SpringsWatch: Panhandle Springs
This group is currently accepting new volunteers.
Our West Panhandle SpringsWatch team focuses on Ponce de Leon Spring located within Ponce de Leon Springs State Park in Holmes County. This second magnitude spring is a favorite swimming hole for local residents. Surrounded by a lush hardwood forest, the Ponce de Leon spring is a convergence of two underwater flows and produces 14 million gallons of water daily. The state park is bisected by Sandy Creek, a blackwater creek that runs through the park.
Volunteers with the Florida SpringsWatch program conduct monthly sampling sessions at Ponce de Leon Springs. Our Panhandle SpringsWatch group collects data on water temperature, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, vertical light attenuation, and aquatic vegetation. In addition to water quality monitoring, this group also conducts visual fish counts within the spring. A mask, snorkel, and fins are required for volunteers who wish to participate in the fish survey. (Click here to learn more about the fish commonly found in Florida springs.)
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 above.
Click here or scroll down to sign up, contact us, or learn more about other SpringsWatch locations.
Become a citizen scientist And Help Protect Florida's Springs!
Springswatch volunteer application form
*Groups with a wait list are at capacity and currently not accepting new volunteers. If you wish to select one of these groups, we suggest applying for an additional group with no wait list to ensure you are able to participate in sampling as soon as possible. Apply for as many as you like!
SPRINGSWATCH
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Jill Lingard
FSI SpringsWatch Volunteer Coordinator
The Panhandle SpringsWatch program was funded in part through generous support from the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida
