FLORIDA'S AQUIFERS: THE FLORIDAN
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, espec...