Karst Environmental Service

What Karst Environmental Service does

Karst Environmental Service (KES) is a small, privately held Florida-based environmental consulting firm founded in 1986 by Wes Skiles and formally incorporated in 1989 as Karst Environmental Services, Inc. The firm specializes in scientific investigations of karst terrains — specifically the surface and subterranean hydrologic and biologic properties of springs, sinkholes, rivers, and associated cave systems — with operational concentration in Florida and occasional work in other southeastern states. KES delivers a portfolio of interlocking services: springs and springshed investigations, submerged discharge measurements, qualitative dye tracing, radiolocation of submerged conduits, biological and botanical surveys, custom underwater sensor housing design, and springs restoration.

The technical backbone of KES is a set of proprietary field methods and adapted instruments developed over 30+ years. These include flowmeters adapted for underwater point-velocity measurement in submerged spring vents and cave conduits, radio beacon systems for positioning wells precisely within underground passages, water-safe dye tracing for confirming springshed connectivity, and custom-fabricated submergible housings for EXO2, SUNA, and Cycle PO4 sensors. The firm combines these tools with underwater cave survey, videography, and biological sampling conducted by a team of hydrogeologists, technicians, divers, and biologists led by President/Owner/Project Manager Pete Butt and Biologist Tom Morris.

KES operates a B2B professional services model, billing on a project basis to government agencies — primarily Florida DEP, five Florida Water Management Districts (St. Johns, Suwannee, Southwest, Northwest, plus SJRWMD-related work), Alachua County, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and Florida FWC — and to a small set of private clients including Ginnie Springs Water Co. Distribution is exclusively direct client engagement with no digital marketing presence; customer acquisition rests on demonstrated expertise and decades-long repeat engagements. The firm is privately held with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or investor base.

Name

Karst Environmental Service

Legal name

Karst Environmental Services, Inc.

Website

https://karstenvironmental.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting Services

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Watershed Protection & Water Quality Services (AFAMAMAB)

Keywords

• Environmental consulting services
• Hydrogeological investigations
• Karst terrain analysis
• Spring water resource studies
• Underwater cave exploration

Headquarters

HQ city

High Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Environmental Consulting Services: Project-based professional consulting services for specialized environmental investigations, spring monitoring, water quality sampling, and related scientific services for government agencies, water management districts, and private clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Karst Environmental Services provides scientific investigations of surface and subterranean hydrologic and biologic properties of karst terrains, including springs, sinkholes, rivers, and associated systems. Core services include springs and springshed investigations, qualitative dye tracing, radiolocation of submerged conduit, submerged discharge measurements, sampling and instrumentation support, biological and botanical surveys, and springs restoration for government agencies and private clients.

Product overview

Karst Environmental Services (KES) is a specialized environmental consulting firm that provides scientific investigation services for karst terrains. The company offers a unified portfolio of interconnected services centered on springs and groundwater systems: Springs and Springshed Investigations form the core offering, supported by Submerged Discharge Measurements for quantifying underwater flows. Sampling, Instrumentation, and Monitoring Support provides water quality data collection, while Biological and Botanical Surveys assess ecological conditions. Qualitative Dye Tracing confirms hydrogeological connections, and Radiolocation of Submerged Conduit enables precise underground mapping. Springs Restoration and Maintenance rounds out the service suite by rehabilitating degraded spring systems. Together, these services provide comprehensive support for water resource management, regulatory compliance, and environmental protection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Springs and Springshed Investigations
• Sampling, Instrumentation, and Monitoring Support
• Biological and Botanical Surveys
• Qualitative Dye Tracing
• Radiolocation of Submerged Conduit
• Springs Restoration and Maintenance
• Submerged Discharge Measurements

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful well drilling at all nine sites where drillings were attempted, accessing target underground cave conduit
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Locher Environmental TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partner on Middle Santa Fe River Nutrient Fate and Transport Study for instrumentation support including velocity sensor installation and maintenance.
• HSW Engineering, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2012Working relationship for White Springs investigation and Three Sisters Springs sediment depth measurements project.
• Northwest Florida Water Management DistrictcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2007Partnership for submerged springs discharge measurements at Merritt's Mill Pond, including first comprehensive measurements of all springs in the pond.
• AECOM/URS Southern Corp.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002Subcontractor/partner on multiple FDEP-funded springshed protection and monitoring well siting studies including Ichetucknee Springs Springshed Protection Focus and Jackson Blue Spring Dye Trace.
• Suwannee River Water Management DistrictcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1997Long-term partnership for monitor well radiolocation at Manatee Springs Cave, White Springs investigation, and various spring studies in the Suwannee River basin.
• Southwest Florida Water Management DistrictcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1991Ongoing partnership for water quality sampling system servicing at Homosassa and Weeki Wachee Springs, dye tracing, and Crystal Beach Spring measurements spanning multiple decades.
• Florida Department of Environmental ProtectioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1988Primary government partner for springs investigation and protection work including springshed protection focus, dye tracing studies, and restoration projects across Florida.
• St. Johns River Water Management DistrictcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1987Long-term working relationship for submerged discharge measurements, spring documentation, water quality sampling, and ongoing monitoring support. Projects include Silver Springs comprehensive data collection, Croaker Hole Spring measurements, and various river system studies spanning over 30 years.
• Ginnie Springs Water Co.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1987Long-term client relationship for spring water resource exploration, aquifer characterization by quantitative dye tracing, and ongoing monitoring support for water bottling operations since 1987.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Locher Environmental Technology: Specialized environmental instrumentation and consulting firm. Comparable because KES has partnered with Locher on the Middle Santa Fe River Nutrient Fate and Transport Study for velocity sensor instrumentation—indicating an adjacent niche player addressing overlapping Florida water quality and nutrient monitoring clients.

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global engineering and environmental services firm. Comparable because KES has served as a specialty subcontractor to AECOM/URS Southern Corp. on FDEP-funded springshed protection and monitor well siting studies; AECOM competes for the same large prime contracts that often include the niche scope KES delivers.
• WSP: Global professional services firm (post-Wood/URS/PBS&J acquisitions) with deep Florida water and environmental engineering practices. Comparable as the consolidator that absorbed former KES partner URS, and a direct competitor for the FDEP springshed protection prime contracts KES supports as a subconsultant.
• Environmental Resources Management (ERM): Global environmental consulting firm. Comparable as a broad incumbent that competes for state and federal environmental contracts in the same water resource and ecological assessment categories where KES specializes, particularly where projects bundle hydrogeology with biological surveys.
• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm with significant water and environmental practices. Comparable because it competes for many of the same Florida and southeastern U.S. water management district and environmental protection contracts where KES specializes as a niche subconsultant.
• Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with leading water resources and environmental practices. Comparable as a broad incumbent pursuing the same Florida water management district, EPA, and FDEP contracts, often absorbing scope similar to KES's springshed and hydrogeology work into larger programs.

Direct peers

• Jones Edmunds & Associates: Florida-based environmental and civil engineering firm with deep expertise in water resources, springs, and water management district work. Directly comparable as a Florida-headquartered competitor pursuing the same water management district contracts and springshed characterization projects.
• S&ME: Engineering and environmental consulting firm with strong geotechnical, hydrogeology, and water resources practices serving the southeastern U.S. Comparable because it competes for the same groundwater investigation, monitoring well siting, and springs characterization work KES performs, with overlapping government and private developer clients.
• Haley & Aldrich: Geotechnical and environmental engineering consultancy. Comparable because it pursues similar groundwater, hydrogeology, and subsurface characterization work for government and private clients, with similar reliance on specialized field capabilities that mirror KES's cave and spring investigation niche.
• Water Resource Associates: Florida-based hydrogeology and water resources consulting firm. Directly comparable because KES explicitly partnered with WRA on the 2007 Lower Santa Fe River swallet/resurgence study and both serve the same Florida water-management clients with overlapping springs and Minimum Flows & Levels expertise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/karst-environmental-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Karst Environmental Service