Speak Up Wekiva Calls for Restoration of the River as the State Plans Restoration of Another River That Featured a Similar Rally
While the cool weather right now might mean that swimming
isn't in the plans for the weekend but when summer comes around these springs is
the best place to retreat from the heat.
Back in January the Orlando Sentinel reported flows below established
minimum flows and levels for the past two years in the Wekiva and Rock
springs. The report pointed out that
even as the Wekiva River has been put on a growing number of designations
protecting it the river has remain sick with lower water and high population levels.
On February 16, 2013 the day is set aside to bring awareness
to the plight of the river. Speak UpWekiva will take place from 10am till 4pm at Wekiva Springs State Park and will
include numerous speeches, educational and art exhibits, live music, guided
hikes, tram rides, and even native animals visiting from the Central Florida
Zoo.
Former Florida Governor and Senator Bob Graham, one of the
speakers scheduled from the event, tells why it is so important that we keep
these local springs clean and healthy;
“Water is the lifeblood of Florida,"...“It ties our
state together, provides untold recreational opportunities and draws millions
of visitors each year to our state, supporting jobs and economic growth. The pollution and usage issues affecting
every facet of our water supply are serious and immediate, and we must address
them in order to protect our heritage and preserve our quality of life.”
Two local Democrats, Rep. Linda Stewart and Sen. Darren
Soto, announced this week that they have drafted a bill that
would help restore these important springs.
Known as the Springs Revival Act, the proposed bill, HB 789, calls on
water authority districts to work with other environmental agencies over the
course of a year to identify imperiled springs before establishing five year
plans to restore those springs. The goal
The Speak Up Wekiva event is expected to be the largest
rally focused on the river and is included in the general park admission.
Some say a similar rally for Silver Springs in 2012 is part
of what helped push the state to decide to take over the amusement park at the
spring head. The park will be
transformed into a state park in October when a $4 million remodel will take
place. The famed glass bottom boats will
remain at the springs but the area around them will be restored to a more
natural state with many of the structures and exotic animal exhibits being
dismantled.
Some may recall that the state did a similar buy out of
Homosassa and Rainbow Springs, though Silver Springs wasn't technically a
buyout since the state leased the land.
Both of those springs were also former attractions that ultimately made
the springs sick. (Quick fact- Homosassa Springs still does feature one exotic animal;
a hippo that was kept at the state park after local school children convinced
Gov. Lawton Chiles to declare the hippo a honorary Florida citizen.) Both of those springs have experienced
dramatic improvement since the state take overs of them but are still in
recovery mode. Rainbow Springs still has
elevated levels of nitrate-nitrogen that is
of concern to environmentalist.
The issue with the Wekiva River is more complex though due
to a matrix of issues such as local wells, runoff from area roads, invasive
exotic species, and suburbs pushing animals into an ever decreasing area to
roam around the spring. The rally hopes
to begin the conversation on how to properly battle all of these issues in an
effort to make this spring another success story for the state.
