Co-hosted by OSFR, Extinction Rebellion and Sierra Club, come out Saturday for this attention-grabbing trip to Ginnie Springs, site of the shameful water extraction by Seven Springs, owned by the Ginnie Springs campground family. Spread the word about what this greedy company is doing to the imperiled Santa Fe River. The water from the springs belongs to the public and not Seven Springs and Nestle.
Nestle beats their chest and proudly says they recycle the plastic. There should be no plastic to recycle, there is no cause to bring in pollution at all. Why should we praise them for polluting a little less? Not only are they delaying the restoration of the river and springs, negatively impacting them, at the same time they are polluting our land and waters. They are doing this to line their pockets.
Come with us to Ginnie and wave your signs to let them know that their neighbors do not like what they are doing.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
Join Extinction Rebellion for a direct action on the Santa Fe River to end the water grab for our spring-water at Ginnie Springs. This water use is to be used in plastic bottles and sold back to us on the grocery shelves and in vending machines.
Saturday, January 18, 10 am- 3 pm we are planning a kayaktivism sit-in at Ginnie Springs. The same people who own Seven Springs Water Company also own Ginnie Springs Outdoors campground. Seven Springs is selling the spring water that feeds Ginnie Springs and the Devil’s Eye/Ear Complex to Nestle International.
Nestle has recently been bottling this water under the brand name Zephyrhills with an existing 20 year old permit which has been going through the permit process by the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD). The SRWMD Board will ultimately decide the fate of this unreasonable water use in the upcoming months. Based on the science alone, this permit should be denied because removing water from the Santa Fe River which has Minimum Flow and Level (MFL) data showing it is in “recovery”, means the water needs to be protected in its natural system, not be removed.
This water action is via kayaks and canoes. Bring your own signs or decorate your boat with the intent to bring awareness to stop this water grab from Seven Springs Water Company. Come with your own kayak or canoe and sit with us at the head spring of Ginnie Spring. There are rental businesses in the community that can serve you to secure a boat. We will not be entering the park or its land, all actions will be done by water. You will have to make plans to paddle down the river to the location and then after the “sit in” proceed down river to the take out point at the SR 47 Bridge.
