Geologists estimate that there are nearly 600 springs in Florida, representing what may be the largest concentration of freshwater springs on Earth. Springs are the windows into a vast underground water resource, the Floridan aquifer system, which supplies most of the State's drinking water.

Springs provide the base flow for many of the streams and rivers that are used for boating, fishing, swimming, scuba diving, and snorkeling. The nearly constant temperature of spring water (69-73 degrees Fahrenheit) creates an ideal habitat for many plants and animals, including humans.

Florida's springs are increasingly imperiled for a number of reasons such as wastewater effluent, septic tanks, storm water run off, depletion of groundwater levels from over pumping, and certain agricultural practices. Nitrate levels in many of Florida's springs, except in larger, more natural landscapes such as Ocala National Forest, have significantly increased in recent decades. We can no longer take for granted that our springs are the pristine, clear waters that we remember; they are threatened.

A good example of what is happening to many of Florida's springs lies in the back yard of Florida's capitol. Wakulla Springs is a state treasure -- the crown jewel of the state park system and a worldwide tourist destination. Yet, it is increasingly being degraded primarily by Tallahassee's wastewater operation that sprays its effluent south of town where it seeps through the limestone and resurfaces as nitrate-fertilized water at Wakulla Springs. There are other sources of degradation but the sprayfield effluent is, according to the best available science, the chief source of the nitrate increases.

Where children used to splash and swim, and glass bottom boats showed tourists the clear, deep spring waters, one now sees shore-to-shore hydrilla and long slimy strands of algae. If this were not bad enough, this fertilized water has significantly changed the ecology of the Wakulla River that flows to the Gulf.

There is also a potential relationship between increased nitrates in the springs, groundwater and river and changes in the near shore Gulf waters, and this possibility should be scientifically evaluated. Fishermen in Apalachee Bay are anecdotally reporting increasing amounts of filamentous algae on the bottom and on their hooks.

The Florida Wildlife Federation is committed to taking necessary actions to restore the health of Wakulla Springs, and to bring awareness statewide of the imperiled condition of many of our springs. We are challenging a permit issued recently by DEP to the City of Tallahassee that would, in our opinion, allow five more years of waste water effluent with excessive nitrates to degrade the area's groundwater and at least two Outstanding Florida Waters -- Wakulla Springs and the Wakulla River, and possibly two more, the St. Marks River and Apalachee Bay.

Considered by many to be one of the natural wonders of the world, Wakulla Springs may finally be on the way to a cleaner future. The City of Tallahassee has agreed to begin construction of advanced wastewater treatment facilities designed to begin removing harmful levels of nitrogen and phosphorus that have, for many years, leached into the springs from city sprayfields to the north. The agreement, signed in Tallahassee on December 19, calls for construction of the advanced treatment facilities by 2012 and ends use of the sprayfield as a farm and cattle grazing operation. (Press Release)

We also will continue to encourage public participation to lead our officials to advocate and implement meaningful, pro-springs protection policies.

Join FWF and help us protect Florida's most valuable resource -- our drinking water, our recreational waters, and our places of refuge. We need your help in doing so. As Florida grows, we increasingly need an engaged public to make it clear to our elected and appointed officials that they must practice and promote actions that protect Florida's groundwaters from degradation.



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