Humans need water for drinking, cleaning, and gardening as well as recreation.  Farms and industries need water for the production and processing of goods for the marketplace.  Birds and other wildlife depend on adequate water supplies to nest, raise young, feed, and rest along their migratory paths.  Droughts, excessive urban development, and water pollution threaten the quality and amount of water available to all entities.

In 1972 Congress passed the Clean Water Act which is the nation's primary law on water quality(www.audubon.org/campaign/cleanwateract.html#CWA). The Act is credited with clean up of one third of our nations rivers and lakes.  However, court decisions have cut back the types of waters protected under the Act, and threaten to limit protections for critical habitats across America (www.audubon.org). Guidance issued in 2007 by the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers could lead to a 50% loss of waters historically protected under the Clean Water Act, including the fragile wetlands.  

National Audubon is committed to protecting and updating the Clean Water Act.  Staff and members are working with agencies such as Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers to help save our wetlands and valuable waters.  Audubon also advocates for broad federal protection including litigation in the Supreme Court to protect the Everglades and Florida's wetlands from unlimited development. National Audubon has also joined forces with other organizations in the Clean Water Network (www.cleanwaternetwork.org). Visit http://www.audubon.org/ for further information.

AUDUBON OF FLORIDA

The Audubon Assembly approved statewide priorities for 2009.  Water policy priorities are:

• Require mandatory water conservation programs as condition of consumptive use permits and mandatory reuse as a condition of wastewater discharge permits
• Revise state policies to give natural systems legal allocations of water to assure their long-term health before water is permitted for other uses
• Urge water management districts to set uncompromising schedules for reserving water for natural systems and establishing Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs)
• Maintain, improve and restore natural storage capacity in order to reduce withdrawals and diversions from natural systems
• Expand, accelerate and improve floodplain and water recharge area acquisition and management to prevent these areas from being developed while restoring natural areas and ecosystems
• Encourage partnerships for water storage to help finance, share water resources and allow storage of water on private lands
• Reduce pollution, maintain and strengthen water quality standards and support water quality restoration programs to clean up polluted waterways
• Protect Florida's springs and the springsheds that are their recharge sources
• Work for stronger federal, state, and local wetlands protection policies
• Amend Florida's Constitution to allow Northwest Florida Water Management District to collect the same rate of ad valorem taxes as other Districts.

Read about the Everglades and link to organizations participating in water restoration efforts there by clicking here.

Blog

For monthly updates on converation issues related to water visit Grant Campbell's blogspot. (Click here). 

WHAT CAN YOU DO? 

Capture water in Rain Barrels and Cisterns -- and then use these for future watering needs.  Keep covered to avoid attracting mosquitoes.  Some schools and organizations paint the outside of rain barrels and sale them to raise funds.  Click here for further details.