NCKMS 2003 Symposium outline

Theme

"Protecting the Aquifer in Karst Regions"

Florida contains the largest concentration of springs in the world with 33 first magnitude springs and over 600 lesser magnitude springs throughout the state. The springs, and their cave systems, are home to over 40 species of cave adapted life and are crucial wintering habitats for the endangered Florida Manatee. As windows into Florida's karst aquifer, the springs provide an important gauge of the health of our water supply. Only thinly protected by the overlying soils and sediments, Florida's aquifer is particularly susceptible to the effects of the exploding population of the State.

Florida faces many threats and challenges to its water supply: point and non-point pollution, increased nitrate levels from fertilizer, spreading of exotic plant species, and depletion of the aquifer due to increased usage by agriculture, industry, and an exploding population. The past few years have seen a drought unequaled in recent history. Wells and public water systems have run dry, water restrictions are everywhere. This has brought the issue of water resources to the forefront of public consciousness. Florida is growing at a rate of 2% each year, that translates to roughly 1,000 people each day moving into Florida. It should come as no surprise that pressure is being placed on our water resources.

On the bright side the Florida Governor's office and the Legislature have taken steps towards a solution. In 1999, the Legislature passed the Watershed Protection Act that requires the State to identify its impaired waters, study why and how its being polluted, and devise a plan to reverse the damage. The Governor's Office launched a "Springs Initiative" to study our springs and conceive ways to protect them and Governor Bush has called for a Water Conservation Initiative by state agencies to come up with ways to deal with the current problems as well as plan for the future.

The 2003 Cave and Karst Management Symposium will bring special focus on the problems and solutions of managing the aquifer within karst areas. We look forward to this opportunity to share information aimed not only at the management of karst aquifers, but many other areas of the world's cave and karst.

Schedule

Monday, October 13, 2003
8:00 am - 6:00 pm	Pre-symposium field trips
3:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Early registration.
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm	Informal welcome reception.
10:00 am - 5:00 pm	Field Trip - Florida Springs - Peacock Springs and Ichetucknee River State Park - The Florida Department of Environmental Protection Recreation and Parks Division is hosting a tour of two of the finest and most pristine springs in North Central Florida. Registration is limited to twenty. Trip will leave from the Gainesville Paramount Hotel. Cost is $15.00 and lunch is included.
11:00 am -5:00 pm	Project Underground Karst Education Workshop Learn about the development of karst topography and the impacts of human activity on the water resources in karst areas. Includes lunch and program materials. $45.00 (Lunch included)
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
7:30 am - 12:00 pm	Registration
9:00 am - 12:00 pm	Groundwater Assessment 1. Arthur, Jonathan D., The Florida Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment (FAVA) Model: A Tool for Aquifer Protection in Karst Settings. 2. Garman, Garman, Hyniova, Rehacek, Investigation of Salinity Increases in Sulphur Spring, Tampa, Florida 3. Greenhalgh, Thomas H, III., "Through the Roof" Monitoring Water Quality in Manatee Springs. 4. Phelps, G.G., Results of Sampling for Selected Wastewater Constituents in Ground Water in the Silver Springs Basin, North-Central Florida.
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm	Resource Management 5. Rick Copeland, Florida Spring Glossary 6. William Halliday, Management Controversies at Oregon Caves National Monument. 7. Jon Jasper, Restoring Impacted Cave EcoSystems 8. Julian J. Lewis, Proactive Cave Management on the Hoosier National Forest 9. Jon Jasper, Inventorying Cave Features Using ESRI ArcPad Software. 10. Dale L. Pate, A Comprehensive Cave Management Program at Carlsbad Caverns National Park 11. Jerry Trout, The Importance of Keeping Duplicate Records.
8:00 pm - 10:00 pm	Cracker Barrel Sessions
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
9:00 am - 6:00 pm	Field Trip - Silver Springs Attraction and Silver River State park. Lunch will be provided. http://www.silversprings.com/index-flash.htm http://www.dep.state.fl.us/parks/district3/silverriver/index.asp
8:00 pm - 10:00 pm	Cracker Barrel Sessions
Thursday, October 16, 2003
9:00 am - 12:00 pm	Biology 12. William R. Elliott, Gray Bat Trends in Missouri: Gated vs. Ungated Caves. 13. Fowler, Roberson, Sahi, Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assays of Bacterial DNA in Sediments of the Flint-Mammoth Cave System with Evidence for Nitrospira SPP. at Sites Undergoing Limestone Dissolution and Karst Aquifer Evolution. 14. Kurt Lewis Helf, Ph.D., Mercury and methylmercury in karst ecosystems and its potential effects on vulnerable biota. 15. Julian J. Lewis, Development of an Index of Biological Integrity for Endangered Species Monitoring in Southern Illinois. 16. Moss and Thomas Aley, Mapping Presumptive Habitat for Subterranean Aquatic Species of Concern in Management of Karst Areas. 17. Taylor, Krejca, Denight, The Foraging Range of a Central Texas Cave Cricket.
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm	Education 18. Joseph H. (Joey) Fagan, Going for the Gold Award: Girl Scouts, Cavers, and Government. Working Together for Cave and Karst Sourcewater Protection. 19. Hose, Louise; Boston, Penny, NCKRI 2003: Working through Partnerships Towards America's Future. 20. Kriste Lindberg, Creative Partnerships for Water Quality Protection in Karst Areas. 21. Carol Zokaites and Wil Orndorff, Successful Karst Protection Depends on Education.
6:30 pm - 9:00 pm	Banquet - Water's Journey by Jill Heinerth
Friday, October 17, 2003
9:00 am - 10:00 pm	Poster Sessions Robb, Groves, All, Kambesis, The Western Kentucky University Source Water Protection Program: Educating Water Resource Managers and the Public about the Vulnerability of Rural Karst Drinking Water Supplies. Patricia Kambesis, A Systems Approach for the Understanding of Agricultural Contaminant Sources and Transport within a Karst Groundwater Drainage Basin Rolland E. Moore, Survey of Microbial Diversity within Wind Cave Using DNA Analysis, Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota
10:00 am - 12:00 pm	Management 22. Kennedy, Jim, Cave Resources Specialist, Indiana bat hibernation caves: restoration as a step beyond conservation. 23. Olson, Rick, Don't Mess with Mammoth Days. 14. Patricia E. Seiser, PhD, Ecosystem Management and the Idea of Cave Wilderness In Protecting Karst Resources.
12:00 pm - 12:30 am	Closing Address
1:30 pm - 5:30 pm	BAT CAVES: Assessment, Prioritization, and Protection Workshop