Ichetucknee Springs Group
The Ichetucknee Springs Group, located in Suwanee County in the Suwannee River Water Management District, is designated as an Outstanding Florida Spring. Ichetucknee Springs State Park, one of the crown jewels of the Florida State Park System, covers over 2,500 acres, eight major springs, and three and a half miles of the Ichetucknee River. The Ichetucknee River is dominated by native submerged aquatic vegetation and provides excellent habitat for a variety of fish, turtles, mammals, birds, and tourists. These remarkable features have earned the park a designation as a National Natural Landmark. The Ichetucknee River starts at the Ichetucknee and Cedar Head Springs, gaining strength as it passes the first-magnitude Blue Hole spring. The Blue Hole vent dives straight down into the limestone. At over 10 feet wide and 30 feet deep, it exemplifies the impressive diversity of features that form in karst geology. Most visitors come for the park’s main attractions – tubing or paddling down the river. With a shuttle, put-in, and take-out points along the central river run, the Ichetucknee River is easily accessible to all visitors.
In 2016, the Florida Legislature passed the Florida Springs and Aquifer Protection Act.
Ichetucknee Springs Group is currently one of the twenty four Outstanding Florida Springs or Springs Groups that is considered “impaired”.
Historic images
The following images were provided courtesy of the State Archives of Florida. This incredible photographic library provides a window into the historic spring landscape, documenting changing spring and surface water levels, as well as human use and development in this special location.
Science Hub
This is the location for access to data related to this spring. Below, you will find links to reports, data, as well as maps and information from the Florida Springs Institute’s Blue Water Audit project about this particular spring or spring group.
The Blue Water Audit is a tool developed by the Florida Springs Institute to estimate and visualize the impact of human activities on the Floridan Aquifer. Using existing data from a variety of sources, the Blue Water Audit estimates nitrogen loading and groundwater withdrawals for the Florida Springs Region. These estimates are used to assign Aquifer Footprints – a Floridan Aquifer Nitrogen Footprint (water quality) and a Floridan Aquifer Groundwater Footprint (water quantity). Below are maps of the Blue Water Audit Floridan Aquifer Nitrogen footprint for the Ichetucknee Spring Group springshed within the Suwannee River Water Management District, as well as a map of the land use within the Ichetucknee Spring Group springshed. To find out more about the Blue Water Audit project and to learn how this tool was developed, visit Blue Water Audit.
DATA AND REPORTS
FDEP – When Masses Meet the Grasses
USGS – Water Data – Ichetucknee River
USGS – Water Data – Blue Hole Spring
SRWMD – Ichetucknee Springs Data Dashboard
SRWMD – MFLs for the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers – 2013
FGS – First Magnitude Springs of Florida
FSI – Blueprint for Restoring Springs on the Santa Fe River
FSI – Santa Fe River and Springs Environmental Analysis
FSI – SpringsWatch – Ichetucknee
FSI – SpringsWatch – 2019 Lower Ichetucknee River Monitoring Summary
FSI – SpringsWatch – 2020 Lower Ichetucknee River Monitoring Summary
FSI – Ichetucknee Springs and River Restoration Action Plan
FSI – Ichetucknee Report Card – 2016
FSI – Ichetucknee Report Card – 2008
WSI – Ichetucknee Turbidity Study – 2011
WSI – Springs Ecosystem Study – 2010
WSI – Ichetucknee Work Plan – 2006
WSI – Ichetucknee Existing Data Summary
UF – The Carrying Capacity of the Ichetucknee Springs and River – 1979
The Interactive Florida Springs Atlas was produced with generous support from the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida. The Community Foundation of North Central Florida supported this project through generous support for our Blue Water Audit project.
