Florida Springs Initiative Achievements

Florida is home to one of the largest concentrations of freshwater springs in the world. Established in 2001 by Governor Bush, the Florida Springs Initiative is the first comprehensive and coordinated program to increase protection for the state’s more than 700 freshwater springs.

Under the leadership of Governor Bush, Florida has invested $15 million to improve spring water quality and flow through improved research, monitoring, education and landowner assistance. As part of the Initiative, researchers completed the first in-depth scientific study of Florida springs in three decades, describing nearly 200 previously undocumented springs. Additionally, the State conserved close to 27,000 acres of spring recharge area to protect Florida’s groundwater, including more than 4,000 acres of land around Wakulla Springs, one of the largest and deepest artesian springs in the world.

Restore

Restoration and erosion control are a vital part of the Springs Initiative’s goal to allow Florida’s springs to return to their natural conditions and to help the springs flow without obstructions. The following are projects that the Springs Initiative has funded for restoration:

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Protect

Poorly maintained septic tanks can cause harm to springs by allowing nutrients to seep into ground and deep into the aquifer. The Springs Initiative has worked to provide safe management of waste for the state owned spring parks by funding:

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Educate

The Florida Springs Initiative produces educational materials for the public to highlight the importance of Florida’s springs and the impact people can have on the health of Florida’s liquid bowls of light. Below is a sampling of the educational projects the Springs Initiative has funded:

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Preserve

The most effective method of preservation is through acquiring land in the springshed to be left in its natural state. The Springs Initiative has been, and continues to be, supportive of land acquisition efforts through the Florida Forever program. For developed land in recharge basins the Springs Initiative works to establish Best Management Practices (BMPs) to help protect the water resources. The effectiveness of the BMPs are evaluated and used to plan methods of day-to-day management of the area that will help preserve the environment. BMP projects include:

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Community Involvement

To ensure the continued health of a spring, the Springs Initiative engages the local community to be involved in its protection. The Springs Initiative has established local spring basin workgroups who engage in a vigorous and collaborative process for the preservation of the springs. The workgroups are composed of the federal, state and local government agencies having information or responsibilities concerning the function of the spring recharge basin. Other important stakeholders include agricultural and commercial interests, environmental organizations, and citizens.

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