The Determination of Minimum Flows for Sulphur Springs, Tampa

DRAFT
due to withdrawals for public water supply, there will be a tendency to have stronger
flows along the hydraulic gradient and from any surface water being collected by the
sinks.
Because of flooding problems in the vicinity of Blue Sink and the nearby Curiosity
Creek, Schreuder Inc., an environmental consultant firm, has been engaged by the City
of Tampa to investigate the Blue Sink complex. The purpose of their investigation is to
determine the feasibility of re-opening Blue Sink to improve drainage from the Curiosity
Creek drainage basin to Sulphur Springs. Their investigations, conducted in 1997, 1999,
and 2000, have found that the connection between Blue Sink and Sulphur Springs is
blocked somewhere between Poinsettia Sink and Blue Sink (Schreuder Inc. 1999,
2001). Additional work in 2003 located the blockage, but concluded that because of its
size and location under private property, it is not feasible to remove it (Schreuder Inc.
2004). The firm proposed that a berm and pump station be constructed in Blue Sink and
excess water be pumped through a series ponds and pumping stations to a new 40-
acre urban wetland/upland park area.
Examination of the May 2002 Upper Floridan potentiometric surface shows the
presence of a ground-water divide approximately 3-4 miles (4.8 to 6.4 km) west of
Sulphur Springs (Figure 2-18). Ground water further west of that line would flow away
from the spring. The primary direction of ground water flow in the vicinity of the spring
would be from north to south. Other springs, such as the Lettuce Lake spring complex,
located east of Sulphur Springs, would have a significant ground water flow from the
northeast and east.
Figure 2-18 . Potentiometric surface of the Upper Florida
aquifer near Sulphur Springs for May, 2002.
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