ANN B. SHORTELLE: We can work together to protect springs
While April is recognized as Springs Protection Awareness Month in Florida, protecting Florida’s springs is a year-round focus for the St. Johns River Water Management District.
Springs are a magnificent natural feature of Florida’s environment — they provide a “window” into the aquifer, allowing for a measure of the health of the Floridan aquifer system. Water from springs supplies the base flow for many rivers and streams and important habitat for wildlife and fish. Springs also serve as tourist attractions that provide recreational and economic benefits and are a multi-million-dollar industry in Florida.
To protect our priority springs, the district has been moving forward with in-the-ground projects. Since 2014, the district has provided $36 million in cost-share funding for 76 springs protection projects with local government and other partners. These projects will benefit spring flows by reducing groundwater demands by 68 million gallons of water a day and improve spring water quality by eliminating almost one million pounds of nutrient pollution annually.
There are many participants and many tools involved in protecting springs — regulatory programs, water supply planning, land acquisition, water conservation, data collection and analysis, cost-share partnerships and community outreach, just to name a few.
A key tool to protect our water resources against overpumping is the development of minimum flows and levels (MFLs). District scientists have been actively developing protective MFLs for several Outstanding Florida Springs.
Florida law requires the adoption of MFLs statewide for 31 Outstanding Florida Springs by July 1, including Gemini Springs. The district is currently taking public comment through May 4 on the staff’s recommended MFLs for Gemini Springs, as well as Alexander Springs and Silver Glen Springs.
MFLs are not a one-stop solution to all our springs’ problems nor are they intended to create ideal or optimal conditions. Their purpose is to protect against significant harm from overpumping. Public water supply is the largest use of groundwater within the St. Johns district. Other uses include agriculture, commercial/industrial, recreation and power generation.
By law, MFLs establish the limit at which further water withdrawals — generally, groundwater pumping — would be significantly harmful to the water resources or ecology of the area. It’s important to understand that MFLs don’t address flow declines caused by drought.
MFLs also don’t address changes due to manmade structural alterations. Gemini Springs has been highly altered with an earthen dam and weir structure to control flow and create a reservoir. Due to its highly altered nature, Gemini Springs lacks ecological features that are sensitive to small changes in flow, which makes setting MFLs particularly challenging there.
Just as MFLs serve as an important tool to protect water quantity, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection sets science-based water quality targets and develops restoration action plans for our state’s springs, rivers and lakes.
DEP is currently developing the nutrient targets for both Gemini Springs and DeLeon Springs and public input is an important part of this process. More information is available on DEP’s website.
While MFLs only address water withdrawals, the science behind setting MFLs is some of the most complex work we do. Through rigorous scientific investigation in partnership with the University of Florida, we are learning critical insights about spring health challenges and potential solutions. District staff are committed to continuing to increase our understanding of Florida’s springs and the Floridan aquifer system and protect them through appropriate strategies and projects.
We welcome your comments on the draft MFLs and encourage you to visit the district’s website, www.sjrwmd.com, for more information. We make our greatest strides when we work together through a collaborative process, celebrate successes and find additional common ground on which to move forward.
— Shortelle has more than 25 years of professional experience in lake, riverine and reservoir management for water quantity and quality. She became executive director of the St. Johns River Water Management District in 2015.
To comment on ecological protections for Gemini and DeLeon Springs, visit the following link: www.sjrwmd.com/facts/comment-MFL.html.