Seen from the air, a Florida freshwater spring is a bit of liquid heaven, luring humans and wildlife to enjoy its aquama
rine cool. With at least 1,000 of them — more than any other state — the springs serve as beaches for large swaths of c
entral and northwestern Florida far from the ocean, with teenagers backflipping from docks and snorkelers peering into the crystalline depths.
But these treasures are under threat from agricultural pollution, rapid development and climate change.
Some places, such as fast-growing Zephyrhills in west-central Florida, have paused some construction as it struggles to stay within limits on the drinking wat
er it can withdraw from a vast underground aquifer. Zephyrhills is home t
o Crystal Springs, source of the bottled water named after the town and several other brands.
“We really had to do something,” said Steven Spina, a member of the town council. “A lot of residents thought
it was a good thing. People were happy to see us take a breath.”
Vast Floridan Aquifer is Source of Springs
Covering an estimated 100,000 square miles (250,000 square kilo
meters), the underground Floridan Aquifer is the source of 90% of Florida’s drinking water. Because of the porous na
ture of the state’s bedr
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ock, millions of gallons of water find their way to the surface in the form of clear, clean springs that, in turn, feed into rivers.
The highest concentration of springs are in central and northern Florida, including most of the 30 “first magnitude”
springs — those that discharge at least 65 million gallons (246 million liters) of water every day. All but four of them are considered polluted.
“We just have too much pollution going into the ground and too much water coming out of the ground,” said Ryan Smart, executive director of the nonprofit Florida Sp
rings Council. “And when you get that combination, you end up with springs that are no longer blue and vibrant and full of life.”
Agriculture, Development are Main Threats
In rural Florida, runoff from fertilizers and pesticides used in farm fields is a major part of the problem. Fertili
zers containing phosphates and nitrogen promote algae blooms that can suffocate a spring. Livestock waste contributes, too.
“When that algae covers everything, then you lose all of the seagrasses. The seagrasses are the forests of the water,”
Smart said. “Then you begin to lose the biodiversity. And it even puts our drinking water at risk.”
Elsewhere in Florida, rampant development is the threat. With over 1,000 people moving to Florida every day, more housin
g subdivisions are sprouting, along with the roads, strip malls, restaurants, golf courses and everything else that comes with them.
That means more paved surfaces that keep rainwater from percolating down into the aquifer and more pollutant-laden runoff from lawn fertilizers, parking lots, ever-widening roads and sometimes septic
tanks. It also means more and more people, many of whom enjoy tubing, paddleboarding, kayaking and swimming in the springs.
It gets so busy in summer at some springs located in state
and local parks that entry is halted by late morning. At Ichetucknee Springs State Park north of Gainesville, the daily limit of 750 tubers on the upper river is often reached within an hour after the park opens.