Our Water. Our Florida.
A water ethic for Florida.
In a new report, the Collins Center makes the case for a statewide water ethic to protect Florida’s most essential natural resource – water. Managing freshwater has been a central theme throughout Florida’s history. In the 19th Century, Floridians were guided by how much water could be pushed off the land. In the 20th Century, we were guided by how much could be pumped into subdivisions. In the 21st Century, we must be guided by our consciences.
A Water Ethic for Florida shows how all Floridians, from elected leaders to business owners to citizens, can come together to ensure freshwater supply for future generations. Its guiding principles encourage Floridians to:
- Value water, from appreciating local streams to being willing to pay an appropriate price for water.
- Work together to use less and less – rather than fight each other to grab more and more.
- Keep water local in order to avoid the financial, environmental and energy costs of long-distance transfers.
- Avoid the big mistakes of our history: over-tapping natural supplies and over-reliance on costly fixes that bring unintended consequences.
- Leave as much as prudently possible in nature – aquifers, wetlands and rivers – so that our children and grandchildren can make their own decisions about water.
Cynthia Barnett, a senior writer at Florida Trend magazine, wrote the report on behalf of the Collins Center, with specific examples from our own state, other parts of the United States and other parts of the world. She is also the author of the book, Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S. and the forthcoming book, Blue Revolution: Unmaking American’s Water Crisis.
A Water Ethic for Florida is the first in a series for the Collins Center’s Our Florida. Our Future.initiative, a multi-year effort to envision Florida’s future. The goal of Our Florida. Our Future. is to create a dynamic, global state with communities that are prosperous, healthy, just, neighborly and sustainable.
“We’re concerned about the future of Florida and we think a lot of other Floridians are concerned as well,” said Steve Seibert, senior vice president and director of strategic visioning for the Collins Center. “Through Our Florida. Our Future., we hope to get people talking about how to create the Florida we all want. We chose to deal with our water supply first because of its long-term implications for the future of this state.”
To comment on the report and on water use in Florida, take a short Water Ethic Survey.
About the Author
Cynthia Barnett is senior writer at Florida Trend magazine, where she has covered investigative, environmental, public policy and business stories for more than 12 years. She is the author of Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S. (University of Michigan Press, 2007), and the forthcoming Blue Revolution: Unmaking America’s Water Crisis (Beacon Press, September 2011).
Learn more at www.cynthiabarnett.net
About the Photographer
John Moran was Florida’s official state nature photographer in 2007. A University of Florida graduate, Moran’s photography has appeared in numerous books and magazines including National Geographic, Life, Time, Newsweek, Smithsonian, The New York Times Magazine and on the cover of the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida.
Learn more at JohnMoranPhoto.com
Toward a Florida Water Ethic…
Guiding principles to secure Florida’s water resources for the long-term future:
- Floridians value water, from appreciating local streams to being willing to pay an appropriate price for water.
- We work together to use less and less – rather than fight each other to grab more and more.
- We try to keep water local in order to avoid the financial, environmental and energy costs of long- distance transfers.
- We avoid the two big mistakes of our history: over-tapping our natural supplies and over-relying on the costliest fixes that bring unintended consequences to future generations.
- We leave as much as prudently possible in nature – aquifers, wetlands and rivers – so that our children and grandchildren, with benefit of time and evolving knowledge, can make their own decisions about water.
Adapted from Blue Revolution: Unmaking America’s Water Crisis, by Cynthia Barnett, forthcoming from Beacon Press, September 2011.
Water Resource Links
- Department of Environmental Protection
- Florida DEP – Protecting our Water
- Florida Water Management Districts
- U.S. Geological Survey Report: Florida’s Water Use
- Waterworld.com
- Florida Water Science Center (USGS)
- Florida Water Resources Journal
- 2011 Florida Water Resources Conference
- University of Florida Water Resources Research Center
- American Water Resources Association (Florida Section)
- City of Titusville, FL Water Resources Department
- SFWMD Water Conservation
- NWFWMD Water Conservation
- Conserve Florida Water Clearinghouse
- City of Tampa Water Use Calculator
- Plant City Water Conservation Program
- Saving Florida Water
- The Water Encyclopedia – Florida Water Management
- Florida Public Service Commission – Florida Water Facts
- Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority
- Florida DCA – Water Supply Planning
- Florida Soil and Water Conservation Districts Supervisor Handbook
- Florida Waters
- Natural Resources Defense Council – Florida Everglades
- Gulf of Mexico Climate Outreach Workshop presentation – Water Conservation in NE Florida
- Florida Water Environment Association
- Florida’s Water Management Districts – Permitting Portal
- AIF – Florida Water Forum 2010
- Florida Waters – 2002 Water Resources Manual from Florida’s Water Management Districts
- Florida Lakes, Rivers and Water Resources
- Florida DEP – Best Management Practices for Protection of Water Resources in Florida Guide
- Florida Department of Environmental Protection
- runningdry.org
- American Water Resources Association
- waterfootprint.org
- NWRA Federal Water Issues Conference
- Watery Foundation
