Transcript Caves are a critical component of the spring/watershed Why? • Contain/support sensitive biota • Contain/support archeological and cultural artifacts • Can act as priceless laboratories.

Caves are a critical component of
the spring/watershed
Why?
• Contain/support sensitive biota
• Contain/support archeological and cultural
artifacts
• Can act as priceless laboratories for
medical,biological,geological, and
hydrogeological and scientific studies
• Are valuable tools for understanding
groundwater flow and contamination
transport in karst systems
• The above items significantly impact local and
state wide economy
Potential Threats
• Resource extraction – including, but not
limited to mining, blasting, and drilling
• Subsidence
• Development, infrastructure construction
• Leaching from leach fields including but not
limited to septic tanks, fertilizer, and
pesticides
• Direct and indirect runoff
• Toxic waste
• Landfills
Potential Threats (con’t)
• Overgrazing (erosion)
• Borrow pits, perculation ponds, storm water
retention ponds, drainage wells, flood control
ponds
• Inadequately educated cavers
• Anthropogenic alteration
• Ambiguity of ownership
• Depletion of groundwater (due to overwithdrawal)
• Inadequate enforcement of existing laws
What should be done?
• Establish management policies for
surface and subsurface environments
• Recognize caves are karstic systems
that need special consideration and
management practices
• Identify involved agencies including
federal, and state agencies, professional
organizations, and citizen groups
Create an inventory of known caves
that provides the following
– Location
– Geographical
makeup
– Morphology
– Supported biota
– Ownership
– Access
– Vulnerability to
contaminants
– Vulnerability to
structural changes
– Zone of contribution
– Air and Water quality
• Paleo/archeological/
cultural value
– Information about
discharge
• Seek to develop consistent approach when
feasible when managing caves
• Conduct research and monitoring efforts to
better understand these systems and their
role in maintaining the integrity of the
watershed
• Encourage volunteerism
• Promote awareness through education and
public outreach
• Develop system of classification of caves on
basis of vulnerability to degradation and/or
damage
• Review another classification system in this or
other countries in order to select system that
with some modification could serve as
Florida’s classification system
• While certification systems are adequate in
regard to safety, need improvement for
environmental education
• Educate decision makers at local and state
level on significance of caves
• Exempt certain locations and ownership data
from Freedom of Information Act
• Incorporate land development
regulation designed to protect caves
and springs into local government
comprehensive plans
• Amend cave protection statute to better
prevent cave destruction by private
landowners