Lake County Fails to Get Appointment to St. John's River Water Management District

Tavares, FL - Aug 20, 2012

Earlier this year, there was a vacancy on the Board of the St. John's River Water Management District (SJRWMD) for "Area 3" or the Ocklawaha River Basin area. 

The District controls and sets policies for River waters in five areas for 18 Florida Counties.  Lake County has historically never had a representative on the Board.

Earlier this year, there was a controversy and a public hearing with 500 present regarding the District's actions to turn off water flowing from Lake Apopka into the Harris Chain of Lakes, resulting in unacceptable low lake water levels.   After the hearing, they adjusted the flow rate to allow some water into the Harris Chain and restrict outflows so water levels could rise. 

One of the big issues is that in our opinion, the District staff and Board do not

measure or place a value on economic impacts of reduced water levels, and make decisions only on environmental reasons.   Since the Harris Chain (Lake Dora, Eustis, Harris, etc) depends more on water levels for economic impacts (waterfront home values, waterfront marinas, businesses, tourist attractions), there is a need for Board members who ensure economic impact of water flow decisions is measured and incorporated into decisions and policies.

We just learned that Gov. Scott appointed an Ocala man to our "Area 3" several months ago, rather than select a nomination for a Lake County resident.

Below is his bio.   We will interview him soon.

The SJRWMD website is at:  http://floridaswater.com/  

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Fred N. Roberts Jr.
Ocala

Mr. Roberts was appointed to the Governing Board on March 2, 2012, by Gov. Rick Scott to represent the Ocklawaha River Basin (Area 3). Mr. Roberts is an attorney with the law firm of Klein and Klein in Ocala, where he has worked since 2006. His practice focuses on real estate, probate and commercial law. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Florida and a law degree from Stetson University. A sixth-generation Floridian, Mr. Roberts is active in community affairs, including serving on the boards of directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Marion County and the College of Central Florida Foundation. He has also served as a member of the Ocala 2035 Leadership Counsel, as a Division Chair for the United Way 2009 Campaign Cabinet, as counsel for the Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park Authority and is a member of the Metropolitan Ocala Rotary Club.

Term of Appointment: March 2012–March 2015
Email address: froberts@sjrwmd.com