aquifer may, under favorable conditions, cause an increase in recharge. Another way in which nature adjusts to withdrawal is through a lessening of natural discharge. This process is exemplified by the cessation of flow at Kissengen Spring, near Bartow, formerly one of the large springs of the Florida Peninsula. For several decades Kissengen Spring was a favorite recreational center for out-of-State tourists and for residents of the Bartow area. In February 1950 it became the first of the large artesian springs of Florida to cease flowing completely (fig. 22). The cause of its demise was the increasingly heavy draft from wells in the surrounding region (see fig. 23). Currently, about 110 mgd (million gallons a day) is being drawn from the wells during periods of peak demand, principally for industrial and agricultural uses. Of this amount, about 20 mgd is derived from the capture of the flow of Kissengen Spring. The balance, or 90 mgd, evidently is made up partly from decreases in other discharge, partly from an increase in recharge, and-so long as the water levels continue to decline-partly from a slight reduction in the amount of water stored in the aquifer.
Like the lowering of pressures at Jacksonville, the cessation of the flow of Kissengen Spring reflects the capacity of the aquifer to transmit water from.the area of recharge, and does not, in the main, indicate depletion of the resource. The flow will remain arrested as long as the current rate of draft continues, but would resume if, for any reason, the draft were curtailed sufficiently.
The large supplies of unappropriated artesian water in the area of recharge will doubtless play a prominent part in Florida's future development. They beckon to industries that must settle where large supplies can be had-industries whose thirsts can be satis..................... :,i: !?/; ...
FIGURE 22.-A large spring ceases to flow.
Only a few years ago Kissengen Spring, near Bartow, was a well-known
recreation center. Today it is a hyacinth-covered stagnant pool. (See p. 37)