Before leaving this immediate area, having heard good reports, I decided to present to you just one more spring along this part of the Suwannee.
Lafayette is another First Magnitude spring, this means it supplies water to the river in excess of 100 cubic feet per second! This spring is located almost directly across the river from Charles Spring which I reported on last week.
The park is very nicely maintained with all manner of trails, wooden walkways, pavilions, boat ramp, picnic areas, tent sites, cabins and more. In the photos, you will see some general views of the park, the spring, and the river. Look for another example of the tea color of the Suwannee and a turtle enjoying a swim in the spring. Click this link for the photos.
This visit was a bit more remote than earlier visits, not in terms of actual distance from my current location, but by virtue of the fact that Charles Springs can only be reached via several miles of unpaved roads. I'm never thrilled about exposing my truck to such conditions but given no alternative...
This is a 2nd Magnitude spring and if you've not been paying attention to earlier posts, this means that the spring produces a flow that is in excess of 6.46 million gallons of water per day. A notable aspect of this location is a pair of natural limestone bridges that cross the spring near the source which were created by the flow of the water. There is a run of about a couple hundred yards where the spring empties into (you guessed it) the Suwannee.
These photos include the spring, the run a trail to the river and, of course, the Suwannee. You will see a small beach where the tea color, due to the Okefenokee Swamp origin of the river, is evident.
Instead of a spring, we see the result of all that spring water that feeds into the Suwannee River on the journey from the Okefenokee Swamp to the Gulf of Mexico. Depicted in the photo above is the Suwannee Delta area, one of the largest undeveloped river delta systems in the United States. As is evident in the photo, it is not possible to reach the shores of the Gulf in this area except by boat since the closest road ends in the town of Suwannee that can be seen in the upper center of the picture.
If you should have the chance to visit the town of Suwannee, I recommend the Salt Creek Restaurant for good food at reasonable prices and some nice views of the delta waters, some of which are included with these photos of the area.
There are more than 720 hydrological springs in Florida so it would likely be a life-long endeavor to visit all of them. If you are interested in more information about these springs, use this link.
After over 10 years, this week included a return trip to Troy Springs, a 1st Magnitude spring which produces an average flow of 68.5 million gallons of water per day into the Suwannee River. The next visit was to the Ichetuknee Springs State Park where very nicely kept grounds and trails lead to several springs that feed the Ichetuknee River which ultimately feeds into the Santa Fe River which joins with the Suwannee before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.
Photos can be found here.
This link is to my Troy Springs blog from December of 2007 and this link will take you to photos from that visit.
