Cathedral Sink:
Sheck Exley donated approximately four acres containing Cathedral Sink to the National Speleological Society Cave Diving Section. The property is the furthest upstream of 18 known entrances into the Falmouth system that eventually empties into the Suwannee River at Ellaville Spring within the Suwannee River State Park. The system was explored and mapped by Sheck Exley, Mary Ellen Eckhoff, Paul DeLoach, Dave Fisk, L. Hall, John Harper, Lewis Holtzendorff, Randy Hylton, Bill Main, Clark Pitcairn, Wes Skiles, Bill Stone, Dale Sweet, John Zumrick and Court Smith, and contains over 41,020 feet of passage. On December 16, 1990, Sheck established what was then a record penetration of 10,939 feet on a multi-stage dive lasting nearly 12 hours, including decompression. (Upstream exploration was extended to over 17,000 feet in 2004.)

When exploration first began in Falmouth-Cathedral System, the visibility in Cathedral was often 100 feet or more. Since then, changes in the aquifer have reduced visibility to only a few feet most of the year. Occasionally, conditions allow the visibility to improve to 40 feet or so. Because of this, and the depths involved, Cathedral is considered an advanced cave dive with depths to 200+ feet and the access policy is written with this in mind.

Cow Springs:
Cow Springs is open to NSS-CDS divers for all levels of cave and cavern diving. The NSS-CDS has set minimum standards to enter this cave; however, each individual must evaluate their own skills and qualifications to dive the site. The approximate six acres containing Cow Springs belongs to all NSS-CDS members and it is up to us to protect it. The upstream in particular is a very fragile and pristine site. Divers entering this system must be prepared to use the very best technique at all times, realizing that once damage is done, it is there forever. If we all do our part, it will be as beautiful and awe inspiring to future generations of cave divers as it is today.

Mill Creek (also known as Alachua Sink):
In late 1992 and early 1993, the NSS completed negotiations to accept the donation of Alachua Sink, located in the city of Alachua, Florida. Alachua Sink is a completely water-filled cave, the sink being the only window in the underground Alachua Stream System. The surface stream system is dissected by more than 10 swallow holes which divert water underground, draining a basin of over 70 square miles.

The Alachua Sink property is managed by the NSS Cave Diving Section. A fence and locked gate is maintained around the sink. Access to the cave will be permitted to only the highest qualified cave divers because of the nature and complexity of the underwater cave system. Visitation will be permitted for research, data collection, water sampling, and survey/mapping. No training activities are allowed. Mill Creek is considered an advanced cave dive with depths to 200+ feet and the access policy is written with this in mind.

Refer to the Mill Creek Management Plan for more complete information.

School Sink (also known as Wayne's World):
The NSS-CDS as part of a joint partnership with Pasco County Schools System purchased School Sink in 2004. The purchase was for approximately four and one-half acres, of which the NSS-CDS acquired one acre with the remaining going to Pasco County.

School Sink is an advanced cave dive with low visibility, depths to 160 feet, and varying flows due to tidal influence. School Sink is considered an advanced cave dive and the access policy is written with this in mind.

GENERAL DIVING REQUIREMENTS:

1. NSS-CDS owned and managed sites are for the use of NSS/NSS-CDS members only. Divers shall be current NSS and NSS-CDS members and present a current membership card.
2. Must show proof of completion of full cave training (see Cow Springs site specific requirements).
3. No fees may be charged by those guiding dives.
4. The sites shall not be used for training (see Cow Springs site specific training requirements).
5. 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 Property Manager or designee prior to commencing the dive. Guided dive Mill Creek waivers will be processed by the guides. Science dive Mill Creek waivers shall be given to a guide or mailed to the Property Manager prior to commencing the dive.
6. All dives shall be planned in accordance with the contributing factors of incident analysis as published by the NSS-CDS.
7. The use of Diver Propulsion Vehicles (DPV's) are site specific.
8. Parking is allowed in designated areas only.
9. No camping is allowed on the property without NSS-CDS BoD approval.
10. Diving is at your own risk.
11. The dive team is responsible for keeping the gate locked while diving and insuring that it is locked upon leaving to prevent unauthorized access or "piggybacking".
12. Contact the local Sheriff Department and report trespassers.
13. Report vandalism to the Site Property Manager.
14. Violators of this policy will be barred from future access to all NSS-CDS sites. This action may be appealed to the NSS-CDS Board of Directors. Appeals shall be made in writing to the Chairman.

SITE SPECIFIC DIVING REQUIREMENTS:

Cathedral Sink:
Comply with general diving requirements plus the following:
1. Must show proof of completion of 100 cave dives after the completion of full cave training.
2. Either have either previously performed dives in Cathedral Sink or a dive with a cave diver familiar with the system.
3. Shall be certified to utilize breathing gases appropriate for depths beyond 130 FSW per NSS-CDS Standards and Procedures.
4. Shall have DAN diving accident insurance or equivalent
5. Must hold a DPV specialty card or show proof of prior experience and have logged at least 5 swim dives in Cathedral before a DPV may be used in the system.

Cow Springs:
Comply with general diving requirements plus the following:
1. Divers entering the upstream portion of Cow Springs must be NSS-CDS Full Cave certified or a recognized equivalent.
2. Only NSS-CDS Instructors may use Cow Springs as a training site within the guidelines contained in this document. Only sidemount training dives are permitted in the upstream section. Sidemount students should be proficient in buoyancy control and be able to exercise proper technique to avoid damaging the cave. Students should also be sufficiently aware of their own skill level to properly determine if they are prepared to enter a fragile site. NSS-CDS Instructors are also charged with determining the skill level of their students and the appropriateness of using Cow Springs as a training site.
3. The use of DPV's is expressly forbidden in all areas of Cow Springs.

Mill Creek (also known as Alachua Sink):
Comply with general diving requirements plus the following:
Specific Access Requirements
1. Must show proof of completion of 100 cave dives after the completion of full cave training.
2. Shall be certified to utilize breathing gases appropriate for depths beyond 130 FSW per NSS-CDS Standards and Procedures.
3. Shall have DAN diving accident insurance or equivalent.
4. Must hold a DPV specialty card or show proof of prior experience and have logged at least 5 swim dives in School Sink before a DPV may be used in the system.
5. Complete a Cave Observation Form upon completion of the dive and give it to the Property Manager within 1 week of the dive.

Guided Diving Access -
The current guide list is posted on the NSS-CDS website.
1. Shall be accompanied on the dive by an MCSMC guide.
2. Shall be limited to dive teams of 1 guide and two divers. In order to dive the downstream tunnel; a diver shall have completed three dives in the upstream section.

Unguided Diving Access
Divers are permitted to dive MCS unguided. The Mill Creek Sink Site Manager or designee shall approve such dives in advance. Divers shall submit to the Site Manager:
1. A dive plan to include the names of the divers.
2. A brief experience history.
3. The date, time and purpose of the proposed dive.
The divers may then be assigned a MCS guide to act as ‘dive coordinator’. The divers, individually, shall meet all of the above requirements. Additionally, they shall have sufficient credentials and logged dives within other complex cave systems that demonstrates diving proficiency that surpasses the criteria needed for safe diving at Mill Creek Sink. The MCSMC guide has the following responsibilities:
1. Review of the divers diving credentials.
2. Schedule an appropriate dive time so unaccompanied dive teams may be limited to one team per day. (Research Teams are not subject to dive team limits except as otherwise provided.)
3. Brief the dive team, review dive plan run times and witness the NSS-CDS diver liability release on the day of the dive.
4. Collection of post dive reports indicating Research/Scientific observations.
Research/Scientific Diving Access
Divers may be granted unencumbered access for volunteer Research /Scientific Diving if:
1. They are, or have served as, guides or the former Alachua Sink Management Committee. Research/Scientific Divers shall not lead "Guided Dives" but may elect to form dive teams of other Research/Scientific Divers as their assistants.
2. They apply and receive approval for Project Status to the Board of Directors of the NSS-CDS and meet access policies. For administrative purposes, the Site Manager may appoint an MCSMC Research/Scientific Diver or Guide to act as liaison to the Research/Scientific Project.

School Sink (also known as Wayne's World):
Comply with general diving requirements plus the following:
1. Must show proof of completion of 100 cave dives after the completion of full cave training.
2. Either have previously performed dives in School Sink or dive with a cave diver familiar with the system.
3. Shall be certified to utilize breathing gases appropriate for depths beyond 130 FSW per NSS-CDS Standards and Procedures.
4. Shall have DAN diving accident insurance or equivalent
5. Must hold a DPV specialty card or show proof of prior experience and have logged at least 5 swim dives in School Sink before a DPV may be used in the system.
6. Complete a Cave Observation Form upon completion of the dive and give it to the Property Manager within 1 week of the dive.

End of NSS-CDS Property Management Plan