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Audubon Florida Advocate
Defend Silver Springs
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Take Action: Crisis Looms for Silver Springs
Defend Silver Springs; send a letter to Governor Scott right now!
It has been 3 days since we first emailed you about the Adena Springs Ranch proposal and the response we have received in that short time has been simplyincredible! Please continue to send your letters in to Governor Rick Scott and the St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board. You are making a difference for Florida's natural heritage.See buttons at the bottom for ways to share this important message. Thank you.
Silver Springs, an iconic symbol of natural Floridaand a nationally known tourist destination since the mid-1800s,could become the next Florida springs casualty.
The St. Johns River Water Management District is in theearly stages of evaluating permit applicationssubmitted by Adena Springs Ranch. Developerswant to turn 30,000 acres of relatively undisturbed springshedland into a dense “cattle finishing” operation and slaughterhouse. The size of this project is approximately thesame acreageas the City of Ocala. Further, the13.2 milliongallons of water this massive industrial cattle operation wants to draw from the aquifer near Silver Springs is just about the same as the water use forall of the existing developmentin Ocala.
Withflow down by more than 50% over historic amounts and nutrients feedingthe growth ofalgae, the systemis already dangerously compromised. Take Action:urge Governor Rick Scott and the members of the Governing Board of the St. Johns River Management District todeny permits related to the Adena Springs Ranchproject.
A steep decline in springflow began in the 1980s. By 2011, flow had fallen to only half the historic average. By April 1, 2012, the flow in Silver Springs was at the lowest volume ever recorded – only 282 Cubic Feet Per Second – only 37% of the average historic flow.
While water quantity – expressed by the rate of flow from the spring - has been decreasing, largely due to increased pumping from wells in the areas that have provided groundwater recharge for the spring, the qualityof water flowing from the spring has been rapidly declining as well. Nitrates, produced by fertilizers applied to the surface of the land, waste percolating into the aquifer from septic tank drainfields and sewage treatment plant effluent – are the chief causes of the springs’ current flow of dirty water. Flow reduction exacerbates the problem byincreasing the concentration. Nitrates cause the unnatural growth of algae – green slime – that forms layers on native aquatic plants such as eelgrass, and kills those plants by shading out sunlight.
While much of the springshedthat supplies water through recharge of the aquifer to Silver Springs has been covered by urban development drawing out water and adding pollution, a large strip of land near the springs and adjacent to the Ocklawaha River has thus far remained undeveloped and contributes clean water.
The thousands of cattle that will be processed on this landwill add to the nutrient load soaking into the ground. This proposal has the potential to double the damage already suffered by Silver Springs.
While cattle ranching throughout Florida at the intensities normally practiced is for the most part an environmentally benign land use, the Adena Springs Ranch is a different proposition entirely.
Given the status of Silver Springs and the risk that this project will serve as its final death blow, common sense and sound scientific analysis would suggest that the Water Management District would move decisively to protect the public interest by firmly rejecting the permits.
Unfortunately, in the regulatory environment now present in Florida, we cannot count on that.
If Floridians want to save what is left of our natural heritage at Silver Springs, it is time to say “NO” to this proposal.Pleaseuse our easy email function to urge Governor Rick Scott and the members of the Governing Board of the St. Johns River Management District to deny permits related to the Adena Springs Ranch project.
Thank you and please share. **Some earlier versions of this email attributed the slides above incorrectly. It was our mistake and we apologize. All slides are courtesy Dr. Bob Knight, please click to enlarge.
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