Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/297477
long-term," he pointed out — about $1 million over five years. "It was almost a fantasy project's proposal," Harrison noted. After subsequent discussions with staff, he continued, USGS representatives suggested a yearlong study of data that already has been collected, which would guide the city and county on how to proceed in the future. ANOMALIES IN THE DATA During his March 19 presentation to the County Commission, Harrison pointed out that a separate effort had begun to develop scopes of services and cost estimates "for a broader study of the history, archaeology and geology" of Warm Mineral Springs." He also noted that no new data collection or monitoring will be conducted as part of the USGS study. At the conclusion of the study, the USGS will issue a "Fact Sheet" incorpo- rating its findings, the county staff memo explained. The document will "aid in focusing limited public funds towards answering ques- tions about the spring system with real-world implications instead of potentially expending great effort and cost towards collecting addi- tional data that may have little relevance to the management and protection of the spring resource," the memo notes. The USGS study, Harrison explained, will focus on data collected at the Springs over the past decades. The three primary questions are as follows: • Has the water been getting colder? • Has the water been getting less mineralized? • Has the flow of water diminished? "If we don't properly understand these issues," he said, "then any resource protection or management plan that we developed would be a wobbly stool at best." At worst, he told the board, misinformation or misconceptions "could lead to uninten- tionally contributing to the degradation of the Springs." Without a scientific analysis of the data col- lected, he pointed out, the city and county would be left with what Mark Twain char- acterized as "lies, dang lies and statistics," drawing laughter from commissioners. "The story we want to tell is the story of the true health and the vitality of Warm Mineral Springs based on solid scientific evidence and reasoning," Harrison added. For example, data collected since 1956 indi- cates the water temperature has declined. One reading in December 2001 was 64 degrees, he noted. "I don't think that anyone believes that Warm Mineral Springs put out water one day at 64 degrees," he said. A quick analysis of weather conditions on the same day showed a 35-degree reading in the City of North Port, he told the board, indicat- ing the water temperature could be influenced by external factors. Among the data most interesting to him, Harrison continued, were observations over the years showing the flow from the main hot water vent "appeared to greatly exceed the amount of water that's coming from the spring discharge creek." If that is true, he said, it suggests "a signif- icant volume of water may be exiting the basin through the basin walls directly into the immediate aquifer." Robinson complimented Harrison on his pre- sentation, noting that while his day job is senior hydrologist for the county, "Your night job may be on MythBusters." % Sarasota News Leader April 18, 2014 Page 32