Protect the Hillsborough River!

The Lower Hillsborough River is the heart of Tampa, a natural estuary where the fish that we catch in the Bay and Gulf are born and raised. We now know how to restore its health and beauty for generations to come, so that all Tampa Bay residents can enjoy having a thriving subtropical river, full of fish and wildlife in clean fresh water as it flows through our city to become Tampa Bay.

But for over 3 decades, we've disrupted this ecosystem. More days than not, none of its own freshwater has been allowed to flow down the river from the Rowlett Park dam. For the past 5 years scientists have studied the river to determine exactly how much freshwater it needs every day to maintain a healthy environment for fish and wildlife. We need to re-establish a balance between the river as a source of  water for watering our lawns, and the river as a natural resource full of life.

If you live near the river, boat or fish in the river or Tampa Bay, have a child who either swims or rows on the river, or just care about our community's #1 natural resource.  Now is the time to become involved.

This Perfect Storm is a convergence of three main issues:

• How much fresh water will be allowed to flow down the river at the Rowlett Park dam near Busch Gardens? That minimum flow maintains the health of the river as it flows through the City and Downtown to become Tampa Bay. Fish and wildlife struggle without this necessary habitat element. Today the river isn't guaranteed freshwater to maintain its environment.

• Where will that water come from? What type of water will it be? How clean and fresh will it be? Tampa Bay Water proposed to use treated waste water to replace water they now take from the river. Treated waste water is what comes out of the sewage treatment facility. Even after filtration, it still has 27 contaminating chemicals. At this time, this is no longer being considered.

• Do we lower the environmental quality of the river by cutting the amount of oxygen required in the river in half? That's what Tampa Bay Water proposed to the FL Dept. of Environmental Protection. Cutting oxygen hurts life. Think algae bloom! Think red tide! Think more smelly, dead fish floating in the river and bay! Is that what we want to see from the new River Walk?
  
  The choice is before us today: Do we restore the River and Bay, or do we degrade it to a dead-end canal and a lifeless Bay without the full diversity of life Nature put there for us to enjoy?

 

Is a dead polluted river our only option? Actually, no!

One proposal is to tap Blue Sink as a new source of freshwater. This clogged up spring just west of Florida and Fowler Aves. can provide much of the new freshwater that will be needed for new minimum flow, for as little as 1% of the cost to taxpayers of Tampa Bay Water's risky, expensive scheme to replace freshwater with sewage water. This would also alleviate the source of seasonal flooding problems in Tampa's Forest Hills neighborhood.

FCAN supports a scientifically based revised minimum flow and level (MFL) for the Lower Hillsborough River. Former Mayor Dick Greco told SWFWMD the river was his property; none of its own water was available to give the Lower River and Bay the bit of freshwater they need for fish to flourish. Now that we know exactly how much freshwater the river needs so nature can flourish, rather than struggle for survival, let science guide our actions, not politics and greed. Give the Lower Hillsborough River the 26 million gallons a day it requires.

FCAN is telling Tampa Bay Water to forget its risky, expensive scheme to pump our river full of partially filtered sewage water. This water is safe for watering our lawns, but it's safety for river environments is far from being proven. At this time, we don't see this moving forward with its expensive price tag -- estimated cost: $186-300 million of your tax dollars.

The science is in: the river needs 3-4 times more water than it's been getting, water that's fresh and pure.  Mayor Pam Iorio has stepped up and is helping restore the river.  FCAN and its allies are grateful to the Mayor and the City Council for protecting our river.

There's a better way for the River and the Bay:

Call or write Mayor Pam Iorio today! 

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