HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. — One by one, the mermaids dived into the water.

Their colorful tails — vibrant blues, yellows and oranges — shone brightly against overcast skies. It was a quiet day in late January and the mermaids, a group of young women who have bonded over a shared love for the mythological aquatic sirens, frolicked in the crystal clear waters of Devil’s Eye, one of the seven natural springs in Ginnie Springs Outdoors, a vast recreational park and campground facility.

Nearby, a group of divers prepared to sink into the spring, a bath hovering around 72 degrees, and explore the miles of underwater caves that can be found throughout this area about 25 miles northwest of Gainesville.

The scene’s tranquillity belied a contentious fight over the springs in the area that has roiled this small community for much of the past year.

The clash started when the family that owns the land around the Ginnie Springs recreational compound filed a water permit renewal with state water regulators. For years, the family has allowed various corporations to draw water from the springs and move it through a pipeline to a nearby plant, where it is bottled for sale.