By B.C. Manion
The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Florida Water Science Center is preparing to open a new office in Lutz, moving from its current location in Tampa near the University of South Florida.
Rafael W. Rodriguez, director of the center, said the new facility will be in Compark 75 at 4450 Pet Lane in Lutz.
The center will house 60 employees, Rodriguez said, during an Aug. 23 meeting of the economic development committee of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. He expects that number will gradually grow, as the economy improves, to between 65 and 70.
“We’re going to move in within the next couple of weeks,” Rodriguez said.
The staff will occupy a space of about 21,000 square feet, Rodriquez said. They are relocating to be in a more central location with easy access to I-75 and I-275.
“We need to be prepared to go out in the field and document the field,” Rodriquez said. “Where we are now, we’re stuck in traffic a lot.”
The Compark location is also more spacious, Rodriquez said. “The office that we’re in was getting too small for us.”
The USGS is the nation’s largest earth science agency. The Florida Water Science Center collects, analyzes and disseminates hydrologic data and information. Its hydrologic projects address a wide variety of water-resources issues, including aquifer characterizations, availability of water, climate change and hydrologic extreme events, ecosystems, hydrologic modeling, surface water, water quality conditions and wetlands.
The hydrologic modeling work aims to provide better understanding of the movement and condition of water in the state’s streams, lakes and estuaries.
The climate change work involves studying how water resources are affected by shifts in temperature patterns and the consequences of hydrologic extreme events including floods and droughts.
Rodriguez said his agency’s role is to provide impartial information.
“We tell it like it is,” Rodriquez said.
The reports released by the USGS are peer-reviewed and meet stringent research standards, Rodriquez said.
The USGS operates a network of monitoring stations throughout the state and across the nation to help forecast future floods, track rising water caused by rain or storm surge and monitor the availability and quality of water, Rodriguez said.
The USGS collects data that can be used to answer questions such as: “How much water can be extracted out of a river? How much water can be extracted out of a well?” Rodriguez said. He added, “In some places, we’re extracting more water than can be recharged.”
Rodriguez said the USGS’ role is to remain neutral, providing information based on science, not opinion.
For instance, on the topic of climate change, the USGS has a wealth of data, tracking changes that have occurred over time.
“I think the scientific community is 99.9 percent sure that climate change is happening,” Rodriguez said. The scientific data that has been collected makes a case for it, he added.
“It’s not science fiction. It’s real,” Rodriguez said. “Sea level is going to be rising.”
Reversing climate change would require a sustained global effort, Rodriguez said. It may not be possible to stop the effects of climate change at this point, but communities can take action to improve their ability to deal with its effects, Rodriquez said.
“We need to start addressing what to do with infrastructure,” Rodriguez said.
