Good Bye Prairie Creek.

Prairie Creek June 2011

I see this dried up creek; dear friend to me, you've known me for so long, you've been here longer than my life and many, many before me too. Your waters have flowed for 10,000 years; nourishing heards of bison and deer, teams of fish and bear, wild horses fed from you too, Native Americans respected you. Your waters are from rain all around, you are the lowest point outside of town, capturing last years rain you hold, tightly an entire world....Air, Water, Earth and Wind. Eagles swoop down to you reaching back with a fish for food, and begins the chain of life, a simultaneous gift....all the inhabitants rejoice, Pithlachoco the lake of big boats.

Where has all the water gone?

Dry Prairie Creek Gainesville, FL.

Another year and still no flow, from Newnan's lake to fill Prairie creeks banks. No flow from Prairie creek, to fill Paynes Prairie's La Chua sink.
I am often asked will the water come back?
How does the lake look?  Why is the creek dried up, where did it go?
The answer is not as easy as one would hope.
Are we in an all time drought?
All of these questions are right to ask and I wish there was a simple answer, but there is not.
Turns out, the water is a high value resource.
And virtually unregulated in Florida.
Water that once gushed out of the ground has become sought out in our state due to the abundance we have.

Diagram of The Floridan Aquifer 

The Floridan aquifer, 

begins north of Florida, in the mountains of Georgia and South Carolina.

This water flows deep under 200 feet of solid rock and is called the Floridan aquifer.

The mighty aquifer runs all the way under Florida, feeding the many rivers and springs as it gushes out of the earth and out to sea.

That attracts many water thirsty countries, thus enticing corporations to look our way.

No longer known as just a vacation state, Florida is attracting a whole new water industry.

These very well off investors are invited for a stay.

Our leaders gather all the agencies around, for a meeting on just how we can help get their business. Water managers show where large wells can pull plenty of ice cold water from the aquifer.

This is very attractive to industry, for everywhere else, water is scarce and expensive. Unregulated water permits, make a one time permit fee hard to ignore. Then other agencies, trying to promote growth, help show how new business is just what the state of Florida needs, so they offer incentives such as tax breaks and federal grants. Growth is a hot topic in this State.

When small groups step in to protest such takings; the big corporate lawyers remind the state how many jobs will be for the local economy. Now this is a big problem, because in order to fund such large withdraws of water, Florida will need new sources. And since the rains aren't already pouring, the state has to scramble to find this water, to do this they look to ditches, sinkholes, creeks and rivers. This is called surface water. Surface water can fill the need for immediate aquifer recharge, allowing for more pressure on the aquifer, which then pushes or creates head pressure allowing for more aquifer withdraws.

This may seem like a good idea at first, however there are some differences to take into consideration. Such as the temperature variance between the 72 degree aquifer and the warmer 80 degree surface water. These won't mix, just as in your hot water heater, the hot rides upon the cold and then pops out of the first vent it comes to, which is usually a spring. Another important factor is that the aquifer, by design flows of pure water, absent of nutrients. To the contrary, surface water is loaded with nutrients. Thus tainting the aquifer with nutrient rich recharge. This recharge shows up in our springs as green slimy algae and shows us high nitrates are present. Making them unsafe for people and the ecology that depend on the springs.

Nitrates make springs green

So, will Newnan's lake come back?

It's not likely, since the lake is part of a high recharge area that now feeds the aquifer.

No, it's not natural, at least not in the everyday stance, usually only known to happen during times of flood. This recharge to La Chua sink, within the Paynes Prairie basin is facilitated by deep ditches to the sink hole feature. Accompanied by City waste water discharge outflow at Sweet water branch.

Does the state have plans to stop recharging the aquifer with nitrate rich water?

The city of Gainesville, along with Gainesville Regional Utilities is building a wetland to clean up nitrates from the waste treatment facility, however the recharge to the aquifer is going to continue and every bit of surface water surrounding Paynes Praire State Preserve along with the runoff from Highway 441 and Interstate 75 is also running into La Chua sink to recharge our states most precious resource, the aquifer.

Prairie creek surface water through Paynes Prairie culverts at La Chua sink

Are we in an all time drought?

Florida receives more rain than any other state. Yes, this year has had less rain than previous years, however, Newnan's lake did not go dry, in even drier conditions. Not in a hundred years. Not until the changes were made in Paynes Prairie to connect the water from Newnan's lake to Paynes Prairie for the ecology. If this water was allowed to sheet flow on the prairie, it would benefit the ecology, however that is just not the case, every bit is led straight to La Chua sink, through a series of ditches and culverts.

How can you help?

Urge your legislature to protect Florida's water, regulate the aquifer, meter the water withdraws and charge a fare price for the states most precious resource. Enact a mandatory reuse policy. Think of the Floridan as an endangered resource, to be protected, not to be exploited by the greedy.

It is a very basic human right and as citizens and taxpayers we should  have access to clean drinking water at a price everyone can afford.

Mike Carter showing a dry Newnan's lake

Trash Rehabilitation

Recycling is a great idea!

Nevertheless, is it enough?

When you use a plastic bag again, let us say for your waste can...is that recycling?

There was a time when I thought this was so....

Now however I see the trash we grow, it has somehow become food for baby animals; turtles, fish, birds...Biologist are finding more content that is plastic in their stomachs than actually food.

Therefore, I am looking at trash from a Mother's prospective; as a mom, we find the danger and eliminate it with our arsenal of tools.

The tool is not disinfectant in this case, it is our caring minds and creative hearts.

With that said, I urge you to join me on a Campaign to Rehabilitate Trash.

A revolutionary idea to turn a dangerous plastic bag into a sustainable bag....all you need is a crochet hook and a few how to crochet plastic bags videos on you tube and let the creative energy flow!

Rum Island

Do you remember a time when tiny, almost non-existent dirt roads lead the adventurer to a small break into the woods, that led to the river, a beautiful sandy beach (river sand), and you could swim and enjoy the clear water spot. Then you creep through the woods a little further, and you’d find a beautiful blue hole, a hugely overwhelming site every time you see it. May be the steam rising off the boil from the temperature equalizing. Then as you approach you see large fish in a school around the spring boil, patrolling the rim…. Slowly you stick your toe in and feel the breathtaking temperature of the spring water ( 72* all year long) dive in quickly to avoid the long drown out lightning bolt of cold streak through your very being. Dive in and catch your breath again to swim over the awesome boil, amazing the cold clear fresh water pumping out of a deep crevasse in the earth it’s the most amazing thing I’d ever seen! You swim across the center and your breath is taking again the most amazing feeling in the world and your swimming in it..brings to mind the old time baptisms’ you are totally in a religious moment at one with everything and at awe about everything overwhelming for lack of better terms for such a moment you will never experience. You drink a gulp of the water to take in and quince your thirst from the hot summer and your spirit swells within you…..now you’re part of the water of nature and of the universal powers that be; you are brave and swim towards the dark tea stained deep river to fully appreciate and take it all in…. as you approach the river’s edge you see where the clear cold spring water meets the dark river…. it is somewhat caramel colored and you swim into it and feel the cold and the warm water mixing… the cold is rushing into the river so fast it takes your breath again, so you press harder.. and swim ,deeper to get across this gushing turbulent stream of cold water and coast over to the river’s edge, while trying to catch your breath again and take all of this experience in, you feel the warmth of the river over your feet and feel compelled to slip off into that dark deep it cuddles you like a warm mothers blanket wrapping you in its arms and recharges you to go jump in the deep cold spring again and maybe if really brave explore the caves and aquatic life that live on the edge….plants with apple snails and frog eggs up and down the stocks.

Florida's Water

FLORIDA
I LOVE FLORIDA, THE WATER, WOODS, BREEZES’, PEOPLE. . ..
I HAVE SEEN FLORIDA CHANGE IN MY 35 YEARS OF LIVING HERE;
IN WAYS ONLY NATIVES TALK MUCH ABOUT; WHEN I WAS LITTLE THIS AREA WAS LUSH DEEP GREEN
NO ONE WATERED THE GRASS AND TREES THEY ALWAYS HAD WHAT THEY NEED TO GROW.
AFTERNOON SHOWERS IN THE SUMMER
SWIMMING IN THE SPRINGS, PLAYING AT THE BEACH & JUST HAVING A GREAT SUMMER DAY.
AS I HAVE GROWN, I HAVE NOTICED THE SUMMER AFTERNOON RAINS NO LONGER COME,
THE GRASS AND TREES ARE THIRSTY.
THE SPRINGS LARGE AND GRANDIOSE BOILS, NO LONGER GUSH LARGE QUANTITIES OF WATER.
THE BEACHES HAVE CHANGED TOO, SAND DUNES ONCE FULL OF SEA OATS, SCRUB TREES AND LITTLE BEACH CRITTERS, HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH LARGE CONCRETE CONDOMINIUMS, AND PAVED DRIVEWAYS.
I CANT HELP FEEL SAD ABOUT THIS ALL,
THIS IS THE STUFF WE’RE MADE OF; AND IT’S ALL FADING FAST.
WE ARE POLLUTING THE AQUIFER AT A RATE THE SPRINGS CAN NO LONGER DILUTE.
GROWTH IS NOT SLOWING DOWN.
OUR HEAD WATERS THAT CHARGE THE SPRINGS AND RIVERS, KEEP THE OCEAN AT BAY.
OUR FRESH RESERVE IS UNDER SIEGE; FED POISONOUS RUNOFF AS RECHARGE.
FLORIDA IS IN A STATE OF DEATH.
WE MUST ACT NOW! AMEND WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO OUR RESOURCES, WHILE WE STILL CAN.
NORTH FLORIDA IS OUT OF WATER TO WITHDRAW, AND WE ARE IN DEEP TROUBLE PEOPLE.
WATER MANAGERS, TAKE HEED; FLORIDA NATIVES HAVE TOLD YOU TO BACK OFF AND YOU DID NOT LISTEN. NOW YOU HAVE NOTHING LEFT BUT YOUR OLE’ FINAGLING GAMES.
PEOPLE OF FLORIDA: THE WATER MANAGERS ARE FROM THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY!
I’D SAY EDUCATION IS THE KEY, BUT THESE CARPETBAGGERS HOLD ALL THE KNOWLEDGE THEY NEED.
DO SOMETHING.

Florida Spring's

As a child my haunts were the springs: Rum Island, Little River, and Ichetucknee.
My favorite spring most of all Madison Blue; the cliffs that surround this big blue hole remind me of deep blue Maui.
The spring run was swift and strong, caring you to the Withlachootchi.
There is a big beautiful water oak that was unlike any I’d ever seen she sat above the river bank with steps for your feet carved naturally into her trunk, inviting the adventure to climb up and see.
When you arrive into the great branches; a welcoming seat large enough for 8 to sit comfortably. As you settle in and gaze around at the river and spring you suddenly realize just how perfect nature is and how we are all part of the same being.
Although the beaches are so nice it is the springs that bring ones soul back to life,
Quenching the tired, weary, overworked and thirsty.
Warming you on a cold winter’s night.
The springs protect Florida too, from saltwater intrusion; without the pressure from the springs the aquifer would be salty.
South Florida, desalination makes more sense next to a nuclear power plant, filtered water is a byproduct of the process. Think about it and you will see clean water is a possibility. Don’t take from the rivers anymore; or we will all taste the sea shore.
Watch and see Crystal River will be one of the first engulfed by the sea.
Take heed now before it is too late, and our children blame us for their unquenchable thirst.
Before our rich soil becomes dry desert.
We must proactively lurch, forward and create a way to protect our future sustainably.
We need to work together and individually; to achieve harmony between the people and the environment.
Please Floridians do not believe your water managers are taking care of the resources.
Management has not a chance against the tenacious lobbyist; big development has doing their bidding.
Open your eyes before your wallets are stripped bare from greedy barrens stealing your water and then selling it back to you at a cost even the power companies never thought of; you think fuel is high just wait and see; for there is no business that can operate without water.
Have a nice day and hope and pray all is well; but if you do nothing Florida will be Hot as Hell.

Where have all the frogs gone?

Where have all the frogs gone?
Not so long ago 2005, the bull frogs were so loud croaking all night long, and when there was a chance of rain they would harmonize so loudly it sounded like a temple full of chanting monks.There were sooo many green tree frogs too. They were everywhere, on the windows in the banana trees and elephant ears, and now I have one on my kitchen window and 3 geckos we had colonies of geckos and skinks of all ages. I rarely see skinks now. I also noticed the freshwater muscles and crawfish have vanished. It seems to correlate with the herbicide application via airboat and sprayer. The powers that be seem real keen on killing off the cattails, foxtail and willows. This spray also kills the lotus, water lettuce and duckweed. I have also noticed the "treated" vegetation then rots and becomes muck on the sand bottom. I forgot to mention this waterway is a 6,000 acre lake with a stream that feeds a state preserve, this lake was once known as the largest tournament fishing lake for large mouth bass. It also happens to be one of the largest sites for The Bald Eagle. So, how is it that this would occur? The case of the herbicide is that it keeps the waterway open for vessels. However, fish habitat such as duck weed, lotus, and water cabbage are crucial for a healthy habitat. We as citizens and water keepers need to look at the full picture before applying a chemical to a sensitive environment. Pollution is Pollution.