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The Santa Fe River is a cypress-lined, tea-colored waterway in north Florida. The source of the river is Lake Santa Fe on the eastern edge of Alachua County. It then flows west for nearly 100 miles before joining the Suwannee River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. On its way to the Suwannee, the Santa Fe passes several artesian springs that contribute hundreds of millions of gallons of fresh water to the river. At one point the river itself flows underground, joining the same aquifer as the springs that feed it. A few miles “down river” the Santa Fe emerges to become an above-ground river again. This place is known as the River Rise.
In all of Florida, few places are as tranquil and inviting as the Santa Fe. There are no dams on the Santa Fe. Few powerboats use the river. It’s quiet and there is hardly any development except for stretches with homes. Even where people live along the bank, the environment blends with the structures. There are several spots where the local water management district sets aside land for preservation. The state and county manages some of the land as preserves or parks. And many of the springs are kept relatively natural and managed for their recreational value.
The Santa Fe has changed very little over the years, and that’s the way that most people in north Florida would like to see it continue. However, a new global trend is threatening to put unbearable pressure on this ecosystem, and on the communities that live there. This threat is one of biggest hoaxes being played on the American people. It is the threat of bottling water.
Dubbed a “green” industry because it doesn’t create any pollutants as a byproduct of the process, bottling water is in reality anything but environmentally friendly. Manufacturers of bottled water take advantage of unaware consumers who fear their tap water is unsafe to drink. This is largely not so. The vast majority of drinking water in America is relatively safe to consume. The true reason for corporations' interest in the bottled water industry is the huge profit potential. Water costs the consumer more than a gallon of gasoline. The far more cost-effective way of consuming clean water is to purchase a filter for your faucet at home and drink from the tap. Bottled water is also one of the least regulated industries in the county. Not only is there no legitimate oversight regulating the amount of water a bottling plant removes from the ground, there is no legitimate oversight governing the quality of water being put into the bottle.
Perhaps most alarmingly is the waste generated from the consumption of bottled water. Hundreds of millions of plastic bottles are discarded each year, ending up in a landfill or in our oceans. Consider the fossil fuels needed to transport a billion bottles of water across the country and the world. It is one thing to produce bottled water for emergency situations such as natural disasters or for people around the world who don’t have clean water. To exploit the commodification of water, to turn something that is necessary to sustain life into a profit-making venture, is immoral and dangerous.
The Santa Fe River watershed is facing an influx of water bottling plant proposals. The river already has one water bottling plant, withdrawing more than a million gallons per day. There are four more plants being proposed, all within a few miles of each other. The majority of the residents who live along the Santa Fe question the safety issues posed by semi trucks, the pollution, the impact on the environment and the simple morality of the industry itself.
Eric Zamora has lived his entire life within a few miles of Santa Fe River. Its dark water, quiet woods, and crystal springs are known well by him, and he’s not going to let them be degraded without a fight. Eric has attended local governmental meetings and coordinated with the Our Santa Fe River conservation group to oppose the water bottling plants. More importantly, Eric spends as much time as possible exploring the river and its surrounding forest, capturing the natural beauty with his camera. His goal is to show people how beautiful, and rare, the Santa Fe River is, and that more than just people call this place home. Rare animals and plants also reside here. Protecting the river just the way it is, is the best ingredient for economic security for the region.
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with the file name of the image (seen in the caption box as you mouse-over each image). Each print is of the highest archival quality. We do not offer framing or matting services. Eric initials each print in the lower right corner.
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