by Jim Turner, News Service of Florida Federal assistance may be on the way for the state’s latest Everglades restoration effort. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will need another month to figure out how to join in Senate President Joe Negron’s plan for a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee. Col. Jason Kirk, the Florida commander for …
Agri View: Water Rights Problems
Everett Griner talks about the water rights issue getting tough in today’s Agri View. WOTUS. You may never have heard that word. That is W-O-T-U-S. That’s Waters of The United States. The program is backed by our Federal Government. It is a word that farmers know well. Just because there is a flowing stream, or a natural …
Hydroponics to Improve Yield, Minimize Water Use
Hydroponic growing systems are a means for growers to potentially improve yield, says Dr. Davie Kadyampakeni, an assistant professor at the Citrus Research and Education Center at the University of Florida. These systems are a way for farmers to grow crops without soil by using water and a nutrient solution. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Alternative Farming Systems Information Center …
EAA Farmers Achieve Another Year of Water Quality Success for the Everglades
Environmental Agency Announces Everglades Agricultural Area Reduced Phosphorus by Nearly 3 Times the Goal The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) announced that farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) achieved another successful year of water-quality success, announcing a 70 percent reduction in phosphorous for Water Year 2017. The reduction is nearly three times the 25 percent reduction goal set …
Adam Putnam One of First Individuals Awarded 2017 US Water Prize
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam was presented with the 2017 US Water Prize in acknowledgment of his leadership on water issues in Florida. The prize was award by the US Water Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the nation about the true value of water and advancing policies and programs that manage water resources to advance a …
Pleased with Process to Repeal WOTUS
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt told lawmakers Tuesday that the EPA has sent its repeal of the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule to the federal register, beginning the process of ending the regulation. Many agriculture groups were pleased with the announcement, including the National Pork Producers Council. Their President, Ken Maschhoff, in a release said: “This is great …
EPA Sends WOTUS Repeal to Federal Register
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt told lawmakers Tuesday that the EPA has sent its repeal of the Waters of the U.S. rule to the federal register, beginning the process of ending the regulation. During a Senate budget hearing Tuesday, Pruitt told lawmakers the measure was being sent to the federal register the same day. The formal withdrawal of the …
Water Management District Offers Online Updates on Reservoir
from News Service of Florida Progress on a controversial reservoir intended to help clean South Florida waterways can now be followed via an interactive map provided by the South Florida Water Management District. The website outlines where the reservoir — about 18,000-acres — will be located within the Everglades Agricultural Area south of Lake Okeechobee. So far, water management officials …
Groups Applaud EPA Proposed Rule To Repeal WOTUS
American Farm Bureau Federation The following statement may be attributed to Zippy Duvall, president, American Farm Bureau Federation: “Farmers and ranchers across this country are cheering EPA’s proposal to ditch its flawed Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. We know the importance of clean water, and farmers and ranchers work hard to protect our natural resources every day. “But this …
Conaway Praises EPA Repeal of WOTUS, Calls for Continued Work to Protect Farmers and Ranchers
House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) praised the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement it is repealing the Obama administration’s waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule and called on other agencies to revise and re-evaluate their enforcement of this onerous provision. Following the EPA’s announcement, Chairman Conaway made the below remarks: “WOTUS has never been about clean water, it …