Pictures: Waterkeepers Florida, Santa Fe River and springs 2024-02-08

We saw many springs, divers, entrances to two big sinkholes (Little and Big Awesome Sucks), many turtles, some alligators, a wood stork, a cattle egret, a hawk, a great blue heron, and some buzzards, as well as many gar and other fish, more cypress knees than you can count, and one very old cypress tree, just below some less than scary shoals.

Perhaps most importantly, nobody was in a hurry to get anywhere. Everybody paddled leisurely, took in the sights, and socialized.

At one of our Friday morning Waterkeepers Florida (WKFL) zoom calls, Jen Lomberk, the WKFL chair, asked Suwannee Riverkeeper to organize an outing while we would all be in Gainesville for an annual conference. The nearest Suwannee River Basin River is the Santa Fe, so I called on Doug Jipson of outfitter Rum 138 to shuttle us, and Merillee Malwitz-Jipson of Our Santa Fe River (OSFR) to guide us. See also the pictures Merrillee sent.

Waterkeepers Florida, Santa Fe River, Rum Island to FL 47 2024-02-08

Waterkeepers Florida consists of all 15 Waterkeepers of Florida,
https://www.waterkeepersflorida.org

Waterkeeper is the generic name that includes Riverkeepers, all licensed by Waterkeeper Alliance. Suwannee Riverkeeper and St. Marys Riverkeeper are Waterkeepers of both Florida and Georgia.

Eleven WKFL members showed up (some with more than one representative), which is about the usual percentage for the annual gathering. Some of them had never seen a blue spring before. We went to Gilchrist Blue Spring, Devil’s Eye Spring, Ginnie Spring, and numerous more, between Rum Island and FL 47 Ramp in Gilchrist County Santa Fe River Park.

Actually, we were going to put in at Rum Island County Park, but it was mysteriously closed that morning. So we put in at Merrilee’s private river access.

When we got to Rum Island, the work at the park was obvious: the incredibly ostentatious orange barrier at the swimming area.

Here are some video snippets:
https://youtu.be/8lzYtVt60ZU?si=Z6Ec8LaVkmM7XmlG

There are many pictures below.

-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Rum138

Doug Jipson explains at Rum 138, 10:34:30, 29.8525087, -82.6743534

Waterkeepers Florida listening attentively, 10:38:43, 29.8525917, -82.6743807

DBSG

Drain bed and sculpture garden, 10:49:51, 29.8525912, -82.6745816

BB

Banners at Merrillee’s private Santa Fe River access, 11:53:49, 29.8338170, -82.6744980

Selfie banners at Merrillee’s private Santa Fe River access, 11:53:55, 29.8338170, -82.6744980

NBB

Waterkeepers Florida at Merrillee’s private Santa Fe River access, 11:54:11, 29.8338170, -82.6744980

Selfie with Waterkeepers Florida at Merrillee’s private Santa Fe River access, 11:54:18, 29.8338170, -82.6744980

Embarking

Movie: Merrillee’s private Santa Fe River access, 11:54:23, (106M) 29.8338170, -82.6744980

Merrillee directing boat put-in, 11:58:42, 29.8337444, -82.6743713

Some in, more coming, 11:58:47, 29.8337444, -82.6743713

Red maples and Merrillee, 11:59:18, 29.8337653, -82.6744315

WKFLSFR

Waterkeepers Florida on the Santa Fe River, 12:08:00, 29.8335985, -82.6749379

Movie: Waterkeepers Florida on the Santa Fe River, 12:08:00, (26M) 29.8335985, -82.6749379

MSpring

Mermaid Spring, 12:10:40, 29.8339893, -82.6754650

Bubbling Mermaid Spring, 12:10:40, 29.8339893, -82.6754650

Movie: Mermaid Spring, aka Jonathan Spring, third magnitude, Columbia County, (15M) 29.8339893, -82.6754650

Movie: Merrillee about Mermaid Spring, (43M) 29.8339893, -82.6754650

Movie: Leaving Mermaid Spring, (17M) 29.8339893, -82.6754650

RIsland

Movie: Rum Island, obstructed, SW Rum Island Terrace in the background, (22M) 29.8338000, -82.6768000

Movie: Merrillee about recharge, (25M) 29.8338000, -82.6772000

Turtles, south tip of Rum Island, 12:16:27, 29.8329802, -82.6775755

Rum Island Ramp, Park HQ in background, Rum Island on right, 12:17:49, 29.8327500, -82.6780785

RINSB

New swimming barrier at Rum Island County Park, 12:17:55, 29.8326064, -82.6780785

Movie: New barrier at Rum Island swimming area, 12:17:55, (5.5M) 29.8330000, -82.6786000

Movie: Rum Island County Park closed because of installing this swimming barrier, (25M) 29.8330000, -82.6786000

Rum Island new swimming barrier, 12:20:44, 29.8331900, -82.6793736

Movie: It does say swimming area on the sign, 12:20:44, (16M) 29.8331900, -82.6793736

No vessels of any kind in swimming area, 12:21:14, 29.8330673, -82.6799250

Waterkeepers Florida in vessels, 12:22:53, 29.8329474, -82.6802680

More WKFL in vessels, 12:22:57, 29.8329474, -82.6802680

GCBSSP

Movie: Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park, 12:22:57, (28M) 29.8328409, -82.6810357

Gilchrist Blue Spring Run, 12:25:05, 29.8328409, -82.6810357

No Motors, No Walking in Spring Run Restoration Project, No Fishing, 12:25:46, 29.8325000, -82.6817943

Movie: It doesn’t say no paddling, 12:25:46, (10M) 29.8325000, -82.6817943

Movie: Turtle heaven at Gilchrist Blue Spring, (9.8M) 29.8327616, -82.6817943

Turtles in Gilchrist Blue Spring Run, 12:26:45, 29.8325078, -82.6818253

GCBS

Movie: Gilchrist Blue Spring, 12:26:45, (10M) 29.8300400, -82.6827766

Movie: After the big collapse last summer, water only comes out of one vent, (37M) 29.8300400, -82.6827766

Very blue, 12:31:50, 29.8300400, -82.6827766

Movie: It sure is blue, 12:31:50, (7.4M) 29.8300400, -82.6827766

TGCBS

Turtles, 12:35:41, 29.8311317, -82.6818305

Turtles context, 12:35:36, 29.8311317, -82.6818305

Movie: Turtles and Waterkeepers Florida at Gilchrist Blue Spring Run, 12:36:07, (18M) 29.8311317, -82.6818305

GCBSWKFL

Movie: Waterkeepers Florida at Gilchrist Blue Spring, (47M) 29.8300400, -82.6827766

WSiT

Wood Stork in tree, 12:50:18, 29.8302884, -82.6827703

Movie: Wood stork

CE

Cattle egret?, 12:53:40, 29.8307982, -82.6818489

Movie: Nonchalant white bird, 12:53:40, (9.0M) 29.8307982, -82.6818489

FWCSFR

Movie: FWC come to check on us, (23M) 29.8327930, -82.6835430

FWC throttled down, 13:02:21, 29.8327930, -82.6835430

GBH

Great Blue Heron on tree above turtles, 13:04:04, 29.8330074, -82.6842083

Great Blue Heron, 13:04:08, 29.8330074, -82.6842083

GCBSPL

Power Line at bottom of Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park, left bank, 13:11:08, 29.8336191, -82.6873627

Right bank, power line at bottom of Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park, , 13:11:11, 29.8336191, -82.6873627

WKFL below power line, Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park, 13:11:13, 29.8336191, -82.6873627

Movie: Power line in Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park, 13:11:13, (13M) 29.8336191, -82.6873627

GSPP

Ginnie Springs Private Park, 13:17:30, 29.8648510, -82.6856380

Tents in Ginnie Springs Private Park, 13:17:42, 29.8341112, -82.6916270

Movie: Approaching Ginnie Springs Private Park, people camping to the edge of the Santa Fe River, 13:17:42, (27M) 29.8341112, -82.6916270

DESRGSPP

Devil’s Ear Spring Run in Ginnie Springs Private Park, 13:25:58, 29.8353770, -82.6968420

Movie: Devil’s Ear Spring Run in Ginnie Springs Private Park, 13:26:03, (42M) 29.8353773, -82.6968424

DESGSPP

WKFL in Devil’s Ear Spring, 13:30:18, 29.8344437, -82.6970834

Divers and WKFL in Devil’s Ear Spring, 13:30:21, 29.8344343, -82.6970081

TDES

Tubers in Devil’s Ear Spring Run, 13:45:31, 29.8351768, -82.6967260

JS

July Spring, right bank, across from Devil’s Ear Spring, 13:49:36, 29.8361560, -82.6964315

Movie: July Spring, across from Ginnie Springs, 13:49:36, (60M) 29.8361560, -82.6964315

GinnieSRun

Ginnie Spring Run, 13:55:20, 29.8365000, -82.6994000

Movie: Ginnie Spring in Ginnie Springs Private Park, off season, 13:55:20, (35M) 29.8365000, -82.6994000

GinnieS

Movie: Divers in Ginnie Spring, 29.8363291, -82.6999564

Bubbles and fins, Ginnie Spring, 13:58:07, 29.8363291, -82.6999564

HiT

Movie: Hawk in tree, discovered by Abbie, 14:11:21, (39M) 29.8368469, -82.7000474

DSpring

Dogwood Spring Run, 14:18:30, 29.8387521, -82.7019026

Movie: Dogwood Spring, 14:18:34, (7.2M) 29.8387521, -82.7019026

WKFLDSpring

Movie: Waterkeepers Florida at Dogwood Spring, (7.6M) 29.8387521, -82.7019026

Blue Dogwood Spring, 14:20:15, 29.8386229, -82.7018661

WKFL, Dogwood Spring, 14:20:57, 29.8386230, -82.7018660

Movie: Exiting Dogwood Spring, 14:21:04, (29M) 29.8386229, -82.7018661

GSRamp

Ginnie Springs Ramp, 14:30:33, 29.8390337, -82.7025321

GStents

Tents and Tube Exit 300 feet, 14:32:56, 29.8388475, -82.7046797

GSTubeExit

Tube Exit 300 feet, 14:33:02, 29.8388475, -82.7046797

GSBuzzards

Buzzards, 14:34:29, 29.8394099, -82.7047127

Movie: Buzzards above the tube exit, before the rapids, 14:34:29, (22M) 29.8394099, -82.7047127

How long is 300 feet?, 14:37:37, 29.8408154, -82.7045153

GSTubeExit

Movie: Last Tube Exit, Ginnie Springs Private Park, 14:37:55, (21M) 29.8411251, -82.7054466

LAST TUBE EXIT HERE, 14:37:48, 29.8411251, -82.7054466

At Twin Spring, 2nd mag., LAST TUBE EXIT, 14:39:02, 29.8411251, -82.7054466

No tubers among WKFL, 14:39:07, 29.8411251, -82.7054466

DeerS

Deer Spring, 3rd mag., 14:42:53, 29.8412236, -82.7074337

Movie: Maybe a spring (Deer Spring, 3rd mag.), 14:39:07, (15M) 29.8412236, -82.7074337

FWGuage

Fort White Gauge, 15:02:50, 29.8487177, -82.7144719

Movie: jsq selfie, 15:02:54, (7.4M) 29.8487177, -82.7144719

SFRapids

Rapids start at The Shoals, LLC, 7460 NE 55 Ave., 15:02:42, 29.8487177, -82.7144719

Movie: Horrible rapids! in a canoe, standing up, operating a drone, (24M) 29.8500000, -82.7156000

VOCypress

Very old cypress tree, right bank, below rapids, 15:07:41, 29.8510683, -82.7165948

Movie: Very old cypress tree, right bank, below rapids, 15:07:41, (13M) 29.8510683, -82.7165948

BASuck

Big Awesome Suck, 15:11:33, 29.8518095, -82.7187514

Movie: Big Awesome Suck, recently bought by Alachua Conservation Trust, 15:11:33, (36M) 29.8518095, -82.7187514

Something on the left bank, 15:13:07, 29.8519407, -82.7188668

Movie: Little Awesome Suck, 15:13:07, (15M) 29.8534770, -82.7212341

Movie: Recently bought by Alachua Conservation Trust: Little Awesome Suck, (7.5M) 29.8534770, -82.7212341

ASPL

Awesome Suck Power Line, 15:19:34, 29.8537869, -82.7222865

Movie: Power line just after Little Awesome Suck, 15:19:37, (21M) 29.8537869, -82.7222865

Right bank, Awesome Suck Power Line, 15:20:27, 29.8537869, -82.7222865

SCRise

Siphon Creek Rise, 1st mag., aka Whynameit Spring, 15:35:28, 29.8563411, -82.7329566

Movie: Whynameit Spring, 15:35:30, (11M) 29.8563411, -82.7329566

MFSpring

Myrtles Fissure Spring, 2nd mag., 15:38:51, 29.8583230, -82.7337660

ISP

Bend right around the illegible signpost, 15:41:30, 29.8597676, -82.7358181

GWI

Great white ibis, 15:44:25, 29.8612249, -82.7363801

WKFL, 15:45:03, 29.8612249, -82.7363801

PDR

Private deck and ramp, right bank, 15:50:34, 29.8652180, -82.7374598

WKFL rounding the last bend, 15:50:37, 29.8652180, -82.7374598

FL47Bridge

FL 47 Bridge, 15:52:06, 29.8653496, -82.7382252

FL47Ramp

Movie: FL 47 Ramp, aka Gilchrist County Santa Fe River Ramp, 15:52:06, (3.9M) 29.8653496, -82.7382252

SFPark

Santa Fe Park, Gilchrist County, Florida, 15:57:18, 29.8643584, -82.7399489

Have you seen a sturgeon?, 15:57:39, 29.8643580, -82.7399490

Movie: Debarking at Gilchrist County Santa Fe River Park, 15:57:39, (13M) 29.8643580, -82.7399490

Movie: Thanks for guiding, Merrillee, (20M) 29.8643580, -82.7399490

SFRFL47

Santa Fe River from FL 47 bridge, 16:27:25, 29.8638734, -82.7406455

-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

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