North Florida Holsteins seeks modified water use permit

By John M. Ayers

North Florida Holsteins of Bell has submitted a complete application to Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD)) seeking a modified water use permit of 2.7175 million gallons a day and a maximum daily withdrawal of 15.5016 million gallons a day.
SRWMD staff reviewed the application and recommended that the governing board approve the application with 17 standard conditions and six special limiting conditions. The governing board is scheduled to consider this application during a meeting on Aug. 9, 2011, that is open to the public.

The existing permit identifies a present use of 1.5709 million gallons a day average with a maximum daily withdrawal of 5.9184 million gallons per day. The modified water use permit is requesting 2.7175 millions gallons a day average with a maximum of 15.5 millions gallons a day withdrawal. The present water use permit will expire April 7, 2020.
The water use calculations were based upon the irrigated acreage, crop rotation and crop types provided by the applicant. Crops include a rotation of pasture or corn and sorghum with rye grasses planted each year during the winter. The permit project area includes 14 present active wells and seven new proposed wells. The new wells have been identified for irrigation and livestock use. These wells include one 2-inch well, four 4-inch wells, one 6-inch well, two 8-inch wells, 11 10-inch wells and two 12-inch wells. The project area consists of 2,050 acres of which approximately 805 acres are being irrigated using ground water and dairy wastewater. North Florida Holsteins has a 4,600 cow milking herd and 3,900 head of dry cows.
North Florida Holsteins has completed the water conservation information for Center Pivot Irrigation and Livestock Watering and Cleaning systems. The dairy is also using approximately .235 million gallons a day of wastewater on crops to reduce their need for groundwater. The SRWMD staff identified the proposed modified water use permit would not violate minimum flows and levels at any downstream points along the Suwannee River.
For more information on this, call 1 (800) 226-1066 or visit the website: www.srwmd.state.fl.us/