No Time to Cry for Dying Springs

Post author:flspringsinst
Post published:September 30, 2019
Post category:Bob Knight Education Events Op-ed Springs Outings
Post comments:1 Comment

Saturday, September 7th, the Florida Springs Institute (FSI) and Kings of the Springs (KOTS) environmental non-profits came together to host a Springs Outing on the Chassahowitzka River in southern Citrus County. Chassahowitzka springs are christened with names like Seven Sisters, Crab Creek, Potter, the Crack, Betteejay, and more. The “Chaz”, as regulars and locals call it, is a little-known but locally popular hangout on hot summer days. With its rope swings, wildlife, and swim-through caves it’s no…

Not One Drop More

Post author:flspringsinst
Post published:August 27, 2019
Post category:Bob Knight Drinking Water Op-ed
Post comments:3 Comments

A spring without flow is a stagnant (synonyms: still, motionless, immobile, inert, lifeless, dead, standing, slack, static, stationary, etc.) sinkhole. It is not completely dead but looks and stinks like it is dead. For all intents and purposes, a non- flowing spring has none of the qualities that make Florida’s springs so inspiring, sacred and alive. It is not in the public’s best interest to dry up any of Florida’s artesian springs. Healthy springs support a vast…

Civic Duty and Springs Protection

Post author:hobara
Post published:July 12, 2019
Post category:Bob Knight Op-ed
Post comments:0 Comments

A small group of private citizens gave their all last month for Rainbow Springs. Faced with a state-sanctioned plan to add additional harm to this beloved but impaired natural resource, five individuals penned their names to a legal petition challenging the state’s policy. They are the few and the brave who fought for the many. Following a week when America celebrates patriots who sacrificed their lives to fight tyranny, we all should thank the Rainbow Five for…

Death by a Thousand Cuts

Post author:flspringsinst
Post published:May 31, 2019
Post category:Bob Knight Op-ed
Post comments:0 Comments

Two weeks ago as I was reading the Gainesville Sun a small note on the Classified page shouted out to me: “Public Notice – The Suwannee River Water Management District (District) intends to issue a Water Use Permit for a maximum of 150,000 gallons per day in Alachua County for row crops and cattle watering. Affected parties can obtain a copy of the Technical Staff Report by writing the District.” Having recently compiled a list of well…

Photo by John Moran

Silver Springs, Heal Thyself!

Post author:flspringsinst
Post published:April 23, 2019
Post category:Op-ed
Post comments:2 Comments

Medice, cura te ipsum! (physician, heal thyself!) is an applicable biblical quote depicting the current fate of Silver Springs. Attributed to Jesus in Luke 4:23, this passage can be interpreted to warn against the hypocrisy of claiming to have the ability to solve a problem in others while being unable to avoid the problem in ourselves. In early 2018 the Florida legislature ratified Senate Bill 670, codifying a “prevention strategy” for Silver Springs. The purpose of this…