Evening star., 1938-03-18
FLORIDA CANAL HIT
BY WATER SURVEY
New Report Claims Truck
Crops Would Be Injured
by Waterway.

The controversial Florida ship
canal project is being discussed again
in Government circles, as result of
report by members of the United
States Geological Survey, indicating
that construction of the projected sea-
level waterway across Northern Flor
ida would cause heavy damage to the
great truck-gardening industry of the
Gator State"
A paper, published in the last issue
Of the bulletin of the Society of Eco
nOmic Biologists by D. G. Thompson,
O. E. Meinzer and " T. Stringfield,
water-supply experts of the survey,
challenges statements in an earlier
geological report which has been a
basis for claims by Army engineers
that the canal would have no ill ef-
fectS.
Publication OF the paper was au-
thorized by w. c. Mendenhall, survey
director, and it's conclusions are
backed hole-heartedly by biologists
IN the organization, they indicated
yesterday.
Clalmed water Unaffected.
The earlier report was prepared
by Sidney Paige. formerly metals
and oil expert on the survey, at the
request of Army engineers 1t was
published in 1896 in the Economic
Geology bulletin.
Mr.. Paige had stated in his report
that artesian water supplying wide
areas in Citrus, Marion and Seminole
Counties, would not be affected by
construction of the canal, because:
!. Water supplying those areas flows
In underground beds from a high
pressure area to the south and not
from the north, where the canal would
b. cut, and that therefore:
2. The artesian pressure would be
lowered only within q strip of a few
miles on either side OF the canal and
would not affect the above areas.
which lie from 20 to so miles aWay.
Paige's Claims Denied.
Messrs. Thompson, Meinzer and
etrinRfield deny this.
They point out:
l. The source of water supplying
the areas lies where limestone is found
st the surface in the area to be ira
Versed by the canal and is carried
southeast and southwest by the sea-
ward slope underground Of these
water-bearing beds.
J. That, in order for water to flow
north in the same limestone (Which
the major artesian water bearing
oed Tor the entire peninsula), it would
nave to flow uphill or horizontally.
3. That, because water which nor
mally flows to these areas would be
diverted into the canal where it was
cut through the limestone beds near
the surface. artesian pressure would
ne lowered so that salt water-alreadv
present IN some wells-would encroach
from the sea and make the supply too
salty for use.
Celery Growers Interested.
A major point in the area affect
eo' Inc three men point out, would be
SANFORD, in Seminole County, where
lies a multi-million dollar celerv-
growing industry. Water there is al
ready so salt-laden that a delicate soil
balance is maintained. Any increase
IN salt content would cause untold
damage to the artesian- irrigated ce.-
cry fields.
Commercial interests, which would
BE- benefited by construction of the
canal, naturally have favored the
project while farming interests de-
pendent on the artesian supply have
bitterly opposed it.
The canal as planned would stretch
1875 miles from the Atlantic to the
Gulf OF Mexico. It would call for
deepening of the st. Johns River
southwark from Jacksonville to Pa
latka. and of the Oklawah River. a
tributary. westward to a point near
ocala. Thence it would strike over
land for a distance of about 30 miles
10 Dunnellon and down the Withla-
coochee River to Inglis on the west
coast.