Bob Knight. Published in the Gainesville Sun on February 19, 2021 It was Voltaire’s “Candide” that reminded us to tend to one’s own garden. Whether he meant taking care of the Garden of Eden, or the small portion of the world that is closest and dearest to each of us, we are drawn to the importance of helping to make the world healthier and safer in our relatively small local area of personal influence. In that regard,…
Bob Knight Tallahasee Democrat. October 14, 2020 Re: "A watery enigma: Wakulla Springs now producing more water than 20 years ago," Sept. 8, 2020 Florida’s governmental leaders wish to proclaim success with springs protection. However, the recent article citing Northwest Florida Water Management District staff needs to be placed in proper context. The article’s premise is that, in light of recent increases in spring flow at Wakulla Springs, there is still more groundwater to pump. The fact is that…
Gilchrist Blue Springs: An Underwater Forest By Ailee Odom, FSI Outreach Intern As a Florida native with a love for water resources, the chance to visit a new spring is something I will never pass up. After being invited to join the FSI team on their trip to Ruth B. Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park in High Springs, I was ecstatic! This was my first time visiting a spring in the Alachua area since starting school…
Robert L. Knight. Published in the Gainesville Sun on August 14th, 2020 Rainbow Springs, located in southwest Marion County, long nourished the Rainbow River with over 450 million gallons per day of cool, clear and clean groundwater. During Florida’s inevitable droughts, Rainbow’s reliable groundwater discharge historically supported productive fisheries in the lower Withlacoochee River and Withlacoochee Bay. Ongoing monitoring has documented a catastrophic decline in flows in the Rainbow River and in the downstream water bodies. Based…
Robert L. Knight, Published in the Gainesville Sun, June 19, 2020 Science tells us that it has been about 4.5 billion years since the Earth cooled from a cloud of primordial gases. Earliest life appeared on this rocky planet sometime after the appearance of liquid water — about 3.5 billion years ago. The first humans came into the picture less than 2 million years ago. Earth has always had ups and downs – volcanoes, comet strikes, ice ages…
