Watch our online forum on the problems facing Florida's springs

USA TODAY Network-Florida
·1 min read

Florida’s springs are environmental wonders, attracting visitors who float and swim in their clear waters or marvel at the manatees who use them as cold-weather refuges.

But in recent years those waters have been clouded by algae growth and the flow of springs reduced. Groundwater pollution and excessive pumping threaten to further diminish springs and the aquifer that supplies most of our drinking water.

On Jan. 20, the Gainesville Sun hosted an online forum on the problems facing springs and what needs to be done to protect them. The panelists were Stacie Greco of the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department, Robert Knight of the Florida Springs Institute and Lucinda Faulkner Merritt of the Ichetucknee Alliance. Sun opinion editor Nathan Crabbe moderated the event, a video of which can be viewed above.

As part of the Florida Pulse series, the Gainesville Sun hosted an online forum Jan. 20 on the problems facing springs and what needs to be done to protect them.
As part of the Florida Pulse series, the Gainesville Sun hosted an online forum Jan. 20 on the problems facing springs and what needs to be done to protect them.

The event was presented as part of the USA TODAY Network's Florida Pulse series. This monthly series features panel discussions of news makers discussing the major issues facing Florida, moderated by opinion editors from across the state.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Jan. 20 forum on the problems facing Florida's springs