In the 1990s, lakes and wetlands dried up in Florida’s fast-growing Tampa Bay region. Some attributed the drastic change to drought; others to overpumping of an underground aquifer. A pitched legal battle, known as the Water Wars, played out. Some government-run utilities wanted to keep pumping from the aquifer; others wanted to look for new water sources. Eventually, they began to work together to find multiple sources of drinking water.
Guests:
Randy and Mark Barthle, Barthle Brothers Ranch owners
Honey Rand, Water Wars author
Eileen Hart, Tampa Bay resident and water rights activist
Ken Herd, Tampa Bay Water, chief science and technical officer
Radhika Fox, US Water Alliance, chief executive officer
Photo: Courtesy of Tampa Bay Water