“Tobacco Patch Springs came to life as a turquoise shaft of light in a brown patch of mud. Cannon Springs emerged on its forested bank like a blue-crystalline lens, offering a view of what a restored Ocklawaha might one day look like.”
It’s time to restore the Ocklawaha & save the “lost” springs!
‘A “weird, wondrous, magical” river’ 📰 Check out this National Geographic article about the magic of exploring the #OcklawahaRiver during a drawdown and the current push to #ReunitetheRivers with the “The Rivers, Springs and Community Investment Act”
www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/...
Initial reactions to HB 479: Land and Water Management by Rep. Maggard 🙄🤦♀️🫨🫣
#florida #floridalaw #floridasprings #floridaland #floridawater #watermanagement
CITIZENS LOBBY TRAINING HAPPENING LIVE ON FACEBOOK AND YOUTUBE NOW
www.facebook.com/share/v/1Fsj...
🚨Single-use plastics harm wildlife & contaminate our drinking water. SB 240 is a practical solution that provides a path forward for local govs to regulate plastic pollution in their communities. Take a moment to email the senators voting on SB 240 TOMORROW!
Join the @flspringscouncil.bsky.social for a deep dive into Florida's Legislative Session and lobbying for springs 🏛️ PART 5 OF THE SPRINGS ADVOCACY 101 SERIES 💦
🗓️ Wednesday, November 19 at 6:30 p.m. buff.ly/Bx7C590
Senator Garcia has listened to our concerns and is proposing a meaningful approach to address plastic pollution, but we need advocates to take action in support of SB 240 ahead of the meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18 ‼️
For the last two years, advocates have fought tirelessly to defeat industry-backed Auxiliary Container bills that would have eliminated local regulations of single-use containers. SB 240 is the solution we’ve been needing. Let’s put this battle to rest!
🚨ACTION ALERT: SB 240 is being voted on by the Senate Environment and Natural Resources committee on Nov. 18 👏 This is a GOOD bill to protect home rule & keep trash out of our waterways!
🔗 Click here to email the senators who will vote on this bill: floridaspringscouncil.good.do/2026legislat...
Are you planning to attend one of our upcoming events? Hope to see you at one of our paddles, webinars or markets soon!
‼️ Restoration can not wait ‼️ Every year Florida waits to begin Ocklawaha Restoration is a year wasted in restoring manatee habitat, fisheries, aquatic vegetation, and recreational and economic opportunities.
SIGN THE PLEDGE TODAY & SHARE WITH A FRIEND!
It’s ABOUT DAM TIME to restore the Ocklawaha River 👏 Join the Florida Springs Council in voicing support for state decision makers to take action to approve restoration of the Ocklawaha River in 2026.
TAKE ACTION TODAY: Visit ItsAboutDamTime.org to sign the Pledge to Restore the Ocklawaha River ✍️
Column: The push to create a #Florida Springs National Park doesn't spring from a desire to really fix what's wrong with the springs. My latest for @floridaphoenix.com also features shout-outs to Samuel Taylor Coleridge and the Fantastic Four. floridaphoenix.com/2025/09/18/n...
“If we make it easy for them by having quotas, having restrictions on how to vacation, we can get a lot of the way there,” Smart said. “There’s very little I’ve ever seen that’s as beautiful as launching your kayak on the north end of Ichetucknee.”
📰 “We don’t want to love our springs to death,” he (FSC Executive Director Ryan Smart) said. “But I also believe that in order to protect something, you have to love it, and to love it, you have to experience it.”
www.wuft.org/environment/...
“It worries me that we would take something that [belongs to] the citizens of Florida … and we would give them up to another level of government that we will have less say or input,” Smart said.
From the article: “If the federal government were to assist Florida in purchasing more conservation land, “that would be wonderfully helpful,” Smart said. Otherwise, Smart said he urges policymakers to stay focused on the water: how much water is flowing through Florida springs, and what’s in it.”
“I think that it’s a well-intentioned idea. It’s just not what we need to protect Florida springs. And if that’s the goal, let’s do the things that we need.” - Florida Springs Council Executive Director Ryan Smart
www.cfpublic.org/environment/...
📰 “We just have too much pollution going into the ground and too much water coming out of the ground,” said Ryan Smart, executive director of the nonprofit Florida Springs Council. “And when you get that combination, you end up with springs that are no longer blue and vibrant and full of life.”
FSC Executive Director Ryan Smart will be joined by:
• Mike Cliburn, FSC Board Member & Friends of Wekiva River Treasurer
• Bob Palmer, FSC Board Member
• Michael McGrath, Sierra Club Florida Lead Organizer
• Dr. George Hochmuth, Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences, UF
Springs Advocacy 101 PART 2 - A deep dive into FDEP’s Springs BMAPs with experts on agricultural pollution, septic tanks & urban fertilizer.
🗓️ Aug. 27 @ 6:30 PM
💻 FB and YouTube
m.youtube.com/watch?v=_PpM...
NEW ALBUM DROP 💿 The Life of a S̶h̶o̶w̶g̶i̶r̶l̶ Springs Advocate
Day in the life of a #SpringsAdvocate: Showing up at the Capitol to meet with legislators, attending Legislative Session committee meetings, emailing decision makers & getting outdoors to enjoy Florida’s incredible natural spaces 🏛️🥾🛶
DIVE DEEPER:
💻️ Read more on our blog: www.floridaspringscouncil.org/single-post/...
📹️ Watch our Springs Advocacy 101 webinar: www.youtube.com/live/A4dFsN-...
(3/3)
⚠️This is an overview of the policies that affect springs as they exist in statute/rule & how they should work if implemented correctly. We do not yet dive into how they are/are not implemented.
Keep in mind: The problem in FL is not the laws/rules, but how state agencies implement them. (2/3)
SPRINGS ADVOCACY 101 💦 Now time to dive into the policies & programs that impact springs protection! (1/3)
Nearly 90% of Outstanding FL Springs are impaired by pollution & pollution in our springs continues to INCREASE!
🗓️8/27 at 6:30 pm: FSC will go live to discuss the details & shortcomings of FDEP’s plans to cleanup polluted springs 🔗 Livestream: www.facebook.com/share/16wnx5...
📷️: Alan Youngblood
NEW SHIRTS 🔥 @oldfloridavibes.bsky.social
Get yours today: go.rallyup.com/springs-shop...
#ICYMI Our first Springs Advocacy 101 discussion is available to watch now!
FSC Director Ryan Smart provided an insightful overview of BMAPs, MFLs, water use permits, springs protection zones, best management practices, comp plans, local ordinances & MORE! Watch now: www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4dF...
TONIGHT @ 6:30 PM
DON’T MISS OUR SPRINGS ADVOCACY 101 WEBINAR THIS WEDNESDAY AT 6:30 P.M.
💦 Dive in to the basics of water policy with the Florida Springs Council
www.facebook.com/share/1FEL2X...
