If you believe Florida’s springs, lakes, rivers and groundwater are in good health and have bright futures, then read no further. On the other hand, if you have seen dried-up lake beds, springs with little or no flow, and rivers and streams choked with algae, then you join legions of Floridians who are asking, “Why can’t Florida get the water right?”
Check out Kissengen Spring near Bartow in Polk County, once the pride of the area; it went dry in 1950. Take a look at some of the lakes around the Keystone Heights area of Northeast Florida; they are bone dry and riddled with vehicle tracks. White Sulphur Springs in White Springs, Hamilton County, was a major tourist attraction early in the last century; it hasn’t flowed in over a year. I know several springs and water resources experts who could write a book.
The iconic Silver Springs’ water flow has been reduced by 50 percent over the past several years, algae grows on the once white sandy bottom, the water is no longer crystal clear, and native fish species are giving way to exotics. Silver is no longer the same place that attracted millions in past years.
Rainbow Springs, a few miles west near Dunnellon, faces the same grim future. This extraordinarily beautiful place may join Silver on the “may go dry list,” given today’s state water policy and practice.
A healthy environment and a long-term healthy economy go hand in glove; they are inextricably linked together. It is our world-famous natural resources that make Florida a favorite place to live and visit. During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, when Florida’s economy enjoyed unprecedented growth, the state had in place the most effective set of growth management, water resources and environmental protection laws in the country. These laws worked well back then and resulted in better planned development and healthier water and environmental resources than today.
Notwithstanding the 2011 legislative dismantlement of the state’s growth management program, Chapters 373 and 403, Florida Statutes, remain on the books and are among the best water and environmental laws in the nation. They are worth reviewing. Yet, laws are only as effective as how well they are implemented, and this is a problem.
The state’s leaders, our policymakers, are entrusted and obligated by law and the Florida Constitution to conserve and protect our natural resources and scenic beauty. They are accountable to the people. If the public will raise its interest and voice, there will be positive change; otherwise it’s business as usual -- and down the drain.
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