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 river, and 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.
In 2016, the Florida Legislature passed the Florida Springs and Aquifer Protection Act.
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.
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
FDEP – Silver Springs and Upper Silver River and Rainbow Spring Group and Rainbow River Basin BMAP
FDEP – Nutrient TMDL for Silver Springs, Silver Springs Group, and Upper Silver River
USGS – Current Conditions – Silver Springs
SJRWMD – MFL report for Silver Springs
FSI – Silver Springs Restoration Plan
FSI – SpringsWatch – Silver Springs
FSI – 2019 SpringsWatch Silver Springs Monitoring Summary
FSI – 2020 SpringsWatch Silver Springs Monitoring Summary
FSI – Silver River Ecosystem Metabolism Study
FSI – Silver Springs Report Card – 2009
WSI – Springs Ecosystem Study – 2010
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.
