FLORIDA'S AQUIFERS: THE FLORIDAN

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 The Amazing Floridan Aquifer

An aquifer is an underground layer of permeable rock or sediment that holds or transmits water.

The Floridan Aquifer is one of the most productive aquifers in the world. It stretches approximately 100,000 square miles throughout Florida, and parts of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. It's the main source of drinking water for almost 10 million people.

In Florida, the aquifer provides about 4 billion gallons of water per day--about 90 percent of Florida's drinking water and a large share of agricultural and industrial use. The Floridan Aquifer also supplies numerous springs in the state. 

The Floridan Aquifer is composed mostly of limestone and dolomite, with cracks and crevices that allow the water to seep through. Some of the layers are confined within clay, so they build artesian pressure. 

A good lesson on aquifer geology is on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection website. 
Much of the water in the aquifer, especially the confined areas, is very pure though it is hard water due to dissolved minerals. In some parts of Florida (Panhandle and extreme South Florida) Floridan Aquifer water is too saline to be a source of drinking water. 


How Deep are the Wells?

Utilities use water from different layers of the Floridan, depending on local topography and other factors. For instance, drinking water wells in Jacksonville Beach (northeast Florida) are drilled into the Floridan Aquifer at 700 to 1,000 feet below the surface, where other areas of Florida may only need to drill 300 to 400 feet. 

How is the Floridan Aquifer Recharged?

The aquifer is continually recharged with rainfall that seeps through the ground and through cracks in the rock. Some areas of the state are better for recharging than others. The Keystone Heights area is a primary recharge location due to more permeable soil and rock. The Alachua Sink is another major conduit for aquifer recharge.

Geek Out on Floridan Aquifer Videos

Some beautiful videos on the aquifer are available. Here is a series by Wes Skiles, who was a renowned underwater videographer. He explores the aquifer above and underground. 

Here's a short video from the Southwest Florida Water Management District:


Watch Water's Journey: Hidden Rivers of Florida, where divers explore the aquifer:

Florida's Aquifer: The Treasure Below - from the St. Johns River Water Management District:







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