Springheads are beautiful places that appear almost timeless. I am always awed by the thought of an apparently infinite supply of living water pouring forth from the earth. . .but even when the spring is emerging from a rocky cave, the immediate area is a fragile ecosystem. When faced with a beautiful pool of icy cold turquoise water on a blistering Florida summer afternoon, it is only natural to want to run to the shoreline and throw yourself into that water (until your body registers that cold, cold temperature!), but after generations of feet trampling on the plants and soil, there is a price that is paid by the spring.
Silver Glen Springs was experiencing problems with an eroding shoreline, and part of the solution is a system of rustic fencing to eliminate foot traffic and a series of planted berms to restore more natural conditions, preventing stormwater from pushing soil and sand into the spring.
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