If Florida’s waters could host a summit, January would be the opening keynote. From spring recharge to drought mismanagement and missing environmental data, the state’s water future is up for debate - and public input matters.
Here’s the landscape you need to understand - and act on.
🌊 Mill Creek Sink: A Small Hole With Big Consequences
Tuesday, January 13 | 6 PM
You’ve probably driven over Mill Creek, maybe never noticing the sink where it disappears underground. But this karst feature is not just a hole - it’s part of the springshed that replenishes the Floridan Aquifer upstream of High Springs and feeds Hornsby Springs on the Santa Fe River. A dye trace study clearly shows that what enters Mill Creek Sink winds up in our springs (seriously - see the connection study).
Now, developers want to build nearby. That’s why your voice is needed at City Hall in Alachua.
📍 15100 NW 142nd Ter., Alachua
📅 Tuesday, Jan. 13 | 6 PM
🚱 Severe Drought + No Drought Plan
Tuesday, January 13 | 9 AM
The Suwannee River Water Management District is meeting amid a severe drought, historically low aquifer levels, and… no meaningful drought mitigation plan for large permit holders like agriculture and industry. Unlike in past droughts (remember 2012?), there are no mandatory reduction guidelines for big water users—even though the aquifer is struggling.
📍 SRWMD Headquarters, 9225 CR 49, Live Oak
📺 Livestream on YouTube | ☎️ 386-362-1001
Bring your questions and your concerns.
🧪 Latest Research: Nitrates + Groundwater Depletion
The Florida Springs Institute just released Nitrate Contamination and Groundwater Depletion by Dairy Farms Located in North Florida’s Springs Region - a deep dive into how nitrate pollution and groundwater overuse from industrial agriculture is degrading springs statewide.
This isn’t theoretical—it’s a documented threat. Share it. Discuss it. Use it.
📄 Report link: https://floridaspringsinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Groundwater-Nitrate-Contamination-from-Dairy-Farms-Located-in-Florida_final.pdf
🚤 Ichetucknee River: Loved and Hurt
Residents along the Ichetucknee River have twice petitioned for a Springs Protection Zone (SPZ) to curb damage from boats and jet skis that are harming underwater plants - the base of the aquatic food web. But the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has rejected both requests for more data, even as the ecological harm continues. That’s a call for action, not delay.
More info and presentation materials:
https://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/epd/WaterResources/GroundwaterAndSprings/Pages/Santa-Fe-River-Springs-Basin-Working-Group.aspx
🌿 Water First North Florida: Missing the Basics
Here’s one you haven’t heard enough about: the Water First North Florida regional recharge project. On paper, this multi-agency initiative sounds good - treated water to wetlands that filter and recharge the Floridan Aquifer. But there’s a huge problem: the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) can’t tell the public where the wetlands actually are, doesn’t have a pilot study, and hasn’t done site assessments for critical wetland recharge locations. That’s right -no GPS points, no wetland evaluations, and no clear plan. (wwals.net)
This $-scale regional project must be transparent, evidence-based, and environmentally protective - but without basic data, it feels like a project in search of a purpose.
💧 What You Can Do
Here’s how to turn concern into real, public action:
✅ Show up Tuesday night for Mill Creek
✅ Speak up Tuesday morning at SRWMD
✅ Download and share the Florida Springs Institute report
✅ Ask FWC to act on SPZ protections for the Ichetucknee
✅ Demand transparency on Water First North Florida wetland locations
In Florida, water doesn’t just flow—it connects: sink to spring, river to aquifer, permit to community. January’s meetings are your chance to be the voice those waters don’t have.