Spring in the city? The plan to return nature to a hidden treasure along Bayshore Boulevard

There's water all around us that most of us don't even notice. 

"We have more springs in the state of Florida than anywhere else in North America," said Tom Ries, the president of Ecosphere Restoration Institute. 

The backstory:

Ries has designed and built environmental restoration projects across the area, including the restoration of a hidden spring near Ulele and Armature Works in Tampa Heights. 

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"Natural sloping ground with native plants all around it and crystal-clear water," Ries said. 

That spring now feeds fresh water into the Hillsborough River and Bay, which Ries said will bring more fish and manatees to the area.

What's next:

Now, Ries wants to restore another hidden spring along Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa. The spring is in Fred Ball Park, named for a county commissioner who donated the land for the park decades ago. It's called Palma Ceia Spring. 

Ries said the spring was an important resource and many visited the spring. Old pictures show a huge pool around the spring, which has a constant flow of 72-degree fresh water.

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"A lot of people came here for medicinal purposes and the benefits of a spring," said Ries. 

The spring was big in both size and importance to the community, but Ries said the spring shrunk over the years, the pool grew smaller and more concrete was installed around it.  

"I think we can do something better than that," said Ries. "Let's take out the concrete. Let's make it big like it used to be and put native plants in it to filter the water before it flows into the bay."

Why you should care:

With all the new buildings and new people around our area, what would the return of an old spring mean? A spring was important a century ago. Maybe, it will be important again. 

Ries got a grant from the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission to design the project. He said he will seek a construction grant later this year.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Lloyd Sowers, who interviewed the president of Ecosphere Restoration Institute. 

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