Into the wild....with the Sierra Club

The news lately has featured stories about giant sinkholes opening up in Florida and one even killing a man ! Human activities like drilling and droughts, which lower water levels underground, can cause sinkholes and so can putting up buildings and parking lots, which changes where water drains.The entire state of Florida is prone to sinkholes since it sits on top of a layer of limestone rock known as karst, which can be dissolved by acidic groundwater.

The aquifer developed millions of years ago during the late Paleocene to early Miocene periods, when Florida was underwater. In 1936, Victor Stringfield first identified the existence of Floridan Aquifer in peninsular Florida and is referred to it as the "principal artesian formations." Ranging over 100,000 square miles (260,000 km), it underlies all of Florida.

When the water pressure is great enough, the groundwater breaks to the surface and a spring flows. Water temperature and flow from a Floridan spring are relatively constant (72 degrees).  Florida springs provide a source of nature therapy and recreation through boating, swimming and camping. The major issues impacting the health of the springs include urban sprawl, growing demand for groundwater and introduction of pollutants. Threats to the quality and quantity  Florida's aquifer and springs can be  the contaminants  or the f water usage ,and physical damage we cause in and around the spring and downstream spring run. Also impacted athe animals and in particular the Manatee.

The Florida manatee, Florida’s state marine mammal, is a large aquatic relative of the elephant. They are grayish brown in color and have thick, wrinkled skin on which there is often a growth of algae. Their front flippers help them steer or sometimes crawl through shallows and their  powerful flat tails help propel them through the water. Manatees are herbivores; they eat marine and freshwater plants.Well known for their gentle, slow-moving nature, manatees have also been known to body surf or barrel roll when playing. They normally rest and feed often. Manatees communicate by squealing under water to demonstrate fear, stress or excitement. In the winters the manatee go into to warmer springs to feed.

Recently our local Sierra Club had an outing to the Weeki Wachee State Park and participated in a Kayak trip down the spring run! 

 http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/weekiwachee.html

the rainbow connection

rollin' down the river

As the current gets stronger and the wind, it becomes difficult ot stay out of the branches as the turn get more sharp

The lazy woman likes to coast downstream in the current but the wind has better ideas

swamp lily

long and winding run....4 miles

Yes, crystal clear

Nothing beats a personal experience with these gentle creatures

.

How ? underwater camera!

a closer look reveals the scars of careless boaters in their domain

yo mama