Jad Kabbani covers it pretty well here. Of course, lobbyists can spend all kinds of money influencing our legislators and environmentalists can not. So, until we can change this, our only option is to put an amendment in the Florida Constitution. Let’s do this.
FLORIDA RIGHT TO CLEAN WATER
Read the original article here in the Tallahassee Democrat.
Florida Legislature should start protecting North Florida’s springs
North Florida, along with Central Florida, is home to the densest concentration of freshwater springs in the world. The region’s economy heavily depends on this critical natural resource. Unfortunately, North Florida springs face several human-created stressors that impair the quality and quantity of spring water and their related ecosystems….
Nutrient loading, which is the increased nutrient concentration in spring waters due to growing populations, failing septic tanks, and the use of synthetic fertilizers, has increased algae blooms. These excessive algae blooms have impacted marine animals, recreation, businesses, and property values by contaminating drinking water, leading to the loss of state and local revenues. Additionally, excessive pumping from bottling companies, municipal water, and agriculture has led to a one-third decline in water flow across all of Florida’s springs.
Lower spring flows and deteriorating water quality have both negatively impacted spring-related recreational use, reducing economic activity in North Florida. A recent study measuring the perceptions of visitors to four springs in the Suwannee River and Santa Fe River Basin in North Central Florida indicated that 90% of the visitors visited the springs for the sole purpose of recreation. Researchers found a strong positive association between visitor trip frequency and water clarity, estimating that a one-unit increase in the perceived water clarity can be attributed to 27% more visits.
Unfortunately, the state has failed to implement necessary provisions to improve water quality in its BMAPs despite legislative findings indicating urgent action. The Basic Management Action Plans, for example, do not account for future population growth and increased pollution loading. Additionally, BMAPs lack a comprehensive monitoring process to measure compliance with water quality standards and identify areas of improvement.
Adoption of these recommendations by the Legislature would not only support the future of these springs but also protect the economic value they present to northern Florida communities.
Jad Kabbani is a senior economics major at Florida State University and a research assistant in the DeVoe L. Moore Center in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy.
