Thursday, May 16, 2013 – 5:30 p.m. CT
Jackson County Agricultural Conference Center
2741 Pennsylvania Avenue Marianna, FL 32448
Farmers and ranchers in Northwest Florida are invited to attend a workshop to discuss and comment on draft changes to permitting rules on irrigation wells.
Staff from the Northwest Florida Water Management District will provide information on statewide consumptive use permitting consistency (CUPcon) efforts, including a review of the draft rule language and an explanation of what the proposed changes will mean for the agricultural community.
The purpose of CUPcon is to improve consistency in the consumptive/water use permitting programs implemented by Florida’s five water management districts. Anticipated changes of interest to farmers in the panhandle include:
- Current water use permittees with wells eight inches in diameter or larger will switch from a General Water Use Permit to an Individual Water Use Permit. This will be an administrative change that will require minimal information and no fee to complete.
- Permittees will see minor changes to reporting forms and requirements. This includes a new statewide form for pumping reports and a new form for crop reports — both of which will include information very similar to what users currently report. It also includes meter calibration or discharge verification reports.
The District is committed to working with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and permittees, including well owners and agricultural users, to make this transition as easy as possible.
Draft rule language will be available on the District’s website at www.nwfwmd.state.fl.us prior to the
workshop. For more information on statewide CUPCon efforts, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/waterpolicy/cupcon.htm.
You can also contact the District at Public.Information@nwfwmd.state.fl.us or (850) 539-5999.
Download the printer-friendly flyer: May 16 CUPCon Ag Workshop
Northwest Florida Water Management District
81 Water Management Drive
Havana, FL 32333-4712
(850) 539-5999
www.nwfwmd.state.fl.us
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Office of Agricultural Water Policy
1203 Governors Square Blvd.,
Suite 200
Tallahassee, FL 32301
www.FloridaAgWaterPolicy.com