Jackson Blue Spring Basin Working Group Meeting

I got this from Chad Taylor, whom I met at last week's Old Timers Day at Jackson Blue:

All: Just a reminder about the first Jackson Blue Spring Basin Working Group meeting this Thursday, May 18th. Please pass this notice on to others you think might be interested. Agenda is pasted below and is attached. NOTICE, all times are CENTRAL TIME and bring your own lunch if you plan to join us for the field trip of the basin. Below is a link that provides directions to Chipola College and the Continuing Education Conference Center. There is also a link for a large map of the campus. The Conference Center is just outside of right field of the baseball stadium in the very Northwest corner of the campus.
Here is the link to the maps & directions http://www.chipola.edu/cjcloc.htm .
Any questions, comments or suggestions please don't hesitate to call (cell phone 850/526-0176). Look forward to seeing you Thursday.
Chad
C. Chadwick Taylor
CCT & Associates, Inc.
4209 Buckland Trail
P. O. Box 315
Greenwood, Florida 32443
850/594-7951
Mob. 850/526-0176 & 850/526-0157
cct@phonl.com

----- Original Message -----
Friends & Colleagues, Neighbors: Please mark your calendar for the first Jackson Blue Spring Basin Working Group meeting Thursday, May 18, 2006 9:00 am CENTRAL time at the Chipola College Continuing Education Conference Center in Marianna, Florida. Attached and pasted below is our first agenda.
The purpose of our working group is to protect Jackson Blue Spring by protecting the water that flows to the spring from the 70,000 acre springshed in northeast Jackson County. This is the very same water that flows from our drinking water wells. Our group will help create awareness, educate, and make recommendations by providing a forum for the private, public and non-profit segments of our community that includes citizens, landowners, municipalities, Jackson County, regional agencies, State government, Federal government, organizations, the press, business groups, and others to work together. There is a moratorium on subdivision development in the basin until August 14, 2006.
Jackson Blue Spring is a first magnitude spring flowing forth 122 million gallons of water a day with a millpond and spring run that flows to the Chipola River that is the largest tributary in Florida to the Apalachicola River and Bay, Florida's largest river by flow. 90% of Florida's and 12% of our Nation's oysters come from Apalachicola Bay and the Bay is a major nursery and cradle of a commercial and recreational fishery reaching hundreds of miles into the Gulf of Mexico that includes shrimp, crab and finfish. The spring is owned by the people of Florida and leased to Jackson County as a recreation area. Jackson Blue is the second most polluted of the 33 first magnitude springs in Florida and remains a remarkable historical, cultural, natural resource, and recreation asset for our community, our State and our Country. Our efforts will assist in protecting and enhancing this world class resource!
The Conference Center is a first rate facility and is located in the very northwest corner of the campus on College Street just outside of right field of the baseball stadium. A map will follow as a reminder notice later. Please pass this agenda on to other interested people. You are welcome to reply with email contact information for other interested parties. We will add to the group email list that now exceeds 100 and is growing. Notification of Jackson Blue Spring Basin Working Group activities will be by email unless special arrangements are made. Don't hesitate to call with any questions, comments or suggestions. Hope you can join us in Marianna! Chad

P.S. The 3rd Annual Jackson Blue Spring Old Timers Day is Saturday, May 6, 2006, 11:00 - 2:00 pm CENTRAL time, it's pot luck with fried fish and refreshment provided, so bring a covered dish, a chair and your stories to the spring. Please RSVP to insure enough fish!

Jackson Blue Spring Basin Working Group

Chipola College Continuing Education Conference Center

3158 College Street, Marianna, Florida 32446-2053

Thursday, May 18, 2006

AGENDA

9:00 a.m Welcome and Introductions Chad Taylor

Central Time
9:15 What is a Spring Basin Working Group? Jim Stevenson

9:30 Hydrology of the Blue Spring Basin Tom Pratt

10:00 Break

10:15 Blue Spring Cave System Edd Sorenson

10:45 Successes in Other Spring Basins Jim Stevenson

Florida Springs Initiative Mike Bascom

11:15 Projects in the Blue Spring Basin Chad Taylor

Jackson County Commissioner Milton Pittman

Jackson County Administrator Ted Lakey

Fla. Department of Community Affairs Richard Deadman

University of Florida, IFAS

DEP, FWCC, FGS, USGS, NRCS

11:40 Group Discussion: What’s Next? Chad Taylor

12:15 p.m. Lunch at Blue Spring (bring your own)

1:00 Field Trip of the Basin Tom Pratt

3:00 Adjourn



For More Information: C. Chadwick Taylor, Mobile Ph. #850/526-0176, cct@phonl.com

[Kelly Jessop]

Excellent,thanks for posting that. Too bad it is being planned during a weekday,this will eliminate many from the community who may have an interest and have jobs. Perhaps this group will establish community education on their ground water resources.

I guess I should have posted this last night, too. Chad wants the following to contact him, either by phone or e-mail: Edd Sorenson, Kelly Jessop, Bill Huth, and Jeff Bauer. A full-fledged "Save the Spring" campaign is in the works.

Russell

[Cindy]

Hi, I may go if I can get away. Can you tell me what the field trip is about? Do we need a boat? Can you post something about what the threats are to the spring. I have some resources that I ran across while working on the Alachua problem that might help if it's the same sort of problem. Cindy Butler
butler_cynthia@bellsouth.net

Cindy, please contact Chad with your questions. I told him I'd be a go-between for the Spring Basin Group and the cave divers, but I'm still in the dark as to what they have planned.

But I know he'd love to talk to you.

I'll be there bright and early (okay, 10am EDT isn't all that early, and many say I'm not that bright). Wingman will be there, too, and I hope Cindy and a few other cave divers show up.

Russell

I had hoped one of the other attendees would have posted a report of the meeting. This was the last week of school, plus everybody wants their regulators rebuilt NOW, so I've been swamped.

Bill and I met at the sheriff's office (to get the key to JB) just before the meeting began, but couldn't find the location right away, so we were about fifteen minutes late. All we missed were the introductions.

I had never been to a meeting of this nature, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Since the government is involved, I kind of expected a bunch of stuffed shirts droning on and on about stuff they don't know anything about. That couldn't have been more wrong.

Chad ran the meeting, and it's obvious he knows what he's talking about. My understanding is he has been involved with a similar group protecting the Apalacheecola River, and from the looks of things, Jackson Blue Spring couldn't have a better friend.

Edd Sorenson made a presentation, and did the cave divers proud. He helped show the attendees (there were 45) that cave divers aren't the yahoos some make us out to be.

But I was really blown away by Jim Stevenson. He has been involved with the Ichetucknee Springs Basin Working Group for some time now, and he made a presentation highlighting what they have accomplished over there. There's no reason to not be optomistic about Jackson Blue's future.

Everybody went to JB to eat lunch under the pavilion, and then they ran a field trip around the Spring Basin. Bill and I were unable to make the field trip (there was a cave in front of us, and we had dive gear) but we were exiting the water when everybody returned, and I could tell they had been having a good time.

I would encourage anybody interested in the conservation of the Jackson Blue Spring Basin to contact Chad Taylor so you can keep up with what's going to be happening with this Working Group. I'm glad I took the day off to be there!

Russell