Blue Spring Working Group

A Public Forum for Spring Protection & Restoration

All Are Welcome

Thursday, March 31, 2011 10:00–4:15 with lunch break

MEET at VolusiaCounty’s Historic Courthouse – Second floor, room 204

125 W. New York Avenue in downtown DeLand (parking directions below)

Future Scenarios Exercise

Given best-case and worst-case scenarios for Blue Spring 30 years from now, describe what would need to happen, starting now, for these hypothetical scenarios to occur.

Purpose

To help stakeholders realize that decisions being made now can result in Blue Spring being restored to a “Fountain of Prosperity” or degraded to a “Stagnant Cesspool”.

HOW IT WORKS

  • Read the two Future Scenarios (below) for Blue Spring 30 years from now. These scenarios are intended to be hypothetical yet realistic.
  • Before the March 31 meeting, imagine realistic events, decisions, and forces that could lead to each Future Scenario.
  • At the March 31 meeting, small groups (2 for worst–case scenario, 2 for best-case scenario) will list events, decisions, and forces that could lead to their Future Scenario. Each group will be assisted by a skilled facilitator provided for this meeting by the coordinator.
  • Each small group will compose a story describing what led to their scenario, and will then tell its story chronologically to the Blue Spring Working Group.

Facilitators will record and document lists and stories. We will discuss how the stories might be used to help Blue Spring.

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AGENDA

10:00Welcome Carol Lippincott – Coordinator*, Blue Spring Working Group

10:10Introductions Around the Room

10:30Review Future Scenarios ExerciseCarol Lippincott

10:50 Small Groups with Facilitators: List Events, Decisions, Processes Needed to

12:15LUNCH BREAK (brown bag or go to nearby restaurant)

1:30Small Groups: Compose Stories

2:05Small Groups: Tell Stories To The Whole Working Group

3:45Summarize Key Points and Discuss How Stories Might be Used

4:15Adjourn - Next meeting onThursday, June 30

FUTURE SCENARIOS
FOR
BLUE SPRING IN WESTVOLUSIACOUNTY
Year 2041 Best-Case Scenario
FOUNTAIN Of PROSPERITY / Year 2041 Worst-Case Scenario
STAGNANT CESSPOOL
Environmental Context
Water in Blue Spring flows so abundantly that it sometimes forms a roiling mound at the spring boil. / Blue Spring is no longer a spring – it is a stagnant pool covered by dark river water.
Groundwater flowing into Blue Spring is cleaner than in most of the country. / Groundwater flowing into Blue Spring contains toxic contaminants that are harmful to fish and wildlife.
Economic Context
Public water supply in west VolusiaCounty is clean, affordable, and sufficient. / Drinking water must be imported because groundwater is unfit for human consumption.
The standard of living in west VolusiaCounty is significantly higher than the national average. / Businesses abandon west VolusiaCounty because water is contaminated, expensive, and insufficient.
Social Context
Blue Spring is the hub of community identity, valued for family and civic gatherings, religious ceremonies, spiritual retreats, and interacting with nature. / BlueSpringState Park is sold and converted to a facility to pump and treat river water for public water supply.
Communities in west VolusiaCounty are proud that they use less water than in most parts of the country. / Children in west VolusiaCounty think that Blue Spring is a fairy tale and that water naturally comes from tanker trucks.
Political Context
Blue Spring is declared a National Natural Treasure, and VolusiaCounty receives the President’s Wise With Water award. / The loss of Blue Spring and contamination of groundwater is cited nationally as an example of lack of leadership.
There is broad and consistent voter support for protection of groundwater and Blue Spring. / Voters are not concerned about groundwater protection or Blue Spring.

DIRECTIONS and PARKING

BLUE SPRING WORKING GROUP

Volusia County Historic Courthouse (second floor, room 204)

125 W. New York Avenue DeLand, FL32720

Link to map of meeting location:

PARK for free in the county employee parking lot one block away from the Historic Courthouse at the southwest corner of N. Florida Ave. and W. Rich Avenue, next to the Athens Theater.

  • From Highway 17/92 = Woodland Blvd., turn west onto W. Rich Avenue.
  • Cross the intersection of N. Florida and then turn left into the parking lot.
  • Look for the sign that says “Volusia County Employee Parking – County Business Only” and park there.
  • The Historic Courthouse is the building with the large greenish rotunda one block away to the southeast.

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For more information, contact the Bleu Spring Working Group Coordinator, Carol Lippincott, at (352) 377-8693 or and go to

*Coordination of the Blue Spring Working Group is funded through the Wildlife Legacy Initiative of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ( with a matching contribution provided by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (