Headquarters of the phosphate industry on the Alafia River and its basins
The Alafia River watersheds and smaller tributaries in the area are known to have been used as “waterways” by the state of Florida in the early 19th century by European settlers (1). In the early 19th century, before and during the time of Florida’s statehood, the first Americans commuted daily up the Alafia River. The aforementioned fact removes any doubt that this river and its basins are defined as a waterway and are considered to be in the public domain for travel, leisure and commerce.
A settlement called Riverview took root near the mouth of the Alafia River in west central Florida. Riverview is the first recorded settlement in Florida on the Alafia River in (1) 1835. The first area settled by 19th century pioneers is near the present-day Bell Shoals Bridge outside of Brandon, Florida. This area of the Alafia river basin is one of the most picturesque areas of the river. The river takes two dramatic bends as it flows under the Bell Shoals Bridge, causing the river banks to erode into thirty-foot cliffs on both sides of the river.
Bell Shoals Bridge was one of the best places for river fun during the summer months. (2) The bridge is about twenty feet above mean water level at this particular bend in the river. The depth of the river at the bridge was generally around twelve feet deep. The river water clarity was generally eight to ten feet visibility, so most of the river bottom was not easy to see. My friends and I spent many days swimming in the river and jumping off the bridge into the river; it was very fun and clean.
Lithia Springs was a very fun place feeding millions of gallons of water daily from the aquifer to the river. In the early to mid 1970s, the springs fed millions of gallons of fresh, crystal clear water from the aquifer into the Alafia River all day, every day. Unfortunately, the phosphate industry demands so much water from the local aquifers that the main spring at Lithia fell over ten feet, and the small spring no longer exists, but the rocks where the small spring once existed are still visible.
Going down the river from Lithia Springs was awesome. The spring was a great place to start the tubing trip because about a half mile downstream was a small set of rapids that emptied into a large underground cavern. We used to start tubing at Lithia Springs and go down the river for about three hours and finish at Bell Shoals Bridge.
Once one gets past the Bell Shoals Bridge, the river gets pretty deep and slows to a snail’s pace. The area is perfect for slowly floating in the cool and shady river, relaxing and sunbathing. The tubes from Bell Shoals Bridge to Riverview take about three hours, but the trip was worth it. During the trip, it was not uncommon to see a family of manatees, alligators, various water snakes, and other tubers.
The river empties into the Tampa Bay estuary in west central Florida between mangrove islands, shoals, and oyster beds west of Riverview. This area is home to some of the most environmentally challenged waters and ecosystems in Florida. The region contains important environmental treasures, such as nurseries for many species of fish, mollusks, shrimp, oysters, clams, manatees, and the like.
Historically, the Riverview phosphate plant causes the release of toxic waste creating miles of dead zones in the Alafia River and Tampa Bay estuary. Phosphate industry officials call these mass killings and dead zones simply a “mishap.” “Dead zones” can last for years depending on the volume of poisons released into the environment from phosphate facilities.
However, the phosphate industry wanted to build a phosphate plant at the mouth of the Alafia River at the back of the Tampa Bay estuary. Interestingly, Tampa Bay is the largest estuary and is environmentally critical to commerce on the west coast of Florida. The Tampa Bay estuary is a waterway by definition, but Florida elected officials “chose to allow” phosphate industry officials to alter the waterways to build a phosphate plant. Historically, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, says that “Florida’s phosphate industry is the worst environmental hazard in the state.”
Why did Florida’s elected officials “allow” phosphate industry officials to build a phosphate plant in the best environmentally critical ecosystems on Florida’s west coast? This area generates billions of dollars annually from tourism alone. Unfortunately, phosphate industry officials are not savvy about the environment and continue to pollute the Riverview area along with Tampa Bay and the Alafia River basin.
Historically, the Riverview Phosphate Plant is the site of many of the industry’s worst environmental catastrophes. Unfortunately, the Riverview phosphate plant is one of the largest in Florida with a phosphogypsum pile over two hundred feet high and covering about one square mile. This “stack” is a radioactive phosphogypsum pit filled with toxic acidic sludge. Billions of gallons of lethal sludge fill the sink where sulfuric acid and other deadly liquids accumulate. The large surface area of the pit produces a poisonous sulfuric acid aerosol that contaminates the air in and around the plant all the time, “day after day.” Poisons are carried as far as the wind will allow, sometimes for miles.
Why would Florida’s elected officials allow this type of industrial environmental damage to continue to occur in such a critical ecosystem with environmental problems? For the record, phosphate industry officials donate millions of dollars annually to “hit” both political parties in Florida, this is no secret.
Reference
1. European settlement | Excursion to the Alafia River Basin. – swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/watersheds/alafia/settlement.
2. The Alafia River State Park Bridges, Florida | -singletracks.com/blog/mtb-trails/the-bridges-of-alafia-river-state-park-florida/