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Florida's Aquifer for Dummies
As a kid, I can remember going to many different Florida springs with my family. I also remember thinking, “why is the water so cold and where does it come from??”
The last time my wife and I took our kids to a spring they asked the same questions. I tried to give them my best answer, but after a lot of hemming, hawing and head-scratching I realized that I don’t know a whole lot about our natural springs and, more importantly, our amazing aquifer system.
As you can imagine, this didn’t sit very well with me. This was something that I had to know more about and I was honestly ashamed at how ignorant I was to this.
Geez, the Floridian aquifer is pretty amazing! Check out what happens in Florida in ONE day:
-An average of 150 billion gallons of rain falls.
-The three spring vents in Silver Springs discharge 359 million gallons of water.
-Collectively, Florida’s springs discharge over 19 billion gallons of freshwater.
The entire State of Florida sits on top of this huge underground water basin made mostly of limestone. This porous rock acts as a giant sponge, and as water flows through all the tiny holes and cracks, it is naturally filtered.
If you think about it, Florida is not only surrounded by water on three sides, but anywhere you might be standing there are millions of gallons of water under your feet. This all sounds so great: we have a seemingly endless supply of fresh, pure water that just comes up from the ground…right?
Wrong.
Scientist and environmentalist have warned us for decades that everything that goes on top of the soil eventually ends up in our aquifer because the limestone underneath us is so porous…and they were right.
In fact, Florida was rated as one of the top five worst states for drinking water quality. The water that we do pull from the aquifer for drinking often must be extensively filtered and purified before it is fit for human consumption.
There’s an ongoing debate on how much we can or should pull from our aquifer system, as this effects our rivers flow and overall health. It’s an incredibly daunting task to try and reverse the decades of damage that have been done to it because so little is known about our aquifer.
For now, we can still enjoy the natural wonder of our springs. Once considered “fountains of youth” by Spanish explorers, springs are fantastic places to see wildlife. The never-ending supply of clean water at a consistent average temperature of 72 degrees brings manatees, alligators, turtles and a huge variety of plants, fish and birds to the spring basins.
I consider Florida springs to be one of our greatest gems, and if you haven’t experienced it yet, do yourself a huge favor….DO IT!
Great site to learn about our springs
Do florida!
chad crawford
The last time my wife and I took our kids to a spring they asked the same questions. I tried to give them my best answer, but after a lot of hemming, hawing and head-scratching I realized that I don’t know a whole lot about our natural springs and, more importantly, our amazing aquifer system.
As you can imagine, this didn’t sit very well with me. This was something that I had to know more about and I was honestly ashamed at how ignorant I was to this.
Geez, the Floridian aquifer is pretty amazing! Check out what happens in Florida in ONE day:
-An average of 150 billion gallons of rain falls.
-The three spring vents in Silver Springs discharge 359 million gallons of water.
-Collectively, Florida’s springs discharge over 19 billion gallons of freshwater.
The entire State of Florida sits on top of this huge underground water basin made mostly of limestone. This porous rock acts as a giant sponge, and as water flows through all the tiny holes and cracks, it is naturally filtered.
If you think about it, Florida is not only surrounded by water on three sides, but anywhere you might be standing there are millions of gallons of water under your feet. This all sounds so great: we have a seemingly endless supply of fresh, pure water that just comes up from the ground…right?
Wrong.
Scientist and environmentalist have warned us for decades that everything that goes on top of the soil eventually ends up in our aquifer because the limestone underneath us is so porous…and they were right.
In fact, Florida was rated as one of the top five worst states for drinking water quality. The water that we do pull from the aquifer for drinking often must be extensively filtered and purified before it is fit for human consumption.
There’s an ongoing debate on how much we can or should pull from our aquifer system, as this effects our rivers flow and overall health. It’s an incredibly daunting task to try and reverse the decades of damage that have been done to it because so little is known about our aquifer.
For now, we can still enjoy the natural wonder of our springs. Once considered “fountains of youth” by Spanish explorers, springs are fantastic places to see wildlife. The never-ending supply of clean water at a consistent average temperature of 72 degrees brings manatees, alligators, turtles and a huge variety of plants, fish and birds to the spring basins.
I consider Florida springs to be one of our greatest gems, and if you haven’t experienced it yet, do yourself a huge favor….DO IT!
Great site to learn about our springs
Do florida!
chad crawford
About the Host/Creator
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As a native Floridian, Chad Crawford has always loved his home state, and he’s made it his mission to share it with the world. He’s often called Florida’s Ambassador for this very reason. Emmy award-winning how to Do florida with Chad Crawford began as a way to combine Chad’s passions – filmmaking, Florida, and literally anything outdoors – but has evolved into a passion project. The more he travels the state, meeting people whose livelihood is the land (and water), the more aware he has become of the issues facing Florida – namely the water crisis. He has worked alongside Florida Fish and Wildlife, Coastal Conservation Association, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Agriculture, Everglades Foundation, Captains for Clean Water, and author Richard Louv in directed efforts to help preserve Florida’s natural resources, and to communicate how we can all be part of solving the environmental problems the state is facing today.
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Recognizing that the next generation needs be part of this conversation, he created an Emmy award-winning kids’ show, The Outsiders Club. The series is geared toward kids and young families, takes place outdoors, and educates viewers in a fun and meaningful way about how they can care for Florida’s environment. Chad uses his platforms to create fans of Florida, but more importantly, he’s interested in creating advocates for Florida. He often says, “When people experience the real Florida they are more likely to take interest in the issues that affect it.” His famous sign-off “Get out and Do Florida” has incited a movement of people, stoking renewed interest in our state’s environmental issues. He encourages his fans to both enjoy Florida and be part of preserving its resources, saying, “If we all do just a little, well, that’s a lot.” Chad and his wife live in Central Florida with their four children.
Want Chad to speak at your event?
Check out Chad’s blog
Want Chad to speak at your event?
Check out Chad’s blog