Florida Natural Springs: A History

INTRODUCTION

In North Central Florida, a favorite pastime is springhunting, or exploring freshwater springs. The spring water swirls in a spectrum of greens and blues, with a crystal clarity seen nowhere else in the world. Although the water temperature varies from spring to spring, most are seventy-two degrees Fahrenheit. Each spring has its own characteristics, such as the flow of water, recreational activities available, water depth and color and the aquatic and plant life in and around the water.

Humans have lived on the banks of these springs for centuries. In ages long past, the temperature and landscape of Florida were different than they are today. In some locations, giant versions of animals such as mammoths, sloths and armadillos called the springs home. The endangered West Indian Manatee stills flees the cold seawater during the winter months and uses the warmer spring water as a temporary home. The springs always have been, and remain, an important part of the ecology of Florida.

Life in North Central Florida has centered on the springs for a long time, a backdrop to the riveting stories that have become the legends of these waters and the communities around them. Legends sometimes arise from sensations shared by people, such as the vortex at Ginnie Springs, or a long-forgotten curse. Other times, a spring legend is based on a case of mistaken identity, like legends about mermaids that were most likely manatees. In some instances, however, the legend is based on a person who becomes larger than life and leaves a legacy that becomes an unforgettable story.

Springhunting is getting to know the springs and the legends that capture a moment in time on the banks of these enchanting waters. It’s enjoying the water and the experience of visiting a special spot. Knowing the stories that surround these springs enhances springhunting. Each spring has its own story and its own set of characteristics that make it unique.

Most of us have tasted a spring. Spring water is captured and bottled by large companies that provide bottled water. The bottled water at your local gas station flowed below Florida for centuries before bubbling up to the surface. Currently, 2.3 billion gallons a day are pumped out of the Floridan aquifer, creating an imbalance. The water is drained faster than it can be replenished. The reduced flow can lead to ecological changes that affect the plants and animals that live in and around the springs and to collapses in the geological structures that are underwater. These collapses can cause serious situations such as sinkholes.

Protecting the springs is the best path forward to ensuring new stories and legends will continue to unfold on the banks of the waters that have changed and influenced the world.

This book will help you better understand the springs and their stories and what they mean to all of us. Happy springhunting!

Chapter 1

ICHETUCKNEE SPRINGS

Canoe Port, Kidnapping and a Lover’s Lagoon

Ichetucknee Springs is a create-your-own-adventure, awe-inspiring national landmark. A hallmark of Florida’s natural beauty, the pristine, clear, turquoise waters flow with a serenity that transcends time, inviting visitors to recognize their ancient stories. This sacred oasis is the backdrop of the stories born at this spring, rising from a time when the spring served as a focal point for the communities that lived along its banks. Over the centuries, this first-magnitude spring has flowed alongside a spectrum of communities.* The human stories centered on Ichetucknee Springs are about everything from a cruel, violent kidnapping to a destination for young love.

The name Ichetucknee is thought to come from a Native American word for beaver pond. The present-day park is in Columbia County, Florida, an impressive collection of 2,669 acres with eight springs that feed into the one-of-a-kind Ichetucknee River. Those eight springs flowing into the river make the river water clear and easy to snorkel. The most popular activity at the Ichetucknee River is, by far, tubing. Due to the large amount of acreage that makes up the park, there are also several hiking trails where wildlife—including beaver, otter, gar, softshell turtle, wild turkey, wood duck and limpkin—can be spotted. Collectively, these springs produce two hundred million gallons of water per day. The spring water then feeds into the Ichetucknee River, which eventually joins the Santa Fe River and empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

Drone photo from above Ichetucknee Spring. David Peaton.

Though the park includes eight different springs, not all of them allow swimming or boat access. For example, swimming is not permitted in Cedar Headspring, named for the large cedar stumps that surround the spring. These massive stumps sit like tombstones for the huge oaks that were once part of the landscape surrounding the spring. The stumps are a reminder of the clearcutting in Ichetucknee’s past and evidence that present-day forests around the springs would have looked much different as old-growth forests before the timber industry’s influence.

Blue Hole is a favorite for scuba divers because of its depth. Its karst feature (a landscape feature created as limestone dissolves) is called the Jug due to both the clarity of the water and the shape of the area. Mission Spring is second in flow only to the Ichetucknee headspring itself. Devil’s Eye has a unique feature in that the area has live oaks that sweep over the spring, twisting and turning, creating a unique visual effect. This spring is also known for bright blue reflections in the spring pool. Grassy Hole Spring is surrounded by wild rice. Mill Pond Spring used to power the gristmill when the Mill Pond settlement was an active community. Coffee Spring is home to the silt snail, which lives only in the spring. So far, this snail has not been found anywhere else in the world. This tiny snail is only a few millimeters in size and resembles a grain of sand. The snail, endangered and protected in the spring, is an example of the the natural springs’ unique biodiversity. There are other unnamed springs that also feed into the Ichetucknee and provide an estimated 20 percent of the flow of the river.

Turtles at Ichetucknee Spring. Laura Barone.

Walking down a trail from the parking area and passing the bathrooms, a food truck and a picnic area leads to the swimming area for Ichetucknee Spring. For swimming, a staircase and a ramp make getting down to the spring easy. Entering the spring’s swimming area is easy despite some rock formations at the shallow end of the spring, making water shoes a must. There is also a ramp down to the swimming area making it more accessible. Although water levels are always changing, this spring is deep in the center and above the springhead. There is more deep water than shallow, so this spring can be a challenge for less experienced swimmers.

Snorkeling this spring is essential. The current can be strong above the springhead, but snorkeling directly above the springhead and watching the flow of water burst into the spring bed is unforgettable. Considering sixty-two million gallons of water flow through the spring each day, experiencing that natural power is awe-inspiring. The current from the springhead is strong enough that less experienced swimmers will need a lifejacket. Additionally, there are several different varieties of fish that visit the spring, including bream, bluegill, largemouth bass, alligator gar, mullet, catfish and several types of minnows.

For more wildlife spotting, consider tubing, kayaking or paddleboarding the Ichetucknee River in addition to the spring. Starting early in the morning is the best bet for seeing as much wildlife as possible, especially the abundant turtles that like to sun on rocks and fallen logs. More turtle species live together in the Ichetucknee area than anywhere else in the world. Gar, river grass and mullets are common to spot. Less commonly, manatees and alligators can also be spotted along the river. After tubing, there is a trolley that will take you back to the parking area, and there are also tubes available for rent, making this an easy adventure.

A better example of balancing human needs with environmental protection than other springs in the area, Ichetucknee benefits from measures being taken to protect the area. For example, tubing numbers are limited during peak season (Memorial Day through Labor Day) to protect the water quality, avoid erosion and limit damage to aquatic plants. During peak season, if tubing is part of the plan, the best idea is to arrive early or call ahead to see if the capacity for tubing has been reached. Tubing is worth the effort, though, as the river moves along at a relaxing rate (which can vary depending on recent weather).

Ichetucknee Spring is more than outdoor entertainment. For centuries, it has been the heart of the surrounding communities—for as long as people have lived in present-day Florida. The timelessness of this spring is a contrast to the ever-changing human story along its banks. Before it was even called Ichetucknee Spring, fossil records show that the area was inhabited by mastodons. Both bones and teeth have been found in the area, marking the spring as an important spot for both humans and wildlife even in prehistoric times.

Humans lived at Ichetucknee Spring for fourteen thousand years, at least. Only fragments of the stories of these early inhabitants are known, but the tools they used have been rediscovered at the spring and provide part of the picture. Paleo-Indians also sought out the springs for chert, a rock that is similar to flint. This material was used to make tools for hunting and other purposes. The earliest inhabitants of Ichetucknee Spring used stone weapons to hunt prehistoric beasts that are only seen in museums today. As hard as it is to imagine hunting a bison, horse or llama with a stone tool, it’s even more incredible to imagine hunting the prehistoric, giant versions of sloth, tortoise or armadillo. Animals were attracted to the spring for its water, and hunters used this as an opportunity to hunt those that came there to drink. Hunters took advantage of the animals’ vulnerable moment as they came for water and hunted in groups to swing success in their favor. Springs like Ichetucknee were life and death. The water sustained life in and around the spring, but for the animals hunted at their most vulnerable, drinking from a spring was also a risk, with ready human hunters waiting for that opportunity. Other than those suggested by their tools, stories of the everyday lives of these inhabitants have been lost.

More is known, however, about the inhabitants who came later, like the Timucua who lived at Ichetucknee Spring for centuries. Thanks to archaeology and a few accounts written after Europeans arrived, more details about their everyday life at Ichetucknee are known. The Timucua were not a single tribe but a collection of tribes that spoke a similar language. They grew crops but were also hunter-gathers. Although the Timucua presence around Ichetucknee Spring lasted for centuries, they began to live around the spring starting in 2000 BC. To put the long history of Ichetucknee Spring into context, the area was populated thousands of years before King Tut ruled Egypt. What would life have looked like along the banks of Ichetucknee Spring when the Timucua called it home?

Based on the descriptions from Europeans after contact, the Timucua were tall, often used face paint and had tattoos, which were a status symbol. The height difference between the Timucua and the Europeans was noticeable enough that rumors