JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With plans in the works for Central Florida to tap it for drinking water, the St. Johns River is named to a top-ten list of endangered rivers by the American Rivers, a national environmental group.
St. Johns River, earned a sixth-place ranking on the list, joining a couple of the nation's most historic rivers, one of its longest rivers and the home of one of the rarest birds on earth.
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In naming the St. Johns for the first time in its annual rankings of "most endangered," American Rivers officials said the water withdrawals could be catastrophic to tourism along the river, which is known for its abundant wildlife and fish.
"No matter what the problem is, stealing is never an acceptable solution," said American Rivers president Rebecca Wodder. "Yet, instead of embracing water smart solutions like conservation and efficiency, Florida lawmakers seem set on sanctioning this river robbery. It really is disturbing."
The inclusion of the St. Johns "validates a lot of what people have been saying, not just us but people who live up and down the river who have concerns," said Neil Armingeon, who heads the St. Johns Riverkeeper, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving and restoring the river.
"I don?t know whether to celebrate or cry," Armingeon said. "This elevates the proposed water withdrawal issue to a national level and brings this to the attention of a worldwide media market. Florida?s lack of water planning is no longer a secret."
Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton called the river's inclusion on the list "both a challenge and an opportunity."
"We must not lose focus on the task at hand -- that is, to recognize the St. Johns River as the crown jewel of this community and work toward taking all steps necessary to protect it," Peyton said in a statement.
But the head of the St. Johns River Water Management District -- the group that will make decisions about whether pumping from the river will be allowed -- was incensed when he heard that the St. Johns was included on the list.
"For someone to say the district doesn't have the best intentions for the river is just not true," SJRWMD executive director Kirby Green told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. "I think things are much more positive along the river in terms of both water quantity and water quality issues than this position paper would lead you to believe."
American Rivers said its report is not designed to be scientific, but to draw attention to rivers that could use the support of activists to help steer their future.
"These are rivers at a crossroad, where decisions to be made over the next year will affect the future of the river," American Rivers spokesman Garrett Russo said. The organization points out opportunities for the public to take action on behalf of each listed river.
This is the group's 23rd annual most endangered rivers list. Founded in 1973, the group claims 650,000 members and spends about 23 percent of its annual $6.8 million budget on fundraising and administrative expenses, according to its 2006 tax return.
Another Southeastern River that made the list of the first time, the Pearl in Mississippi and Louisiana, is known as the spot where many ornithologists believe the ivory-billed woodpecker lives among its most remote cypress swamps. American Rivers said it faces threats from development and mismanagement.
The pressure on rivers to provide drinking water and irrigation is the single biggest theme tying this year's list of rivers together, including the legendary St. Lawrence River, which served as an inland highway for the earliest explorers and settlers. The Minnesota, the Gila, the Cache la Poudre and the Niobrara rivers all face demands for water for irrigation or drinking water.
"Water supply is one of the most important issues facing the world," Armingeon said.
Beyond plans to withdraw drinking water -- a request by Seminole County to withdrawn 5 million gallons per day and there are plans for other Central Florida counties to make even larger drawdowns -- is a decision on how a pulp-and-paper manufacturing facility near the river near Palatka will handle its treated wastewater.
American Rivers officials call the plan to pump millions of gallons of water from the river a "water grab" that could "rob" the river of much of its water.
The district's studies have concluded it's safe to pull up to 155 million gallons of water a day from the river, a fraction of the billions of gallons of its daily average flow. Facing the outrage of community leaders downstream -- including Jacksonville, Clay and St. Johns counties -- and a legal challenge, Green said the district is doing additional studies to "show that the science is where it ought to be."
Armingeon hopes it will also capture the attention of Gov. Charlie Crist.
"Maybe this will cause him and his staff to look at an issue that we feel is critical, yet nothing is coming out of Tallahassee discussing this."
Previous Stories:
- March 4, 2008: Riverkeeper Challenges Water Diversions From St. Johns
- November 30, 2007: City, Riverkeeper Oppose Plan To Divert Water From St. Johns