Is a comprehensive hydrology study really too expensive as ITA claims?
When 18 prominent karst hydrologists, geologists, and biologists pointed out that the Graham Springs drainage basin and the Mammoth Cave drainage basin spill over into each other, they called for a comprehensive study of the hydrology to assess the risk to Mammoth Cave National Park. The Kentucky Division of Water had earlier insisted that the ITA hire a hydrologist. The ITA initially said they would undertake such a study, then quickly decided it would be “too expensive”. Mammoth Cave’s revenue contribution to the region is estimated at $100 million annually, and its natural resource values are priceless. Without knowing the cost of such a study, the ITA’s rejection is unwise, insensitive, and self-serving.
