The Wekiva River System, including over 70,000 acres of state-protected lands, has become a major central Florida recreation area--one of the most heavily canoed waters in the state. An important wildlife preserve containing several rare and endangered species, the Wekiva has been designated a National Wild and Scenic River.

You are cordially invited to

The Friends of the Wekiva River, Inc.

Annual Banquet

 

Keynote Speaker

Wes Skiles

Water: Exploring and Celebrating Our Most Precious Element

A Screening of High Definition Video by renowned  Florida adventurer,

conservationist and underwater cinematographer

 

Friday, May 16, 2008

Heathrow Country Club, Lake Mary 

6:30 p.m. Reception / 7:20 p.m. Dinner & program / $50 per person

Advance Reservations Required

Click here for RSVP form

 

Heathrow Country Club

1200 Bridgewater Drive

Lake Mary, FL 32746

 

From I-4

Take Exit 98 toward Lake Mary / Heathrow.  Turn West onto W. Lake Mary Blvd.

Go West .4 Mi. to International Parkway.  Turn Right onto International Parkway

Go .5 Mi. to Bridgewater Drive (Entrance to Heathrow County Club).

Turn Left onto Bridgewater Drive.  Go Straight to the Heathrow Country Club

 

 Questions?    407.647.7487 /  JDPJohn@aol.com

 

 

MEET WES SKILES

President

Executive Producer & Director of Photography

Karst Productions, Inc.

 

 

              Wes Skiles is the creator, director and cinematographer of the PBS series, Water's Journey.  He is best known for his stunning camera work in both still photography and motion pictures.  His passion is reflected in his award winning work as director, writer and cameraman on adventure science, exploration films.  He is also a long time contract photographer for National Geographic Magazine.

 

              Wes is a passionate explorer with a deep love and curiosity for the environments he has dedicated his life to filming.  He has led over a dozen expeditions Worldwide.  As leader of a National Geographic expedition to Antarctica, Wes was the first human being to set foot on and film B-15, the largest iceberg in recorded history.  He has also set multiple records for times, and distances traveled in underground rivers, and caves.

 

              As a native Floridian, Wes was one of the first humans to explore, map, and document many of North Florida’s most treasured springs.  Over his lifetime he has explored over 400,000 feet (over 75 miles!) of previously unexplored passages within the Floridan Aquifer.  These unique experiences exploring our drinking water, combined with a deep love for his native state, has driven him to be one of the most vocal advocates in preserving and protecting Florida’s precious water resources.

 

             Wes will share with us some of his spectacular cinematography of Florida springs and the Floridan Aquifer.

 

 

Wekiva Wild & Scenic River

Public Workshop

The National Park Service

Comprehensive Management Plan Public Workshop

for the

Wekiva Wild & ScenicRiver.

was held September 26th from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

at

Wekiva Springs State Park

This Community Workshop presented an early draft of the

Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan.

The elements of the plan include:  

An "Inventory Of Existing Conditions" related to the outstanding values of the Wekiva River

"Draft Goals and Objectives" for the Comprehensive Management Plan

Key issues that affect the management of the River.

Pandion Systems is preparing this Comprehensive Management Plan for FOWR and NPS. Please visit their website to see "Inventory of Existing Conditions" and "Draft Goals and Objectives" in .pdf format.

This was an opportunity for the public to learn about the issues affecting the Wekiva River System and to have input into the Wild and Scenic River Management Plan for the continued protection and preservation of the River. All public comments will be evaluated for incorporation into the final Management Plan that will be unveiled to the community in Spring of 2008.

Read the entire NPS press release here.

 

Calendar of Upcoming Meetings

 

2006 – 2007

FOWR's ACTIONS & INFLUENCE

(Originally presented at our May '07 banquette.)

 

During 2006 and 2007, FOWR was represented on the following Task Forces and Committees:

• Wekiva Coalition
• Wekiva River Basin Working Group
• Wekiva River Wild & Scenic River Management Plan Comittee
• Partnership for Wild & Scenic Rivers Committee
• Expressway Authority Environmental Advisory Committee
• Orange County Green PLACE Committee

 

During this time, FOWR has accomplished the following:

• Contracted with National Park Service to prepare management plan for the Wekiva River System Advisory Committee
• Tracked activities relating to implementation of the Wekiva Parkway and Protection Act
• Provided input to the Wekiva River Basin Commission and state agencies
• Reviewed and commented on local government comprehensive plans and policies
• Successfully advocated for the purchase of the Neighborhood Lakes property, other environmentally sensitive lands, reported on line, as it happened
• Coordinated conservation efforts with government agencies and partners

 

FOWR education and outreach activities have included:

• Improved www.FriendsOfWekiva.org, our official web presence
• Canoe trips, hikes: co-sponsored river cleanup with Rep. Nelson
• Monthly meetings to inform members and the public on issues affecting the basin
• Experts spoke on butterflies, bears, water quality, and other environmental topics
• 2006 Friends of the Wekiva River Banquet with Alan Rabinowitz
• Riverfest 2007, a week-long event attracting 2000 participants to Wekiva Springs State Park for education, art, music, canoe races, pontoon rides and fun
• First ever Wekiva Invitational Plein Air Paint Out, co-sponsored with Bill Tippit, got artists and art lovers out to Wekiva Springs State Park, many for the first time, and resulted in hundreds of new paintings of the Wekiva Basin
• Underwrote short video highlighting ecological and conservation issues of the Wekiva Basin.  Designed for community and civic presentations; created by producers of “Wekiva: Legacy or Lost?”

• Contributed $10,000 to the production of “In Marjorie’s Wake: Recovering Rawlings, a River and Time in Florida,” a national PBS film chronicling how nature has shaped art, culture and “place” along the St. Johns River.
• Served as coordinator for Wekiva Audubon Christmas Bird Count
• Hosted booths at Bear Festival, Lake County’s lbini Tera, Kelly Park Day, and other outdoor events

 

The Wekiva River is designated a Florida Outstanding Water, a Florida Canoe Trail, a Florida Wild and Scenic River, and a National Wild and Scenic River.  Despite ample recognition, however, the Wekiva River and its fragile basin ecosystem face numerous threats.  These include the the fragmentation and loss of habitat, declines in spring flow, degradation in water quality, and wildlife mortality on roads.  The impacts of these factors are cumulative and demand constant attention.

 

The Friends of the Wekiva River continues to fight for protection of the basin, but we need your help.  Please join us.  Become an active member.  Attend our monthly Issues and Action meetings.  Volunteer for committees.  Help us defend this amazing river for future generations to enjoy.

 

 

A growing list of challenges in 2007

 

PROPOSED SEMINOLE COUNTY REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY PLANT

     The proposed water plant will directly impact our conservation interests for the following reasons:  

     * It will be located next to Lower Wekiva Preserve State Park, directly impacting conservation lands that Friends of the Wekiva River, Audubon and others have helped secure for permanent preservation, including:     

          - The Seminole County Black Bear Wilderness Area. It will require construction of a 2-3 mile long dual pipeline through wetland and upland habitat to pump water from the St Johns River.  

          - Managed conservation land specifically designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as habitat for the Florida Scrub Jay. A significant portion of designated conservation land will be lost by construction of the new facility.

          - The Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve (which includes part of the St Johns River).  Surface water withdrawal from the river and intake pump structures potentially impact the protected West Indian Manatee and other aquatic species.

     * The proposed facility will set a significant precedent for future dependence on the St Johns River as a source for potable water, raising the threat that this natural resource will eventually suffer the same kind of degradation affecting groundwater today. MUCH MORE can and should be done by the St Johns River Water Management District, Seminole County and the region to limit wasteful water consumption (especially for landscape irrigation) before tapping into the river.  

     * As a REGIONAL facility, the proposed water plant is positioned to fuel significant urban growth within Seminole County and surrounding jurisdictions, including environmentally-sensitive areas of Lake and Volusia counties. Adequate assurances have not been provided to ensure that this will not happen.

Read our letter to the Army Corps of Engineers here.

Read the Nature Conservancy's letter to the Army Corps of Engineers here.

Wekiva Parkway Updates

12/08/2006 - Neighborhood Lakes land buy is being agreed to.  Read all about it and Jay Exum's comments in the Orlando Sentinel.

12/18/2006 - The Lake CountyPublic Lands Aquisition Advisory Council votes yes to recommending that the Lake County Board of County Commissioners agree to contribute $5M to the Neighborhood Lakes purchase.  Directors Russ Moncrief and Rory Trumbore represented FOWR and spoke for the proposal. Upcoming Lake Commission agendas can be found here.

12/19/2006 - Governer Bush and the Cabinet vote unanimously to approve the $34.18M Board of Trustees contribution to the purchase of  Neighborhood Lakes.  See Agenda Item 14 here. FOWR's Russ Moncrief and Rory Trumbore attended the Cabinet meeting courtesy of a ride with Keith Schue.  The Governor and Cabinet needed no convincing and agreed to purchase based on staff recommendations.  

Read the DEP press release here.

Read the Orlando Sentinel report here.

The purchase is expected to close by February 28th, 2007.

01/09/2007 - Lake and Orange Counties as well as the St. Johns Water Management District all agree to their part of the Neighborhood Lakes purchase.  FOWR representatives attended all three meetings.

Read more about it in the Orlando Sentinel.

02/03/2007 - The Orlando Orange Counte Expressway Authority's consulting firm CH2MHill presented preferred alternatives to the Environmental Advisory Committee. FOWR supported many of the design recommendations of the consultant. However we objected to a "split diamond" interchange concept proposed in Lake County through the heart of the Wekiva Basin wilderness corrider, since this concept would require retaining a parallel section of SR46 next to the bridged Parkway, thus fragmenting the corridor and continuing to expose wildlife to vehicles. We also expressed concern regarding location of a proposed interchange in northwest Orange County and a frontage road concept recommended for SR46 adjacent to Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park in Seminole County.   The frontage road proposal is viewed unfavorably by State Park officials as it would put the new highway on esisting conservation lands north of SR46 in Seminole County.

For information about the Wekiva Parkway and the committee that is planning this extraordinary new kind of ecological highway visit: www.wekivacommittee.org

 

A FEW USEFUL RESOURCES

Wekiva: Legacy or Loss? learn about the creation of the award winning documentary film by Bill Belleville and Bob Giguere or visit our store to purchase your copy in VHS or DVD format

The River Community: A great place to learn more about Wekiva and how to teach the basic issues in a variety of disciplines. 

Back Issues of the Newsletter, now almost complete since 1982

 

      Our 2003 poster (please ignore the spurious URL).

Our by-laws as revised in 2005.

 

Revised: 07/18/2007
Copyright © 2000 [Friends of the Wekiva River]. All rights reserved.