Combined NSS-CDS Property Management Plan

Property Management

The National Speleological Society Cave Diving Section (NSS-CDS) shall be the sole management authority for all properties in this plan.  A current NSS-CDS board member shall be designated to coordinate the administration of all managed property-related activities.  Management and operation of each property are delegated to a specific Site Property Manager who is directly responsible to the NSS-CDS Board of Directors to ensure the requirements of this plan are adhered to at all times by divers accessing the site.  Each Site Property Manager shall submit a quarterly report on diving activities to the NSS-CDS through the NSS-CDS Property Management Director designee.  The current NSS-CDS Property Management Director and Site Property Managers are listed on the NSS-CDS website (https://nsscds.org/staff).

NSS-CDS Managed Properties

There are four properties, Cow Springs, Edwards Springs, Mill Creek Sink, and School Sink, owned and/or managed by the NSS-CDS under the provisions of this combined management plan. These sites are for use solely by members of the NSS-CDS and serve various purposes including conservation of very fragile sites and training support of section members. Each site is unique and requires different management principles to deal with diversity adequately. Accordingly, each site is listed along with site-specific rules that supersede the general rules and regulations that follow and shall otherwise apply.

Cow Springs:

The NSS-CDS owns Cow Springs and maintains exclusive access for NSS-CDS members. The upstream entrance to Cow Springs has a major restriction requiring moderate body and equipment manipulation to pass through a roughly vertical to horizontal transition at about 40 ft of depth.
The current flow is typically quite high, requiring a pull rope to be permanently installed in the front section of the cave. Visibility is typically very good, with depths in the 90-110 ft range. The upstream section is quite delicate and is considered an advanced cave dive. Divers MUST ensure
their buoyancy control is excellent before entering this system. It contains spectacular clay banks and delicate goethite formations throughout that are easily damaged and challenging high flow and additional restrictions beyond the entrance.

The following rules apply to the upstream section of Cow Springs:

  1. Divers shall be a member of the NSS-CDS or CDS
  2. Full Cave Certification with Abe Davis Award or equivalent
  3. Divers shall possess DAN diving accident insurance or equivalent
  4. Divers shall sign an NSS-CDS liability waiver on the day of diving
  5. DPV use is prohibited
  6. Only advanced sidemount training may be conducted by NSS-CDS Instructors for students meeting all other requirements. All other training is prohibited in the upstream section.

The Downstream section of Cow Springs is shallow, in the 30 ft range, and fairly wide open with
roughly 450 ft of penetration possible with no significant difficult areas.

The following rules apply to the downstream section of Cow Springs:

  1. Divers shall be a member of the NSS-CDS or CDS
  2. Full Cave Certification with Abe Davis Award or equivalent
  3. Divers shall be trained and certified at Cavern Diver or equivalent certification
  4. Divers shall possess DAN diving accident insurance or equivalent
  5. Divers shall sign an NSS-CDS liability waiver on the day of diving
  6. DPV use is prohibited
  7. All levels of Cavern and Cave Diver training may be conducted by NSS-CDS Instructors for
    students meeting all other requirements.

Edward’s Spring Management Plan:

Edward’s Spring is a river cave in the northwest corner of Suwannee County, which is adjacent to Hwy 90. Known initially as Roaring Springs. During the Civil War era, a Confederate Army Post was located adjacent to it. I was able to locate a marvelous memoir by Clothilde O’Hara Mainer titled Yesterday in Old Columbus. It details the area’s history and even touches on the steamboat wreckage at Troy Springs! Edward’s is also known as Ellaville Spring. Sheck Exley gave it its current name in honor of his deceased brother, Edward.

Spring Conditions

Edward’s Spring is deep, averaging 120 ft/36m, with high flow and dark, soft walls and ceilings, making debris percolation a diving consideration. This advanced dive should be done initially with someone familiar with the system. (See proposed requirements below). It has been surveyed to 33,553 ft /10227m (and growing). Sheck Exley, Lamar Hires, Bill Rennaker, Adam Hughes, Tom “TJ” Johnson, Steve Dalcher, and many others have explored this unique system. Divers can cross two rivers and three counties while completing a traverse to the Suwanacoochee. Currently, diving in the Suwanacoochee Spring is restricted. The CDS is exploring options to allow for emergency egress to the Suwanacoochee from Edward’s Spring.

Spring Access

The CDS has been working with the landowner to facilitate safe access for members. We have conducted a volunteer work day to clear away debris from the hurricanes of 2024 and have begun building steps and platforms.  As of today, no diving is permitted, but we anticipate opening in March 2025. Tom (TJ) Johnson has assumed the duties of Property Manager for Edward’s Spring. Contact TJ if you have questions.

Dive Requirements

The CDS is developing guidelines for safe diver access. We anticipate that these will include:

  1. CDS membership
  2. Full Cave Certification with Abe Davis Award or equivalent
  3. Trimix certification and use while diving this cave
  4. Initial dives to be done with someone who knows the system

School Sink (Wayne’s World) Management Plan:

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
School Sink (formerly Wayne’s World), located near the coast in Hudson, Florida, is a tidally
influenced cave that connects to the Beacon Woods Cave System. It typically has low visibility with
depths ranging to 170’ and flow varies significantly due to tidal influences. Water in the sink and the
cave system is brackish with saltwater intruding into the system through a deep saltwater tunnel. A
typical passage is approximately 90 to 110 ft deep with thick reddish-brown silt on the floor. Visibility
is usually 2 to 5 ft due to tannic conditions, but on occasion, may go upwards of 20 to 30 ft. At
depths shallower than 90 ft, the system is characterized as a sponge work cave with porous walls
that looks like Swiss Cheese. Below 90 ft, the limestone becomes dense and the system is an
anastomotic cave, consisting of arrays of intersecting curvilinear tubes that form closed loops.
Accordingly, School Sink is considered a very advanced cave dive.

MANAGEMENT
School Sink is owned by the NSS-CDS and maintains exclusive access for NSS-CDS members. The
School Sink property manager shall retain day-to-day site management activities and reports to the
CDS quarterly as to all site activity. All diving practices shall be reviewed and approved by the
NSS-CDS Board of Directors.

ACCESS POLICY
The extremely poor visibility and depths in the system makes School Sink an advanced dive. All
divers who elect to dive School Sink, do so on a voluntary basis. No training dives are allowed.
Commercial diving is not allowed. No fees may be charged for access to the site by anyone,
including authorized guides. Access to the cave system shall only be permitted within the framework
of the School Sink Access Policy.

ELIGIBILITY TO DIVE
Divers may be granted access to dive School Sink under the following policies:
1. Divers shall be a member of the NSS-CDS or CDS.
2. Divers shall be “Full Cave Diver” certified.
3. Divers shall show proof of the Abe Davis Award, or equivalent experience.
4. If dives are to be conducted deeper than 100 ffw, guest divers shall be certified to utilize
breathing gases appropriate for the plan.
5. Divers shall have DAN diving accident insurance or equivalent.
6. Divers shall sign an NSS-CDS liability waiver on the day of diving.
7. Divers shall be accompanied on the dive by a School Sink Guide.
8. Divers shall be limited to dive teams of one guide and two guest divers.

SCHOOL SINK OBSERVERS

RESPONSIBILITIES OF OBSERVERS

All visitors shall execute an NSS-CDS Liability Release prior to entering the site. The observer shall submit the signed liability releases to the chairman for filing within one week after the dive. Observers shall notify the chairman of intended activities prior to visiting the system. It is the observer’s responsibility to determine safe site conditions prior to visitation. The observer has the final decision to allow a particular dive to continue and may stop the dive at any time for any reason.

All School Sink Observers are volunteers approved by the School Sink chairman based upon their experience with School Sink. At a minimum, a candidate seeking to be a volunteer observer shall have completed 10 dives in the system with two different observers. Observers shall be certified to utilize breathing gas mixtures appropriate for depths beyond 130 FFW per NSS-CDS Standards and Procedures. All observers shall have DAN diving accident insurance or equivalent. Additionally, they shall meet the following requirements:

a. Have a current, signed NSS-CDS release prior to diving.
b. Have current CPR training.

NUMBER OF OBSERVERS

The number of observers may fluctuate depending on the activity and availability of the individual observers.

APPROVED VOLUNTEER OBSERVERS

As of September 14, 2020, the following individuals are approved as School Sink Observers and may take guest divers.

Bob Beckner –  Paul Heinerth –  Colt Smith  –  Matt Vinzant  –  Kathleen Seide  – Tracy Neisent  

Mill Creek (Alachua) Sink:

Mill Creek Sink is managed for the NSS by its Cave Diving Section, the offset sink being the only known window to the underground Alachua System.  The surface stream system is dissected by more than ten swallow holes, which divert water underground, draining a basin of over 70 square miles.  Sink visibility can vary dramatically from the cave visibility as tannins tend to wash into the sink during rainy periods, reducing visibility considerably.  Extremely delicate flow formations pervade the system.  Fine scalloped sheets of limestone are easily damaged, and divers must be highly proficient in buoyancy control and positional awareness to ensure NO contact with any of these spectacular formations.   Mill Creek Sink is an advanced cave dive both upstream and downstream, with significant siphon flow in the downstream section with depths in both directions exceeding 200 feet and shallow sections within the cave that provide potential decompression ceilings.  Due to the nature and extreme complexity of the underwater cave system, access is permitted only to the highest qualified cave divers, and absolutely no training is allowed.

The current Mill Creek Management Plan can be found at the NSS website, https://legacy.caves.org/preserves/ascp/mcsp-mp.shtml.

The following individuals have been approved as guides for Mill Creek (Alachua) Sink:

General Diver Requirements

Access to NSS-CDS owned or managed sites is strictly limited to current NSS-CDS members.  These sites are fragile and quite diverse; consequently divers must always use the very best technique, realizing that they have a personal responsibility to the preservation of the cave and to the community of fellow cave divers.  Each individual must selflessly evaluate their personal skills prior to diving all sites to ensure these systems remain as beautiful and awe-inspiring to the future generation as they are today.

Except as otherwise specified in the site-specific rules, All divers shall meet all of the following general requirements and qualifications:

  1. Shall be trained and certified at Cave Diver or equivalent certification.
  2. Must show proof of completion of 100 cave dives after the completion of Cave Diver training.
  3. Gases breathed shall be appropriate for the depth of the site and the Diver shall be properly certified to use those gases.
  4. When Diver Propulsion Vehicles (DPV’s) are permitted per site-specific rules, the diver must possess a DPV specialty card or show proof of prior experience and have logged at least 5 swim dives at that site before a DPV may be used in that system.
  5. Shall possess DAN Standard Plan diving accident insurance or equivalent.

Except as otherwise specified in the site-specific rules, all divers shall follow all of the following rules and regulations:

  1. Diving is at your own risk.
  2. Shall not dive for training purposes.
  3. No fees, including travel and incidental expenses, may be charged for any reason at any NSS-CDS owned or managed site.
  4. A completed waiver is required for each diving day for each site dived even if a waiver was completed the day before. The waiver shall be given to the Site Property Manager or designee prior to commencing the dive.
  5. At guided sites, complete a Cave Observation Form and give the form to the Property Manager or designee within one (1) week of the dive.
  6. Keep all gates locked while diving and ensure they are locked upon leaving to prevent unauthorized access.
  7. Parking is allowed in designated areas only.
  8. No camping is allowed at any property without prior NSS-CDS BoD approval.
  9. Immediately report any vandalism to the Site Property Manager, NSS-CDS Director responsible for the properties, or NSS-CDS Board of Directors.
  10. Immediately report any trespassers to the local Sheriff’s Department and the Site Property Manager.
  11. No individual or individuals, private or commercial, profit or not-for-profit may make or produce any survey, map, cartography, or photograph for publication without prior written permission of the NSS-CDS Board of Directors. Mapping for personal use and safety considerations is permitted.
  12. Violation of this Management Plan can lead to being barred from future site access and prosecution to the full extent allowed by law.  Appeals shall be made in writing to the Chairman of the NSS-CDS Board of Directors.

Mentored Diver Requirements

At Guided Diving Sites and as designated in the site-specific rules, the NSS-CDS may at its discretion, grant unguided access as a Mentored Diver.  Mentored Divers must adhere to and meet all Diver requirements and qualifications and in addition, must meet the following more stringent requirements:

  1. Divers must log a minimum of 6 dives with a Guide.  Exceptions to this may be granted at the discretion of the Site Property Manager and Guide Committee.
  2. Divers shall demonstrate familiarity with the site’s cave system and surface protocols.
  3. Mentored Divers shall be approved by the Site Property Manager and Guide Committee which, at their discretion, may assign a current Guide to act as Dive Coordinator for continued mentorship or revoke Mentored Diver privileges for any reason.
  4. Mentored Divers shall appropriately submit completed NSS-CDS waivers each day, prior to commencing any dives.
  5. Mentored Divers are permitted to dive only with other qualified Mentored Divers and/or a current site Guide.

Research and Science Diver Requirements

At Guided Diving Sites and as designated in the site-specific rules, the NSS-CDS may at its discretion, grant unencumbered access as volunteer Research and Scientific Divers.  Research and Science Divers must adhere to and meet all Diver requirements and qualifications and in addition, must meet the following more stringent requirements:

  1. Shall have been or presently serve as a Guide for the site.
  2. Shall apply and receive approval for the Project through the NSS-CDS Board of Directors.
  3. Unless on the current NSS-CDS Guides list for that site, Research and Science Divers shall not lead Guided Dives, but may elect to form dive teams of other Research/Scientific Divers as their assistants.  Research and Science Teams are not subject to dive team limits except as otherwise provided.
  4. For administrative purposes, the Site Property Manager may appoint a Research and Science Diver or a separate Guide to act as Project Liaison to the NSS-CDS.
  5. A completed NSS-CDS waiver shall be given to the Site Property Manager or designated Project Liason prior to commencing the dive.
  6. Fill out a post-dive report indicating appropriate Research and Scientific observations.

Guide Diver Requirements

Per site-specific rules, the NSS-CDS may at its discretion, designate a site as a Guided Diving site.   Each site shall have a Guides Committee, chaired by the Site Property Manager, and shall assist in managing the site.  Guides shall be appointed with the concurrence of the Site Property Manager and the Guides Committee.  The current Guides are listed on the NSS-CDS website (https://nsscds.org) and are considered NSS-CDS volunteers.  Guides shall adhere to and meet all Diver requirements and qualifications and in addition, must meet the following more stringent requirements:

  1. Maintain current CPR training.
  2. Maintain DAN Master Plan level or equivalent diving insurance.
  3. Shall have completed a minimum of 10 dives within the system with two different and current guides.

Dive teams are limited to one (1) Guide and two (2) Divers.  Guide responsibilities include:

  1. Review the credentials of all Divers to ensure they meet minimum requirements.
  2. Ensure all Divers are familiarized with the cave system and its unique features and hazards.
  3. Ensure all Divers complete and sign an NSS-CDS waiver form prior to diving and place all completed forms in the site lockbox.
  4. The guide has the final decision to allow a particular guided or unguided dive to take place or to call a dive at any time for any reason.
  5. Fill out a post-dive report indicating appropriate Research and Scientific observations.

End of Combined NSS-CDS Property Management Plan