Silver Glen Springs
Marion County’s Silver Glen Springs is in the Ocala National Forest in the St. Johns River Water Management District. This first magnitude spring is designated as an Outstanding Florida Spring and is an oasis on the edge of the Big Scrub. The spring is fed by two vents that produce large boils. One vent is in a conical depression in the eastern portion of the pool and the other is a limestone cave opening on the southwestern flank of the pool commonly called the “Natural Well.” Public access to the Natural Well is limited. Fresh and saltwater fish are present in the spring pool and algae are prevalent. The spring run includes beds of eelgrass but is heavily used for recreational boating. The pool area is a common refuge for manatees and is also a significant cultural history site. The two-hundred-foot-wide spring run flows eastward for three quarters of a mile into Lake George, the largest lake of the St. Johns River Chain. Boats are permitted in the run but not the pool. Silver Glen Springs is a popular weekend destination. There are two trails in the area, the Spring Boils Trail and the Lake George Trail.
In 2016, the Florida Legislature passed the Florida Springs and Aquifer Protection Act.
Silver Glen Springs is currently one of the six Outstanding Florida Springs or Springs Groups that is considered “not 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 Silver Glen Springs springshed within the St. Johns River Water Management District, as well as a map of the land use within the Silver Glen Springs 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
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.
