WorldWide Drilling Resource

22 SEPTEMBER 2015 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® “The bank was dense with magnolia and loblolly bay, sweet gum, and gray-barked ash. He went down to the spring in the cool darkness of their shadows. A sharp pleasure came over him. This was a secret and a lovely place.” Marjory Kinnan Rawlings , The Yearling Geologists estimate there are over 900 springs in the state of Florida, represent- ing what might be the largest concentration of freshwater springs on earth. These springs are nature’s windows to the mysteries of an aquifer. The Floridan Aquifer is one of the most productive aquifers in the world, and the source of most of Florida’s drinking water. It consists of about 100,000 square miles of permeable limestone, saturated with water like a giant sponge. The aquifer under- lies all of Florida, as well as portions of Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama. The extensive series of highly porous marine limestone occurs near the land’s surface in Florida. Springs appear when subsurface pressures force water up through an opening. Though it’s known as the Sunshine State, Florida typically has high amounts of rainfall. All this rain, combined with porous limestone and relatively high subsurface water flows, creates a concentration of springs in the state. Unlike geothermal “hot springs”, such as those found in Yellowstone, most of Florida’s Springs are cool year-round. Being close to the surface keeps them near a constant 68°F (20ºC). Naturalist Archie Carr referred to them as “the singular blessing of the Florida landscape.” Indeed, some of Florida’s springs support entire ecosystems of rare plants and animals found no where else in the world; and rivers depend on them for a steady supply of freshwater. As the “end of the pipe” of the Floridan Aquifer, springs also indicate the quality of the state’s drinking water. For thousands of years, people have been drawn to the unique beauty and life-giving properties of Florida’s springs. The healing waters have provided countless natural, recreational, and economic ben- efits. Springs have served as locations for Spanish missions, steamboat landings, gristmills, and post offices. People drank and pulled fish from them, irrigated their crops, and were baptized in them. Over a dozen state parks protect the springs for which they are named. As the state’s population continues to skyrocket, the challenge is to preserve the water quality of Florida’s springs - and hence the Floridan Aquifer - for the future, while also meeting the needs of today’s residents, visitors, and wildlife. The Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute was founded in 2010 to accel- erate the restoration and protection of the state’s springs. The institute is working to build a permanent research center focused on springs and aquatic ecology education at Silver Springs in Marion County. The goal is to increase public awareness of threats to springs; educate people about the importance of healthy springs to Florida’s future; and ultimately save these “little ecologic jewels.” To learn more about Florida’s springs and ongoing efforts to preserve them, visit floridasprings.org and floridaspringsinstitute.org To this day, visitors enjoy glass-bottom boat tours at Silver Springs in Ocala. Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida, www.floridamemory.com A hidden spring in Washington County, where my husband likes to fish. Photo by Bart White. Florida ’ s Springs: Windows to an Aquifer Compiled by Amy White, Associate Editor, WorldWide Drilling Resource ® The DTH-RoX+ casing system from Robit ® enables easy, fast, and reliable drilling. This single-use system is ideal for water well, geothermal, and piling applications in broken over- burden conditions. It allows easy driving of the casing tubes into the ground with relatively low torque demand. The DTH-RoX+ system is specifically designed for all applications where the casing is left in the ground as protection for the bore. They are available for 3-inch through 24-inch hammers. Robit ® applies ISO 9001:2008 standards and rigorous quality control for a superior product.