Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 1 The 20th Annual Southwest Florida Water Resources Conference, Royal Palm Yacht Club, November 19, 2010 “The Next Generation of Water Challenges” The conference will look back upon the past 20 years of water resources management challenges and forward to the next 20 years. The perspective of senior professionals will serve as the foundation for a conference program designed to help current and young professionals prepare themselves to meet the challenges of water-related careers in the coming decades. The Conference Host Committee, chaired by Dr. Don Duke of FGCU, is assembling a renowned group of speakers that should not disappoint anyone interested in this topic. Drawing from the membership of member organizations such as AWRA, ASCE, FES, AWWA, ASABE, and EWB this year’s conference should once again be well attended by a broad cross section of water resources professionals. This year’s event will include a Student Poster Contest. Student members of the conference committee’s host organizations are being invited to submit poster projects for which there will be 1st, 2nd & 3rd place awards. Students are also encouraged to attend to be eligible to win one of two $500 on-the-spot awards to be given during the sessions by random drawing. The conference will run from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm with a lunch break where we will hear from Mr. Henry Dean, Esq. regarding his perspective on the past and future of water resources in Florida and beyond. The Florida Section Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening at a downtown venue TBD. Following the Friday technical program, the Watershed Council of Southwest Florida will be hosting an evening working program entitled “Looking Forward” at the Yacht Club site. The Watershed Council will provide a light meal and refreshments for a working session that will summarize the day’s main presentation topics with the group actively providing comments and suggestions on major “next steps”. The goal being to develop a list of action items summarizing priorities for future research, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE David R. Watt, P.E. President Palatka Ronald M. Edenfield, P.E. Vice-President Fort Myers Annette Carter Secretary West Palm Beach Carol Hinton Treasurer Gainesville Jay Yingling Past-President 2009 Brooksville Cathleen C. Vogel Past-President 2008 Flagler Beach BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kristin K. Bennett, Esq. Stuart Joanne Chamberlain St. Augustine Michael DelCharco, P.E. Jacksonville Mark C. Diblin Gainesville Douglas J. Durbin, Ph.D. Tampa Timothy English III Gainesville John J. Fumero, Esq. West Palm Beach Gary K. Howalt Jacksonville Donald W. McEwen Havana Paul W. O’Neil, Jr., P.E. Tampa Krista D. Sabin Palm Beach Gardens Garrett Wallace West Palm Beach Shayne Wood Jacksonville
Transcript
Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 1
The 20th Annual Southwest Florida Water Resources Conference, Royal Palm Yacht Club, November 19, 2010
“The Next Generation of Water Challenges” The conference will look back upon the past 20 years of water resources management challenges and forward to the next 20 years. The perspective of senior professionals will serve as the foundation for a conference program designed to help current and young professionals prepare themselves to meet the challenges of water-related careers in the coming decades.
The Conference Host Committee, chaired by Dr. Don Duke of FGCU, is assembling a renowned group of speakers that should not disappoint anyone interested in this topic. Drawing from the membership of member organizations such as AWRA, ASCE, FES, AWWA, ASABE, and EWB this year’s conference should once again be well attended by a broad cross section of water resources professionals. This year’s event will include a Student Poster Contest. Student members of the conference committee’s host organizations are being invited to submit poster projects for which there will be 1st, 2nd & 3rd place awards. Students are also encouraged to attend to be eligible to win one of two $500 on-the-spot awards to be given during the sessions by random drawing. The conference will run from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm with a lunch break where we will hear from Mr. Henry Dean, Esq. regarding his perspective on the past and future of water resources in Florida and beyond. The Florida Section Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening at a downtown venue TBD.
Following the Friday technical program, the Watershed Council of Southwest Florida will be hosting an evening working program entitled “Looking Forward” at the Yacht Club site. The Watershed Council will provide a light meal and refreshments for a working session that will summarize the day’s main presentation topics with the group actively providing comments and suggestions on major “next steps”. The goal being to develop a list of action items summarizing priorities for future research,
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Additional Conference Information
evaluations, and policy/management decisions for the region. The end product will be disseminated to Watershed Council members, policy makers and stakeholders as a potential guide to aid in prioritizing the needs for public discussion, research efforts, etc. for the coming years.
Hotel rooms are available at either the Hotel Indigo (Click here or call 239-337-3446) or the Holiday Inn just down US 41 from Downtown (239-332-3232). Additional information in this regard is available at www.awra.caloosahatchee.org/2010. Hotel reservation deadline “TBD”
If you have any questions, you can call the meeting co-chairpersons, Ron Edenfield at 239-277-0003 or via e-mail at [email protected].
Meeting location
Royal Palm Yacht Club, Downtown Fort Myers2360 West First StreetFort Myers, Fl. 33901(239) 334-2176
Please be sure to park either in the parking lot across West First Street or at the south end of the on-site parking. Do not park in spaces designated as “reserved”.
JOINING AND RENEWING MEMBERS (Please complete this entire form for our membership records and directory.) Would you like to receive our newsletter via e-mail? (Preferred) Yes No Are you an AWRA National Member? Yes No Would you like information on AWRA National? Yes No Are you interested in corporate sponsorship opportunities? Yes No Would you like to be part of a bi-monthly meeting team or committee? Yes No
Registration Deadline – Nov. 10th • Hotel Reservation Deadline TBD
Royal Palm Yacht Club, Downtown Fort Myers, 2360 West First Street, Fort Myers, FL 33901 – Friday, Nov 19th
TOTAL $ * Student registration includes 1 year’s annual dues as a student member in AWRA Florida Section. ** You may sponsor a student to attend the event by paying their registration fee. We will include your name with a thank you in the program brochure. If you wish to do this, please include the number of students you wish to sponsor. You may designate the student(s) or you may allow the to be used on a first come, first served basis. PDH Credit for Florida Professional Engineers We have been approved by the Florida Board of Professional Engineers (FBPE Provider No. 0003825) to offer Professional Development Hour (PDH) credit to Florida registered Professional Engineers. You will only receive credit if you attend the entire technical session. Please check the box below and include your PE number if you would like to obtain PDH credit.
I plan to be present for the entire session and would like PDH credit. My PE number is: ________________
Make checks payable to:
AWRA Florida Section
Please mail to: R.M. Edenfield, P.E.
Environmental Consulting and Technology, Inc. 4100 Center Pointe Drive, Suite 112,
Directions to the Royal Palm Yacht Club from I-75: I-75 to Palm Beach Blvd (SR 80) west to Downtown Fort Myers which will become First Street. Continue West to West First Street which will bend to the south. The Royal Palm Yacht Club will be on your Right just after the bend.
Meeting Location:
Royal Palm Yacht Club, Ft. Myers 2360 West First Street Fort Myers, FL 33901 (239) 334-2176 Please be sure to park either in the parking lot across West First Street or at the south end of the on-site parking. Do not park in spaces designated as “reserved”.
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Technical Agenda
20th Annual Southwest Florida Water Resources Conference: The Next Generation of Water Challenges
November 19, 2010, Royal Palm Yacht Club, Fort Myers Florida
8:30 Welcoming Remarks: Charles Dauray, SFWMD Governing Board
8:40 - 10:10 Governance and Water Resources. Session chair: Don Duke Beverly Grady, Esq., Roetzel and Andress: Legal Protection for Environmental SystemsJohn Marshall, A.R. Marshall Foundation & FEI: Financial Value of Environmental SystemsJohn Fumero, Rose, Sundstrom & Bentley, LLP: Water Law and Water ResourcesJohn Cassani, Watershed Council: Problems and Prospects for Achieving MFL’s for the Caloosahatchee Estuary
10:10 - 10:40 Networking Break and Visit Posters
10:45 - 11:55 Flow Management. Session chair: Alicia Dixon Greg Tolley, FGCU: Complexity of Selecting “Optimal” Flows – Research on Species’ Response to Freshwater Inflows for Caloosahatchee EstuaryRae Ann Wessel, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation: Adaptive Management & Flow Decisions for Lake Okeechobee Jennifer Hecker, Conservancy of Southwest Florida: The Saving the Caloosahatchee Campaign
12:00 - 1:00 Luncheon Keynote Speaker – Mr. Henry Dean, Former Executive Director – SFWMD & SJRWMD, “How’d We Get Here Anyway?”
1:05 - 2:10 Water Quality & Resource Protection. Session chair: Gillian CarneyDarren Rumbold, FGCU Dept of Marine & Ecological Science: Ongoing Research on Distribution and Fate of Constituents Related to Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill. Peter Ortner, University of Miami: Ecological Model Development for the SW Florida ShelfKristoph-Dietrich Kinzli, FGCU School of Engineering: Using an Acoustic Doppler Current Profile to Determine Surface and Groundwater Interactions
2:10 - 2:25 Networking Break and Poster Judging
2:25 - 3:55 Water Quality, Focus on Numeric Nutrient Criteria (NNCs)Andrew Bartlett, FDEP: Numeric Nutrient Criteria Rulemaking & Schedule Judy Ott, CHNEP: Estuarine NNCs – The Process of Developing Targets by NEPs and Other Environmental Agencies Tony Janicki, Janicki Environmental Inc: Technical Approach for NNCs for Southwest Florida: Charlotte Harbor; Tampa Bay; Sarasota Bay Roland Ottolini, Lee County Natural Resources: A Local Agency’s Views on Numeric Criteria and Watershed Protection
3:55 - 4:10 Networking Break and Poster Judging
4:10 - 5:20 Panel discussion Session chair: Ron Edenfield Henry Dean, Hugh English, Rick Barber: “Wise Sages: Looking Back, Looking Forward (No Really, How Did We Get Here???)”
5:30 - 7:00 Attitude adjustment: Lounge at Royal Palm Yacht Club
6:00 – 7:30 “Looking Forward: Next Steps” session Conference re-cap and discussion about problems facing water resources in coming years. Hosted by Watershed Council of Southwest Florida, all participants are welcome. See details and Conference updates and forms at http://awra.caloosahatchee.org/2010
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Board of Directors SummaryMeeting Sponsors as of 10/20/10
The Florida Section AWRA Board of Directors (BOD) met in Ft. Lauderdale at the lovely Riverside Hotel on September 24 at 10:00 am. The detailed agenda and minutes will be included on our website after the BOD approves them. Highlights of the meeting include:
• The dates and locations for upcoming Florida Section AWRA 2010 meetings are: » November 19th – Ft. Myers » January 14, 2011 – In beautiful St. Augustine. » March 22, 2011 - Tallahassee » Look for additional 2011 meeting information in
the December issue of the Watershed.
Be sure to add this information to your calendar and watch for additional meeting information for both Florida Section and National AWRA in each Watershed publication.• The dates for National Meetings are:
» 11/1-4, Philadelphia – National Conference• The Election and Membership survey was a
resounding success with the highest number ever of members responding! The Section Officers for 2011 are: Ron Edenfield, President; Annette Carter, Vice President, Carol Hinton, Treasurer; and Michael DelCharco, Secretary. The Board plans to review the responses to the membership survey carefully and respond to as many ideas as possible.
Remember, Board meetings are open to all members of the Florida Section AWRA and their guests. Feel free to attend and participate in our lively discussions and help the organization move forward and increase its value to members.
Contact Ron Edenfield, P.E. at 239-277-0003 or by [email protected] by November 10th if you would like to sponsor the 2010 Ft. Myers, AWRA Florida Section Meeting. Get your logo on the sponsorship boards today!
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AWRA National News
Upcoming conferences hosted by AWRA
Annual Water Resources Conference, November 1-4, Philadelphia, PARegistration discount available! Use discount code 2010PROMO.Pre-conference workshop and field trips already discounted!You can count on a great conference full of information on the latest water resources topics, along with four days of productive community building, conversation, and connections while having lots of fun in the City of Brotherly Love.Kathy Hale, Conferene Co-chairperson, [email protected] Corrozi Narvaez, Conference Co-chairperson, [email protected] Eisenhardt, Technical Program Chairperson, [email protected]
Managing Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources, April 18-20, 2011, Baltimore, MDAbstract Deadline November 12, 2010!This specialty conference will bring together decision-makers, water managers and technical professionals from federal, state, and local agencies, academia, non-governmental organizations and the private sector to focus on key climate change issues.C. Mark Dunning, Conference Chairperson, [email protected] Sehlke, Technical Program Co-chairperson, [email protected]. Rolf Olsen, Technical Program Co-chairperson, [email protected]
Annual Water Resources Conference, November 7-10, 2011, Albuquerque, NMSave the date! Call for abstracts coming January 2011.Stephanie Moore, Conference Chairperson, [email protected] Bexfield, Technical Program Co-chairperson, [email protected] Stone, Technical Program Co-chairperson, [email protected]
Think JAWRA First!
Do you have a manuscript you’re looking to publish? Do you want to reach a large, multi-disciplinary audience around the world? Consider these important JAWRA advantages:
• Current Impact Factor - 1.618• Time-to-First-Decision - 84 days on average• Distribution - 2,750 institutions worldwide• Easy Online Submittal System - ScholarOne Manuscripts• Automated Proofing Process - Wiley-Blackwell• PLUS, online manuscript tracking from submittal through publication!
Visit our instructions for authors and learn how to submit your manuscript. Questions? Contact [email protected]. When it’s time to publish your next work, think JAWRA first!
Remember to check the AWRA website for all things water resources, including blogs, job postings, non-AWRA conferences and a virtual exhibit hall.
For more information, to renew your membership, or become a member of the National AWRA, go to www.awra.org, or contact David Watt at 386-329-4355 or [email protected].
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Technical Program Summary – September 2010Ft. Lauderdaleby Rosanne Clementi, Patti Lodge, Seth Nehrke, and Cathy Vogel
Thursday Technical Session
Keynote speaker: Florida State Senator Joe Negron, District 28Senator Negron provided an overview of recent and current legislative issues for Florida. He pointed to economic conditions as the most critical issue facing the state. Regarding water, he noted that the Legislature appropriated $100 million a year to identify and implement alternative water supplies, but that program has not been funded since 2006 and will not be funded in the coming year. The BP oil spill was a major threat to water resources and the Florida economy, and the long-term effects are as yet unknown, but for the time being there has been little direct impact on Florida so the spill is not expected to be a big political issue. Senate Bill 360 was struck down by a court decision, which eliminated the concern over its potential effects on growth management, but the time extension it provided for local government approvals is desirable, so an alternative may be pursued for that aspect. Proposed constitutional Amendment 4 (“Hometown Democracy”) appears to have less than 50% support in recent polls, and most newspaper editorial boards have come out against the amendment. Public-private partnerships are a popular concept with the Legislature right now, because of the ability to bring private money and interest to public causes. Overall interest in the effects of climate change seems to have dramatically fallen off recently.
Water Quality Trading: Has Its Time Come? Church Roberts and Andy Tilton, Johnson EngineeringWater quality credit trading is not new in Florida; the Legislature approved the concept in 1999 but it has never been applied on a broad scale. In 2008, the Legislature specifically approved a pilot study for the St Johns River which could not feasibly meet its Total Maximum Daily Load for nitrogen without employing trading. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is still reviewing the results of that project. The US EPA has a handbook on water quality credit trading, and several other states are doing it. Mr. Roberts and Mr. Tilton highlighted four basins or sub-basins in South Florida that have significant water quality concerns which may be strong candidates for water quality credit trading. The systems discussed were: Tippen Bay and the Shell and Prairie Creek sub-basin in DeSoto and Charlotte Counties, Powell Creek, a tributary to the Caloosahatchee River, Jack’s Branch associated with Babcock Ranch in Charlotte, Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties, and Prudential Grove which was purchased by the South Florida Water Management District for Caloosahatchee and Everglades improvements. Each of these systems has a complex array of hydrology, habitat and water quality considerations, making simple solutions essentially impossible. To allow for the development of meaningful resolutions to these complex issues, Florida needs to create a more formal framework for water quality credit trading (analogous to the process for evaluating wetland function for mitigation purposes). Such a process could assess, and provide a means of tracking and accounting for, impacts and improvements to hydrology, habitat and water quality to ensure a net benefit from a particular project.
Climate Change and Impacts on South Florida: Pat Gleason (CDM), Erin Deady (Lewis Longmann and Walker), Dylan Larsen (Miller Legg)
Deady: Discussed the Law and Foundations of Sustainability Planning: what do I have to do?; how far can I go?, and how far should I go? There has been much analysis and discussion of climate change and its real and potential effects. A wide array of federal, state and local policies, regulations, laws and plans has been proposed and developed in recent years to address, manage and mitigate for climate change. Examples include proposed regulations on carbon dioxide emissions, programs and updated construction codes to promote (or require) energy efficiency in buildings and homes, and various planning policies prescribing future efforts to address climate change impacts.
Larsen: Discussed the potential economic impact of climate change. Florida could have wetter summers, dryer winters and some sea level rise. Sea level rise will not be the same everywhere; Broward County has invested substantial time and effort into a climate change strategy. A task force in Broward met for over a year and created a plan for the county. In part, that plan addresses a 3 to 9-inch sea level rise by 2030, and 10 to 20 inches by 2060. The county has considered
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things like using money from the Everglades Restoration Program; determining when to abandon systems that are impacted by sea level rise ; what degree of rise various kinds of systems can tolerate or adapt to, and how much money should be spent on natural areas that might be at risk. Broward’s natural highest point is only 22 feet above current sea level. The county undertook an analysis that showed a three-foot rise would put some 12% of county employment at risk, and impact a significant amount of infrastructure, while affecting about $24 billion of taxable value. Important questions include: how does sea level rise affect the future value of homes, and could sea level rise affect how the federal government funds future Florida projects? Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach Counties formed a regional compact on climate change and won a National achievement award.
Gleason: There is an awareness of climate change globally and there could be money to be made as a result of it. If the Arctic melts, there is more land available for human use; it could open the Northwest Passage and would reduce shipping costs. The economic impacts may be more eminent than the actual timing of the occurrence of these changes (like insurance companies leaving Florida after the hurricanes, when there was debate over whether there was real risk to the insurers). Texas is the most adamant of the states to fight greenhouse gas emissions rules. We are at the highest atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration in 600,000 years. Monsoons in Pakistan have left 14 million people homeless; china has had the worst floods in decades; Arctic sea ice cover has been at a long-term minimum since 2002. The global business community recognizes climate change as a reality, while the US does not seem to acknowledge the change. Florida emits about 1% of the world greenhouse gases, and the US emits 25%.
Amendment 4 - What is It and How will it affect South Florida?: Toby Overdorf, Crossroads EnvironmentalMr. Overdorf presented an overview of the upcoming Amendment 4, known as the “Hometown Democracy” amendment, which voters will address in the November election. Overdorf reviewed the amendment language, as it will appear on the ballot, and explained that the Florida Supreme Court has interpreted this to address practically every potential land use plan change including such infrastructure as roads, schools, hospitals, traffic signals and government buildings. If passed (constitutional amendments must pass by at least a 60% majority), implementation of Amendment 4 could prove rather unmanageable in light of the large number of comprehensive plan amendments that are regularly considered by cities and counties throughout Florida. Overdorf underscored an argument against Amendment 4: voters would be asked to make decisions about land uses or property rights about which they have little information or understanding. Almost every local government and Florida newspaper that has taken a position on Hometown Democracy has opposed it. However, the initiative has its proponents. Leslie Blackner, a land use attorney in Palm Beach, spearheaded the effort, and groups like the Sierra Club, population control advocates, special interest attorneys, and even the adult entertainment industry, support the amendment and have raised funds to promote its passage. Overdorf gave the example of St. Pete Beach, which several years ago passed its own version of Hometown Democracy, requiring that comprehensive plan amendments be approved by the electorate. The “experiment” turned into a nightmare, with many worthy projects, including urban redevelopment and historic preservation efforts, stopped in their tracks. Litigation mushroomed, and now the city is working to repeal its voter approval requirement. Many of the state’s leading business and economic forces including the Florida Chamber, local chambers of commerce, TaxWatch and the Associated Industries of Florida decry the initiative as one which will choke out economic growth at a time when the state can least afford it, resulting in a lower standard of living, increased local government taxes or significant cuts in government services. A respected national economist, Tony Villamil of the Washington Economic Group, estimates that the passage of Amendment 4 will result in a $34 billion dollar annual loss to Florida’s economy and the elimination of 267,000 jobs. In summary, Overdorf suggested that Hometown Democracy would erode Florida’s representative form of government, result in wealthy special interests unduly influencing ballot decisions on comprehensive plan issues, and an unbalanced geographic control of land use decisions. Seagrass Mitigation and Restoration in South Florida Comprehensive Plan for Long Term Successful Seagrass Restoration and Maintenance: Sandy Walters (SWC)Seagrasses can be successfully restored if certain best management practices are implemented. Twelve years ago, work on seagrass transplanting began; it is no longer experimental. The best practices utilized result in 70-80% survival rates. Most damage to seagrass beds is the result of boat
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props…the edict is repair and then protect what is damaged to yield the best results. Only 2% of boat prop damage to seagrasses is actually detected. An educational component to prop scar and blowhole restoration of seagrass beds along with perpetual maintenance are the elements of a successful “Keep Your Bottom of the Bottom” campaign.
Seagrass Restoration Techniques Ken Huntington (RJ Environmental)Boat scars to seagrasses can cut below the grass rhizomes- which requires a much longer recovery period. The use of sediment tubes and staking out large areas for increasing the frequency of bird droppings have been successful techniques used for seagrass bed restoration. Seagrass growth has also been accomplished with shoreline stabilization and actual grass planting. Projects involving restoration of hydrologic regimes have resulted in seagrass bed restoration as well. Spoil island restoration projects have been another source of seagrass bed restoration. In general, successful seagrass bed restoration projects must be programs that first look to improve water quality that will lead to improved light penetration which will then allow for enhanced seagrass growth.
Evaluation of Seagrass Mitigation Projects: Benny Luedike (FDEP)Seagrass beds are affected by direct impacts, such as existing or proposed dredge and/or fill projects, and by indirect impacts like shading caused by structures or moorings. Examples of seagrass mitigation projects currently being monitored include: filling dredge holes, scraping down spoil islands, repairing props scars, direct transplanting, water quality improvement efforts. A example mitigation effort is the Bird Island Tidal Flushing project. The overall project shows positive progress, however, mitigation projects are being evaluated on a case by case basis. Different monitoring requirements are developed for each of the different grass species. The DEP is in the process of developing a database to aid in this process of tracking and improving mitigation programs.
Sebastian Inlet Channel Comprehensive Seagrass Mitigation Project: Adam Gelber (PBS&J)The first documented discussion of a project to complete a navigation channel connecting Sebastian Inlet with the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) was in 1938. From the 1950’s to the 1980’s, several maintenance dredging and jetty extension projects occurred. In the 1990’s, in addition to maintenance dredging events, a number of studies and monitoring projects were conducted at the inlet. Engineering assessments of jetties, geotechnical evaluation of sand trap and shoals, and biological studies focusing on sea turtles, seagrass and reefs were conducted. State permits were granted in 1996 for dredging the navigation channel extension to the ICW, however, Federal permits were denied due to the presence of protected seagrasses. In the 2000’s, state and federal permits were finally granted and the dredging was completed with navigation markers installed in July 2007. Dredging resulted in seagrass habitat impacts totaling 1.7 acres of sparsely vegetated areas with approximately 30% seagrass cover. Impacted grasses included shoal grass, Manatee grass and Johnsons grass. To compensate for seagrass impacts from the channel dredging, the Inlet District implemented a multifaceted mitigation plan which includes prop scar repairs on the flood shoal, boating education and posting of sensitive seagrass areas, and stormwater treatment in the region. In the past, boats ran aground due to shoaling and with no clearly marked navigation channel, boaters unknowingly ran over sensitive seagrass beds when trying to access the Inlet. A clearly marked, deeper navigation channel can allow seagrass beds to flourish without the threat of prop scarring. The channel will allow a better flow of fresh saltwater to the Indian River Lagoon, increasing the salinity levels which will ensure better health of the estuary.
Lessons Learned from the Gulf Oil Spill Peter Cocotos (FPL ) moderator; Dave Appelbaum (FPL), Chuck Roberts (Performance Management Group)
Cocotos: discussed the issues and concerns Florida Power and Light encountered as a result of the BP oil spill, and in what ways a company like BP might be liable for matters like the expense a power companies may have to face to be prepared for oil entering cooling water intake channels; or the expense of a plant being shut down because of oil in the area. How far could or would the liability possibly go, since none of the plants had an actual problem with oil contamination, yet some of them had to expend resources to be prepared anyway?
Appelbaum (FPL) was responsible for setting up a command center analogous to those set up by BP and the Federal agencies. This center had to be prepared for the potential of oil contaminating intake channels. As a coastal utility with power plants cooled by water cycled from the Gulf of Mexico, FPL closely monitored the oil spill in the Gulf for any potential impact to their operations.
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Soon after the spill began, FPL activated a team to keep a close watch on clean-up operations and to be ready to take action if necessary. They set up booms in some intake channels, but discovered that some of the oil could in fact be emulsified and enter the channels below the booms which only provide protection three or four feet below the surface. They had to be prepared to shut down certain facilities due to oil contamination of the intake. This required coordination with other utilities to be ready and able to provide power during the down time of an FPL plant. FPL was not the only power utility having to take these precautions and intensive monitoring efforts. Considerable money was expended for these preparations for which there is question of whether they can, or will, file a claim with BP.
Roberts: Before the BP Deepwater Horizon well was finally sealed on September 19, 2010, some 4.9 million barrels of oil was released to the Gulf of Mexico. The response required by this single incident taxed public and private response resources and exposed the vulnerability of our nation to natural events and terrorist attacks on oil rigs. Response efforts included nearly 26,000 personnel, 2,700 vessels, over 400 controlled burns, deployment of approximately 10 million feet of absorbent boom, use of 1 million feet of containment boom, and 2 million gallons of dispersant. With more than 100 linear miles of moderate to heavy shoreline impacts, only 2 miles of Florida shoreline was significantly impacted. About 40,000 square miles of Federal waters were temporarily closed to fishing. Dispersant use was a controversial issue. Oil dispersants are believed to reduce severe shoreline impacts and speed up the natural biodegradation of oil by increasing the oil’s surface area for contact with bacteria. However, dispersants in an oil spill exchange a surficial oil slick, for which cleanup technologies exists, for a subsurface dispersal of tiny oil droplets, for which there is no effective cleanup technology. Public relations and political factors were likely driving forces for using dispersants, as dispersants eliminate much of an oil slick disappear from view, even though the oil remains in the environment. Several broad ranging and important lessons can be learned from this event. The first is that people performing vulnerability analyses too quickly dismiss extreme events as highly unlikely. This has led to a lack of prevention and preparedness, as shown not only by the oil spill, but also by the Hurricane Katrina levee breach, the attacks of 9/11, and various industrial incidents. The second lesson is that, to prevent disasters, we must understand and address the root causes of incidents. For example, the “oil crises” our country has experienced (1973, 1979, 1990, and 2008) were not caused by the depletion of natural resources, but were due primarily to politics and human behavior patterns. The third lesson is that we must not become complacent by forgetting historical events. The oil crises illustrate how we lost our concern over petroleum dependency once immediate concerns associated with each crisis had subsided. Trading short-term known effects for long-term unknown effects is risky. A secure and sustainable future requires focusing on prevention through proper vulnerability analysis and emergency planning, which involves addressing root causes of incidents, as well as learning from the past so that we don’t repeat our mistakes.
Andy TiltonDylan Larson
Luna Phillips
Pat Gleason Technical sessionSeagrass Restoration Panel
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AWRA Florida Section 2010 Vision:
“In spite of the recession and competition for personal time, AWRA Florida Section flourishes as the best accessible, cost effective and relevant association for water resources professionals.”
At our Ft. Lauderdale meeting, AWRA once again demonstrated this vision. Luna Phillips and her team provided us with a great location and agenda. Thanks to all who presented, sponsored and the 60 or so registrants and guests who attended this event. I especially appreciate Senator Negron for addressing our group and the four FIU students who drove up from Miami to be with us at their first Florida Section meeting! Speaking of students, your board of directors is making a more concerted effort to keep them involved in AWRA. We have created a student support committee to communicate with our students, work to create student chapters and keep them viable, and help students understand the types of support provided by the Florida Section and National AWRA. If you are interested in participating on this committee, please get in touch with your favorite board member.
Our next meeting is in Ft. Myers at the Royal Palm Yacht Club located on the Caloosahatchee River. This is the 20th anniversary of the SW Florida Water Resources Conference. Don Duke and his committee have assembled a great agenda that you won’t want to miss. I encourage you to take advantage of this valuable opportunity. I can’t thank our sponsors enough. Please see the list of them in this newsletter, and let them know you appreciate their support of AWRA.
Finally, I want to thank those who participated in our member survey and board of directors election. Summaries of the survey election results are provided in this newsletter. We appreciate your feedback and will base our future services and activities on your input.
Thanks for your attention and participation. I hope to see you soon in Ft. Myers!
Sincerely,
David Watt
President’s MessageThe election of the Board of Directors for the Florida Section of AWRA for 2011 is complete with all ballots counted and 14% of our membership casing ballots. The proposed slate of candidates was adopted by the Section. Your 2011 Board members are: Kristin K. Bennett, Esq., Stuart; Annette F. Carter, West Palm Beach; Joanne Chamberlin, Jacksonville; Michael DelCharco, P.E., Jacksonville; Mark C. Diblin, Gainesville; Douglas J. Durbin, Ph.D., Tampa; Ron M. Edenfield, P.E., Fort Myers; Timothy English III, Gainesville; Edwin W. Finch III, Tampa; John J. Fumero, Esq., Boca Raton; Carol Hinton, Gainesville; Gary K. Howalt, Jacksonville; Donald W. McEwen, Havana; Paul W. O’Neil, Jr., P.E., Brooksville; Krista D. Sabin, Palm Beach Gardens; Garrett Wallace, West Palm Beach; Shayne Wood, P.E., Jacksonville; Jay W. Yingling – Past President 2009, Tampa; and David R. Watt – Past President 2010, Palatka. Congratulations to our 2011 Board of Directors!
Since the closing of the election, our Student Board member Timothy English III has tendered his resignation from the board due to his study/student commitments. Currently the Nomination Committee is searching for a new Student Board member and will have a nomination recommendation at the November Board meeting.
Incoming President Ron Edenfield and the Board of Directors also select the 2011 Officers at the September 2010 Board meeting and are pleased to announce your next year’s Officers as President, Ron Edenfield; Vice President, Annette Carter; Secretary, Michael DelCharco; and Treasurer, Carol Hinton. Congratulations to our 2011 Florida Section AWRA Officers!
Tellers Report
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Rosanne Clementi Education Program
Education Committee: Rosanne Clementi, Clementi Environmental Consulting; Kristin Bennett, Tetra Tech EC, Inc.; Mike Copeland, WRS Compass; Mark Diblin, MACTEC Engineering and Consulting, Inc.; Doug Durbin, ENTRIX
The Florida Section of AWRA has a mission to support education through the Rosanne Clementi Education Program and uses a number of vehicles to fulfill this mission: • The J.B. Butler Grant is awarded to pre-K-12 teachers
and environmental outreach programs to aid in water resource education;
• The William Storch Award is given to college or graduate students to support educational activities; and
• The Sanford N. Young Scholarship is an endowed fund designed to provide funding for at least one $2,000 scholarship each year.
The application deadline is May 1 of each year. The award determination will be made in July and the monetary award provided by August. Application forms for these programs are available on the Florida Section webpage (www.awraflorida.org) under the Grants and Awards link. We are always seeking additional donations to the education program. Tax deductible donations may be made at any time by sending a check made payable to the AWRA Florida Section (note in the memo line if it is for the Sandy Young Scholarship or if it is a general donation to the education fund) to the attention of Rosanne Clementi, Clementi Environmental Consulting, LLC 5205 South Lois Avenue, Tampa, FL 33611, (813) 230-8100. If you have any questions, you can contact RosanneClementi at [email protected].
STUDENTSYou have a chance to win $$$$ (students only!)
Students are encouraged to attend the November 19 meeting in Ft. Myers at which two on-the-spot awards of $500 each will be given during the sessions. Student names will be selected in a random drawing. The student must be present at the meeting to be eligible for the drawing. Students may be eligible to be reimbursed for their travel expenses to attend the meeting. Please check the Student Support Policy for information. You must get approval for the reimbursement BEFORE attending the meeting.
Students without Chapters
If your school does not have an active AWRA Student Chapter, you can still participate in the section and may be eligible for travel reimbursement to attend AWRA Florida Section meetings. If you have any questions regarding student chapters, student involvement in the Section or the Student Support Policy, please contact any Education Committee member (contact information is available on the webpage and in the membership directory).
Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 13
Special Thanks to Our Survey RespondentsWe’d like to thank our members who participated in electing of new slate of board of directors and shared their thoughts with us on the member survey. A total of 77 surveys/ballots were completed which is nearly 15% of our active membership. As with past member surveys, the technical programs scored very high remarks as did our Key Note Speakers, and Networking opportunities. There were also several positive comments from respondents who noted that they really liked having the meeting format changed to start around the lunch hour. A few other quick summary statistics:
• On average, 53% of survey respondents said they attend 1 to 2 meetings a year
• 44% of the survey respondents we’ve heard from attended the most recent Key West meeting
• Nearly 70% of the respondents are using the newly implemented online registration and payment system as their preferred way to register and pay for meetings and annual membership dues
• We had several questions focused on the annual meeting in Key West, including:
» Nearly 60% of the respondents indicated that they were not able to attend the Key West meeting over the past 2-years because Work/Economy has limited conference participation
» The respondents were evenly split, 44% vs. 44% on whether to have the annual meeting in the Keys versus rotating the annual meeting around the state of Florida.
Thanks again to all our members who completed the survey and we can assure you that your input will be put to good use as we move forward into planning next year’s activities. Also, please feel free to review a summary of the survey results at the link provided below: 2010 AWRA Florida Annual Elections and Membership Survey Results at http://www.surveymonkey.com/sr.aspx?sm=YARY6waehVdStF4qY15_2f0KlBZ4HGRhVk3ScFJYgAqec_3d
Now is your opportunity to sponsor the American Water Resources Association Florida Section 2011 Member Directory.
We offer three levels of support: Business Card $75.00 Half Page $125.00 Full Page $225.00 Payment and artwork must be provided no later than February 4, 2011. To reserve your sponsorship page, or if you have any questions, please contact Kristin Bennett at 772-781-3414 or email [email protected]. Thank you in advance for your support.
Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 14
Membership Services – Great Meeting in Fort Lauderdale!
It was great meeting in Fort Lauderdale this past September and I am looking forward to our November meeting in Fort Myers. The 2010 year will soon be over and we are gearing up for the 2011 membership renewal process, which will be kicked-off in December. However, there is no need to wait until then, a 2011 membership application form is included in this newsletter, or you may access one on our web page at www.awraflorida.org. So get a head start and renew your membership for 2011 now. Please be sure to clearly fill out this form so the correct contact information is included in our 2011 directory!
We look forward to your continued involvement in the Florida Section of AWRA and we are committed to providing the networking and technical value we are known for. Dues for both Regular and Student memberships remain at $20.00 and $4.00, respectively. Thank you and I hope to see you all in Fort Myers!
Membership
Since the month of July, 6 members have renewed and we have added 3 new members to our organization! We have a total of 509 active members, with 85 of these being student members. I would like to thank all of our students for their support to AWRA! Please take a few minutes to introduce yourself to our new AWRA members at our next meeting in Fort Myers so we can continue to grow. Welcome New Members!
Mitchell Gratton Gulf Stream Business Bank JupiterDamon Meiers PE South Florida WMD West Palm BeachCarli Koshal University of Florida Student Gainesville
Please feel free to contact me for membership questions or with ideas on how we can improve our service to our members. Thank you and hope to see you all in Fort Myers!
____________________________________________________________________________________ Box, Street or Route Suite or Apartment
____________________________________________________________________________________ City State Zip Code
Daytime Telephone: _______________________Alternate Telephone: ________________________ Area Code Area Code
Facsimile: ________________________E-mail:__________________________________________ Area Code
MEMBERSHIP INTERESTS
Would you like to receive our newsletter via e-mail? Yes No Are you an AWRA National Member? Yes No If not, would you like information? Yes No Are you interested in sponsorship opportunities? Yes No Would you like to be part of a bi-monthly meeting team? Yes No
$_________ Annual dues (please indicate if you are paying for additional years) $_________ Florida Section Water Resources Education Fund (tax deductible contribution) $ Sandy Young Scholarship Fund (tax deductible contribution) $_________ TOTAL (Please make checks payable to AWRA Florida Section, THANK YOU!)
Return this application Joanne Chamberlain, Member Services Coordinator and your check to: Brown and Caldwell
101 Dogwood Drive St Augustine, FL 32080
Florida Section membership dues are due January 1 and are good through December 31. Contributions or gifts to the Florida Section are deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Dues payments
may be deductible by members as an ordinary and necessary business expense. For membership information, please contact Joanne Chamberlain at 904-733-2527 or [email protected] Section Use Only:Date Received: _______________ Check #: _______________ Amount: _______________
2011 Membership Application
Florida Section American Water Resource Association Page 16
the Watershed Editor:Doug Durbin, Ph.D., Technical Director/V.P.Cardno ENTRIX3905 Crescent Park Dr. • Riverview, FL 33578Phone (813) 664-4500 • Fax (813) [email protected]
Ft. MyersNovember 19, 2010Dr. Donald Duke, PhD239-590-7542
