Two Springs in State Priority Focus Areas Acquired by Alachua Conservation Trust
December 29, 2021
Gainesville, Florida – In the final days of 2021, Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) is celebrating the conservation of the second magnitude Telford Spring and its surrounding 94 acres on the Suwannee River, and Sawdust Spring located along the lower Santa Fe River, which was also acquired for conservation by the non-profit land trust.
Sawdust Spring and 139 acres of pristine bottomland hardwood forest is one of the newest springs on the State’s priority list to become conservation lands with the help of ACT. Connected to the Devil’s Ear Spring Priority Focus Area and part of the Florida Forever Project Area, the third magnitude freshwater spring is full of karst features and includes almost a mile of riverbank directly on the northern bank of the Santa Fe River. The property, located in Columbia County, is spotted with rain lilies and towering cypress trees, and is accessible by kayak and canoe.
Photos of Sawdust Spring by Alison Blakeslee & Melissa Hill.
About fifty miles northwest of Sawdust Spring, the second magnitude Telford Spring runs for 75 feet before flowing out into the Suwannee River. Located adjacent to Peacock Springs Conservation Area and across the river from Convict Spring Conservation Area in Suwannee County, Telford Spring is nestled directly within a Springs Priority Focus Area for the State of Florida. The intricate four-thousand-feet limestone cave system below boasts high and low ceilings, as well as rocky, sandy and silty floors throughout its tunnels. At the surface, two nearby sinkholes, Telford Sink and Terrapin Sink, directly connect the land to the aquifer below. The acquired land also has more than a mile of frontage along the beautiful Suwannee River.
Photo of Telford Spring by Kim Davidson.
“Both Sawdust and Telford springs, and the land surrounding them, serve as prime examples of what Alachua Conservation Trust is working diligently to conserve for current and future generations. The permanent protection of these two springs along Outstanding Florida Waters safeguards aquifer recharge, protects Florida’s native species and conserves critical drinking water supply for our state, while also providing recreational access for paddlers, boaters, and cave divers.”
Photo of Telford Spring by Alison Blakeslee.
Conservation of both springs was made possible through the support of several private bridge loans from individuals in the community, private donations, and state springs funding. ACT will maintain ownership of Sawdust Spring and plans to open the property up as a public preserve for passive recreation in the future. Telford Spring will be sold to the Suwannee River Water Management District and incorporated into adjacent existing state conservation lands.
ACT is working on a regional level to protect springs, rivers, and the Floridan aquifer in the Suwannee, Santa Fe, and Ichetucknee watersheds. Over 62% of the Santa Fe River is protected, and ACT is working to protect an additional 75,000 acres in the basin by 2045.
Since 1988, the mission of Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) is to protect the natural, historic, scenic and recreational resources in and around North Central Florida. ACT protects land through purchase, donation, and conservation easements primarily in 16 counties. As Florida’s natural leader in conservation, ACT has conserved nearly 56,000 acres.
Banner image by Alison Blakeslee.
