Conservation
Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute
A science and education non-profit in High Springs, Florida, that monitors spring flow and water quality, studies spring ecosystems and advocates for the restoration and protection of Florida's springs and the Floridan aquifer.
The Florida Springs Institute says its mission is to advance the stewardship, conservation and restoration of Florida's freshwater springs and aquifers through science and education. It has been building a quantitative baseline of spring water quality, flow and ecology since 2010 and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2013. It runs the Florida Springs Welcome Center in High Springs [1].
The institute is openly an advocacy voice as well as a monitoring body. In a September 2026 article its director reported that several springs in High Springs stopped flowing during that summer's drought, argued that land acquisition is springs protection, and stated that no money was allocated to the state's Florida Forever land-conservation programme in the 2026-2027 budget [2]. Many of the north Florida springs that cave divers use sit within the Suwannee and Santa Fe river basins that the institute monitors.
Further reading
Conservation, landowners and responsible access
Groundwater, haloclines and water quality in flooded caves
Threats to underwater caves today, and how they are protected
Every fact on this page, with its source (3)
| Fact | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The institute has monitored Florida springs since 2010 and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 2013.Self-reported. | Verified | [1] |
| The institute reported that several springs in High Springs stopped flowing in summer 2026.Advocacy article dated 2026-09-09; not checked against water-management-district data. | Reported | [2] |
| The institute states that $0 was allocated to the Florida Forever programme in the 2026-2027 state budget.Advocacy claim; the state budget document itself was not checked. | Reported | [2] |
Verified: stated by an official or primary source we opened. Reported: from a secondary source only. Sources conflict: the note gives both versions. May be out of date: the newest source we found is old.
Written in our own words from the sources above. Report a correction