Flint River Basin
Regional Water Development and Conservation Plan
November 19, 2004

Answers to EPD permit-related questions from October 13, 2004 meeting:

1.How many permits are active in the Flint River Basin and how many are being proposed?

Total number of ag. permits in the Flint River Basin = 8511
Total number of ag. surface water permits = 2053
Total number of ag. groundwater permits = 6143
Total number of ag. well-to-pond permits = 315
Total num. of ag. groundwater permits in Subarea 4 = 4302

Total irrigated acreage = 714,739 ac
(For details of irrigated acreages, please see attachment (Table 1)).

Total number of proposed ag. surface water permits = 360
Total number of proposed ag. groundwater permits (Sub4) = 1104
Total number of proposed permits = 1464

Total proposed additional surface water acreage = 10,308 ac
Total proposed additional groundwater acreage = 132,678 ac
Total proposed additional acreage = 142,986 ac

Total num. industrial surface water permits = 5 (49 mgd permitted monthly avge.)
Total num. municipal surface water permits = 20 (139 mgd permitted monthly av.)

Total num. industrial groundwater permits = 24 (33 mgd permitted monthly avge.)
Total num. municipal groundwater permits = 34 (52 mgd permitted monthly avge.)

2. How many inactive permits are there?

Total number of inactive groundwater permits = 284
Total number of inactive surface water permits = 33
Total number of duplicate permits = 177

3. How many unpermitted wells are pumping and how much?

Total number of known, unpermitted surface water pump locations = 304
Total number of known, unpermitted well locations = 382
Total of acreage irrigated by known, unpermitted wells and pumps = 40,784 ac.

5.Surface water – Total Volume Pumped, Flint River Basin

For drought year 2002: 190,372 acre X 7.66 in/acre = 220 mgd (180-day season)
For year 2003: 190,372 acre X 2.64 in/acre = 75 mgd

Ground water – Total Volume Pumped in Subarea 4 only

For drought year 2002: 462,368 acre X 10.69 in/acre = 746 mgd
For year 2003: 462,368 acre X 5.90 in/acre = 412 mgd

Unpermitted acreage (combining sw and gw, using annual average depths)

For drought year 2002: 40,784 acre X 9.27 in/acre = 57 mgd
For year 2003: 40,784 X 4.50 in/acre = 27 mgd

6.Can it be determined when a well or pump is no longer pumping?

EPD does not have the authority to revoke an agricultural permit for non-use once initial use has commenced. In some cases, farmers have volunteered that a permit is inactive (e.g. it is now in planted pines) but because of the highly variable nature of agriculture EPD considers those to be active permits unless they are no longer associated with agricultural land (e.g. an irrigation well is now in a subdivision). In the latter case, it is not clear that EPD can summarily revoke the permit.

7. What is being done with continued permitting in adjoining states?

Alabama has a “registration program” that requires agricultural withdrawals to be registered if they exceed or have the capacity to exceed 100,000 gpd. Alabama does not issue “permits”, but instead issues “certificates of use”. These certificates have an expiration of 5-10 years; require annual reporting of water use (although there is no metering program in Alabama); and any changes made to withdrawal capacity must be registered. The registration program is run by ADECA, which stands for Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

ADECA has the authority to declare a “Capacity stress area” when they believe that the water resources of an area are over-utilized. If this occurs, ADECA can restrict the amount of water used by an agricultural certificate of use. At present, there are no capacity stress areas in Alabama.

The Northwest Florida Water Management District in Florida has a very complicated and detailed agricultural irrigation withdrawal permitting system. In some areas, “Individual Water Use Permits” are required for wells or combinations of wells that withdraw more than 100,000 gpd; more than 1,000,000 per day; wells that have a diameter greater than 6”; and wells that are used for any public supply regardless of well diameter. In some areas, the threshold limits are 1,444,000 gpd and a diameter of 10”. Permits have an expiration of 5, 7, or 10 years depending on what part of the State they are in. Florida also imposes permit processing fees that range from $100.00 to $3000.00, depending on the average daily withdrawal amounts. Permit transfers are charged a processing fee of $50.00. Flow meters are required, and annual reporting is required also. The Board of the Northwest Florida Water Management District may evaluate competing applications when two or more permit applications are “pending for a quantity of water that is inadequate for both or are in conflict for any other reason”.

The Northwest Florida Water Management District may declare Water Resource Caution Areas if they believe that the resources is threatened by overuse that would cause long term water level declines, saltwater intrusion, threaten flora and fauna, or the inability of the resource to meet projected demands. Within Water Resource Caution Areas, permit thresholds and “limiting conditions” may be established. There are currently two such areas in the Northwest Florida Water Management District, covering Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton Counties on or near the Gulf Coast; and Upper Talogia Creek Drainage Basin in Gadsden County. Gadsden County adjoins Georgia.

8.How will permits be regulated (new or grandfathered)?

All new and grandfathered permits will continue to be regulated according to existing Statutes and Rules unless these are changed by the General Assembly or Board of Natural Resources.

9.Does a grandfathered permit keep status if the land is sold?

Yes. And in those circumstances in which a tenant farmer who is also a grandfathered permit holder loses his or her lease, and refuses to relinquish the permit to the new land owner, EPD will revoke the permit and issue a new permit that is likewise grandfathered.

10.How far north does this Plan go?

The Plan will apply to the entire Flint River Basin from Atlanta to Lake Seminole. However, the upper half of the basin north of the Middle Flint and Kinchafoonee-Muckalee watersheds will be treated as a single hydrologic entity. Most of the focus of the Plan will be on the lower Flint River Basin and especially Subarea 4.