Freshwater Experience - Blog 2

As a new Florida resident I did not know much about the ecosystem and the water supply.  I had never really thought about where my water came from because it was always there.  After learning about CREW and their long-term goal I feel that this organization has performed services that will not only allow Floridians to live a nice lifestyle with water available to their convenience, but they are also keeping the natural environment for many different plants and animals.    

According to our textbook written by Margaret Robertson, “2.5 percent is freshwater… About 30.1 percent of the freshwater is available as groundwater. The water we can see – rivers, lakes, wetlands, clouds, soil moisture, plants and animals – makes up the remaining 0.4 percent of the fresh water” (p. 90). CREW has successfully preserved the 60,000-acre watershed that refuels the aquifers and provides Floridians water at their doorsteps.  One thing I noticed the most was how important it is to preserve these grounds.  When the video showed the aerial shot of the 60,000 acres it puts everything into perspective of how important it is to keep these ground preserved so Southwest Florida can flourish in the next thirty years. Another thing that I found very important was how these 60,000 acres have every habitat in the forest from different types of trees to black panthers and bears!

If CREW didn’t preserve the 60,000 acres of land then there would be a depletion of aquifers that could cause different animals to become endangered or even extinct.  According to Margaret Robertson, “Depletion of aquifers is another threat to biodiversity. Plants, animals, and other organisms in lakes, rivers, and underground water systems have evolved to suit the particular ecosystems where they live… [if] those ecosystems change and the organisms in them face local extinctions” (p. 93).  What I noticed was how important water truly is for CREW’s mission but as well as for us citizens to follow.  We wouldn’t be able to exist comfortably the way we do if CREW wasn’t preserved.