Purpose
In January 2010, farmers in the Dover/Plant City area pumped large quantities of groundwater to protect their crops. This combined pumping dropped the aquifer level 60 feet and caused more than 750 temporarily dry wells for neighboring homeowners. Pumping groundwater for freeze protection is a best management practice for strawberry, citrus, and other industries and is authorized by water use permits. However, the farmers were responsible for fixing hundreds of the dry wells. Amendments to Chapter 40D-2, F.A.C., are being made as part of a rulemaking package, which will also include amendments to Chapters 40D-1, 40D-8, and 40D-80, F.A.C., to prevent a similar situation. Effective and complete implementation of the current phase of the management strategy for the Dover/Plant City area frost/freeze crop protection pumping is dependent on each of the proposed amendments to Chapters 40D-1, 40D-2, 40D-8 and 40D-80, F.A.C. The District has set a goal to by January 2020 to reduce groundwater withdrawals for frost/freeze protection by 20% from January 2010 quantities to lessen the potential that drawdown during a frost/freeze event would lower the aquifer level at District Well DV-1 Suwannee below 10 feet NGVD. The District proposes water use permitting requirements in Chapter 40D-2, F.A.C., to limit groundwater pumpage for frost/freeze protection in the area. Additionally, the amendments to Chapters 40D-1 and 40D-2, F.A.C., will incorporate revised and new District water use permit application forms to implement the provisions of the proposed companion amendments to Chapters 40D-2, 40D-8 and 40D-80, F.A.C., be used in the proposed Dover/Plant City WUCA.