Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JDN who wrote (539160)	2/12/2004 11:18:10 AM
From: redfish	Respond to of 769670

"Do we have enough water in the state and it happens to be in the wrong spot?" Arnold asked. "Some counties are rich. Eighty percent of the consumption is south of I-4. Eighty percent of available supplies are north of I-4." But the growth isn't. Naples, for example, is the second-fastest growing metropolitan market in the country. Collier County grew from 160,000 residents in 1990 to more than 275,000 in 2002. The population is projected to grow to nearly 550,000 by 2030. In recent speeches, Arnold singled out the Suwanee River region as a potential water source for growing South and Central Florida. "They're sitting in the Saudi Arabia of water," Arnold said in one speech. In return for their water, he suggested, they could get money for improving their schools. But the sheiks of the Suwannee have no interest in cutting any deals for their water supply. If the council pushes the idea, "I'm sure there would be an uproar," said Suwannee River Water Management District director Jerry Scarborough. "We have no water to give away, and we're not interested in selling any," said Suwannee County Commissioner Douglas Udell. During the Tampa Bay water wars, as Pinellas County and St. Petersburg drained the lakes and swamps of Pasco and Hillsborough counties, one Pinellas commissioner announced: "Keep the Suwannee River cold, because we're coming for it." whoseflorida.com By the early 1990s, numerous investigations had confirmed that the enormous removal of fresh water had lowered the water table, to a point where some parts of the water table were already BELOW sea level. More than ten years ago, scientists already knew that seawater had already intruded into some areas of the Biscayne Aquifer. mb-soft.com In Florida, having enough water has become a critical issue. People are using water faster than it can be replaced. The growing population and varying amounts of rain mean that the need to conserve is very important. We must do everything possible to assure a water supply of good quality for today and the future. fcit.usf.edu The governor failed to mention that he first proposed moving water from "water-rich" to "water-poor" counties during his failed 1994 campaign. Nor did he note that the council's recommendations proved both controversial and unpopular in many public hearings held statewide. In the north, residents feared future water shortages. In the south, residents opposed importing water from outside areas to fuel overdevelopment. palmbeachpost.com