l68 FLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY I3TH ANNUAL REPORT 



vorite trip for sight-seers for many years. The spring is also used 

 for bathing. Bkie Spring in the same county near JuHette ha?^ 

 nearly as large a flow, but does not make a navigable stream. Othei 

 well known springs in the same region are Weekiwachee Spring in 

 Hernando County and Sulphur Spring near Tampa. The former 

 is rather unique in being in the midst of a large area of scrub. 



In the Gulf hammock region there are large springs at the head 

 of the Waccasassa, Crystal, Homosassa (fig. 7) and Chessahow- 

 itzka Rivers. In the lake region the best known springs are DeLeon 

 and Blue Springs in Volusia County, Palm and Hoosier Springs in 

 the western part of Seminole County, Clay or Wekiva Spring, the 

 main source of the Wekiva River, Seminole Spring, near Soriento, 

 and Bugg Spring, near Okahumpka. Rock Spring, in the north- 

 western part of Orange County (fig. 18), differs from most other 

 Florida springs, and resembles some in the Appalachian Valley, 

 in that the water rushes out audibly from the base of a cliff, instead 

 of welling up from the bottom of a basin. 



The water of all these large springs is highly charged with cal- 

 cium carbonate, and is very clear, with a slight bluish tinge. Its 

 temperature usually ranges between 70° and 75° the year round.* 

 Some have a very perceptible sulphurous odor too, particularly those 

 in Seminole County. Orange, Silver, Palm, Clay and Sulphur 

 Springs and perhaps others are used more or less for bathing pools. 

 Silver Spring, the largest and most accessible of all, is provided 

 with glass-bottomed boats, from which the bottom can be viewed. 



The water of Green or Espiritu Santo Spring in Pinellas County 

 and one or two smaller ones is believed to have medicinal virtues. 

 There are a few salt springs near the St. John's River and some ol 

 its tributaries, but little is known about them. 



Streams. The streams of central Florida may be divided, 

 chiefly on a basis of size, into branches, creeks, runs and rivers. 

 The branches, generally speaking, are those small enough to stop 

 running in dry weather, and they are not as numerous as in the 

 northern part of the State, where the effects of erosion are more ev- 

 ident. They are mostly clear or slightly coffee-colored. The creeks 

 flow throughout the year, and vary from a few feet to several yards 



*The temperature of a large spring in any part of the world, unless it is a 

 thermal spring, is usually very close to the average annual temperature of thf 

 locality, so that it seems warm in winter and cold in summer, by contrast. 



