Proceedings of the 2003 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium Gainesville, Florida October 13–17, 2003 Symposium Organizers Cave Diving Section of the National Speleological Society Proceedings Coordinators Sandra and Michael Poucher Proceedings Editor G. Thomas Rea Layout and Design by Published by The NCKMS Steering Committee Printed in the United States of America Host Organization Cave Diving Section of the National Speleological Society Sponsors NCKMS Steering Committee American Cave Conservation Association Bat Conservation International U.S. Bureau of Land Management Cave Research Foundation U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service USDA Forest Service Karst Waters Institute National Caves Association National Park Service National Speleological Society The Nature Conservancy http://www.nckms.org Co-Sponsors Supporting Coca Cola-Dannon National Cave and Karst Research Institute Contributing National Speleological Society The Perrier Group Partner National Cave Association American Cave Conservation Association Special Thanks Florida Speleological Society The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks Ichetucknee Springs State Park Paynes Prairie State Park Silver Springs Attraction. Organizing Committee Michael Poucher – Chairman Steve Ormeroid – Treasurer Ken Hill – Sponsorship Coordinator Beth Murphy – Promotions Sullivan and Caren Beck – Paper Submissions Tom Johnson – Webmaster Judy Ormeroid – Registration Paulette Jones – Guidebook Volunteers: Sarah Cervone, Rebecca Detorre, John Jones, Forrest Wilson. Contents Chairman’s Welcome Ground Water Assessment The Florida Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment Model: A Tool For Aquifer Protection In Karst Setttings — Jonathan D. Arthur Investigation of Salinity Increases in Sulphur Spring, Tampa, Florida — K. Michael Garman, Sherry Garman, Jitka Hyniova, and Jakub Rehacek “Through the Roof” Monitoring Water Quality In Manatee Springs — Thomas H. Green- halgh, III Results of Sampling for Selected Wastewater Constituents In Ground Water In the Silver Springs Basin, North Central Florida — G.G. Phelps Resource Management Florida Spring Glossary and Classification System — Rick Copeland Management Controversies at Oregon Caves National Monument — William R. Halliday and Jay Swofford Proactive Cave Management on the Hoosier National Forest — Julian J. Lewis and Kelle Reynolds Using ESRI ArcPad to Inventory Cave Features — Jon Jasper A Comprehensive Cave Management Program at Carlsbad Caverns National Park — Dale L. Pate Biology Gray Bat Trends in Missouri: Gated vs. Ungated Caves — William R. Elliott 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 — Rick Fowler, Eli Roberson, and Shivendra Sahi Mercury and Methylmercury in the South Central Kentucky Karst: its Transportation, Accumula- tion, and Potential Effects on Vulnerable Biota — Kurt Lewis Helf, PhD Development of an Index of Biological Integrity for Endangered Species Monitoring in South- ern Illinois — Julian J. Lewis and Salisa Taylor Rafail Mapping Presumptive Habitat for Subterranean Aquatic Species of Concern — Philip L. Moss and Thomas Aley The Foraging Range of a Central Texas Cave Cricket, Ceuthophilus secretus (Orthoptera: Rhaphi- dophoridae) — Steven J. Taylor, Jean K. Krejca, and Michael L. Denight Education Going for the Gold Award: Girl Scouts, Cavers, and Government Working Together for Cave and Karst Sourcewater Protection — Joseph H. (Joey) Fagan and Jessica E. Fagan National Cave and Karst Research Institute 2003: Working Through Partnerships Towards Amer- ica’s Future —Louise D. Hose and Penelope J. Boston Creative Partnerships for Water Quality in Karst Areas — Kriste Lindberg 2003 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium Contents The Importance of Education in Karst Protection: the Virginia Experience — Carol Zokaites and Wil Orndorff Management Restoration, Not Just Conservation, of Bat Caves — Need, Methods, and Case Study of a Myotis Sodalis Hibernaculum — Jim Kennedy Don’t Mess With Mammoth Days in the Pike Spring Basin of Kentucky — Rick Olson Ecosystem Management and the Idea of Cave Wilderness In Protecting Karst Resources — Patri- cia E. Seiser, PhD Developing Conservation Sites for Virginia’s Significant Caves — Wil Orndorff Poster Sessions The Western Kentucky University Source Water Protection Program: Educating Water Resource Managers and the Public about the Vulnerability of Rural Karst Drinking Water Supplies — Chris Groves, Elizabeth Robb, John All, and Pat Kambesis A Systems Approach for the Understanding of Agricultural Contaminant Sources and Transport within a Karst Groundwater Drainage Basin — Patricia Kambesis Survey of Microbial Diversity within Wind Cave Using DNA Analysis, Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota — Rolland E. Moore Contact Information for Attendees 2003 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium Welcome to the 2003 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium The theme of this year’s symposium is “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. We face many threats and challenges to our 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 an exploding population. In the past few years, we have seen a drought unequaled in recent history. Wells and public water systems have run dry. Water restrictions are fast becoming a way of life. Many of our favorite springs have stopped flowing altogether. This brings our water resources to the forefront of public consciousness and the realization that they are finite and they are in trouble. 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 to the many areas of the world’s cave and karst. Michael Poucher Chairman 2003 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium 3 4 2003 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium Arthur, Cichon, Baker, Wood, and Rudin Ground Water Asseessment The Florida Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment Model: A Tool For Aquifer Protection In Karst Setttings Jonathan D. Arthur James R. Cichon Alan E. Baker H. Alex Wood Andrew R. Rudin Florida Geological Survey Florida Department of Environmental Protection 903 W. Tennessee Street Tallahassee, FL 32304-7700 E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Ground-water resources within Florida’s aquifer systems, as in many other karst hydrogeologic settings, are vulnerable to contamination due to the relatively open flow structure in carbonate rocks. This flow structure ranges from intergranular flow to conduit flow, as well as through perforations in confining layers due to sinkholes. In these complex hydrogeologic settings, models used in ground-water resource protection should reflect the dynamic and “dual porosity” nature of this flow system. Aquifer recharge and aquifer vulnerability models often serve as the scientific basis for land-use planning decisions. Commonly used for this purpose, DRASTIC is an expert-driven index model developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Water Well Association. Although DRASTIC may be suitable for many hydrogeologic settings, it does not include a component critical to the understanding of aquifer vulnerability in Florida karst The Florida Geological Survey is currently tion model has been developed. From this developing a geographic information system surface model, two coverages are being cre- (GIS) - based model to estimate relative vulner- ated: a topographic depression coverage to ability within Florida’s aquifer systems. Devel- reflect proximity to karst features, and a depth opment of this model, the Florida Aquifer to water coverage, which is calculated relative Vulnerability Assessment, is underway and five to physiographic province. The Florida Aquifer pilot counties have been completed with guid- Vulnerability Assessment also utilizes a state- ance from a multi-agency advisory committee. wide soil drainage coverage and a newly devel- The overall intent of the Florida Aquifer Vulner- oped thickness of confinement coverage. If ability Assessment is to develop a tool for envi- statistics in the model justify the need, the head ronmental, regulatory, and planning difference between the surficial and Floridan professionals to facilitate the protection of aquifer systems will also be included for con- Florida’s ground-water resources. The model fined aquifer models. is based on a geostatistical method, Weights of Adaptability of the Florida Aquifer Vulner- Evidence, which quantifies relationships be- ability Assessment model allows for refinement tween spatial data layers and water quality pa- to