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It's Crystal Clear: Protect Natural Springs

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 21, 2008

Like the Everglades, the state's more than 700 natural springs are gifts from nature, fountains of crystal-clear water that serve crucial environmental purposes, and provide wonderful respites from the heat for swimmers and vivid journeys beneath the surface for divers.

Unfortunately, the springs are under assault. Pollutants from agricultural and urban runoff are reducing water quality. Development, drought and groundwater withdrawals are causing reduced flows.

Amazingly, Florida does not have comprehensive enforceable policies to protect its natural springs. This must change.

A bill introduced a couple of weeks ago by Sen. Lee Constantine of Altamonte Springs, chairman of the Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee, would protect them for future generations - and accomplish much more.

The immense value of Constantine's bill is this: Although it would only create a pilot program for four of the state's first-magnitude springs, it would start the process of finally putting some muscle in spring protections.

We're not suggesting the springs have been ignored. Quite the contrary. Several agencies and citizen groups have worked hard to raise public awareness and identify issues. But the efforts are piecemeal and only encourage compliance. Rules with teeth are lacking.

Constantine proposes some much-needed mandates that will help reduce pollution and nutrient loading, among many other threats. The resources of local governments and various state agencies would be pooled, giving taxpayers more bang for their dollars and providing an alternative to simply purchasing land around the spring as a means to protect it.

The bill would require protection zones around Ichetucknee Springs in Columbia County; Rainbow and Silver, both in Marion; and Wakulla County's Wakulla Springs.

It would require officials to identify springs drainage areas vulnerable to pollution. Confusion over jurisdiction shouldn't be an issue because the legislation would allow the zones to cross political boundaries.

State environmental protection officials would be charged with developing policies to address the nitrogen pollution that results from fertilizer use or livestock operations. Basin management "action" plans would be created based upon the needs of the spring protection zones.

Further, the state would take steps to stop septic tanks and other sewage systems from degrading the springs. For example, it would require that septic tanks within the zones be inspected and, if necessary, repaired, and pumped at least every five years at the owner's expense. In applicable areas, homeowners would have to hook up to public water and wastewater systems.

Such strong mandates would greatly reduce a major threat to the springs.

In addition, the program would tackle environmental problems posed by the agricultural industry. "Best management" practices for horse and cow operations would be developed in ways that also address concerns of farmers and ranchers.

Better yet, local governments with spring protection zones would be required to add elements to their comprehensive land use plans, the blueprint for growth, to protect springs from pollution and incompatible, high-density development and other threats. And where possible, the communities would have to develop plans to restore water quality.

For any government that decides to ignore these mandates, an appropriate punishment would await: Future plan amendments would be prohibited until spring protection elements are adopted. This would get their attention - if the decline in the number of tourists to popular springs didn't.

The spring safeguards would involve numerous state agencies and local governments and present many challenges, but they are urgently needed.

Sen. Burt Saunders gave it a go last year but, incredibly, could not get enough support. Lawmakers should remember it was a spring - a legendary Fountain of Youth - that first attracted European explorers to Florida. Springs have been attracting visitors ever since.

Legislators should recognize the value of what naturalist-explorer William Bartram in the 1770s called "amazing, crystal fountains," and provide these treasures the protections they sorely need.

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