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Water Quality Leads Concerns Of North Florida Residents

Sarah Mueller
/
WFSU

Two North Florida lawmakers met with Wakulla County residents Thursday to hear their concerns ahead of the upcoming legislative session.

Many of the residents told state Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee and State Rep. Hasley Beshears, R-Monticello, they’re concerned about water quality. Resident Gail Dickert said her grandmother used to live on the Fenholloway River.

“The river has 150 feet behind her house," she said. "They can’t restore that river because that river doesn’t exist anymore. It ends up as a little canal somewhere up there by Buckeye. And it was totally destroyed all those years ago, along with the panthers that screamed in the bay at night when I was a child.”

Several residents asked the legislators to oppose hydraulic gas and oil drilling, known as fracking, because of concerns it could contaminate drinking water.

Other issues included funding for K-through-12 education.​

Sarah Mueller is a journalist who has worked for media outlets in several states since 2010. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2010 and worked as a print reporter covering local government and politics.