Tuesday, April 30, 2013

A plea for the Econ


Last Saturday I went kayaking on the Econlockhatchee River not too far from my Central Florida home. It’s my second trip on that lovely tanin-stained waterway; my first trip included my one-and-only spill out of my kayak. Trying to climb over some fallen trees rather than portage around them, I ended dumping my kayak in what I am convinced is the deepest hole in the river. Nonetheless. I continued on and had a remarkable day and fell in love with the river.

Wikipedia says “The Econlockhatchee River is a 87.7-kilometre-long north-flowing blackwater tributary of the St. Johns River that flows through Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties in Florida. Its name means 'River of mounds'". I only know that I took way too long to finally "discover" this winding waterway and now it is being threatened by the actions of a politician from the panhandle. This tributary of the St. Johns River has been well-protected in the past and is an oasis of peace near the hustle and bustle of Central Florida. The pending bill in the Florida senate would eliminate Orange County's ability to regulate wetlands in the Wedgefield subdivision and potentially damage the health of this "Outstanding Florida Waterway."

 So much of this area is already paved over, strip-malled and franchise-full, we need to do anything we can to hold on to any little bit that is still pristine. On my trip last weekend I saw mountain bikers on trails, fisherman catching pass and kayakers and swimmers reveling in a beautiful April day. A Great Blue Heron watched our progress as we traveled up river and we saw at least half a dozen gators plop into the water. Please help me encourage our Tallahassee lawmakers to preserve this little bit of paradise. Email your Florida state senator and urge them to vote NO on SB 1684.




Seepage spring in the clay bank of the river.







Update: "In the final days of the legislative session, the Florida Senate steppedup and removed two of the most egregious sections of the bill; the local government wetlands pre-emption for Chapter 298 drainage districts (Econlockhatchee River) and a last minute fertilizer moratorium that was never heard in any committee." – From Florida Audubon
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3 comments:

  1. LuisApril 30, 2013 at 11:15 PM

    Thanks for this post Rick. It is done. The Econ is two miles away from my home and is my favorite location to paddle when I want to see Bald Eagles. I told my wife once that The Econ is mystic. Thanks for your effort and for the job you are doing creating awareness.

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  2. Loree JacksonMay 3, 2013 at 3:02 PM

    Just sent my senator this message:
    Dear Mr. Braynon,
    I am writing to you to ask that you please vote no on SB 1684. I realize that this is a Central Florida issue, but it is important to protect what is left of the green spaces in our state. Having spent much of my life in Broward County, and knowing what over development can do, I would hate to see this happen to the people of Central Florida. The North Florida legislators need only pay a trip to Broward County to see what poor stewardship for the land can do to the green quiet places in our beautiful state.

    Thank you for your consideration.
    Loree Jackson

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  3. Rick KilbyMay 4, 2013 at 6:37 AM

    Thanks for your help, looks like it worked: In the final days of the legislative session, the Florida Senate stepped up and removed two of the most egregious sections of the bill; the local government wetlands pre-emption for Chapter 298 drainage districts (Econlockhatchee River) and a last minute fertilizer moratorium that was never heard in any committee.

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