The growing population in Central Florida has had an impact on Blue Spring. A perennially popular destination, there is no slow season. Every day Blue Spring is filled with visitors who leave their mark on the park. The crowds litter, stray from boardwalks and trails, trample vegetation, feed the animals, and climb up and down banks. All of these activities contribute to environmental damage around the spring. Pollution is also becoming a problem due to an increase in nearby housing developments. Fertilizers spread on lawns planted in the basin and the septic tanks of the local houses drain into the spring and its underground water source.
People have also contributed the deaths of many manatees. Collisions with boats and barges, flood gates, and canal locks injure and kill the gentle giants. Swimming in the spring is now banned during the winter months when the manatees come into the spring to enjoy the warmer water.