SPRINGS BLOG

Bob Knight

The People’s Plan

FSI is currently restudying Silver Springs System. In light of the changes we are seeing, we are re-publishing the following op-ed written by Dr. Knight, originally printed in the Gainesville Sun in August 2015. Staff at the Florida Springs Institute (FSI) have been active in the scientific study of Silver Springs since the 1970s. FSI’s efforts, as well as research conducted by the State of Florida have demonstrated severe biological impairments at Silver Springs as a result

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North Florida, South Florida vie to be most-polluted region

By Dr. Robert Knight. Published in the Florida Specifier April/May 2023. Given the Environmental disaster that has continued to engulf the estuaries and beaches on both sides of the state, South Florida’s guacamole-filled coastal waters are receiving the state and national press they deserve. But thanks to on-going releases of nutrient-laden water from sugar plantations, ranches, and other intensive agricultural operations; toxic floating algae, starving manatees, and rafts of dead fish continue to slime the

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The Future of Florida’s Springs

Future of Florida Springs: A Discussion on Springs Health Remarks prepared and delivered by Dr. Robert Knight, Director Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute – at a panel discussion held at the University of Florida on April 1, 2023, and hosted by the Samuel Proctor Oral History Project. Over the past 70 years of focused research, Florida springs science has progressed from infancy to maturity. Starting with the seminal work of Howard Odum in the

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Bob Knight

The death of North Florida’s springs

By Robert Knight. Published in Orlando Sentinel, January 28, 2023. Once compared to the greatest hydrological wonders of North America, including Niagara Falls and the Mississippi River, North Florida’s springs in the 1850s were praised for their extreme water clarity and complex ecology. Like the Everglades in South Florida, artesian springs in North Florida continue to delight millions. Increasingly “discovered” by tourists and recreationalists from Florida and beyond, healthy springs provide waders and swimmers with

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Uncategorized

Florida’s springs are dying: It’s time to get off your butts for springs protection

By Robert Knight. Published in the Gainesville Sun on October 25th, 2022. Florida is the Land of a Thousand Springs. Beautiful and healthy springs are among Florida’s most important natural attractions. Crystal clear, sky blue and teaming with fish; cooling in summer, warm enough for manatees in winter; North Florida’s springs are now more endangered than South Florida’s Everglades. Increasingly dominated by tannic waters, suffering from declining flows, polluted by nutrients, choked with noxious filamentous algae and

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Florida Springs Welcome Center – Our Vision

By: Robert Knight As of November 1st, 2022, the Florida Springs Institute has moved to a new location. Our new home is at 18645 Main Street in downtown High Springs and will be the public’s full service stop for springs information, gifts, and gear. After seven years at our old location across from the High Springs City Hall, we have moved a short distance east to Main Street, into the old “Estate Solutions” building. While

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Alachua County needs an environmental champion to stop destructive development

By Robert Knight. Published in the Gainesville Sun on September 22, 2022. Working in unison, Florida’s counties and cities have more power than our governor and legislature. Florida’s League of Cities and Association of Counties comprise a robust network of local officials that thrives off the collective power and best interests of the public they represent. To use that power to dismantle the political/corporate machine that is methodically destroying Florida’s natural environment, there must be a true leader, a

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Uncategorized

Suwannee Springs Ecological Health Assessment

By Hailey Hall, Environmental Scientist, Florida Springs Institute In 2016, the Florida Legislature passed the Florida Springs and Aquifer Protection Act, and the state developed a list of 30 significant springs (designated as Outstanding Florida Springs) to receive special legal protection. If water quality is found impaired, these springs require a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) to achieve water quality standards within a 20-year time frame. FSI recently completed our ecological health assessment of four

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Howard T. Odum expanded knowledge about springs, ecosystems, wetlands and energy

By Robert Knight and David Kaplan. Published in the Gainesville Sun on July 29, 2022. Florida’s springs and wetlands have long been known as places of natural beauty and cultural relevance, but did you know they also played a pivotal role in the development of two novel scientific fields? Gainesville and the University of Florida hold a premier place in the history of environmental science and environmental engineering because UF was the first and last

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Uncategorized

It’s time to establish a springs and rivers national park in North Florida

By Dr. Robert Knight, the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute. Published in Orlando Sentinel on July 26, 2022 National parks have attained a special status in America. As a conservationist, I understand and appreciate national wildlife refuges, state parks, state and national forests, and other state and federally managed conservation lands and how they help us work toward solving problems like climate change and extinction. But national parks represent the best-of-the-best of our country’s

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Bob Knight

FDEP offers mid-year’s resolution for Florida’s Springs

By Dr. Robert Knight. Published in The Florida Specifier June/July 2022 edition. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is the state’s lead agency for environmental management and stewardship and is tasked to protect the state’s air, water, and land. Reading from FDEP’s website, its vision is “… to create strong community partnerships, safeguard Florida’s natural resources, and enhance its ecosystems.” (www.floridadep.gov) Headquartered in Tallahassee, but with staff state-wide, FDEP has about 3,000 employees and

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A wake-up call to local leaders: Lee property should be protected, not developed

By Robert Knight. The Gainesville Sun, May 10, 2022 Our local springs are both polluted with excess nitrogen and depleted due to excessive groundwater withdrawals. So why would city and county commissioners, elected to ensure a healthy future in Alachua County, support more development that will make a bad springs problem worse? The ongoing discussion of the development of the Lee property on Parker Road is the spark that has ignited this criticism of the county/city leadership

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Uncategorized

Removing Rodman dam would be manna from heaven for manatees

By: Robert Knight. Published in the Gainesville Sun on February 1, 2022. The Sun recently published an opinion piece by Kip Frohlich and David Hankla, two of Florida’s top manatee experts, on the science and protection of this iconic Florida marine mammal. They rightly decry the state government’s failure to protect water quality in the Indian River Lagoon and the state’s equally poor response to the growing crisis facing the future of these precious wild animals. Manatees

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Uncategorized

Kings Bay restoration will only be achieved by significantly reducing groundwater pumping

By: Robert Knight, The Gainesville Sun, January 13th, 2022. Last month I led a family outing to Kings Bay/Crystal River by pontoon boat. I was delightfully surprised by what I saw below the water surface. From the Port Hotel to Three Sisters to Hunter Springs and around Banana Island to Tarpon Hole, healthy eelgrass and clear water have returned to this coastal manatee sanctuary. From 2012 through 2015 I directed the Florida Springs Institute’s Kings

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Stop subsidizing those who harm springs through pumping, pollution

By Robert Knight. The Gainesville Sun, October 29th, 2021 Kudos to the owners, editors and reporters of the Gainesville Sun and the Ocala Star Banner for renewing their in-depth investigative reporting about the declining conditions at Florida’s springs. The original Fragile Springs series was published in November 2013 and subsequently was awarded the 2014 Editor & Publisher Eppy Award for Best Community Service reporting. Those articles covered the good, the bad and the ugly of Florida’s 1,000-plus artesian springs and contributed to a

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Latest Silver Springs Fish Study Shows Exotic Fish Explosion

Scientists have been studying the fish population at Silver Springs for decades. The most recent study completed by the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute (FSI) reveals a troubling trend. Blue tilapia, an exotic fish, has exploded at Silver Springs over the last two years to 88% of the total fish population. “This is a troubling trend because blue tilapia compete with native mullet and gizzard shad for food and bass and sunfish for nesting

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Making Sense of Conflicting Environmental Messages

Bob Knight, Gainesville Sun, April 27, 2021 Last Sunday’s opinion pages celebrating the 51st Earth Day were appropriately filled with messages about the importance of protecting our environment. But what was interesting to me was the juxtaposition of conflicting claims by environmentalists, agricultural representatives and state officials. Interested readers of The Sun may be trying to make sense out of their divergent views. Here is my take. The first piece I read was written by Dr. Ann Shortelle, executive director of

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Bob Knight

Trouble in the Garden of Eden

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

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Bob Knight

Wakulla Springs success? Not so fast

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

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Internship

FSI Outreach Intern meets Gilchrist Blue Springs

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

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Bob Knight

The next fatality in Florida’s springs pandemic?

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

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Bob Knight

Prevent Further Damage to our Imperiled Springs

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,

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Springs Science

Santa Fe River Project Phase 2 of 3 is Complete!

As of May 5th, Florida Springs Institute staff and interns completed Phase 2 of the Santa Fe River and Springs Environmental Analysis, which evaluated the environmental health of the river and springs aquatic ecosystem through regular monitoring and data collection. Phase 2 of the Santa Fe River Project began in April 2018. Sampling was conducted at 62 sampling stations along the Santa Fe River, including stations at the river’s major tributaries: the Ichetucknee River, Olustee

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Education

Meet Florida Springs Institute’s new Outreach Intern!

Danielle Jordan is a Georgia native who grew up vacationing and traveling around Florida. She is excited for the opportunity to contribute to the work of the Florida Springs Institute this summer while learning more about the unique ecology of Florida’s springs. She is currently a PhD student and graduate assistant in the University of Florida Department of English where she studies the environmental humanities, critical theory, and speculative fiction and film. In her teaching

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Bob Knight

Bob Knight is a ‘Voice for the Springs’ in his new anthology

We are happy to share the release of Death by a Thousand Cuts: An Anthology of Springs Opinions by Dr. Robert L. Knight. This collection of opinion pieces, originally published in The Gainesville Sun, charts 12 years (2008 – 2020) of springs advocacy writing from the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute‘s executive director. This book is landmark for Dr. Knight, as well as everyone else who has been a voice for the springs. Not

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Bob Knight

Nobody Knows How to Wean Manatees Off Coal Plants: A tale of unnatural symbiosis

Bloomberg Businessweek By Mya Frazier April 2, 2020 The view from the parking lot at Big Bend Power Station, a 1,500-acre plant built in the 1960s to turn coal into electricity just south of Tampa, includes an unexpected sight. Bordering the parking lot are dozens of solar panels, set against a skyline dominated by three smokestacks whose vapor curls across the blue. The panels are little more than a wink—solar is a small fraction of

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Bottled Water

Where Mermaids Play, A Nasty Water Fight

The New York Times By Julie Creswell March 8, 2020 HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. — One by one, the mermaids dived into the water. Their colorful tails — vibrant blues, yellows and oranges — shone brightly against overcast skies. It was a quiet day in late January and the mermaids, a group of young women who have bonded over a shared love for the mythological aquatic sirens, frolicked in the crystal clear waters of Devil’s Eye,

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Bob Knight

Re-evaluation of Minimum Flows and Levels for the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee

It is not in the public’s best interest to dry up or pollute any of Florida’s artesian springs.  Healthy springs support a vast and abundant assemblage of charismatic and endangered wildlife, nourish our many rivers and lakes during droughts, and are the sought-after playground for tens of millions of visitors each year. Springs are essential for our local ecology and economy. Governmental agencies responsible for protecting Florida’s environmental prosperity would be reckless and irresponsible to

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Bottled Water

Fla. gets a tiny paycheck as Nestle taps its springs

WATER POLICY Fla. gets a tiny paycheck as Nestlé taps its springs James Marshall, E&E News reporter Greenwire: Friday, January 24, 2020   Ginnie Springs is one of more than 1,000 springs that provide fresh water from the Floridan Aquifer. Nestlé Waters North America is seeking permission to source 1.15 million gallons a day from the spring near Gainesville, Fla. (WT-de) Mistoffeles/Wikimedia Commons The world’s largest food company wants permission from Florida to take more than 1

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Bob Knight

A New Year’s Resolution for Florida’s Springs

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is the state’s lead agency for environmental management and stewardship and is tasked to protect the state’s air, water and land. Reading from FDEP’s website, its vision is “… to create strong community partnerships, safeguard Florida’s natural resources, and enhance its ecosystems.” (www.floridadep.gov) Headquartered in Tallahassee, but with staff state-wide, FDEP has approximately 3,000 employees and an annual budget of about $1.5 billion. Composed of 13 divisions, including

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Bob Knight

Improve State Plans or Springs Are Doomed

The Florida legislature had ample warning that their 2016 Florida Springs and Aquifer Protection Act was inadequate to fix the nitrate pollution nightmare in Florida’s springs. The Florida Springs Council warned the legislature that this law as written did not have the teeth needed to solve a problem 50 years in the making. As required by the Act, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) determined that 24 of 30 Outstanding Florida Springs are currently

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Bob Knight

Bottled Spring Water and Corporate Responsibility

Nestle’s recent move into the Florida Springs Heartland (i) of Gilchrist County to bottle water from Ginnie Springs warrants full historical disclosure. In 2002 Coca Cola purchased the High Springs water bottling facility, originally built in 1998 and operated by AquaPenn Springwater Company owned by the Groupe DANONE (ii). This facility received ‘spring water” via a water use permit held by Seven Springs Water Company. Groundwater is extracted from the Floridan Aquifer (iii) through two

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Bob Knight

The Ocklawaha’s Lost Springs

One or more Florida legislators, yet unnamed, have the enviable opportunity to undo the tragic mistake of a previous generation and be lauded as Florida Springs Champions. With bipartisan support in the house and senate appropriations committees, these champions are uniquely positioned to convince the 2020 legislature and Governor DeSantis to do what no other legislature/governor in the past 50 years has been willing or able to do – restore the 20 Lost Springs of

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Bob Knight

No Time to Cry for Dying Springs

 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

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Bob Knight

Not One Drop More

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

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Bob Knight

Civic Duty and Springs Protection

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

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Uncategorized

6th Annual Give Springs A Break Recap

This year’s Give Springs A Break (GSAB) event was held at Gissy Springs on the Rainbow River in Dunnellon, FL. Every year, FSI aims to educate young people about Florida’s springs through the GSAB program. With the support of First Magnitude Brewing Company and Gissy Springs, we were able to plan another home run event, attracting over 50 college students and young professionals from all over the state. GSAB participants spent four days and three

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Uncategorized

Save Our Springs: Mermaid Gala

On May 18th, over 160 supporters gathered at the UF Austin Carey Center to celebrate springs at FSI’s annual Save Our Springs Mermaid Gala. The evening kicked off with cocktails, mermaids, and an exploration of the silent auction and beautiful venue. Following a buffet dinner provided by Sweetwater Branch Inn, FSI Executive Director, Dr. Robert Knight, welcomed the crowd and passed the mic to photographer John Moran, who provided an introduction of the evening’s keynote

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Death by a Thousand Cuts

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

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Education

Springs Outing: Remarkable Karst Features Near High Springs

The May 2019 FSI outing explored three distinct and impressive karst features all located within five miles of the Florida Springs Institute High Springs office, including:  the Santa Fe River Rise in O’Leno State Park; Scrubtown Sink, a giant sinkhole used as a dump; and a little known Ichetucknee-like karst valley with an extinct headspring, rocky walls, caves, and park-quality forest. We started the day at the rather unspectacular River Rise, which is the second

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Springs Outings

Springs Outing Recap: Saving Wakulla Springs Overland Tour with Jim Stevenson

Just over one month ago, the Florida Springs Institute teamed up with Palmetto Expeditions to host a special tour of the Wakulla Springs basin with FSI Board Member and former Florida State Parks Chief Biologist, Jim Stevenson. In the environmental community Jim is affectionately known as the grandfather of springs protection due to his leadership as Chairman of the Florida Springs Task Force and his advocacy efforts with local groups such as the Wakulla Springs

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Op-ed

Silver Springs, Heal Thyself!

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

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Bob Knight

The past and future glory of Silver Springs

Last weekend’s Florida Springsfest was a reminder of the former glory of Silver Springs. With an outpouring of public enthusiasm, Marion County’s most unique natural feature may once again be elevated to its rightful importance. An estimated 7,000 visitors traveled to Silver Springs for the 17th Annual Florida Springsfest. Hosted by the nonprofit Marion County Springs Festival, with the help of dozens of park staff and volunteers, this year’s Springsfest was a celebration of the

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Uncategorized

Springs Bike Tour

A few months ago we received an email from Lee Hogan, a bicyclist from Tennessee who was preparing to set out on an 800-mile “springs bike tour” to raise awareness for springs protection. Lee told us the story of how he fell in love with Florida’s springs during his time in college at the University of Florida and how he revisited the sunshine state numerous times with his children so they could share his same

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Bob Knight

Beyond Significant Harm

In December 2010 the Governing Board of the Suwannee River Water Management District (WMD) published their Water Supply Assessment. This document concluded that: ”… groundwater levels in the Upper Floridan aquifer have declined significantly during the past 75 years as a result of regional groundwater withdrawals…” and that “…unacceptable impacts to flows in the Lower Santa Fe River and springs were predicted for the 2010–2030 planning period…”. In April 2014, in response to this unfolding

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Op-ed

Florida’s Springs Don’t Have to Fail

The H.T. Odum Florida Springs Institute recently published the first Florida Springs Conservation Plan which summarizes historical and recent data for 32 “sentinel” springs from among Florida’s 1,000+ artesian springs. This springs’ short list includes most of Florida’s publicly-owned, large, and economically-important springs that serve as the “canaries-in-the-coal-mine” in terms of overall springs condition. The Florida Springs Conservation Plan describes a springs ecological health assessment protocol based on the Florida Springs Institute’s ongoing synthesis of

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Op-ed

Guy Marwick: Make Silver Springs a place to teach, learn about our springs

Proclaimed by a traveler in 1856 to be “a grand hydrographical feature of North America ranked with Niagara Falls and the Mississippi River,” Silver Springs is the largest artesian spring in the United States. Centrally located in Florida and home to the state’s first major tourist attraction, Silver Springs is a National Natural Landmark and is a premier destination for travelers worldwide. Silver Springs is also the “Crown Jewel” of the Florida State Park System.

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Springs Supporters

Florida’s springs need your continuing support!

The Florida Springs Institute was founded in 2010 based on the realization that spring’s health statewide was in a downward spiral and that spring’s restoration and protection would not be successful without the focused efforts of a privately-funded, non-governmental organization. Over the last eight years, thanks to individuals like you, the Florida Springs Institute has worked tirelessly to document changing springs health and to initiate meaningful restoration and protection efforts. While we still have a

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Bob Knight

Too Polluted to Drink

For too many families, North Florida’s once pristine groundwater may be unsafe to drink. One nasty pollutant is nitrate, a principal ingredient in synthetic agricultural and urban fertilizers, and in animal manure and human waste. In the past 100 years of rapid development, the ambient concentration of nitrate throughout the Floridan Aquifer has risen from a baseline concentration of less than 0.05 parts per million (ppm) to 1 ppm, a 20-fold increase. As with most

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Education

Blue Water Audit

We all have an impact on the Floridan Aquifer. Learn more about your impact with the Project Overview The Floridan Aquifer is the principal source of water for natural and human systems throughout much of Florida. In addition to being Florida’s primary source of drinking water, the Floridan Aquifer feeds over 1,000 springs. Florida’s population has grown from less than 1 million in the early 1900s, to over 18 million in 2010, according to the

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Education

Springs Outing: ONF Springs Fish Study

Dr. Steve Walsh, a research biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, led 22 intrepid adventurers to the Ocala National Forest to observe fish up-close.  The Springs Outing began with everyone meeting at Salt Springs Recreation Area, where Dr. Walsh provided a brief introduction to fish identification for species typically seen in the north Florida springs.  Despite overcast skies on a chilly fall day, most everyone donned masks and snorkels and jumped into the 72-degree water

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Springs Science

Analyzing Nitrates in North Florida’s Drinking Water

Groundwater in the Floridan Aquifer is the source for more than 1,000 springs in North and Central Florida. It also provides water for over 90 percent of the people who live there. Even though this water lies hundreds of feet below the ground, it is not entirely protected from sources of pollution at the surface. Nitrate-nitrogen is one pollutant that has contaminated much of the water in the Floridan Aquifer. Nitrates are nutrients necessary for

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Springs Science

A Day in the Life of the Florida Springs Institute Science Team!

We met on Wednesday morning promptly at 7:30 am to load up the boat and equipment needed for the day. Once we arrived at Gilchrist Blue Spring State Park, we immediately unloaded the equipment and took field parameters at the head spring to try to get as undisturbed of a reading as possible. We lowered our grab sampler into the spring vent from the jumping platform.  Because we were there quite early, we were able to

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Into the Springs

Meet the Into the Springs Artists

We are so excited about our musical lineup! We have lots of returning performers and local favorites, but are also welcoming several out of town performers as well. Here they are, in order of appearance. Matt Brown is a soul musician out of West Palm Beach, FL. He is primarily a bassist but he also plays keyboard, drums, percussion, and guitar along with singing. He has been playing bass in his family church since age

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Events

Into the Springs Music Festival Preview

It’s hard to believe that Into the Springs is just one month away! We have been working hard behind the scenes to create a fun weekend of entertainment, education, recreation and community. While we are still working out some of the details, we are excited to share what we do have finalized, starting with our music schedule. We are excited to welcome back Noah MacGinnis, Mourning Glories, Cliff Dorsey, and Locochino; as well as welcome

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Events

Deep Spring Farm hosts Into the Springs Music Festival

Florida Springs Institute will once again be hosting Into the Springs, a music festival in support of springs protection, at the beautifully serene Deep Spring Farm. Community involvement is key to the success of small-scale organic farms, and we are glad to support its owners, Michael and Leela Robinson, efforts at DSF. You may already know Michael and Leela through their volunteerism with environmental and local food organizations or from visiting the farm to pick

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Uncategorized

More Than Cool Swimming Holes

Florida’s springs have all the qualities of living creatures. They are contiguous systems composed of plants and animals, working together in an organized fashion, and capable of reproduction, growth, response to stimuli, and long-term stability. They could be called “Super Organisms” – living beings with predictable patterns of organization and consistent responses to external factors. Springs receive inputs of raw materials (chemical nutrients, light energy from the sun, and turbulence from inflowing waters) and build

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Education

Springs Field School Full of Fun Springs Science

The Florida Springs Institute wrapped up its fifth Springs Field School on August 16th in Silver Springs after four days of science education and history on our springs and aquifer. Today we take a look back at each day during the Springs Field School and all that we learned. Day 1 Participants from all over the state arrived on August 13th at the Retreat at Silver Springs to check in and meet their fellow Field

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Events

2018 Florida Springs Restoration Summit Regional Panels and Keynotes Addresses

2018 Florida Springs Restoration Summit to Feature Springs Regional Panels and Keynote Addresses by Dinah Voyles Pulver and Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch OCALA, FL – The Florida Springs Council (FSC), with support from the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida and Jelks Family Foundation, is hosting the Florida Springs Restoration Summit from November 1st – 4th at the College of Central Florida to report on the status of springs health in Florida and to develop a roadmap

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Events

Florida Springs Institute to Host Springs Field School in Silver Springs

SILVER SPRINGS, FL – The Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute (FSI) will host its annual Springs Field School from August 13th – 16th in Silver Springs. Florida’s artesian springs are an important natural resource, providing the basis for extensive wildlife support and human recreation. These springs and the Floridan Aquifer that feeds them are under increasing threats from human activities, including flow reductions, nutrient increases, aquatic weed management activities, recreational impacts, and a variety

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Op-ed

Thank God for Cool Springs

Summer in North Florida can be brutal. Working outside during 90+ degree days is utterly draining. Just six hours spent landscaping and mowing last Saturday made me feel like I was 150 years old. I admire the many working folks who endure long days in Florida’s intense sun and humidity. But why do those who have a choice continue to live here and why do more people move to Florida each day? Visit the new

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Uncategorized

Florida Springs Field School Q&A

The Florida Springs Institute is gearing up for its fourth Springs Field School program and registration is now open for FSI members and future members. The Springs Field School is a 4-day course that provides in-depth lectures on topics including springs biology, geology, hydrology, chemistry, stresses, environmental law and advocacy efforts. As a Field School participant, you will learn everything there is to know about Florida springs and what is needed to protect them. This

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Op-ed

Tierra del Agua

Instead of “Land of Flowers”, Florida could just as easily have been named “Tierra del Agua” by the European invaders of the early 16th century. Originally blessed with more than 1,200 miles of coastal shorelines, 20 million acres of freshwater wetlands, 7,700 lakes, 11,000 miles of streams, and at least 1,100 artesian springs and their spring runs, the geography of Florida is about water. Not surprisingly, since the first Earth Day in 1970 Florida’s government

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Events

5th Annual Give Springs A Break

Our yearly educational retreat, Give Springs A Break (GSAB), which takes place at Ginnie Springs Outdoors and is aimed towards young people, attracted 42 students and young professionals from around the state making it our biggest GSAB event! Funding for our 5th Annual GSAB was provided by First Magnitude Brewing Company. First Magnitude raised nearly $10,000 for the Florida Springs Institute during their 7.2k Springs Run event in January of this year. With endless possibilities, the

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Springs Outings

Springs Outing – Sweetwater Wetlands Park

Sweetwater Wetlands provides an interesting combination of both engineering innovations and wildlife benefits.  Bob Knight began the outing by discussing the design aspects of the project.  His initial remarks included comments on the challenges, the cost, the effectiveness, and the benefits of the design. The challenges included the 20-30 years it took to convince the City fathers that the project was worthy of the $25 million cost.  The project was given a boost when a

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Springs Outings

Springs Outing – Seminole State Forest

On this hike, the Florida Springs Institute combined with St. Johns Riverkeeper for a day hike through Seminole State Forest.  Led by Jane Durocher of Riverkeeper, Heather Obara of FSI, and Ranger Ralph Risch we hopped from a conversation with a scrub jay to three small unknown (to most of us) springs. The first stop was a mile or so along the appropriately named Sand Road, where Ralph called a nesting pair of scrub jays to

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Springs Outings

Springs Outing – Holton Creek Tract Hike

Written by FSI Board Member, Dave Wilson Despite easy access near Live Oak, Holton Creek is a virtually unknown spot.  Outing leader and biologist, Tom Morris, chose this venue as a natural progression from last month’s exploration of the sink at the Alapaha Dead River!  The connection between the Dead River Sink and the rise at Holton Creek was established last year by the Florida Geological Survey when they dumped 100 pounds of fluorescein dye

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Springs Supporters

A Word From Springs Supporter, Sun Power Lawn Care

5 Lawn Care Tricks that Save Water for Our Springs from FSI Springs Supporter Business Member, Tom Snogles, founder of Sun Power Lawn Care, a Gainesville, FL electric lawn care business dedicated to quiet, sustainable service. What does a lawn mower in downtown Gainesville have to do with a catfish in Wakulla Springs? Like almost everything in Florida, this lawn mower plays a part in the catfish’s health and security–and that of the whole ecosystem surrounding it. If

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Events

2018 First Magnitude Brewing Company Springs Run and Springs Fest

First Magnitude Brewing Company has been an avid springs supporter since opening in 2014, hence their springs themed name “First Magnitude”. They have named close to a hundred beers including pilot batches and year-round beers after our springs and rivers! First Magnitude has taken their love for our local water resources farther than most.  For the past three years, they have raised thousands of dollars through fundraising events that support local environmental organizations. This year, First Magnitude selected the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs

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Springs Outing – A Tour of the Best Karst Features in the Ellaville Area

Despite chilly breezes and overcast skies, Tom Morris led 29 outings enthusiasts through the karst region surrounding Suwannee River State Park. To start the trip, Tom used samples to explain the differences between Ocala limestone, Suwannee limestone, and chert. Limestone is calcium carbonate or CaCO3; the Ocala Limestone is soft and crumbles in your hand; the Suwannee Limestone is hard; while chert is silica dioxide with formula SIO2.   He also brought along a fossilized mastodon rib

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Uncategorized

2017 Springs Field School

This year’s Springs Field School was a wonderful success! Students from around the state joined us in the Ocala National Forest for four full days of springs exploration and education. With a great group of students, presenters, and some incredible sights, it was one of our best years yet. Dr. Bob Knight and guest speakers, Bob Palmer, Jim Gross, Christine Denny, Monica Ross, Eric Hutchenson, Nathan Reaver, Whitey Markle, Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, Guy Marwick, and Lars Anderson

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Alapaha Dead River Hike Recap

By Dave Wilson (FSI Outings Leader) Twenty six springs enthusiasts enjoyed a perfect day hiking along the Alapaha River near Jennings, Florida.  This river is notable because of its large fluctuations in water level.  When ten inches of rain fall in South Georgia, the water can be 25 feet deep.  After informative talks by Florida Springs Director, Bob Knight, and leader, Tom Morris, we began with a side trip to an old settlement, where a

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Springs Outings

Alapaha Dead River Hike Recap

By Dave Wilson (FSI Outings Leader) Twenty six springs enthusiasts enjoyed a perfect day hiking along the Alapaha River near Jennings, Florida.  This river is notable because of its large fluctuations in water level.  When ten inches of rain fall in South Georgia, the water can be 25 feet deep.  After informative talks by Florida Springs Director, Bob Knight, and leader, Tom Morris, we began with a side trip to an old settlement, where a

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Uncategorized

Elevated Nitrate Nitrogen Levels Found in Florida’s Drinking Water Supply

The Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute (FSI)  is concerned about elevated levels of nitrate nitrogen in much of the Floridan Aquifer (seepotable water nitrate nitrogen analysis findings). This same Floridan Aquifer is the source of water feeding our 1,000+ artesian springs in North Florida and is the principal supply of potable water for the region. A substantial portion of the water in the Floridan Aquifer has been contaminated with nitrate by human activities, including the

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Florida Springs – A Water-Budget Approach to Estimating Water Availability

Florida Springs Institute Director, Dr. Robert Knight, and Senior Environmental Scientist for FSI, Ron Clarke, were recently selected for publication in the February 2016 edition of the Journal of Earth Science and Engineering. The article, entitled “Florida Springs – A Water-Balance Approach to Estimating Water Availability”, and a brief summary can be found below:  Click on the image above to access the full article.  Abstract:Florida’s artesian springs receive groundwater outflows from the Floridan Aquifer System

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Celebrate Earth Day – Visit a Florida Spring!

By Juliette Jones Florida has more freshwater springs than anywhere else in the world—that makes Florida the Springs Heartland of Planet Earth.– Lucinda Faulkner Merritt  At this moment in time there are a great many environmental challenges competing for our attention, but few as immediate as those connected with food and water.  I have to admit that not so long ago I managed to keep myself oblivious to the environmental crises now escalating in Florida and

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Gum Slough MFLs

On February 25, 2016, the Florida Springs Institute sent a letter to the Southwest Florida Water Management District regarding our concerns surrounding the establishment of Minimum Flows and Levels for Gum Slough. That letter can be foundhere. In an email sent later that day, FSI Advisory Panel member, Linda Bystrak, stated that: SWFWMD is only looking at the flow of Gum Slough from 2003 on, so they can get that big spike in 2004 (from 3 hurricanes

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Springs Outings

Springs Outing – Harvey Sharron Bat Cave

By Dave Wilson Once again Tom Morris led a group of intrepid hikers into the unknown.  This time 15 willing victims descended into the Harvey Sharron Bat Cave located midway between Newberry and High Springs.   Since it is fenced off to keep both visitors and the cave out of harm’s way, we had to stop at Santa Fe College to pick up a key to the gate.  While the cave is small, we were scheduled

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Springs Outings

Springs Outing – Suwannee Spring Hopping

by Dave Wilson with photos by Dagmar Bastiks On October 17, Tom Morris led 23 adventurers on an enjoyable outing to six exquisite springs near Branford.  The stops included Mill Creek Sink (actually near the city of Alachua), Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park, Olsen Springs, Running Springs, Cow Springs, Royal Springs, and Little River Springs.  While some members of our group had heard of a few of these gems, most had never visited any

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Update from the Field: Rainbow River Baseline Assessment

Today concludes the first week of FSI’s baseline assessment along the Rainbow River. For the past five days, FSI staff and local volunteers have been engaged in an extensive study of the middle and lower segments of the river with the goal of establishing a baseline of scientific information that will serve as a starting point for future health assessment of this diverse ecosystem, which connects to Rainbow Springs and the Floridan aquifer. FSI Executive Director, Dr.

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Uncategorized

Florida Springs Institute Requests Comprehensive Groundwater Nitrate Sampling in Alachua and Gilchrist Counties

On August 27, Dr. Robert Knight, Director of the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute called for a comprehensive, area-wide groundwater nitrate sampling effort by state and local governments, especially in the karst areas of Alachua and Gilchrist counties. Dr. Knight’s call for action comes after the Alachua County Health Department released private, self-supply well nitrate data confirming the relatively common occurrence of nitrate above safe drinking water levels (10 mg/L) and the lower springs

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