WATERSHEDPart 2: Wake Up
By Sarah Breske
For a century, the glass bottom boat tours at Wakulla Springs celebrated Florida’s seemingly endless depths of clean, clear water. Today, with the water too murky to see through the glass, the boats are grounded — a symbol of the pollution plaguing the state’s freshwater and the cascade of consequences to come.
By Alan Halaly
Half a century ago, the great environmental awakening that swept Florida and the nation helped stop the Cross-Florida Barge Canal. But the project’s last remnant, a 7,200-foot dam on the Ocklawaha River, still stands. Newly released documents show the aging dam may threaten more than ecosystems. State officials acknowledge it is at risk of breaching—possibly endangering hundreds of rural homeowners who live nearby.