Pollution and Development Put Florida Springs at Risk

ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — From a bird’s-eye view, Florida’s freshwater springs appear like a liquid paradise, drawing both people and wildlife to revel in their aquamarine allure. Home to at least 1,000 springs — more than any other U.S. state — these natural wonders offer a beach-like experience for residents of central and northwestern Florida, far from the coastal shores. Energetic teenagers can be seen diving off docks while snorkelers explore the pristine depths below.

But these treasures are under threat from agricultural pollution, rapid development and climate change.

In certain areas, like the rapidly developing town of Zephyrhills in west-central Florida, construction activities have been temporarily halted in an effort to manage the amount of drinking water extracted from an extensive underground aquifer. Zephyrhills hosts Crystal Springs, which supplies bottled water that carries the town’s name as well as other brands.

“We really had to take action,” said Steven Spina, a town council member. “Many residents viewed this as a positive move. People were pleased to see us pause for a moment.”

Spanning roughly 100,000 square miles (250,000 square kilometers), the Floridan Aquifer is a crucial water source, providing 90% of Florida’s drinking water. Due to Florida’s porous bedrock, millions of gallons of water rise to the surface as clear springs, which subsequently flow into surrounding rivers.

Central and northern Florida boast the highest density of springs, including most of the 30 “first magnitude” springs — each releasing a minimum of 65 million gallons (246 million liters) of water daily. All but four of these significant springs face pollution issues.

“The issue is that there is excessive pollution entering the ground and an overwhelming amount of water emerging,” explained Ryan Smart, the executive director of the nonprofit Florida Springs Council. “This leads to springs losing their blue, vibrant character and becoming depleted of life.”

In rural Florida, runoff from fertilizers and pesticides used in farm fields is a major part of the problem. Fertilizers containing phosphates and nitrogen promote algae blooms that can suffocate a spring. Livestock waste contributes, too.

“When that algae covers everything, then you lose all of the seagrasses. The seagrasses are the forests of the water,” Smart said. “Then you begin to lose the biodiversity. And it even puts our drinking water at risk.”

Elsewhere in Florida, rampant development is the threat. With over 1,000 people moving to Florida every day, more housing subdivisions are sprouting, along with the roads, strip malls, restaurants, golf courses and everything else that comes with them.

That means more paved surfaces that keep rainwater from percolating down into the aquifer and more pollutant-laden runoff from lawn fertilizers, parking lots, ever-widening roads and sometimes septic tanks. It also means more and more people, many of whom enjoy tubing, paddleboarding, kayaking and swimming in the springs.

It gets so busy in summer at some springs located in state and local parks that entry is halted by late morning. At Ichetucknee Springs State Park north of Gainesville, the daily limit of 750 tubers on the upper river is often reached within an hour after the park opens.

Kaelin Gibbs, on vacation in June with his family from Georgia, was swimming in the Blue Hole Spring along the Ichetucknee River.

“This is simply incredible; the water is cool and clear,” said Gibbs. “We’ve been to Florida’s beaches and to Orlando. There is no comparison to how beautiful this spring is.”

But that’s in peril, said Dennis Jones, a Republican former legislator deeply involved in springs issues. He said the volume of permits being issued for water use isn’t sustainable.

“You cannot keep taking water out of the aquifer because it’s not an endless supply,” Jones said.

Phosphate mining has also taken a toll on springs. Their operations require a great deal of water, which reduces water pressure available for springs. Some have died almost completely from mining and other factors, including White Sulphur Springs in north Florida, which was a sacred place for Native Americans and later a tourist resort that attracted famous visitors such as Henry Ford and Theodore Roosevelt.

A more subtle threat to the health of springs involves Earth’s changing climate. It is altering rainfall patterns around the globe, threatening the balance that feeds Florida’s springs.

In addition, some springs along the coasts are facing an intrusion of salt water, according to the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Four major springs are becoming increasingly brackish because of sea level rise and declining rainfall.

“As a result, freshwater vegetation has a hard time surviving in this saltier environment and unwanted vegetation moves in,” the district said in a website post.

Florida spends billions every year on water quality projects, including about $800 million this year for Everglades restoration work. State funding for springs runs about $50 million a year, according to state documents.

Two state efforts at improving springs’ quality, both around a decade old, remain bottled up in court and administrative challenges. One would strengthen rules for permits to draw water from the major springs. The other would enhance rules to reduce the amount of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphates that goes into springs that are considered impaired.

Jones, the former legislator, said lobbying by powerful agricultural interests and related political pressures have blocked progress on the nitrogen reduction plan that was expected to take about 20 years.

“We’ve burned up almost 10 years and they haven’t got on stage one. We got more nitrates now than when we started,” Jones said.

In Congress, U.S. Rep. Randy Fine recently filed a bill that would create a Florida Springs National Park across several counties, centered around the Ocala National Forest. Fine said in a statement the designation would protect the springs and increase funding. “Our Florida springs are something unique, not just to Florida but to the country,” Fine said.

It costs bottling companies just $115 for a permit allowing them to withdraw millions of gallons of water in perpetuity. But they do pay local taxes.

Blue Triton, the company that bottles Zephyrhills water, pays about $600,000 a year in taxes for things like schools, public safety and so forth, said Spina of the city council.

“They are one of our largest taxpayers,” he said.

Though they have challenges, Florida’s freshwater springs have energetic friends, too.

Michelle Jamesson loves the springs; she grew up swimming in one and is determined to help protect them for future generations. She volunteers for SpringsWatch Citizen Science Program, coordinating and working with other volunteers for monthly tests on the Wekiva River, north of Orlando.

They test water quality, take photos of underwater vegetation, count birds and more, seeking to spot any big changes that may require action. The Wekiva is fairly stable, she said, though it carries a lot of excess nutrients.

“The wildlife and the ecology, and all of it — it’s so full of life,” Jamesson said.

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