from staff
With the absence of a quorum Thursday, the Jacksonville Waterways Commission wasn’t able to vote on two pieces of legislation or even the approval of its Jan. 15 meeting minutes.
However, Dr. Gerard Pinto of Jacksonville University did provide an update on the statewide manatee population last year and the news is good.
“There were a record number of manatees counted,” said Pinto. “There were 3,807 counted and in our last survey in 2007, there were about 1,400 on each coast. We have seen a lot more on the East Coast; about 500.”
After hearing that bit of news, Commission Chair and City Council member Bill Bishop took a lighthearted shot at the west coast of the state.
“They are all fleeing the bad housing market in Southwest Florida,” said Bishop, who even asked at one point during the meeting if anyone knew any good jokes.
Pinto did say there have not been any reported manatee deaths this year, although area waters are cold and the manatee population is low. He did say the manatee deaths in December from large vessels have prompted more awareness from the general public. Dr. Quinton White, also of JU, has been on the radio and TV and quoted in print stories about the issue.
“That has helped raise awareness,” said Pinto, adding a manatee mother and calf were rescued from a JEA outflow area last Friday morning morning during the cold weather. “There are three others that hang out there. They are in very good shape and there is no indication they were suffering from the cold.”
White is working on a white paper that’s due to the State Department of Environmental Protection March 1. The report is in reaction to the St. Johns River Water Management District’s plan to withdraw hundreds of millions of gallons of water a day from the river in Central Florida. White said his report will show that the removal of fresh water from the river will result in saltwater intrusion into the river’s estuary. Combined with the proposed dredging near the mouth of the river, the withdrawal could prove harmful.
“It would be kind of like a salt wedge going up the river,” said White. “The impact of the salinity will be greater from the dredging.”
The Commission did defer an ordinance that would allow a land use change and subsequent development of 12.79 acres on Heckscher Drive. Currently a campground, the owner would like the land use changed from rural residential to water dependent/water related. According to the legislation, the owner — Riverfront Associates, LCC, which is represented by lobbyist Paul Harden — wants the land use change for industrial purposes.
Commission and Council member Jack Webb asked for the deferment, citing the bill’s complexity.
“The Commission is not ready to delve into the complexity of this matter,” said Webb.