Florida Springs News Archive

Apr 23, 2020 - Fern Hammock Springs is a hidden gem is less than 2 hours outside of JAX. This second-magnitude spring and is one of the most picturesque spots in St. Johns River Water Management District.

Apr 17, 2020 - From the moment we read you could consume a beer or two while floating down the lazy river we were sold ' Ginnie Springs Tubing in Florida had officially made it on our Florida bucket list!

Apr 1, 2020 - Juniper Springs was a perfect place for us to go for a sunny afternoon together. With a relatively short drive to the Silver Springs area, about an hour and a half north of Orlando, we packed a lunch and hit the road.

Sep 1, 2019 - Along Ecofina Creek in Washington and Bay counties there are 11 springs or spring groups comprised of 39 individual vents, most of them within a mile of State Road 20 (Hwy 20).

Jul 18, 2019 - On Thursday, it was time to go for the 800-pound manatee, which they named Bago. For almost a half a year, Bago hung out with other sick or injured manatees and received treatment from veterinarians

Jul 15, 2019 - Wildlife officials say toxic Red Tide and chilly temperatures contributed to the sea cow deaths in 2018, but so far in 2019 the biggest threat to manatees are boats.

Jul 14, 2019 - The female manatee, which measured nine feet and weighed an estimated 1,000 pounds, got stuck during low tide in a shallow, muddy area of the Matanzas River off Ocean Avenue and east of San Marco Avenue.

Jul 10, 2019 - We are almost three weeks into the Summer season, so don't think it's too late to plan a trip to one Floridas amazing springs and cool off from the heat! The springs are a perfect vacation to take your friends or family to as most of the parks offer Kayaking, Canoeing, Stand-up Paddle boards, Tubes, Wildlife, & Nature Trails.

May 8, 2019 - There's a place in Florida where the water is always 72 degrees. Not kidding. And this slice of heaven is all you need when the state tries to kill you with its toaster temperatures. Natural springs are some of the most beautiful sights you'll ever see, and they're all over Florida.

May 1, 2019 - Crystal River and Homosassa are home to an abundance of family-friendly activities that will help everyone disconnect from technology in favor of outdoors adventures

Apr 22, 2019 - Rock Springs at Kelly Park is one of our favorite places for tubing, kayaking, and camping in Florida. This beautiful Spring, located in Apopka, is like a natural lazy river that's crystal clear year round. It's the perfect summer day trip in Central Florida.

Mar 29, 2019 - The plan was to kayak twelve miles of the Santa Fe River today. In order to do that, there was some strategy involved because the current is too strong to paddle back and we didn't want to pay to rent equipment when we already have our own.

Mar 28, 2019 - I had very little idea what to expect from Rock Springs run, and you know what? Sometimes having no expectations is the best way, since it leaves plenty of room to be pleasantly surprised. And surprised we were. Rock Springs is hard to beat when it comes to natural unspoiled beauty.

Mar 10, 2019 - Just south of Ponce De Leon, the 161-acre park is well known in the area, and popular with divers and nature enthusiasts across the south. Cypress trees abound around the spring with their crisp, bright green needles defining the landscape.

Mar 3, 2019 - As part of Florida's statewide system of Greenways and Trails, Holmes Creek flows through a variety of diverse habitats. The upper and lower portions pass high sandy banks while the majority of the tail is through low-lying swamplands.

Feb 11, 2019 - There's several things that make experiencing another trip around the sun happy and more palatable. For myself, one of those things is being underwater in the manatee's world. It has become a tradition for me to express my appreciation to the manatees.

Feb 10, 2019 - During my six weeks in Florida, I only scratched the surface of all the wonderful springs the state has to offer, but I thought I would share some of my favorites with you here.

Feb 8, 2019 - I woke up early enough to catch the sun coming up through the mist rising off of Salt Springs. I shared the view with this Blue Heron who stood on one leg watching me over his shoulder.

Jan 29, 2019 - This is the time of year when Floridians, snowbirds, and visitors alike head to the warmer waters of springs and electric plants and even nuclear plant complexes to watch our favorite manatees.

Jan 28, 2019 - Weather's been cool and rainy during our three day visit, but we got a nice kayak paddle in. This area of Florida is full of natural springs. Warm but not hot at a consistent water temperature of 72.

Jan 13, 2019 - Who needs Disney World when you can see and swim with wild manatees in their natural habitat? From November through February, manatees come to Florida by the thousands seeking the warmer water of Florida's natural springs.

Jan 9, 2019 - Starting January 1, people launching into the river from the park's dock can only bring reusable containers or bottles with them. Several signs reading "only non-disposable items allowed on the river" have been posted throughout the parking lot and park entrance.

Jan 8, 2019 - To say it was a rough 2018 for Florida manatees is an understatement. According to FWC, more than 800 died last year and a good chunk of those deaths were from boating accidents. More than 100 died by boat.

Jan 2, 2019 - We've lost track at how many times we've spent visiting Florida to escape the cold. It has usually been along the Gulf or Atlantic beaches or one of the Orlando parks. But over the past few years, we've 'discovered' the beautiful and unique springs of Florida.

Jan 1, 2019 - According to preliminary figures posted by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), more than 800 manatees died in 2018, a nearly 50% increase over the prior year.

Dec 30, 2018 - The new institute would house a series of displays describing Florida's rich springs diversity, including their hydrology, chemistry, biology and cultural resources

Dec 20, 2018 - Manatees are on the move. Winter weather seems to drive nearly everything to Florida, from human winter residents to migratory birds. Even manatees migrate this time of year as water temperatures begin to fall.

Dec 18, 2018 - Florida's natural wonders have been in the news this year for all the wrong reasons: toxic tides, green slimes and rotting marine life.

Dec 18, 2018 - Senator Stewart's legislation, which has been filed for the upcoming legislative session, would not only ban fracking in future wells, but would prohibit the extraction process in wells already permitted for drilling or operation.

Dec 17, 2018 - With Election Day passed, it's a good time for state policymakers to evaluate the impact high energy prices and poor policies have had on voters and look for ways Floridians can benefit from better ideas that promote clean, reliable energy.

Dec 16, 2018 - Rare twin manatees Millennium and Falcon have been released back to their home in the Florida Keys. With satellite tracking transmitters strapped to their bodies, the two marine mammals were returned to waters leading to Florida Bay on Thursday.

Dec 13, 2018 - The EPA's own figures show the rollback of Obama-era regulations will leave 51 percent of the nation's wetlands unprotected. Florida has 12 million acres of wetlands, more than all but one other state

Dec 11, 2018 - The Suwannee River Water Management District (District) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) are partnering to restore the natural spring run and ecology of Bell Springs in Columbia County.

Nov 27, 2018 - The rural areas near Branford, Florida have many wonderful springs. I know that many people have heard of Ginnie Springs as it is a very popular spring and is known well even down here in central Florida.

Nov 25, 2018 - Royal Springs Park is one of many different parks featuring a spring in North Florida. This is a county park officially known as 'Hugh Bryon Hollingsworth, Sr.' park - free to all who come to visit.

Nov 19, 2018 - Resources to save manatee and other sea life nearing limit a year after toxic red tide bloom outbreak

Nov 15, 2018 - We were lucky enough to secure a full week reservation at Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park in High Springs, about 30 minutes west of Gainesville.

Nov 7, 2018 - For too many families, North Florida's once pristine groundwater may be unsafe to drink. One nasty pollutant is nitrate, a principal ingredient in synthetic agricultural and urban fertilizers, and in animal manure and human waste.

Nov 3, 2018 - And today, going to the beach anywhere in Florida stinks, literally. If the red tide doesn't drive you away, the stench of dead fish will.

Nov 2, 2018 - The manatees are back. Tampa Electric Co. opened its Manatee Viewing Center for the season this week with a few improvements. The overflow parking lot will now have a 75-kilowatt solar array, which will shade the shuttle bus waiting area.

Oct 30, 2018 - Big changes are coming to the Weeki Wachee River. The state park has cut back on the number of kayakers allowed on the river each day in an effort to reduce the amount of garbage those kayakers leave behind.

Oct 30, 2018 - So far this year, 714 manatees have died, compared to 538 in 2017, out of about 6,000 estimated to live in Florida waters, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Oct 28, 2018 - North Florida's Wakulla Springs, the largest and deepest freshwater spring on Earth, is experiencing an unwelcome change: Its famously crystal waters are turning brown. After extensive study, researchers at Florida State University think they might know why.

Oct 22, 2018 - The Thompson Institute for Earth Systems at the University of Florida says it wants to make sure people are in the know about the latest environmental risks and developments in the state.

Oct 19, 2018 - The crisis extends well beyond our coastlines. Aging sewage systems and septic tanks threaten vulnerable inland waters; nutrients from treated sewage, or biosolids, spread on agricultural lands find their way into nearby lakes and tributaries and befoul them.

Oct 10, 2018 - North Florida is home to a vast underground plumbing system known as the Floridan Aquifer. Comprising more than 100,000 square miles and several thousand feet in thickness, the Floridan Aquifer is like a gigantic, rock-filled bucket.

Oct 8, 2018 - Red Tide is a manatee's enemy because its toxicity could kill us very quickly! You see red tide is an extremely toxic algae bloom that forms when the water is warm and there are plenty of nutrients for it to live on.

Oct 6, 2018 - That's far more than the subsidies provided for renewable energy like solar and wind; in terms of tax breaks, fossil fuel subsidies outpace renewable subsidies by 7 to 1. It all comes down to politics.

Oct 4, 2018 - Last weekend Jason and Emma set off to explore Sylvan and Cypress Springs. As usual, they captured their adventure in video and photography.

Oct 3, 2018 - The FWC releases statewide red tide reports on Wednesdays and Fridays between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. But this week prior to Wednesday's report, some people in Destin and South Walton were saying they didn't need the official report to know there is a problem.