01/23/01
Spring could flow again, official says
Editor's Note: The upper Peace River went dry in May 2000 for the first time since record taking began some 70 years ago. Since then it has remained at record low flows, amid a two-year drought.
To learn more about the capacity of our natural water resources, the
BARTOW -- In 1936, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was campaigning for Florida's vote, he made Kissengen Spring a campaign stop. As the spring quietly pumped 14,000 gallons per minute of crystal clear water into the Peace River, 10,000 people gathered around it to hear Roosevelt's speech. Roosevelt went on to become one of the nation's most famous presidents. But Kissengen Spring disappeared into the pages of history. In fact, it disappeared altogether. The spring ceased flowing on Feb. 19, 1950, amid a post-World War II phosphate mining boom. It sputtered briefly back to life a few more times over the next 10 years, in response to tropical storms, and then quit altogether. But the spring which has served as a place of respite since at least the Civil War, when troops rested up there, may flow once again. All it would take is a commitment by society to allow the aquifer under the spring to recharge after five decades of overpumping, according to a report by Thomas Jackson, a geologist at the Southwest Florida Water Management District's office in Bartow. "In a basic sense, the status of Kissengen Spring can be viewed as an environmental indicator for the overall health of the hydrologic system in the region," Jackson writes. "If water managers, planners and water users can strike the right balance between the local and regional resource and economic goals, take a long-term view for sustainability, and proceed with a common vision, then adequate water resources can be secured for future generations. ... "And, as a bonus, the natural flow of Kissengen Spring may be restored." Today, Kissengen Spring appears a ghost of its former self. Its bowl-shaped bottom is now overgrown with weeds. Its beach-like banks are now surrounded by trees. Several oak posts that once held a diving platform stand without purpose. A concrete spillway that leads to the Peace River hasn't seen water in some time. An old, tin-roofed picnic shelter sits rusting in the woods. However, the 16,500-acre phosphate mine that surrounded Kissengen Spring has been reclaimed and sold. Now owned by the Clear Springs Land Co., the property will be built into a mixed use development of housing, commercial centers and industrial parks over the next 35 years. Although the spring's death was attributed to a phosphate mining boom, it has been kept in the grave by agricultural and residential water withdrawals, said Diana Youmans, spokeswoman for IMC Phosphates, the former owner of the surrounding mine. "It's an interesting concept," Youmans said of Jackson's report. "We understand the historical significance of the spring, and its significance as an attraction for Central Florida. "But we don't currently own that property." Bill Fritze, a consulting engineer hired by the Clear Springs Land Co., said his company has offered to cooperate with any efforts the state may undertake to reactivate the spring. The company has already capped one 60-year-old well located near the spring, and has set aside an easement to allow the public access to the spring, he said. The spring ceased flowing because of overpumping by phosphate mining and agriculture, according to a 1998 U.S. Geological Survey report. Also, according to the USGS, the draw-down on the aquifer spurred the formation of sinkholes, which now drain the Peace River. But, Bill Lewelling, who co-authored that report, believes Kissengen Spring could be made to flow again. Lewelling's report shows the underground water pressure at Kissengen Spring dropped like a stone, from 96 feet above sea level to 30 feet between 1948 and 1974. Since 1974, however, the pressure has risen steadily. Since 1995, it has fluctuated between 60 and 78 feet. Kissengen Spring would flow only if the pressure reached 83.55 feet. "Basically, it's the mechanics of hydrology," he said. "If groundwater returns to historic levels, it could flow again. I have no doubt about that. "If Kissengen flows again, so will many other springs," he added. "There's possibly 100 sinkholes from Bartow to Fort Meade (that could become springs)." Now is the time to incorporate the restoration of Kissengen Spring into other water district goals, Jackson states in his report. He cites the fact the water district has just begun working to establish "minimum flows and levels" for the lakes and rivers in the Peace River basin. Those are the levels that are needed to keep from causing "significant harm" to the natural resources. The district is scheduled to establish the minimum level for the Floridan aquifer and minimum flow for the upper Peace River by the end of this year. The water district is also working on a host of other related projects, including: * Implementing regulations for the Southern Water Use Caution Area, which was established to thwart saltwater intrusion. * Planning new sources of public water supply as required by the Legislature. The Peace River has been targeted for hundreds of millions of gallons per day. * Officials are seriously considering whether reclaimed clay settling ponds at phosphate mines could be used as reservoirs. All these projects need to be "carefully evaluated ... to determine the impacts to the natural system," Jackson writes. The report suggests the district install monitoring wells to test the quality and quantity of the underground water near the spring. Also, tests should be done to confirm the spring was plugged with clay. The plug was reportedly installed after a sinkhole opened under a nearby clay settling pond, forcing clay slime up through the spring into the Peace River in the 1960s. The benefits of restoring Kissengen would include restoring the base flow of the Peace River. That would provide recreational and economic benefits downstream, augment the public supply, and enhance wildlife habitats, Jackson writes. Sonny Vergara, executive director of the 16-county water district, agrees with Jackson's conclusion. But, Vergara said the water district has a "more fundamental goal" than just restoring the flow of Kissengen. "Our fundamental goal is setting the minimum flows and levels," he said. "We're really creating the opportunity for the lakes and springs to recover," Vergara added. "We're not doing this to make Kissengen Spring flow again. But what we're doing could have that consequence." Whether the spring should flow again is not a decision for scientists to make, said Mark Barcelo, manager of the hydrologic assessment division of the water district. Barcelo's division is working to establish the minimum level for the Floridan aquifer in the region of Kissengen Spring. He pointed out that to bring the aquifer up, withdrawals for mining, agriculture and housing developments would need to go down. "It is a decision the (water district's) board will have to make," he said. "There are some policy issues. ... "There's a whole range of 'historical' levels," he pointed out. "I think it would be outstanding to restore Kissengen Spring," said Jim Stevenson, a senior biologist for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, when told of Jackson's report. Stevenson directs the Florida Springs Task Force, which is working to preserve the state's first-magnitude springs. Of the 600 springs in Florida, only 33 are rated as "first magnitude" springs. Kissengen is among several dozen more rated as "second magnitude." Such major springs should be preserved, Stevenson said. "They're a natural, social and recreational asset to the state of Florida much like our beaches," he said. Stevenson called Kissengen "probably the worst example" of how a major spring could be impacted by industry. Although Kissengen isn't on the list of springs to be protected, it could still benefit from the program, according to Stevenson. Bill Byle, Charlotte County natural resources manager, said he sees the report suggesting Kissengen Spring could flow again as "just one more reason why we need an area-wide impact study," he said. Charles Cook, a biologist in DEP's mine reclamation bureau, points out the USGS study indicates the aquifer has been recovering ever since the mid 1970s. The recovery began after the state adopted regulations on water use. In response, the mining companies began recycling up to 95 percent of the water they use. And citrus groves implemented conservation measures. If that trend continues, the springs could start flowing in just a few more years, he said. "It shows it's something we can control," Cook said. You can e-mail Greg Martin at gmartin@sun-herald.com
By GREG MARTIN
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