1. Wakulla Springs Alliance Dye Studies
Sean McGlynn, McGlynn Labs, LLC, Principal Investigator
Robert Deyle, Project Manager
Funded by grant PFS from the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida

2. Methods Dye used: 100 lbs of ~20% liquid rhodamine WT dye
Sampling and analysis
In situ sample readings every 10 minutes with Hydrolab MS5 sondes equipped with rhodamine WT submersible fluorimeter sensors
Factory-calibrated Turner Designs Cyclops-7 submersible fluorimeters with detection range of 0.01 to 1,000 μg/L (ppb) – swapped out weekly
Sensors placed about a month before expected arrival of dye
Discrete grab samples were measured for background fluorescence weekly for another two months prior to deploying the sensors in the field
All grab sample background levels were below detection limit
Dye used: We chose a dye, rhodamine WT, that is never used by the Florida Geological Survey (FGS) and has only been used by McGlynn Laboratories Inc. in the Wakulla Springshed, most recently in For each of the dye studies we injected 100 lbs of approximately 20% liquid rhodamine WT dye from Abbey Color Inc.
Sampling and analysis:
In situ sample readings were collected with Hydrolab MS5 multi-parameter water quality sondes equipped with rhodamine WT submersible fluorimeter sensors designed for either profiling or unattended monitoring (figure 4.10.A).
The rhodamine WT sensor is a modified Turner Designs Cyclops-7 submersible fluorimeter (figure 4.10.B) with sensitivities as low as 0.01 μg/L (ppb) and capable of detecting concentrations as high as 1,000 μg/L (ppb).
Dye concentrations were measured continuously every 10 minutes.
The fluorimeters in the sondes were swapped out at weekly intervals with fully charged and calibrated devices and their data downloaded to a laptop computer.
Sensors were placed in the field about a month before the expected arrival of the dye and discrete grab samples were measured for background fluorescence weekly for another two months prior to deploying the sensors in the field. Two-liter grab water samples were collected according to Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) protocol and analyzed with the rhodamine fluorimeter.

3. Wakulla Spring Sonde Fluorometer Results
Lake Jackson
Upper Lake Lafayette 1
Upper Lake Lafayette 2
Lake Iamonia
Dye Injection Site
Porter Hole sink
Fallschase sink
Iamonia sink 
Date of Dye Injection
9/19/17
1/19/17
4/9/18
7/16/18
Date In
9/21/17
4/12/18
7/5/18 
Initial Detection Date
10/24/17
2/23/17
4/16/18
7/31/18
Maximum Concentration (μg/L)
6.31
0.24
5.00
~14.5
Transit Time
35 days
7 days
15 days
Second pulse
n/a
5/9/18
8/5/18
123.88
0.7
30 days
20 days

4. Wakulla Spring Sonde Fluorometer Results
Lake Jackson
Upper Lake Lafayette 1
Upper Lake Lafayette 2
Lake Iamonia
Dye Injection Site
Porter Hole sink
Fallschase sink
Iamonia sink 
Date of Dye Injection
9/19/17
1/19/17
4/9/18
7/16/18
Date In
9/21/17
4/12/18
7/5/18 
Initial Detection Date
10/24/17
2/23/17
4/16/18
7/31/18
Maximum Concentration (μg/L)
6.31
0.24
5.00
~14.5
Transit Time
35 days
7 days
15 days
Second pulse
n/a
5/9/18
8/5/18
123.88
0.7
30 days
20 days

5. Lake Jackson Porter Hole Sink Injection Site

6. Wakulla Spring Dye Detection 9/29/17 - 11/07/17: Lake Jackson Dye Study
Injection Date
9/19/17
Date In
9/21/17
Initial Detection Date
10/24/17
Maximum Concentration (μg/L)
6.31
Transit Time
35 days

7. Wakulla Spring Dye Detection 10/24/17: Lake Jackson Dye Study
Injection Date
9/19/17
Date In
9/21/17
Initial Detection Date
10/24/17
Maximum Concentration (μg/L)
6.31
Transit Time
35 days

8. Sally Ward Spring Dye Detection 10/12/17 - 10/22/17: Lake Jackson Dye Study
Injection Date
9/19/17
Date In
10/04/17
Initial Detection Date
10/20/17
Maximum Concentration (μg/L)
3.25
Transit Time
31 days

9. Wakulla Spring Sonde Fluorometer Results
Lake Jackson
Upper Lake Lafayette 1
Upper Lake Lafayette 2
Lake Iamonia
Dye Injection Site
Porter Hole sink
Fallschase sink
Iamonia sink 
Date of Dye Injection
9/19/17
1/19/17
4/9/18
7/16/18
Date In
9/21/17
4/12/18
7/5/18 
Initial Detection Date
10/24/17
2/23/17
4/16/18
7/31/18
Maximum Concentration (μg/L)
6.31
0.24
5.00
~14.5
Transit Time
35 days
7 days
15 days
Second pulse
n/a
5/9/18
8/5/18
123.88
0.7
30 days
20 days

10. Upper Lake Lafayette Fallschase Sink Injection Site

11. Wakulla Spring Dye Detection 1/26/17 - 2/23/17: ULL Dye Study #1
Injection Date
1/19/17
Date In
Initial Detection Date
2/23/17
Maximum Concentration (μg/L)
0.24
Transit Time
35 days

12. Wakulla Spring Sonde Fluorometer Results
Lake Jackson
Upper Lake Lafayette 1
Upper Lake Lafayette 2
Lake Iamonia
Dye Injection Site
Porter Hole sink
Fallschase sink
Iamonia sink 
Date of Dye Injection
9/19/17
1/19/17
4/9/18
7/16/18
Date In
9/21/17
4/12/18
7/5/18 
Initial Detection Date
10/24/17
2/23/17
4/16/18
7/31/18
Maximum Concentration (μg/L)
6.31
0.24
5.00
~14.5
Transit Time
35 days
7 days
15 days
Second pulse
n/a
5/9/18
8/5/18
123.88
0.7
30 days
20 days

13. Wakulla Spring Dye Detection 4/12/18 - 6/4/18: ULL Dye Study #2 Initial Pulse
Injection Date
4/9/18
Date In
4/12/18
Initial Detection Date
4/16/18
Maximum Concentration (μg/L)
5.00
Transit Time
7 days
In the second ULL dye study, the Wakulla sonde fluorimeter recorded multiple dye peaks:
an initial pulse (0.59 μg/L) appeared on 4/16/18, only 7 days after injection and peaked at about 5.0 μg/L after 11 days on 4/20/18
CLICK for next slide

14. Wakulla Spring Dye Detection 4/12/18 - 6/4/18: ULL Dye Study #2 Second Pulse
Injection Date
4/9/18
Date In
4/12/18
Initial Detection Date
5/9/18
Maximum Concentration (μg/L)
123.88
Transit Time
30 days
[CLICK] A second larger pulse that peaked at μg/L followed on 5/9/18 after 30 days
[CLICK] followed by a cluster of intermediate level spikes on 5/28/18-5/31/18.

15. Buck Lake Fallschase Sink
0.25 mile
Fallschase Sink
The rapid transit of the first pulse was likely the result of an unusual situation.
On April 11, 2018, two days after dye injection at Fallschase Sink, a sinkhole opened in nearby Buck Lake and drained about 48 acre-feet of water into the aquifer.
CLICK for next slide

16. Dye backup into Upper Lake Lafayette after draining of Buck Lake, April 17, 2018
Dye that had been injected into the aquifer was pushed back into ULL the next day raising its water level about three feet.
The lake subsequently cleared 12 days later (4/23/18).
We hypothesize that the Buck Lake discharge may have quickly pushed a small amount of the dye south toward Wakulla Spring at the same time that it pushed most of the dye back into ULL

17. Sally Ward Dye Detection 4/20/18 - 4/29/18: ULL Dye Study #2
Injection Date
4/9/18
Date In
4/20/18
Initial Detection Date
Maximum Concentration (μg/L)
21.64
Transit Time
≤ 11 days
We didn’t deploy the second sonde at Sally Ward until April 20th and got an immediate hit, 3 days after the initial detection at Wakulla Spring
So the transit time may have been 11 days or less

18. Wakulla Spring Sonde Fluorometer Results
Lake Jackson
Upper Lake Lafayette 1
Upper Lake Lafayette 2
Lake Iamonia
Dye Injection Site
Porter Hole sink
Fallschase sink
Iamonia sink 
Date of Dye Injection
9/19/17
1/19/17
4/9/18
7/16/18
Date In
9/21/17
4/12/18
7/5/18 
Initial Detection Date
10/24/17
2/23/17
4/16/18
7/31/18
Maximum Concentration (μg/L)
6.31
0.24
5.00
~14.5
Transit Time
35 days
7 days
15 days
Second pulse
n/a
5/9/18
8/5/18
123.88
0.7
30 days
20 days

19. Lake Iamonia

20. Iamonia Sink

21. Wakulla Spring Dye Detection 7/26/18 - 8/9/18: Lake Iamonia Dye Study
Injection Date
7/16/18
Date In
7/5/18
Initial Detection Date
7/27/18
Maximum Concentration (μg/L)
~14.50
Transit Time
11 days
What about the spike on 7/27/18 see 9/24/19 to Sean.

22. Sally Ward Dye Detection 7/18/18 - 8/7/18: Lake Iamonia Dye Study
Injection Date
7/16/18
Date In
???
Initial Detection Date
7/21/18
Maximum Concentration (μg/L)
0.02
Transit Time
5 days

23. Sally Ward Dye Detection 8/9/18 - 8/24/18: Lake Iamonia Dye Study: Second Pulse
Injection Date
7/16/18
Date In
7/18/18
Initial Detection Date
8/22/18
Maximum Concentration (μg/L)
~2.75
Transit Time
35 days

24. A closer look at the caves mapped by the WKPP and a zoom into the tunnels feeding into Wakulla Spring