Photo by carltonward / A manatee rises to the surface for a breath at Manatee Springs State Park, where a spring feeds clear water to the Suwannee River, then downstream to the Gulf of Mexico. Springs originate from the underground aquifer, and what's known as "first magnitude springs"—Florida has 27—flow at rates greater than 64 million gallons (242 million liters) per day. The vegetation covering the spring's floor is an invasive algae—a symptom of the compound effect of what's known as nutrient pollution as well as reduced spring flow from overpumping the groundwater. In springs throughout Florida— which claims the highest concentration of freshwater springs in the world—algae is displacing native eel grass, reminding us that both springs and the freshwater supply they represent are in trouble. It's not too late for springs if we do a better job balancing development with more conservation. Protecting and restoring the land in the Florida Wildlife Corridor is one way we can restore...