Date: Tue, 05 Nov 1996 17:48:51 -0500 From: Greg Montgomery  Subject: Alachua Sink Diving Alachua Sink needs to be coordinated with local authorities. The drowning of a UF student initiated the deployment of the many of the City of Alachua assets for three days. Vis for the recovery was one foot or less. It was improved somewhat by the installation of a temporary dike in mill creek combined with pumping freshwater into the basin by fire trucks. An accident report was published in the usual publications. Following the recovery and general unpleasant and costly factors involved, the agreement was made to allow Abe Davis divers to dive in the company of a guide. The Alachua police must be notified prior to diving. No one on that community wants to revisit those events again. The owners of Asgrow across the street owned the property and donated it to NSS. An attempt was made a couple of years ago to install an S&S convenience store on the property between Sonny's and the sink. We protested to the county regarding installation of UST on the rim of a sinkhole and also regarding other issues such as parking lot runoff. There was no regulatory way to stop it but they changed their minds reportedly based on the size of the parcel. Now I have heard that the property on the other (south) side of the sink has been sold. A Wendy's had been proposed, but I'm not sure if that is the current plan. I will do a title search today. Jim Taylor lives near the property and may know more. I am in the process of compiling a plant list for the property. There are some unusual plants in the floodplain and on the upland rim. Plants which are south of their usual range and uncommon to the area. Conditions now I hear are favorable for diving (6-8' in the basin). Regards, Greg >On Tue, 5 Nov 1996, Ken Sallot wrote: > >> >> > What is the deal on the "Sonnys BBQ Sink". Is it >> > a local joke or an actual sink? Sort of like >> > sending the new nursing assistant down to the supply >> > room to get fallopian tubes..? >> >> I like that one about the nurse.. >> >> No, Alachua sink is a real sink. It's behind the Sonny's BBQ on 441 >> in Alachua. It's supposed to be a real nice dive. The property > >Ken, > >Isn't this the same sink that a guy was killed in doing a sneak dive at >night about three years ago. As I remember, they were only recently >certified (full cave) before this dive. Apparantly the vis sucks until you >get down a ways. I think the guy that was killed got off the line on the >way down to clear water. And yes, I thought the NSS-CDS bought this >property. Anybody know? > >Roger >