???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????#?ow) for the network of springs that are monitored routinely by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Data available for this report were collected from 2001 through 2006. Springs Initiative Research and Monitoring Program The declining condition of springs was recognized in 1999 by the Governor and DEP Secretary who directed the formation of a multi-agency Florida Springs Task Force to recommend strategies for the protection and restoration of Florida’s springs. The task force produced a report,  HYPERLINK "http://www.dep.state.fl.us/springs/reports/FloridaSpringsReport.pdf" \t "_blank" Florida’s Springs: Strategies for Protection and Restoration that identified existing problems in Florida’s spring systems and produced recommendations for specific action steps to address them. Early in 2001, the Florida Legislature created and funded the Florida Springs Initiative. Efforts were (and continue to be) made in three broad areas: education and outreach; protection and restoration; and research and monitoring. Continued funding has allowed the state to pursue efforts that focus on understanding the hydrologic systems of springs and their sources, impacts of human activities on springs, and obtaining a continuous record of water quality and flow data through this monitoring program. The Task Force report has led to a variety of research and characterization activities to better understand spring systems, their relationship to the topography and land uses in their capture areas, their water quality, and their flow. The 2007 springs program update, 2007 Florida Springs Initiative Program Summary and Recommendations, contains information on the research and monitoring activities performed since the program began. This document can be found at ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?&???!????$? ???????Z?Z??# Heading 2?????????????????????V?V?? Heading 3??????????????????D???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????*?¢?*??#Strong???N??N ?#Body text reduced????6?¢?6??# Hyperlink ????˙4??4?? Normal (Web)??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????g 1!??????? ?&???!????$? ???????Z?Z??# Heading 2?????????????????????V?V?? Heading 3?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????s and streams, freshwater to estuaries, and critical habitat to plants and animals that are unique to springs. The distribution of springs in Florida is shown in Figure 1. Between 1950 and 2000, Florida's human population has increased five-fold. A????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????g the twentieth century, reductions in flow have been noted for many of Florida's springs. Incompatible land use practices in vulnerable areas along with increasing ground-water withdrawals have resulted in some springs that have poor water quality or decreased flows. Since the 1970s, scientists have observed declining water quality in many Florida springs, which in many cases is related to increases in nutrient levels, specifically nitrates. Contaminants that reach the groundwater and flow to springs are often related to agricultural and residential fertilizer applications, urban stormwater runoff, and human wastewater from septic tanks and wastewater spray fields. As spring assessments continue there may be a need to develop springshed protection plans tailored to address the specific issues identified for each spring system. The Florida Springs Initiative has funded establishing springsheds which is the area within which all ground water and surface water contribute to the flow of a spring. Identifying the sources of contamination can be complex since springs can be recharged through precipitation, from overlying or underlying aquifers, or from surface-water sources. This delineation of springsheds helps to identify those areas that could contribute to ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????vailable for this report were collected from 2001 through 2006. Springs Initiative Research and Monitoring Program The declining the first magnitude springs can be viewed online at: ( HYPERLINK "http://www.dep.state.fl.us/geology/programs/hydrogeology/springshed.pdf" http://www.dep.state.fl.us/geology/programs/hydrogeology/springshed.pdf. Mapping the hydrological connection????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????iative. Efforts were (and continue to be) made in three broad areas: education and outreach; protection and restoration; and reses in the amount of water flowing and in others due to algae growth and decreased biological diversity that may stem from water quality problems. The condition of many springs has also been physically degraded because of poor land management practices or ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????ü?j??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????j?????????????h????????????????connected to the spring can cause ecological imbalances in the spring system. In response to the nutrient enrichment, spring openings (or vents) and their receiving waters are experiencing abnormal and profuse growths of algae and/or aquatic vascular plan???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? protection zones, water quality assessments and land planning. Additional information and a map of the springsheds for most ofssive algal growth exists at many of our major springs. In some of the more profound examples such as Silver Springs and Weeki Wachee Springs, algal mat accumulations are several feet in thickness. Figure 2 shows an example of excessive algal growth due to nutrient enrichment. Studies have linked elevated nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations to these types of imbalances. Nitrate-nitrogen (nitrate) is considered the main chemical indicator of nutrient enrichment of springs and nitrate levels have climbed steadily since the 1970s in many of the springs that have been sampled over the decades. Depending on location, the nitrate found in ground water and spring water has been found by isotope analysis to be from inorganic sources such as fertilizer, organic sources such as human wastewater or animal manure, or a combination of the two.  Figure 2. Explosion of Algal Growth in a Nutrient-Impacted Spring Run (Guaranto Spring, Suwannee River Basin) Note – need photo credit?