WKP/Turner Sink Exploration Update

[Dawn]

From Casey McKinlay, July 3, 2006:

WKPP

Despite the recent rains, the Leon Sinks system remains clear
downstream of Turner Sink. With a solid support and setup team in place the
exploration team was able to add 1 mile on top of the 6,000ft added on June 3. The tunnel continues to trend SE towards Wakulla and remains massive in
scale. Average depth is 270ft mid-conduit, 300ft in some sections and 325ft on the floor. Bottom time was 390 minutes at 270ft followed by 13 hours of
decompression. A job well done on the part of Mark Garland and Mark
Messersmith for delivering 4 safeties, 4 drives and 2 scooters to 6,500ft.
It made a big difference in terms of setting the pace going into the
cave. Exiting against the flow was less efficient of course but we knew it
going in and just had to deal with it for the exit. 140ft per minute going
in and 70ft per minute on the exit pretty much sums it up. Straight line
distance to the SW section of Wakulla should now be around 10,000ft once we get the data plotted. More details and a complete writeup in the works for the 6/3 and 7/1 outings.


Huge thanks to the support crew who took time away from the holiday
weekend and allowed us to safely make the most of this limited opportunity:

Todd Leonard, Shellie Foss, Jim Miller, Jackie, Kell Canty, Robert
Bognar, Doug Mudry, Pina P, David Doolette, Hunter Swearingen, Brian Swearingen

Chris Werner, John Rose - late night food

[Dawn]

Most recent Turner exploration update:

http://www.gue.com/Projects/WKPP/Updates/turner_06June06.html

Congrats to the guys on an amazing season so far!!!

[Dawn]

From Anthony Rue
August 7, 2006

Todd Kincaid has been spearheading Hazlett-Kincaid's efforts to
document the connection between groundwater run-off and the springs
with a series of dye trace studies that the WKPP has helped to
facilitate. Last year's dye trace studies at Fisher Creek, Black
Creek, and finally at Ames Sink changed the debate over how Wakulla
was impacted by groundwater interaction miles to the north of the
spring. This year's dye trace study from the Tallahassee wastewater
spray field was perhaps the most controversial finding yet; by
proving that there was a direct link between Tallahassee's sewage
treatment spray field and Wakulla Springs, the study has set in
motion a series of political and legal confontations that pits state
vs. city, county vs. county, and development vs. ecological
preservation.

Given that the city of Tallahassee was "lawyering up" for a
protracted battle to continue with the status quo, today's story from
the Tallahassee Democrat is a welcome surprise. Obviously, the
sprayfield is just one of many sources of contaminants that are
degrading the water quality at Wakulla-- but today's news indicates
that the city recognizes that long-term plans needed to be set in
motion to protect the springs.

Tallahassee Democrat article: http://tinyurl.com/rsjor

Mayor pledges to reduce nitrogen at sewage plants;
Spray-field runoff hurts area springs
-----
The city will work to reduce nitrogen at its sewage-treatment plants
in response to new science showing that wastewater is reaching
Wakulla Springs, Mayor John Marks said Friday.

In a surprise move, city officials said they will revise their state
permit application and seek to place a legal challenge on hold. A
hearing on the challenge was scheduled to begin next month... Federal
scientists now are saying more wastewater is flowing to the springs -
and faster - than the city had thought, Marks said.

"If the science says we can do better, then we will do better," he
said.