Cypress Springs 1-8-05 & Morrison Spring 1-9-05 Dive Reports

[Tom Winters]

Hey, if all you have to do is rent a canoe to dive this place, why bother going any further? The family's problems weren't with the state of Florida - it was with with the Washington county commisioners. The guy who developed the spring - I can't remember his name either - built the berm to divert the Cypress or Holmes Creek tributary around the source of the spring when it was just another mudhole.
And right from the start, they had problems with the county about every little detail from public access, the campsites, the canoe livery - someone up there did not want a business there.
When it looked like he was going nowhere with the the Cypress operation, he was making plans to open Becton Spring, but it sounds like that went nowhere as well.
The water bottling plan went belly-up too, and that was THE purest water I have ever seen.
There's something strange up there in that little neck of the woods - I mentioned Vernon (nearest town) and Cypress to a friend of my wife's who lives up in Miller Crossroads and works in the ER at the hospital in Chipley. Her eyes just rolled over in her head as she said that you just wouldn't believe some of the stories about things that town!
Maybe there is something in the water there...

 

[jviehe]

Hey, if all you have to do is rent a canoe to dive this place, why bother going any further? The family's problems weren't with the state of Florida - it was with with the Washington county commisioners. The guy who developed the spring - I can't remember his name either - built the berm to divert the Cypress or Holmes Creek tributary around the source of the spring when it was just another mudhole.
And right from the start, they had problems with the county about every little detail from public access, the campsites, the canoe livery - someone up there did not want a business there.
When it looked like he was going nowhere with the the Cypress operation, he was making plans to open Becton Spring, but it sounds like that went nowhere as well.
The water bottling plan went belly-up too, and that was THE purest water I have ever seen.
There's something strange up there in that little neck of the woods - I mentioned Vernon (nearest town) and Cypress to a friend of my wife's who lives up in Miller Crossroads and works in the ER at the hospital in Chipley. Her eyes just rolled over in her head as she said that you just wouldn't believe some of the stories about things that town!
Maybe there is something in the water there...

Why rent a canoe when you can access by land? I bet he has legal issues in regards to providing free access to the land, but it would be interesting to see if he'd be willing to grant some access, since he is no longer running it commercialy. We dont need facilities.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Land access is easier, but if we can't get it, I won't be complaining about a 20min trip upstream - its not that bad really. I'd be willing to pay a bit of money to make it worth his while, as long as it didn't exceed the canoe rental pricing.

 

[darcy]

Maybe the owner didn't offer to give somebody's brother's cousin enough of a payoff to run his little operation. The stuff that goes on in those little towns...sometimes I feel like Panama City isn't much different.

Also don't forget if you rent a canoe from Vortex you have to have a way to get it from Vortex to the boat ramp to launch it. If they livery the canoe for you its $100. YIKES!

A short drive to Ocala and I can have one for $195 or less!

 

[eanxgirl]

Also don't forget if you rent a canoe from Vortex you have to have a way to get it from Vortex to the boat ramp to launch it. If they livery the canoe for you its $100. YIKES!

Yeah, Darcy, one of us needs to invest in a real dive vehicle--I'll put it on my list after a dry suit and a trimix computer, and, and...

Is Vortex even willing to drop divers at the other boat launch or are they committed to Vernon? It didn't seem like they had a lot of flexibility a couple of weeks ago.

Sounds like y'all had a great trip--I can't wait to go again myself, so anyone who's planning to go please post.

 

[paulwall]

Which you may or may not have seen already

http://www.tfn.net/Springs/

I'll likely be in the PC area 2/11-13, and in the P'cola area 3/19-20, if someone is interested in inshore or offshore diving.

Paul

 

[Tom Smedley]

The folks who developed Cypress Springs were Harold and Linda Vickers. They ran the operation with their children Heather and James. There was one person who didn't care for the fact that he couldn't drive his boat into the springs anytime he wanted. The family evidently actually lived in Bay County but had some roots or pull in Washington County.

To establish the politics of the whole thing. Harold and Linda were from Dothan and bought the property as adults. They lived there for 20 some odd years but "Were not from there." if you understand that concept. Harold refused to suck up to the Washington County Boss Hogs.

Washington County Florida is governed under the "Good Old Boy" system which means "he who greaseth my pockets the most wins." These folks would come to the springs on weekends and harrass the swimmers and divers. I was there one day when he came into the spring and did donuts with his boat when the spring had about a hundred people in it. They were reported to the county officials repeatedly but GOB came into play and no charges were ever filed. I think the fine for violating a dive flag is less then $50 anyway. Luckily no one ever got hurt and as far as I know shots were never fired.

At that time, Harold had little money to fight back. Every proposal that he put before the county and state governments was shot down. He just got tired of fighting a losing battle and sold out to the water company for several million plus royalties on the water. These companies have a rep for not coming through with staying long.

Harold no longer has any hold on Cypress but he still lives at Magnolia (Beckton) Spring about a mile away (affectionately known as big ugly.) To quote Connie at Vortex, "Living well is the best revenge." And he does live well these days.

He was recently arrested for taking limestone out of Magnolia and I have not heard how that case came out. Harold has no claims or rights to Cypress except mineral and I have heard that a developer is planning to build houses there. For a fee, Harold might let you put in at his house which is a very short distance but you would have to ask him that.

 

[jviehe]

Thanks for the info. Do you have any idea who owns the land around cypress, then? Im not sure what mineral rights means.

 

[SubMariner]

The folks who developed Cypress Springs were Harold and Linda Vickers....

Thanks for the background info. Very interesting!

 

[SubMariner]

Which you may or may not have seen already

http://www.tfn.net/Springs/

Wow... thanks, Paul! You'd better believe that's been added to my Favourites!