It took about 12 days for dye put into Mill Creek Sink to show up six miles northwest in Hornsby Spring. That spring is on the far side of High Springs. It runs into the Santa Fe River.

Mill Creek Sink, Alachua, FL 2026-01-13, Cave complex connects to Hornsby Spring, Santa Fe River

Anything that goes into Mill Creek Sink could affect drinking water for the city of High Springs, as well as Hornsby Spring and the Santa Fe River. And probably other things nearby over the Floridan Aquifer.

The dye trace is according to MILL CREEK and LEE SINKS DYE TRACE ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA JULY-DECEMBER, 2005,
Prepared for: Alachua County Environmental Protection Department, 201 SE 2nd Avenue, Suite 201, Gainesville, FL 32601;
Prepared by: Peter L. Butt, Stephen Boyes, P.G. and Thomas L. Morris, Karst Environmental Services, Inc., 5779 NE County Road 340, High Springs, FL 32643, June 7, 2006.

There are pictures below of Mill Creek Sink that I took on January 13, 2026.

 -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/

Figure 17. Study Area Results Map, 2006-06-07 –Karst Environmental Services
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Figure 9. Hornsby Spring Cave Map, 2006-06-07 –Karst Environmental Services
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Figure 18. Study Area Results Map, Mill Creek Sink Cave Area, 2006-06-07 –Karst Environmental Services
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WS

Zoomed, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:35:19, –jsq for WWALS 29.8010451, -82.5088296

Closer, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:35:16, –jsq for WWALS 29.8010422, -82.5088446

Through the woods, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:34:53, –jsq for WWALS 29.8010096, -82.5088887

West context, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:34:56, –jsq for WWALS 29.8010099, -82.5088878

Stairs, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:35:50, –jsq for WWALS 29.8010448, -82.5088364

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Stairs in woods, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:48:41, –jsq for WWALS 29.8010200, -82.5085104

Down, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:48:54, –jsq for WWALS 29.8010200, -82.5085104

Steep stairs, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:48:39, –jsq for WWALS 29.8010200, -82.5085104

Pool, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:48:49, –jsq for WWALS 29.8010200, -82.5085104

Sonny’s BBQ, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:49:28, –jsq for WWALS 29.8010200, -82.5085104

Stair bottom, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:49:30, –jsq for WWALS 29.8010200, -82.5085104

Round, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:49:32, –jsq for WWALS 29.8010200, -82.5085104

Sink, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:49:34, –jsq for WWALS 29.8010200, -82.5085104

Float, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:49:38, –jsq for WWALS 29.8010200, -82.5085104

Palmettos, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:49:47, –jsq for WWALS 29.8011079, -82.5085049

TS

Sign to Sonny’s, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:49:50, –jsq for WWALS 29.8011079, -82.5085049

Sign and sink, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:50:25, –jsq for WWALS 29.8011079, -82.5085049

Sign: Nature Preserve, Permit required, Mill Creek Sink, 2026:01:13 15:50:36, –jsq for WWALS 29.8011079, -82.5085049

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