Ichetucknee Springs
Groups, Organizations & Resources
If you retain only one piece of information from this Ichetucknee page, I hope it is this—protecting Florida’s springs, is really about protecting the water you use every day. Florida’s springs are windows to the vast Floridan Aquifer that sustains us. So, all our talk of protecting Florida’s springs is not only about preserving beautiful, natural wonders and popular places to recreate, it is about preserving our own health and the health of the land that sustains us. It’s about living on this land without killing it. Every single person in Florida—including those who never see a spring their entire life—are affected by what happens with the aquifer.
Several groups and organizations are working hard to address the challenges of saving Ichetucknee Springs and other local waters. They organize meetings to get this important message out to the public. They invite speakers, reach out to decision makers, and share new information. They brainstorm creative and powerful ways to get the message out to the general public; like splashing beautiful photos of springs onto the sides of city buses.
It’s a critical issue, and yet, the number of people actively involved is alarmingly small. For this reason, every single voice that joins this chorus makes a big difference. If you’d like to get involved, here are some organizations working to save Ichetucknee:
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Finding solutions to the problems affecting the Ichetucknee will, at its core, be a “people process” of behavioral and cultural change, perhaps coupled with water policy changes. Why? Because everyone who uses water in Florida is simultaneously a contributor to our water problems and a potential partner in solving those problems. The Ichetucknee Alliance is committed to working with partners in the springshed and throughout Florida to achieve our vision of a healthy and protected Ichetucknee River System.
We believe that a three-pronged process will help us meet our goals:
(1) an emphasis on accurate water models, good science and continued monitoring of conditions in the Ichetucknee River system,
(2) a corresponding emphasis on the moral and ethical principles that can guide environmental decision making, and
(3) the willingness to partner with other people, agencies and organizations to find creative and substantive solutions.
Different people have studied the Ichetucknee River and its associated springs for many years. A lot of good science is available to us now, and many of the solutions we seek are already in sight.
http://ichetuckneealliance.org
Contact: Lucinda Faulkner Merritt. e-mail: wordwitch@windstream.net. Phone: (386) 454-0415
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This citizen-based non-profit group works to protect the waters and lands that support the aquifer, springs, and rivers within the watershed of the Santa Fe River.
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A great place to learn more about our local springs and to network with others working to protect springs is at the Santa Fe River Springs Basin Working Group. Everyone is welcome to attend the quarterly meetings and to learn from the presentations from local professionals, researchers, and activists. To find out when the next meeting is visit:
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For research on the Santa Fe Springs, see the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute and Dr. Robert Knight’s Santa Fe Springs Restoration Action Plan.
Johnny Dame
Devil’s Eye Spring, 1987
Ichetucknee Sacred River
Photo by John Moran
Learn more about Ichetucknee Springs
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![Overhead view of a person paddling a red kayak across the deep blue waters of Ichetucknee’s Blue Hole, surrounded by forest and reflections of clouds on the surface.]()
Why We Love This Spring
Ichetucknee inspires awe at first sight, its clear blue waters and sand boils stirring something almost sacred. Fed by a chain of springs, the river flows like a living jewel through North Florida’s forest.
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![Groups of people floating on blue inner tubes along the Ichetucknee River, surrounded by tall trees and lush green forest.]()
Know Your Springshed
Find Ichetucknee on the map and trace its springshed to understand where its water begins and how it flows. Behind the beauty lies a vast aquifer, nine named springs, and a river shaped by both nature and people.
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![Scuba diver with twin air tanks swimming through a limestone underwater cave, illuminated by blue spring water filtering through the cavern.]()
Health and Science
Research shows how the Floridan Aquifer feeds Ichetucknee and links distant lands to its springs through underground pathways. Excess nitrogen and reduced flow challenge the river’s clarity and health.
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![Close view of hands holding thick green algae in shallow spring water.]()
Caring for Your Spring
Caring for Ichetucknee begins with using less water and reducing fertilizer so more clean flow remains in the aquifer. Conservation and mindful land use are essential to restoring the river’s clarity and health.
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![Watercolor painting of a clear spring run bordered by trees and grasses, with reflections in turquoise water and a small cave opening along the bank.]()
History
For nearly 14,000 years, people have gathered at Ichetucknee, from Paleo-Indians and Timucua to settlers and modern visitors. Its waters have shaped settlement, industry, recreation, and protection.
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![Abstract oil painting in layered blues, turquoise, white, and warm earth tones, suggesting flowing spring water and limestone forms in motion.]()
Art, Literature, Film & Culture
Artists and storytellers have long seen Florida’s springs as sacred sources of life, healing, and identity. Today their work reflects both the beauty and wonder of Ichetucknee and the urgency to protect it.
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![Moderator Lars Andersen]()
Moderator Lars Andersen
Lars Andersen is a Florida naturalist, author, and river guide dedicated to sharing the history and ecology of North Florida’s waterways. Through Adventure Outpost, he leads tours that connect people to these rivers.
