Wekiva Spring Group
Orange County’s Wekiwa Spring is a designated Outstanding Florida Spring in the St. Johns River Water Management District. Wekiwa Spring flows at the second magnitude to form the headwaters of the Wekiva River. The spring discharges from a 35-foot-long fissure in the limestone to form a circular pool. Aquatic vegetation is absent in the spring pool but prevalent in the Wekiva River, including exotic species. The spring and surrounding scrub, sandhills, and hardwood hammock are in the Wekiwa Springs State Park. Recreation opportunities include paddling, camping, fishing, and many miles of hiking, biking, and horse trails. Originally called Clay Springs, Wekiwa Spring was renamed in 1906.
In 2016, the Florida Legislature passed the Florida Springs and Aquifer Protection Act.
Wekiva Spring 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 Wekiva springshed within the St. Johns River Water Management District, as well as a map of the land use within the Wekiva 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 – Wekiwa Spring and Rock Springs BMAP
FDEP – Nutrient TMDLs for the Wekiva River and Rock Springs Run
USGS – Water Data – Wekiwa Springs
Orange County Water Atlas – Wekiva River
FSI – 2019 Wekiva River Monitoring Summary
FSI – 2020 Wekiva River Monitoring Summary
WSI – Pollutant Load Reduction Goal Analysis – Wekiva River – 2007
WSI – Human Use and Ecological Water Resource Values Assessments of Wekiwa Springs – 2007
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.
