Ulele Spring 2.0

When Ulele Spring was "re-discovered" next to the Tampa's old Water Works in 2006, Tom Ries had to see it for himself. Hacking through dense growth that had gone unchecked for years, Tom discovered the spring boil just feet off North Highland Avenue near the heavy traffic of I-275. The spring dropped into a lower pool full of lily pads that surrounded a small island of palm trees and then the water disappeared. Marching in a straight line from where the run ended to the Hillsborough River, Tom found a pipe where the outflow entered the river. He looked down at the river, and he saw a manatee looking up, drawn by the crisp, clear water flowing from the spring. And that's when Tom started working on a plan to restore the spring, located within shouting distance of downtown Tampa.

It's ironic that I would get to re-visit Ulele Spring the same week as the Florida legislature decides on the future of the Florida Springs and Aquifer Protection Act. While lawmakers in our state capitol sat idle allowing the health of our springs to decline, Tom Ries got busy saving a spring. His ambitious plan required cobbling together a half dozen grants in order to make it happen. The restored spring is positioned between a new restaurant in the old Water Works building and a brand new city park, marking the terminus of a Riverwalk that stretches more than two miles to the Tampa Bay History Center. The invasive undergrowth has been removed and replanted with native foliage, and the passage to the river will be opened up, creating a new basin that should be large enough for wintering manatees. Two bridges over the spring run will connect Tampa's new Water Works Park and the restaurant site. A statue commissioned by the restaurant's owner will immortalize the fictitious Indian maiden for the whom the spring was re-named: Ulele (it was originally called Magbee Spring.) The restaurant also bears her name, and is owned by the same group that owns Florida's legendary Columbia Restaurant.

I was able to see the spring during the construction phase because my friend and colleague John Moran had connected with Tom and he volunteered to give us a tour. It been just over a year since my first visit to the spring and I was impressed with the how much had happened in such a short period of time. The spring restoration should be done soon and the park is scheduled to be open in time for a concert on the 4th of July. Tom walked us through the site, explaining how he found another small spring on a map from 1888 and discovered it under the water works building being piped into Tampa Bay. It's now being piped into the Ulele run and it should add to the overall flow. He also explained that every year between 300,000 and 400,000 people flock to the power plant south of Tampa to see manatees in winter. If the Ulele Spring project is successful in bringing manatees to its man made basin, the park and project are guaranteed to be a favorite destination for residents of the Tampa Bay area. In my mind it's already a hit. Maybe if we can find 1,000 more motivated individuals like Tom, and they each adopt a spring, create a restoration plan, and line up funding, we can save all of our springs!

Tampa Water Works, 1918
Burgert Bros. Photography Collection
at the Tampa Hillsborough County Public Library

Al Severson and Maudie in boat at Tampa Water Works Park, 1925
Burgert Bros. Photography Collection
at the Tampa Hillsborough County Public Library

Al Severson and Maudie in boat at Tampa Water Works Park, 1925
Burgert Bros. Photography Collection
at the Tampa Hillsborough County Public Library

Elise Frank School of Art students painting at Water Works Park, 1948
Burgert Bros. Photography Collection
at the Tampa Hillsborough County Public Library

1888 map showing the original location of Ulele Spring
across the street and a second spring to the north

Looking towards the Hillsborough River

Lilies survive from the early days of Water Works Park

John Moran scouting new photo opportunities for his upcoming "Springs Eternal' book

The rocks around the spring basin were a new addition since my previous visit

John Moran and Tom Ries discuss the history of the restoration, years in the making

This will be the new basin that will hopefully attract manatees and snook

An overview with the Tampa skyline on the right and the Hillsborough River on the left

Today the spring bubbles up on the opposite side of the road from the original boil

The opposite side reads: "Prior to 1907 Ulele Spring was part of a beautiful stretch of Florida's natural habitat, an undisturbed waterway that provides Tampa's drinking water."

Tampa's historic urban springs

Last weekend I created some space in my schedule for a little urban exploration in Tampa.  After a quick survey of architecture in downtown, I headed under I-275 to Ulele Springs. According to this news story, Ulele Spring, formerly known as Magbee Spring was "Tampa's first source of drinking water." Just off a brick street, between a neglected park and a utilities building, Ulele Spring gurgles out of a pipe into a short run before disappearing again. I assume the water from the spring ultimately reaches the Hillsborough River. The setting is surprisingly peaceful despite it's urban location and there is evidence that at one time the spring and the park were better groomed and landscaped. I found an article online about plans to restore the water works building into a cafe, but that apparently has not happened yet. Another article from late 2011 noted that there were plans to restore the spring as well. I hope the city proceeds with its plans, this place has great potential to be a little oasis in the shadow of the interstate.

Water cascades from the pool where the spring originates

Looking towards the water works building

This secondary pool seemed to have a little island in the middle

The flora seemed to indicate that this had been a much nicer park in the past

Next I proceeded north to Purity Springs which I only knew of because of a post in the Tampania Blog. I was familiar with the Burgert Brothers photograph of Purity Springs water trucks from research for my book. It was exciting to find this little spring. The short spring run leads right to the road before passing under the road and entering the Hillsborough River. When I was there a flock of Ibis filled the run and a few ducks noisily quacked while I snapped photos of this amazingly serene setting. Just past the spring pool, beyond the edges of the park, several hi-rise condos peered over the trees. I could hear music and voices from a celebration near the condos that was in direct contrast the beauty of the quaint scene I was beholding. The shallow pool showed no sign of a spring boil and my guess is that water entered the run from a pipe on the side. I am glad the city has preserved this little gem and hope others will stop and appreciate its beauty.

The view underwater looking down the spring run 

The spring pool looking towards the Hillsborough River

Burgert Brothers image of Purity Springs trucks loaded with spring water

In direct contrast to this idyllic scene was nearby Sulphur Springs. I was quite familiar with the imagery of the springs' earlier incarnation as a resort and spa. In addition to Burgert Bros images, there are many postcards showing 1920s patrons strolling along its banks, taking the waters, and climbing the tower of the enormous high dive. I stopped first at the wonderful Gothic Revival water tower. It sits in another cute little park on the banks of the Hillsborough River. According to the excellent Tampapix website, the Sulphur Springs Resort was developed by Josiah Richardson, who, in addition to the tower, built a hotel and a commercial arcade. The tower had fallen into disrepair before being purchased by the city in 2005 and subsequently restored. The park was pretty quiet on this unseasonably hot February day with only a nearby elderly couple enjoying the views of the river through a lovely frame of palm trees and live oaks.

Vintage postcard of the Sulphur Springs water tower

Live oak along the Hillsborough River

Next was short drive down to the spring head itself, now corralled and surrounded by a fence. The spring closed to swimming in 1986 due to "high fecal coliform bacterial counts" according to this 2007 article. Next to the spring, which smelled pretty bad, is a swimming pool that was being used by a few snowbirds. The city pipes water from the springs and the building next to the spring head has enormous pipes running out of it with murals of scenes of native wildlife on the walls.

A Burgert Brothers image of Sulphur Springs

Vintage postcards of Sulphur Springs through the years (from Ebay)

I had mixed emotions seeing this historic site for the first time. The grand gazebo is being restored and the views of the river from the park are lovely. But as I struggled to find a working water fountain to quench my thirst in this spot where zillions of gallons bubbled up from the aquifer, it seemed something wasn't right. After finally finding a working faucet, I passed a father fishing with his kids on a bridge over the spring run. I asked if they were having any luck and they said no. As I got to my car and continued to explore the area, the first thing I heard on the radio was that Tampa had a boil water alert for the next 48 hours. I wondered if the drink I just took was tainted (it wasn't).

In some ways Sulphur Springs is a microcosm of what tends to happen in Florida. We find a beautiful natural resource. Someone sees it as an opportunity and develops the land to entice more people to come and enjoy this resource. In doing so the resource gets ruined. Only afterwards we recognize what was there and put up interpretive markers to pay homage to what we destroyed. In this case a manmade swimming pool sits next to the old, polluted swimming hole. It is a scenario I have seen played out all over the state. My question is, will we ever learn from our past mistakes?

Algae floats over the spring

Gazebo undergoing restoration behind the spring run

This is the spring head

The spring run

I finally found a working fountain!

Mural with limpkin and what appears to be a view of algae through a microscope

The alluring Tampa Bay Hotel

I'm not sure when I first saw the dazzling silver minarets of the the University of Tampa, but I knew immediately that I wanted a closer look. And even though the grand Victorian/Moorish masterpiece is just over an hour away from my doorstep, it took me an excruciatingly long time to finally get there. Located on the west side of the Hillsborough River, across from Tampa's downtown, the University of Tampa originated as the Tampa Bay Hotel built by Florida railroad baron Henry Plant.


My first experience with a Plant property was stumbling across the Pico Hotel in Sanford. While incredibly interesting, the Pico can't hold a candle to the the opulent Tampa Bay Hotel. Opened in 1891, the Tampa Bay Hotel was Plant's response to Henry Flagler's brilliant Ponce de Leon Hotel in St. Augustine. Tropical Splendor: An Architectural History of Florida describes the building's unique features this way:
"It had thirteen silver minarets, each topped with a crescent moon representing a month on the Islamic lunar calendar. Horeseshoe arches of wood with carved curlicues amid elaborate filigree work graced the wide piazza. Keyhole windows also abounded in this fanciful structure, modeled in part on the Alhambra Place in Granada Spain. It took two years to build...It cost over two million dollars to construct and another half-million to furnish."


Some other facts about the hotel's history include:
• 452 freight car loads of bricks were used in the building's construction
• The interior was decorated with 80 freight cars worth of period furnishing picked out by Plant and his wife in Europe
• Designed by architect J.A. Wood, the hotel was the most modern of its day with electric lighting, private baths, telephones and elevators
• Guest paid between $75 and $15 to stay in the hotel
• The hotel served as headquarters for the Spanish-American War in 1898, at which time one of its most famous occupants was Teddy Roosevelt
• In its 40 years operating as a hotel guests included Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill, Stephen Crane and Grover Cleveland among others
• After Plant's death in 1899 the hotel was sold to the City of Tampa for a mere $125,000
• The hotel closed in 1930 and remained shuttered for three years until Tampa Bay Junior College began using the space in 1933


In addition to housing the University of Tampa, the hotel currently is home to the Henry B. Plant Museum. Rooms are decorated with period furnishings, and they were decked out for the holidays when we visited. The museum has a wonderful video on the life of the hotel and also offers a well-stocked gift shop. After a leisurely stroll through the museum, we wandered through some of the public spaces of the University and reveled in the opulence of the interior's decor. In my honest opinion, the building and the grounds are some of the grandest in Florida. I cannot imagine why I took so long to get there. If you are interested in history or architecture, this is a must-see.

Historic images from the State Archives of Florida