The spring located at the Mountain Springs Nature Trail is a clear example of the kinds of  threats posed to our environment in the modern 21st century. These wetlands once served as a bountiful habitat in which many unique organisms thrived alongside nearby human development. Eventually, decades of development in neighboring areas damaged the wetlands by causing siltation. Fine particles of sand, clay, or other materials are carried by running water and then deposited as a sediment, which causes degradation of the spring and leads to die off of many water-based species. Additionally, the development of the neighboring areas has altered the layers of the protective tree canopy, which left the remaining trees unable to produce enough food. This has seriously impacted the spring’s health. The Mountain Spring Nature Trail serves as a beacon as to how we as a society must take greater care for our environment in order to preserve the nature’s beauty for generations to come.