The Stuart News - Community Foundation Editorial Opinon

Leslie Lilly: World Water Week: A good time to assess Martin County's water management
By Leslie Lilly

Friday, August 28

Even as experts and decision-makers from across the globe met in Stockholm, Sweden, last week to discuss the world's water issues, before the recent rainfall in our small corner of the planet, we had been experiencing the worst drought in recorded history.

Lake Okeechobee has now reached its healthiest state in years. But it's hurricane season and, should the aging levees that hold it back fail, we could face devastating consequences. To manage Lake O's rise, billions of gallons of fresh water are released and dumped, destroying Martin County's estuaries. Water managers are forced to make choices they should not have to make, all in the interest of managing, among multiple stakeholders, that which is a devil's choice to do the "least" harm.

It is no wonder, then, that our approach to managing water resources is filled with contradictions, made even more devastating by the inability to manage a climate change that we can no longer presume and predict with historical accuracy.

If there is any good news, it is that South Florida already has gotten its wake-up call. We already know what we have done wrong. Our opportunity is to start now, with urgency, to get it right.

An independent study recently commissioned by the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties through its environmental endowment fund invites serious consideration of these issues.

"Envisioning Alternative Futures for Water Resources in Palm Beach and Martin Counties" was undertaken by Dr. Lance Gunderson of Emory University and Stephen Light of Adaptive Strategies, and takes a critical view of our counties' water situation and current resources, laying out solid scenarios for consideration.

Despite the large rainfall we experience during hurricane season, the study notes that one of our central challenges is a chronic lack of water. There's the seeming paradox: Facing an unpredictable climate, will we be hit by drought or by flood?

There is little doubt that our ecosystems and estuaries are under siege on a regular basis. During last year's hurricane season alone, approximately 250 billion gallons of freshwater from canals in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie canals were released into the sea, causing algae blooms and harming the marine populations of our rivers and estuaries.

The study looks at climate, human demand and infrastructure. It notes that our ability to adapt to these factors will play a critical role in managing the inevitable droughts and floods in the future. Unfortunately, with the likely climate changes coming fast and furious for our region, incremental adjustments to this predicament won't be enough.

More than a few respected scientists believe that Florida will see new super hurricanes within the next 20 years. Oil prices and economics within the United States will change as well. So, there is the real potential for abrupt shifts.

As World Water Week considers the global perspective, the study's release could not be more timely. Its contents should be given the widest possible public discussion now - before our choice of water scenarios becomes even more bleak.

You're invited to download the study, view videos and discuss our region's water issues on Palm Beach County's digital public square at www.yourpbc.org/water. The stakes are rising.

Leslie Lilly is president and CEO of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties.