$11 million spent for land near Santa Fe River to protect springs

Projects to buy land at area springs to improve water quality and preserve ecosystems are included in a $11.2 million state allocation to the Suwannee River Water Management District.

The district will team with Alachua Conservation Trust — or ACT — on four projects, three in Columbia County and one in Gilchrist.

“We are ecstatic. It’s amazing to have four projects for springs protection in land acquisition,” ACT Executive Director Tom Kay said. “We’re grateful to the district to be willing to work with us.”

ACT worked on acquiring the land and will manage it for environmental protection and recreation. Money for the projects includes state and matching funds.

Almost $7.4 million will be used to buy about 2,742 acres near Devil’s Ear Spring in Gilchrist County to help recharge the spring and aquifer.

Devil’s Ear is a second-magnitude spring that is part of the Ginnie Springs complex. It is designated as a state outstanding spring.

Magnitude refers to the volume of water that flows out of a spring, with first being the greatest at more than 64.6 million gallons a second. The smallest is fourth magnitude at 144,000 gallons a minute.

Nearly $1.4 million will be used for the Santa Fe Springs project — 254 acres in Columbia County on the upper Santa Fe River near Olustee Creek.

Included on the property is a second-magnitude spring and a fourth-magnitude spring.

Kay said the second-magnitude spring has tannic water and a few alligators, so it’s not conducive to swimming.

Also purchased is the Sawdust Spring project — 163 acres and almost a mile in Santa River frontage in Columbia County across from Ginnie Springs.

Sawdust is a third-magnitude spring. The cost was $934,395. 

Another $972,600 will be used for the 514-acre Columbia County Grasslands Project to help recharge the aquifer near Ichetucknee Springs.

Much of the land is mature sandhill and the management plan may include restoration to sandhill on other parts of the property.

Kay said passive recreation such as hiking and canoe/kayak launches will be planned at some of the newly acquired property.

“At Santa Fe Springs, the open date we’re looking at is February 2022. It’s becoming a favorite place to paddle because there is so little boat traffic,” Kay said. “Sawdust...will probably have opportunities for swimming. It’s a beautiful spring.”

ACT is based in Alachua County but works on land acquisition projects statewide.