Florida's springs—once clear blue and thriving—are fading. Competition with human consumption has reduced many of their flows, and nutrient pollution has overstimulated the growth of algae in others, coating them in a green slime. With more than 700 springs, Florida is thought to be the densest concentration in the world of these brilliant windows to the aquifer, a source of tremendous ecological wealth, as well as a significant economic driver for Florida's rural communities.

For the past several years, meaningful springs legislation has failed to pass in Tallahassee. This year, on February 16th, hundreds of advocates from spring basins across the state packed the courtyard of the Florida Capitol to call for meaningful springs protection.

This year, Senate President Jeff Atwater (R-North Palm Beach) tasked springs champion Sen. Lee Constantine (R-Altamonte Springs) with chairing a new committee, the Senate Select Committee on Florida's Inland Waters. Springs advocates are hopeful this important committee's findings will generate meaningful protections for springs this year...but many barriers to passing legislation remain. Septic tanks, poorly sited spray fields, inappropriate land use planning, and competing consumptive uses for groundwater all threaten Florida springs. Interests who stand to benefit from "business as usual" will oppose meaningful protections this year, just as they have successfully in the past.

Already this year, funding for DEP's Florida Springs Initiative—an important non-regulatory partnership working on springs health—has been proposed for elimination. Water legislation currently under consideration in the House includes language that would exempt agriculture from some of the groundbreaking springs protection ordinances implemented by local governments in recent years.

Florida's springs need your help:

Step 1: Watch the above inspirational video by award-winning photographer and dedicated springs advocate John Moran, as he testifies on the steps of the Capitol at Florida Springs Day, laying bare the dire threats facing Florida's springs.

Step 2: Use our easy email function to write your state Senator and Representative. Tell them what Florida's springs mean to you and how important it is to you that meaningful springs protections pass this year. Ask them where they stand on spring protections, like changing the way we permit septic tanks, wastewater sprayfields and new consumptive uses, and let them know that you will be following the progress of springs legislation through their committees and on the floor of both houses this year.

Step 3: Invite your friends and family to join you in this action and be sure to forward this video. Share this post on Facebook. Florida's springs need all the friends they can get.