| GEOLOGICAL BULLETIN NO. 31, 1977 "SPRINGS OF FLORIDA" - was prepared by United States Geological Survey in cooperation with the BUREAU OF GEOLOGY, DIVISION OF RESOURCE MANAGMENT, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, and BUREAU OF WATER RESOURCES MANAGMENT, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION, Tallahassee, Florida.
Citrus County
Blue Springs 1975 Water Quality Analysis.
Chassahowitzka Springs 1946-1975 Water Quality Analysis.
Crystal River Springs group which in 1975 included some 30 known springs such as Tarpon Springs, American Legion Spring, Gator Hole, Idiots Delight, Middle Springs, and Shark Sink.
- 1975 Water Quality Analysis
- 1978 Aerial view of the Crystal River Springs Group
Homosassa Springs 1956-1972 Water Quality Analysis.
Ruth Spring 1964 & 1972 Water Quality Analysis.
Tributaries to the Chassahowitzka River which in 1961 included Crab Creek Spring, Potter Spring, Salt Creek Springs, and other unnamed springs.
Other Florida Counties The descriptions of over 200 springs include quality of the water data, flow rates, and photographs.
Locations of Florida’s 27 first magnitude springs (Figure 11)
Florida’s Hydrologic Subregions in 1975 (Figure 13 shows Citrus County)
Summary and Conclusions
- "Springs of Florida" is an inventory of an important natural resource.
- Florida has 27 first magnitude springs that discharge water from a thick sequence of limestones known as the Floridan Aquifer.
- Records indicate that the major use of the springs is recreational with little significant change in the past 30 years.
- Nor has their been any significant state-wide change in springflow, although some springs in populous south Florida do show reduced flow.
- Few changes since the 1940’s appear to have occurred in the quality of the spring water, the springs reflecting the good quality normal to Florida’s ground-water aquifers.
- None were found to be contaminated with pesticides herbicides, or metals.
- ... an increasing interest by state and local governments in the purchase of springs and contiguous lands for public use. And there is also a demand by private individuals and organizations for homesites at springs, for their recreational development, for overnight or travel parks near springs, and for large-scale housing projects.
- An example of the latter is the recent closing off of Peacock Springs in Suwannee County and the development of a 120-acre tract surrounding the springs into 20 homesites (M. Shifflatte, written commun., April 1977).
- There does not appear to be an overall change in springflow statewide, but in some populated areas of south Florida -- areas of heavy ground water pumping -- springs have gone dry or have shown marked reduction in flow: Kissengen Spring in Polk County and Health Spring in Pinellas County are examples of springs whose flow has ceased.
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