Santa Rosa citizens form 'Watershed Protection Committee' to advocate for clean water

Following a divisive, yet unsuccessful, effort from the majority of the Board of County Commissioners to rescind drinking water protections in a protected wellfield district in East Milton, some Santa Rosa residents are banding together to form an organized committee that will act as a watchdog for all water-related county policy issues.

Jerry Couey, an activist who ran for the County Commission District 3 seat last year but came in second to current Commissioner James Calkins, formed the Watershed Protection Committee earlier this month in response to the outrage caused by the East Milton wellfield district issue.

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Commissioners voted 3-2 (with Dave Piech and Colten Wright the two “nay” votes) on Dec. 10, 2020, to pass a comprehensive plan amendment that would have allowed borrow pits to expand in a protected water overlay district in East Milton. Activists, environmentalists, lawyers and local water utilities challenged the board’s vote, saying allowing the digging to extend beyond its current bounds could threaten drinking water for more than half of Santa Rosa County’s residents.

After public outcry and letters from state agencies saying the board couldn’t change the comprehensive plan without more scientific data to justify it, the board voted unanimously on Feb. 25 to take back its original vote, and no changes were made to the comprehensive plan.

But Couey — fearing that the fight for clean water isn’t over as the county continues to approve developments, and admitted at a strategic plan meeting in February that it's already behind on infrastructure projects and stormwater measures — formed the Watershed Protection Committee in mid-March to act as a cohesive voice standing up for clean water protections.

“Our goal is to educate people and highlight problem areas and work for solutions,” Couey said. “Our goal is to be a helpful organization, bringing together all the resources currently being used now to make sure that we better the waters across Santa Rosa County.”

Santa Rosa County Administrator Dan Schebler said he has offered to meet with Couey and others who had expressed concerns about water issues, but they haven't scheduled a meeting yet. 

“Community engagement is something that makes a community stronger, and to have input from various stakeholder groups and working together toward a common solution is better than working against each other,” he said.

Of immediate concern for the group is Pond Creek, which runs through Milton. Couey said the upcoming Pea Ridge Connector could threaten the Pond Creek watershed.

The group also is keeping an eye on Milton’s upcoming new wastewater treatment plant, and they believe there is a possibility of effluent being discharged near the Blackwater River.

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Schebler said the county is prepared to invest money in water quality issues over the near future.

“I think we’re very focused on improving water quality. Over the next, I would say, six or seven years, the county and municipalities’ grant dollars are going to be invested to the tune of tens of millions of dollars to remove effluent to our surface waters and improve treatment levels and expand capacity,” Schebler said.

The group so far is informal, not a registered nonprofit or government-recognized group. Couey said he’s gotten calls from biologists, scientists, university employees and others who are interested in being in the group, and he plans to get together face-to-face with everyone within the next month or so.

Couey said in addition to educating the public, the group wants to be able to influence policy when necessary, utilizing all the different strengths within the committee to help make its case.

“I’m very pleased with the number of people that have wanted to be a part of this,” he said. “We just want to build the organization, and be a voice to protect the water, which belongs to all of us.”

Annie Blanks can be reached at ablanks@pnj.com or 850-435-8632.