deliver rainwater to the Lake Region (I sure wish SJRWMD felt the same way, the funding of approximately $600,000 for a well at Goldhead State Park would have gone a long way to help fund other “options”). 5. We are currently asking for a city sponsored organization of some type, similar to what we had when “Option #3”, “Option #7” and the removal of the NW Quadrant Lake culvert were done, when I was the Mayor of Keystone Heights. Then when we have some ideas, plans can be made and implemented. We have seen in past when you have the support from your elected officials things tend to get expedited more efficiently. It takes everyone involved (state, county, local and community) sitting at the same table working together!
Well this is a brief summary on the Save Our Lakes vision that the members, board and I came up with. It’s not going to be easy and the Board needs your help and support. Some people think there’s only so much we can do, but there’s much more we can do! I would like to remind all of our government elected officials that no one just volunteered in the past three years and did pipeline Options 3 and 7. LRCA had to fight, scratch, beg and plead for assistance. So, lets be persistent and keep asking for help. After all it is for a good cause! I certainly think that tax dollars are appropriate here. Anything that would increase water into the Floridan Aquifer system should be considered. We need new alternative water options for the future.
God bless you all,
Lyndel M. Hale / President
LRCA Board Meeting Report
On June 19th. the Board of Directors of our “Save Our Lakes” organization (Lake Region Council Association, Inc., LRCA), met to discuss policy guidance and future concerns. This report is to inform all current and prospective members the result of that meeting.
The Board, in agreeing with the membership vote at the May meeting, affirms our wishes that all previous options considered remain open. In fact, it is the Board’s conclusion that Option 5 remains the most cost effective and desirable option left to be accomplished on the list of options provided for in the Schrueder Report. It was noted that the current drought could have been somewhat alleviated if Option 5 had been in place (Option a5 uses Lake Lowry as a water storage area with periodic discharges into Alligator Creek South, thus helping Lake Brooklyn survive during times of scarce rainfall). It was also recognized that all current District 4 County Commission candidates, as of the April meeting, agreed to Option 5.
The Board also discussed past efforts to restore water to our lakes. It was noted that the assistance and leadership of Senator Evelyn Lynn and Representative Joe Pickens was particularly helpful, and that their assistance in the future was essential to final restoration of our lakes. Our thanks also go out to David Wright at DuPont for his support.
With this, it is the Board’s position that rainfall is essential to the health of our lakes. Rainfall to the direct north of the Lake Region not just over Keystone Heights, is the key. This is important to understand. Water flows down Trail Ridge into this area. Trail Ridge extends from Georgia into Florida along a millions of year old series of sand dunes. It flows on the surface and under the surface. Trail Ridge is the conduit that draws the water, which fills our lakes. The essential watershed, which dispenses water to our lakes is in the mined area (DuPont) of Camp Blanding. (Fifty years of exploitations have altered the natural processes, which disperse the water.) This watershed will never be the same as it was. Population pressures have also altered what happens to the water downstream of the mined area.
Although the schedule has not been finalized to our knowledge, DuPont has announced it will be ceasing operation and leaving this area over the next years. The Board proposes that we, in conjunction with DuPont and state agencies, determine a plan of restoration to guide us (collectively) when the watershed reverts to the state of Florida control. Of obvious concern is the water which is directed to settlement ponds in Bradford County, and thence west to Starke and the Gulf of Mexico, forever lost to our lake system. Option 7 currently addresses this problem partially, but a permanent agreement needs to be reached. Another issue may be the current wells on the east side of Trail Ridge used by DuPont. Do we cap them or use them to augment flow into Alligator Creek South? We are sure there are many other issues that we have no even thought of yet. A great deal of thought, study and expertise needs to be applied. Professional, independent help to develop a prudent, cost effective plan will be needed. In put from citizens is paramount (40,000 people in the 32656 Keystone and 32666 Melrose zip codes are affected one way or another).
The Board of Directors are seven people who happily and voluntarily do the work of our organization, but we cannot do it all by ourselves. Please come to the July 10th meeting at Keystone City Hall or let us know your ideas by Phone, email, or regular mail. We are stewards of our land, in our state, and of our water. It is a responsibility for us all.
By Doug Rudd, Board Member
News You Can Use
When LRCA held its Clay County Commissioner District #4 forum with the candidates that were running for the seat of district #4 county commissioner there were five candidates that were running at that time. All of which at that time claimed to support Keystone Heights and to work with the community concerning the low lake issues. Three of which have been faithful in attendance of our monthly LRCA meetings, Ridge Atrews, Rick Bebout and David Noakes. Now there are nine candidates running. We encourage each and everyone who will be voting for the Clay County Commissioners to KNOW your candidates and vote accordingly. The candidates are (in alphabetical order) along with their phone numbers and email address, Stephen Allain -352-473-3333 (steveFHP@bellsouth.net), Ridge Atrews - 352-235-1263 (RidgeAtrews@yahoo.com), Richard Bebout - 325-473-7743 (ccbccdist4@yahoo.com), Richard Fain (rrfain@bellsouth.net), David Noakes - 352-473-9472 (noakesfor4@bellsouth.net), Theresa Noakes (treesekaon@hotmail.com), Chereese Stewart - 904-289-7991 (homegrown@chereesestewart.com), Charles Taylor - 904-497-8777 (scottytaylor@bellsouth.net), and James Trott - 904-291-8180 (jtrott_99@yahoo.com). It is imperative that you let these candidates know what your concerns are before elections. This is so important that we get the right person in the Clay county commissioners seat who will represent “us”. This little corner of the county has been overlooked for a long time, it is time that we be recognized and our concerns be taken seriously. Your vote matters, so please go out and exercise your rights. Let’s support those who care about Keystone Heights and its economy.
