STATEMENT ON TODAY'S FLORIDA SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

January 25, 2017

STATEMENT ON TODAY'S FLORIDA SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

South Florida Water Management District's Hydrology and Hydraulics Bureau Chief Akintunde Owosina, P.E. and his modeling team of professional engineers and scientists have a single goal, to offer the public and decision-makers with objective, dependable science to help make informed public policy. Tom Van Lent represents a special interest group driving a private agenda.

Owosina's team of engineers and scientists examined the modeling study highlighted during today's testimony and found the claim that the benefit of southern storage is superior to northern storage in minimizing estuary discharges is misleading, the product of an agenda-driven academic exercise.

For a contradiction of today's claims and an objective account of Everglades storage issues, please see the January 11, 2017 testimony to the same Subcommittee by the University of Florida Water Institute's Director Wendy Graham. On the topic of benefits of both northern and southern water storage in the Everglades, she stated at the 31:45 mark of her testimony:

"If you want to protect the estuaries, it's pretty equal north or south of the Lake."

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Media Contact:

Randy Smith | rrsmith@sfwmd.gov | Office: 561-682-2800 | Cell: 561-389-3386

The South Florida Water Management District is a regional governmental agency that manages the water resources in the southern part of the state. It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts. Our mission is to protect South Florida's water resources by balancing and improving flood control, water supply, water quality and natural systems.

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