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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Mike Carter showing a dry Newnan's lake |
Prairie Creek June 2011
