Dozens rally in support of Florida freshwater springs

Dozens of people concerned about the health of Florida springs gathered for a rally Thursday ahead of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s public workshop on a new draft rule to better protect those freshwater springs, which flow from the Floridan Aquifer, a primary source of drinking water for the state.

In Northeast Florida and in Central Florida, where Thursday’s rally was held, more than 90% of people get their water from the aquifer, according to the St. Johns River Water Management District.

But many of Florida’s springs are in trouble, polluted by high concentrations of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. That’s why FDEP in 2018 adopted Basin Management Restoration Plans, or BMAPs, to guide efforts to restore water quality in the 24 springs deemed to be “impaired” by such nutrients.

But many springs aren’t on track to meet the water quality targets laid out in those BMAPs, according to data in FDEP’s statewide annual report. And that’s partly because of water quantity: if there isn’t enough water flowing through those springs, higher concentrations of pollutants can develop, according to Florida Springs Council Executive Director Ryan Smart.

“The common denominator is flow,” Smart said, explaining the inherent connection between water quality and water quantity. “Better flow equals less pollution.”