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Photograph Credit: Randy Emberg
Historic Brooksville is located in an area of rolling hills, pasture land and hardwood forests. Originally known as "Melendez," it was established in 1845. Shortly after, it merged with "Pierceville" and was renamed Brooksville, after South Carolina Congressman Preston Brooks. Today, about 8,000 people live in Brooksville.
Like Brooksville, Spring Hill is also located in Hernando County. Spring Hill is a rapidly growing area, with both homeowners and businesses moving to the community. But too many people can put stress on the environment. Both Brooksville and Spring Hill are located in an area of moderate to high aquifer "recharge." The sandy soils located
in these parts of Hernando County allow water from rainfall to percolate easily down
into the aquifer. It also means that pollutants such as oil, fertilizer and pesticides
can easily percolate down into the aquifer. In fact, scientists believe that too much
fertilizer placed on landscapes in Spring Hill and Brooksville are the probable cause of
increasing nitrate levels showing up in the area's springs. But pollution doesn't happen
overnight. Scientists believe that the current nitrate levels in Springs Coast water bodies
are caused by pollutants that entered the aquifer up to 10 years ago. That means
pollutants that enter the aquifer today may not discharge through spring vents until 10
years from now!
Next stop: Pithlachascotee River
