Ichetucknee Springs System - Survey
Kathleen A. McKee University of Florida Water Institute
A survey was sent to over 30
invitees to the Ichetucknee Springs
Preservation Workshop held Feb
10, 2011, and 16 responded to the
survey. The results of Watershed
Priorities and River Priorities
graphs reflect a reorganizing of the
answers but account for just one
person each, to show how many
people care about each topic.
Number of survey respondents in response to desired CHANGES, ACTIONS, things to stay the SAME etc.
Category
Research Topic
Algae increase?
What is the cause of increased algae
BMPs
development of effective ag BMPs.
Clarity
How important is water clarity/turbidity to our understanding health or impairment of this system?
Exotic species
impacts of exotic species
Fish
Fish surveys down the spring run
Flow - Dynamics
More detailed isotope, tracer studies to identify residence time and flowpaths of water emerging at spring vents.
Flow - Dynamics
evaluate what's happening with spring flow & keep monitoring flow continuously at as many springs as poss
Flow - Dynamics
What are the fractions of deep, shallow and recently recharged groundwater in the springs.
Flow - Dynamics
Has there been a significant change in the Ichetucknee River discharge during the period of record?
Flow - Dynamics
Integrated hydrologic modeling to test hypotheses about residence time and flowpaths of water emerging at spring vents.
Flow - Dynamics
Rigorous field and modeling studies to test hypotheses that pumping from SE Georgia and NE Florida is decreasing flows at spring
systems
Flow - Effects
Survey of impacts and changes to the system caused by declining groundwater levels
Flow and Nutrients
What is the relationshiop between flow and pollution levels?
Flow Regs
Establishment of a legally and scientifically defensible MFL
Human Use
impacts of recreation/human use
Inverts
invertebrate grazers and algal biomass thresholds
Inverts
How does low DO interact with grazer reduction to allow algal accural?
Inverts
Monitoring of benthic macroinvertebrate and algal communities
Nutr/Nitr - effects
Survey of impacts and changes to the system caused by changes in water quality (nitrate mentioned earlier)
Nutr/Nitr - effects
How has the nutrient pollution affected the flora and fauna (i.e., what should the "desired future condition" be?)
Nutr/Nitr - effects
Water quality monitoring at headsprings and US 27 d
Nutr/Nitr - effects
quantify denitrification
Nutr/Nitr - effects
quantify nutrient limitation and algal growth sdfsa
Nutr/Nitr - effects
impacts of nutrients
Nutr/Nitr - source
What is the nutrient loading in the springshed
Nutr/Nitr - source
Fertilizer use in the basin, more accurate
Nutr/Nitr - source
Where are the sources that are contributing to the nutrient pollution
Nutr/Nitr - source
Need accurate data on nutrient loading to field level
Nutr/Nitr - source
impact of non ag activities on system
Nutr/Nitr - source
What are the pollution sources?
Nutr/Nitr - source
Can we identify a direct connection between different sources of nitrate in the springshed and nitrate in the spring water?
Nutr/Nitr - source
update nitrogen budget for springshed
Nutr/Nitr - source
1. identification of the relative nitrate contributions within the Ichetucknee Trace
Plans
How to coordinate action plans
Plans
How to implement action plans
Plans
How to test the success of actions
Restoration
How do we reverse impacts
Restoration
Do we need physical removal of mats to ulimately reduce the extent of algae
SAV
Regular mapping and monitoring of SAV acreage and cover; add index of periphyton abundance/cover on SAV leaves
SAV
Why do we see submerged aquatic vegetation die-off's directly at some spring vents and not throughout the system?
SAV
What is the cause of loss of SAV diverstiy
Science
Communic
How do you make research results accessible and understandable to managers and politicians?
Systems
understanding entire system interaction - not just specifics
Systems
Is there any area of the Ichetucknee River that is more ecologically sensitive than other areas?
Systems
3. identify which biological parameter is best indicator of ecological health in this system
Water Use
2. trends in water use/consumptive use within the springshed
Water Use
Complete tracking of all water withdrawal users in north Florida.
Withrawal impacts
What loss of discharge has occurred because of groundwater withdrawals (factoring out natural variability).
Withrawal impacts
need actual consumptive use
February 16, 2011