Troy Springs
Troy Spring is a first magnitude spring located in Lafayette County in the Suwannee River Water Management District. It is designated as an Outstanding Florida Spring and is situated in Troy Springs State Park. The 325-foot spring run of this historic site contains the remains of the Confederate civil war steamboat Madison, which was purposefully sunk in 1863 to prevent seizure by Union forces. This spring ecosystem is threatened by rising nitrate levels. A thick layer of algae covers almost all substrate, leaving very little availability for native aquatic vegetation. The upland forest surrounding the spring consists of pines and hardwoods. Recreational opportunities include boating, hiking, fishing, paddling, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, and interpretive exhibits.
In 2016, the Florida Legislature passed the Florida Springs and Aquifer Protection Act.
Troy Springs 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 Troy Springs springshed within the Suwannee River Water Management District, as well as a map of the land use within the Troy Springs springshed. To find out more about the Blue Water Audit project and to learn how this tool was developed, visit Blue Water Audit.
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.
