Post by L Roebuck on May 27, 2006 6:36:03 GMT -5
Development, pollution muddying Florida's historic Silver Springs
KELLI KENNEDY
Associated Press
SILVER SPRINGS, Fla. - Hovering over a patch of murky water and tangled swamp trees, a dozen tourists peer through the floor of a glass-bottom boat, hoping to glimpse a passing turtle, a bowfin or maybe even the mysterious creature from the black lagoon.
But the once crystalline water that made Silver Springs the state's first tourist attraction is now clouded by a thick, brownish sludge. The algae, a byproduct of burgeoning nitrate levels, clings to the eelgrass, making it difficult to glimpse sea life in their brilliant turquoise limestone home.
Now environmentalists fear the pollution will get even worse. They say that if the state doesn't act quickly a new development that will house 22,000 residents will raise nitrate levels even higher, polluting the springs irrevocably.
"It's very depressing. This is one of the largest springs in the world and perhaps the best known and to see it in decline like this is very disheartening," said Jim Stevenson, a former biologist with the Department of Environmental Protection and chairman of the Florida Springs Task Force.
Long before tourists flocked to Walt Disney World, they made their pilgrimage to central Florida to marvel at the pristine spring that pumps about 516 million gallons a day to the Oklawaha River. Silver Springs is the state's third largest spring and the largest aboveground spring.
As a child, environmentalist Guy Marwick used to swim and canoe in the cool waters, which stays 72 degrees year round. He remembers the spring's glory days, when the site was a haven for Hollywood filmmakers and National Geographic specials.
Six "Tarzan" movies were filmed there, along with the "Creature from the Black Lagoon," "The Yearling" featuring Gregory Peck,and the 1960's TV series "Sea Hunt" starring Lloyd Bridges.
Now the only reminder of that period, is a mammoth, algae-strewn statue - a leftover prop from the TV show "I Spy." Grounded at the mouth of the cave, where water spews from the recharge basin, workers have to scrub the prop every few weeks to keep up with the fast-growing gunk.
The algae isn't just ugly to look at - environmentalists say it's choking the spring's vegetation, contributing to the demise of the ecosystem.
"It's sickening. It's just very sad to see what used to be white snail shell and sand. It's a dramatic change," said Guy Marwick, an activist with the Smart Growth Coalition of North Central Florida and former curator of the Silver River Museum. "We've seen several plants all but disappear."
Silver Springs has also seen about a 95 percent decline in its fish population since the 1950s, said Dr. Bob Knight, an environmental scientist for the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Florida DEP.
Although Knight said nitrate levels are almost three times what they were in the 1950s, he's not convinced they are the sole cause of the fish deaths - but they're certainly having an effect.
The nitrates create the algae, which "could be having some effects on the fish and the invertebrates. It's definitely having an effect on the plant community," Knight said.
Nitrate levels are rising at dangerous levels largely because of development.
"But it's all kinds of development - agricultural, septic tanks, fertilizer, storm water, waste water - all those things combined create a nitrogen load," he said.
Knight knows halting development is unrealistic in Florida's popular real estate market. He advocates smarter development - stricter storm water rules from the county and more stringent nutrient removal in wastewater discharge on a state level.
But environmentalists say there's no way the 4,436-acre development that Avatar Properties Inc. is proposing won't adversely effect Silver Springs. The Coral Gables-based group, set to break ground in 2008, also sits on a vital recharge area for the springs - about one mile away at the closest point.
The recharge area is made of extremely porous limestone, which soaks up nitrate-polluted rainwater like a sponge, Stevenson said.
"All the groundwater in the 1,200 square mile Silver Springs recharge area flows to Silver Springs," Stevenson said. "The rain that falls in the area closest to the springs may be able to get there in days. The rain that falls several miles away, may take decades."
In other words, if the Avatar property is built, all the pollutants will eventually trickle to the springs in a matter of time.
According to the Florida DEP the Avatar property is on the "A list" of the Florida First Magnitude Springs Project.
"We are currently working with Avatar and it is something that we are very interested in acquiring," said Sarah Williams, a spokeswoman with DEP. "It's a priority project."
If the state can't afford to buy the entire parcel of land, Avatar has indicated "they are open to selling parts of it," Williams said.
She would not say when the state might make an offer.
But the locals are getting antsy. A March 26 Ocala Star-Banner editorial urging the state to act quickly, headlined "Avatar Land:Time is Money."
The state offered to pay $22 million for the land in 2004, but Avatar rejected the deal. But it is willing to consider a better offer.
"If the amount was correct then the company would sell. If not we would continue on with our development and permit of the project to build a community up there," said Avatar attorney Dennis Getman.
He said Avatar also wants to preserve the springs and has pledged to grow vegetation and lawns that don't require a lot of fertilizer. They've also promised to spend an additional $50 million on a storm-water runoff system to help protect the basin.
"We do not want to develop the property in a way that would cause damage to the springs," Getman said.
The Herald
KELLI KENNEDY
Associated Press
SILVER SPRINGS, Fla. - Hovering over a patch of murky water and tangled swamp trees, a dozen tourists peer through the floor of a glass-bottom boat, hoping to glimpse a passing turtle, a bowfin or maybe even the mysterious creature from the black lagoon.
But the once crystalline water that made Silver Springs the state's first tourist attraction is now clouded by a thick, brownish sludge. The algae, a byproduct of burgeoning nitrate levels, clings to the eelgrass, making it difficult to glimpse sea life in their brilliant turquoise limestone home.
Now environmentalists fear the pollution will get even worse. They say that if the state doesn't act quickly a new development that will house 22,000 residents will raise nitrate levels even higher, polluting the springs irrevocably.
"It's very depressing. This is one of the largest springs in the world and perhaps the best known and to see it in decline like this is very disheartening," said Jim Stevenson, a former biologist with the Department of Environmental Protection and chairman of the Florida Springs Task Force.
Long before tourists flocked to Walt Disney World, they made their pilgrimage to central Florida to marvel at the pristine spring that pumps about 516 million gallons a day to the Oklawaha River. Silver Springs is the state's third largest spring and the largest aboveground spring.
As a child, environmentalist Guy Marwick used to swim and canoe in the cool waters, which stays 72 degrees year round. He remembers the spring's glory days, when the site was a haven for Hollywood filmmakers and National Geographic specials.
Six "Tarzan" movies were filmed there, along with the "Creature from the Black Lagoon," "The Yearling" featuring Gregory Peck,and the 1960's TV series "Sea Hunt" starring Lloyd Bridges.
Now the only reminder of that period, is a mammoth, algae-strewn statue - a leftover prop from the TV show "I Spy." Grounded at the mouth of the cave, where water spews from the recharge basin, workers have to scrub the prop every few weeks to keep up with the fast-growing gunk.
The algae isn't just ugly to look at - environmentalists say it's choking the spring's vegetation, contributing to the demise of the ecosystem.
"It's sickening. It's just very sad to see what used to be white snail shell and sand. It's a dramatic change," said Guy Marwick, an activist with the Smart Growth Coalition of North Central Florida and former curator of the Silver River Museum. "We've seen several plants all but disappear."
Silver Springs has also seen about a 95 percent decline in its fish population since the 1950s, said Dr. Bob Knight, an environmental scientist for the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Florida DEP.
Although Knight said nitrate levels are almost three times what they were in the 1950s, he's not convinced they are the sole cause of the fish deaths - but they're certainly having an effect.
The nitrates create the algae, which "could be having some effects on the fish and the invertebrates. It's definitely having an effect on the plant community," Knight said.
Nitrate levels are rising at dangerous levels largely because of development.
"But it's all kinds of development - agricultural, septic tanks, fertilizer, storm water, waste water - all those things combined create a nitrogen load," he said.
Knight knows halting development is unrealistic in Florida's popular real estate market. He advocates smarter development - stricter storm water rules from the county and more stringent nutrient removal in wastewater discharge on a state level.
But environmentalists say there's no way the 4,436-acre development that Avatar Properties Inc. is proposing won't adversely effect Silver Springs. The Coral Gables-based group, set to break ground in 2008, also sits on a vital recharge area for the springs - about one mile away at the closest point.
The recharge area is made of extremely porous limestone, which soaks up nitrate-polluted rainwater like a sponge, Stevenson said.
"All the groundwater in the 1,200 square mile Silver Springs recharge area flows to Silver Springs," Stevenson said. "The rain that falls in the area closest to the springs may be able to get there in days. The rain that falls several miles away, may take decades."
In other words, if the Avatar property is built, all the pollutants will eventually trickle to the springs in a matter of time.
According to the Florida DEP the Avatar property is on the "A list" of the Florida First Magnitude Springs Project.
"We are currently working with Avatar and it is something that we are very interested in acquiring," said Sarah Williams, a spokeswoman with DEP. "It's a priority project."
If the state can't afford to buy the entire parcel of land, Avatar has indicated "they are open to selling parts of it," Williams said.
She would not say when the state might make an offer.
But the locals are getting antsy. A March 26 Ocala Star-Banner editorial urging the state to act quickly, headlined "Avatar Land:Time is Money."
The state offered to pay $22 million for the land in 2004, but Avatar rejected the deal. But it is willing to consider a better offer.
"If the amount was correct then the company would sell. If not we would continue on with our development and permit of the project to build a community up there," said Avatar attorney Dennis Getman.
He said Avatar also wants to preserve the springs and has pledged to grow vegetation and lawns that don't require a lot of fertilizer. They've also promised to spend an additional $50 million on a storm-water runoff system to help protect the basin.
"We do not want to develop the property in a way that would cause damage to the springs," Getman said.
The Herald