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WATER SUPPLY OF WEST FLORIDA. 91 
COUNTY REPORTS. 
In the following reports the counties are taken in order from 
west to east. A map showing the location of the counties will be 
found on page 86. 
ESCAMBIA COUNTY. 
LOCATION AND SURFACE FEATURES. 
Escambia the westernmost county in the State is separated on 
the west from Baldwin County, Alabama, by the Perdido River. 
It extends from the Alabama state line on the north to the Gulf 
of Mexico on the south. On the east the Escambia River divides 
it from Santa Rosa County. The area is 668 square miles or 
427,520 acres. 
The surface features of the county fall into two more or less 
distinct divisions. For a distance of about 10 miles from the Gulf 
of Mexico north the country is comparatively level and sandy with 
but few surface streams. The principal growth on this sandy soil 
is scrub oak and long leaf pine. Most of the pine has been cut 
away and but little second growth has replaced it. The second 
division embraces the northern portion of the county which is char¬ 
acterized by a gently undulating to rolling topography, becoming 
somewhat broken as the rivers and larger streams are approached. 
This section supports a vigorous growth of long leaf pine. The 
soil, generally speaking, is a heavy red to yellowish sandy clay 
covered with a mantle of sand of greater or less thickness. Streams 
are numerous affording in several instances water transportation 
for the products of the many lumber mills in this part of the county. 
Seepage springs afford also a good supply of soft water for dom¬ 
estic purposes and often the waters from these springs are dammed 
up and used for manufacturing supplies. The presence of such an 
abundant supply of water from these springs and the ease with 
which surface water wells are obtained have thus far obviated to 
a great extent the necessity of deep well drilling. Surface water 
wells are obtained at depths varying from 16 to 60 or more feet 
depending upon local surface variations. 
The geology of Escambia County presents many difficulties and 
has not been described in detail. Chief among the difficulties is the 
absence of fossiliferous horizons from which the age of the forma¬ 
tions may be determined. The surface formations throughout the 
county consist of sandy clays, which upon disintegration form the 
