SpringsWatch: Lower Ichetucknee River
This group is currently accepting volunteers for the “dry” sessions only.
You must have your own kayak, canoe, or paddleboard to participate in the wet or dry sessions for this SpringsWatch group.
SPRINGSWATCH FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Ichetucknee River is located in North Central Florida and is a focal point for outdoor recreation in the area. The river and springs were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1972, when it first opened as a Florida State Park after its 1970 purchase from the Loncala corporation. Every year, tens of thousands of people recreate along the Ichetucknee by kayaking, snorkeling, boating, and most popularly, tubing. The lower segment of the Ichetucknee River is a residential area with homes and private property lining the banks of the river
The first three miles of the Ichetucknee System are located within Ichetucknee Springs State Park and includes the head spring as well as eight additional named and multiple unnamed springs. The Ichetucknee River flows for approximately three miles south from the head spring to US Highway 27. After crossing US 27, the river flows an additional 1.8 miles to its confluence with the Santa Fe River. Our Ichetucknee SpringsWatch group focuses its attention on this lower portion of the river. Below are overview and sampling station maps for our Ichetucknee SpringsWatch program.
Volunteers with the Florida SpringsWatch program conduct monthly sampling along the Lower Ichetucknee River since 2014. Our Ichetucknee “dry” group currently collects data on water temperature, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, vertical light attenuation, and aquatic vegetation. This group also collects water samples for the Florida LakeWatch program administered by the University of Florida’s IFAS Extension.
Our Ichtucknee “wet” group conducts in-water fish counts, snail density surveys, snail egg counts, and water clarity measurements using a horizontal Secchi disk. A mask, snorkel, and fins are required for volunteers who wish to participate in the fish counts.
SpringsWatch offers participants a deep dive into understanding the ecology of Florida springs as well as a fun day on the water helping to generate research which supports them. To learn more about the data our volunteers are collecting, click on the monitoring summary or dashboard links below.
Click here or the button below to apply:
Ichetucknee SpringsWatch Data
DISSOLVED OXYGEN
Dissolved Oxygen (DO) refers to the amount of “Free oxygen” dissolved in the water. Adequate concentrations of DO are necessary for rooted aquatic plants, invertebrates, and fish to prosper. Spring water typically has lower DO compared to river/surface water due to its underground origin, where groundwater is not in contact with the air and sunlight necessary for photosynthesis that produces oxygen.
SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE
Specific Conductance is a measure of how easily an electrical current can pass through water. Since groundwater typically carries dissolved limestone, its specific conductance is higher than what is measured from surface water. Specific conductance levels are also influenced by the presence of pollution (nitrate-nitrogen from fertilizers), and salt from salt water intrusion.
TEMPERATURE
Due to the subterranean source of emerging groundwater, the temperature of Florida’s springs typically averages 72 degrees F (22 degrees C) across the state. Groundwater temperature is dependent on the average annual air temperature, so springs in North Florida are slightly colder than springs further south. Water temperature at river stations fluctuates more rapidly than at springs stations.
Ichetucknee SpringsWatch Monitoring Summaries
Become a citizen scientist and help protect Florida's Springs!
SPRINGSWATCH
COORDINATOR
The Florida SpringsWatch program is funded in part through generous support from the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, the Live Wildly Foundation, and the annual First Magnitude Springs Run hosted by First Magnitude Brewing Company, and Ichetucknee Alliance.
