Silver Springs Group

Silver Springs is a designated Outstanding Florida Spring in Marion County in the St. Johns River Water Management District. The spring group consists of at least 25 spring vents. Mammoth Spring is the largest, flowing at the first magnitude to form the headwaters of the Silver River. Mammoth Spring supplies about 50% of the entire flow of Silver River. Historically, Silver Springs had the highest average flow of any spring in the U.S. at more than 500 million gallons per day.  The 4,000-acre Silver Springs State Park encompasses the spring, five-mile-long riverand surrounding sandhill forest. Recreation opportunities include hiking, kayaking, camping, dining, shopping, and glass-bottom boat tours. The park is home to the Silver River Museum & Environmental Education Center, a program of Marion County Public Schools.. Silver Springs was designated a Natural National Landmark in 1971.

Silver Springs. Photo by John Moran.
Glass bottom boat at Silver Springs. Photo by John Moran.
Silver Springs. Photo by John Moran.
Silver Springs. Photo by John Moran.
Silver Springs, 2013. Photo by John Moran.
Silver River Boat Ramp. Photo by John Moran.
Glass Bottom Boat Tour on Silver River. Photo by John Moran.
Silver Springs. Photo by John Moran.
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Silver Springs. Photo by John Moran.
Glass bottom boat at Silver Springs. Photo by John Moran.
Silver Springs. Photo by John Moran.
Silver Springs. Photo by John Moran.
Silver Springs, 2013. Photo by John Moran.
Silver River Boat Ramp. Photo by John Moran.
Glass Bottom Boat Tour on Silver River. Photo by John Moran.
Photo by John Moran.
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In 2016, the Florida Legislature passed the Florida Springs and Aquifer Protection Act

As part of that law, the state of Florida developed a list of 30 springs that are either historic first-magnitude springs, or of other importance. The term Outstanding Florida Spring (OFS) refers to this list of 30 springs or spring groups. If water quality is found impaired, these springs require a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) to achieve water quality standards within a 20-year time frame.

Silver 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.

Bird's eye view overlooking Silver Springs, 1946.
Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Fish at Silver Springs, 1955.
Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Silver Springs, 1870.
Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Agnew's turpentine still on the Silver River, c. 1880s.
Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
First glass bottom boat at Silver Springs, 1910. Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Silver Springs, 1950.
Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Silver Springs, 1950.
Photo courtesy of the
State Archives of Florida.
Divers at Silver Springs, c. 1950s.
Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Bruce Mozert films Ginger Stanley at Silver Springs, 1955.
Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Couple on magic carpet ride at Silver Springs, 1956. Photo by Bruce Mozert, courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Glass bottom boats at Silver Springs, 1950. Photo by Bruce Mozert, courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Ginger Stanley and The Creature from the Black Lagoon at silver Springs, 1955. Photo by Bruce Mozert, courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
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Bird's eye view overlooking Silver Springs, 1946.
Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Silver Springs, 1955.
Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Silver Springs, 1870.
Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Agnew's turpentine still on the Silver River, c. 1880s.
First glass bottom boat at Silver Springs, 1910. Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Silver Springs, 1950.
Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Silver Springs, 1950.
Photo courtesy of the
State Archives of Florida.
Divers at Silver Springs, c. 1950s.
Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Bruce Mozert films Ginger Stanley at Silver Springs, 1955.
Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Couple on magic carpet ride at Silver Springs, 1956. Photo by Bruce Mozert, courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Glass bottom boats at Silver Springs, 1950. Photo by Bruce Mozert, courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
Ginger Stanley and The Creature from the Black Lagoon at silver Springs, 1955. Photo by Bruce Mozert, courtesy of the State Archives of Florida.
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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 Springs springshed within the St. Johns River Florida Water Management District, as well as a map of the land use within the Silver 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.

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The Wacissa Spring Group lies at the northern end of the Aucilla Wildlife Management Area in Jefferson
County and forms the headwaters of the Wacissa River. Over twenty springs form a cluster that runs
along the river. A public boat ramp allows for easy access to the core of the spring cluster. This dense
core contains Log, Thomas, Wacissa #1-4, and Acuilla springs, which together form a large bowl of fast-
flowing water. Along the run, large patches of Coontail compete with beds of Hydrilla beneath the clear
water. The combined magnitude and isolation of the Wacissa springs make the location one of the most
pristine in the state, earning the system a spot on the list of OFSs despite none of the individual springs
flowing at the first magnitude.