The effort to secure a piece of the Alafia River’s flow someday got serious Wednesday.
The Polk Regional Water Cooperative approved a revised administrative budget that includes $204,820 to challenge a permit awarded in July to Tampa Bay Water use the remaining allowable flow in the Alafia River to meet its future water demands.
This occurred after discussions involving the cooperative, Tampa Bay Water and the Southwest Florida Water Management District did not result in an agreement.
On Sept 3, Tampa Bay Water informed PRWC officials that it was not willing to decrease its permit request.
Tampa Bay Water provides water to Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties and to the cities of New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa.
That permit approval will not be final pending the resolution of the challenge, board members were told.
The idea of tapping the Alafia River goes back decades, but PRWC’s plans did not include it until 2017 along with other so-called alternative water supply projects involving the Peace River, the Peace Creek Drainage Canal and the Lower Floridan Aquifer.
Two main tributaries of the Alafia River form in Polk County before merging in Hillsborough County to form the river’s main channel.
The existence of those tributaries is the basis for the water cooperative’s claim.
This discussion like all other discussions about tapping surface water is about how it affects minimum flows and levels. This refers to the amount of flow a river requires for fish to swim freely and for generally healthy flow.
This was a major issue for decades on the Peace River, whose riverbed had no flow for miles in Polk County at times of low rainfall because of excessive water use. within its watershed
The idea of setting minimum flows and levels is to prevent a repeat of that problem elsewhere.
The challenge approved Wednesday could involve a formal administrative hearing or could, like an earlier dispute with the Peace River Manasota Water Supply Authority. result in some kind of settlement.
Stay tuned.