Silver Springs, an iconic symbol of natural Florida and a nationally known tourist destination since the mid-1800s, could become the next Florida springs casualty.
The St. Johns River Water Management District is in the early stages of evaluating permit applications submitted by Adena Springs Ranch. Developers want to turn 30,000 acres of relatively undisturbed springshed land into a dense “cattle finishing” operation and slaughterhouse. The size of this project is approximately the same acreage as the City of Ocala. Further, the 13.2 million gallons of water this massive industrial cattle operation wants to draw from the aquifer near Silver Springs is just about the same as the water use for all of the existing development in Ocala.
With flow down by more than 50% over historic amounts and nutrients feeding the growth of algae, the system is alreadydangerously compromised. Take Action: urge Governor Rick Scott and the members of the Governing Board of the St. Johns River Management District to deny permits related to the Adena Springs Ranch project
