Springs Basin Working Groups and Draft Restoration Plans
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Pandion has coordinated four springs basin working groups: Rainbow Springs, Santa Fe River Springs, Silver Springs, and Ichetucknee Springs. The working groups brought together a diverse group of stakeholders. They provided a forum for ongoing work efforts, allowing stakeholders to easily exchange and share information and prioritize ways to work together to achieve springs protection.
In 2010, we began preparing draft springs restoration plans for three of the springs (read the news item). The draft restoration plans were developed through working group consensus and cooperation. Each draft plan outlines the causes of impairment, sets benchmarks for reducing impairments, recommends restoration strategies, and sets a schedule and tracking method for implementation. To see the draft restoration plans, use the links listed below under Resources.
Each working group met quarterly with numerous discussions occurring between meetings to facilitate actions. Meetings included presentations from experts about springs-related issues such as stormwater, septic tanks, wastewater treatment plants, land use planning, and hydrogeology. To learn more about what each group has accomplished, visit the websites listed below under Resources.
Activities and special projects have included:
- Draft Springs Restoration Plan
- Tours of the springs basin
- Workshops and open houses to educate the public and local elected officials
- Participatory watershed assessment
- Identifying landowner assistance projects
- Participating in local land use planning
- Identifying and supporting land aquisition of key parcels
- Springs protection legislation
- Sinkhole cleanups
- Oral history projects
- Newspaper articles
- Brochures and publications
Resources
Springs working groups are now featured on the DEP Florida springs website.
Rainbow Springs Basin Working Group
Santa Fe River Springs Basin Working Group
Silver Springs Basin Working Group
Ichetucknee Springs Basin Working Group
Pandion Team
Peter Colverson, MA
Ondine Wells, MS
Alexis Teran
Karen Hill
Period of Performance
2002 to current
Location
North and Central Florida
