MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – The springs have played a large and critical role in shaping the area’s history.
Mark Emery, a lifelong Marion County resident, award-winning filmmaker, and naturalist, will speak on this topic at the Horse Farms Forever Summit, on Nov. 14.
“Water usage is much greater, and we kind of have a short collective memory about what it was once like and what it’s like now,” said Emery. “At one point, every six or seven years, we had droughts. If we have a drought now, every six or seven years, with the amount of folks we have here, it’s going to be different, and the springs are going to be different.”
Currently, there seems to be plenty of water, and the hope is for that to continue, but the complexities of the springs themselves create its own series of challenges.
Emery recalls a tour with a state senator, who initially saw water as a waste. But on the trip back, he realized the significance of preserving it for tourism, wildlife, and local needs.
The Silver River as well as many of the other rivers and springs are great stopping off points for birds flying north from South America, and they’ll reside in the area a little longer if temperatures up north remain cooler, said Emery.
“A lot of those are support systems, so if you’re like driving on a highway, and you run out of gas, there’s a gas station, you can fill up, take a little break and head on up the road,” said Emery. “We really don’t know how many of those birds (from the tropics), I don’t think it’s ever been quantified. We’ve seen everything from roseate spoonbills to pink pelicans. I’ve seen tons of different species that aren’t out there all the time, and they’re just using that area as a stop area or a stop gap for where they’ve been. It’s important for a lot of different species.”
During the summit, Emery will also discuss role that the George Kirkpatrick (Rodman) Dam plays.
“The dam provided a good resource down below it for a flooded area that was really great for fishing for a while,” said Emery. “The fishing is still there, but it’s only there when they draw it down. If the time is best when it’s drawn down, why not just take the $7 0r $8 million it would take to repair that dam and take it out because it’s not useful. It doesn’t give you any function for a water-electricity relationship. What it’s doing is stopping several species of animals and fish from using the whole river.”
Invasive fish like the Nile perch are now common in Silver Springs, replacing native species and impacting the ecosystem. This shift is visible even on Silver Springs’ famous glass-bottom boat tours, said Emery.
Manatees and other species have also been impacted. People have also dumped their fish from their aquariums into the water disrupting and destroying the habitats of other fish, like bass, which are no longer there in great numbers, having to contend with armored catfish and Nile perch.
Emery recalled an old tradition where bluegills and catfish would “compete” in mock “football games” for visitors’ entertainment. Unfortunately, changes in river structure and invasive species have reduced native fish populations, leading to the loss of such traditions.
“They straightened parts of the river, and the catfish were spawning in the turns in the river in the places that they straightened out,” said Emery.
Mark Emery’s talk will highlight the importance of conservation efforts to sustain Marion County’s springs, rivers, and wildlife amidst rapid changes in the area.