THE ARTESIAN WATER SUPPLY OF EASTERN FLORIDA.

At Key West two wells have been drilled to the Vicksburg which is reached at that locality at a depth of about 700 feet.
The first of these wells, drilled in 1895, is reported to have reached a depth of 2000 feet. The well was non-flowing and the water salty. No adequate record of this well was kept, and it is not known to what depth the well was cased, nor whether or not there was any attempt made to drill beyond and case off the salty water. The second well was drilled in 19o9-1o by S. 0. Johnson and reached a total depth of IOIO feet. This well is cased about 15o feet. It is non-flowing and salty. Two samples of water from this well have been received from Mr. Johnson. One is said to have been taken from the water near the top of the well; the other from near the bottom of the well. The first of these samples contains chlorine 2340 parts per million parts water. The sample said to have come from the bottom of the well contains 1358 parts chlorine per million parts water.
The investigations of the flowing area of the Southern Gulf Coast have not been completed, and it is possible to indicate only approximately the limits of this area. Flowing wells have been obtained in areas of low elevation at Tampa, St. Petersburg and elsewhere along the coast for some distance north of St. Petersburg. It is only near the sea level in ,this northward extent of the area that a flow is to be expected. In Manatee County along the Manatee River strong flowing wells have been obtained some of them having a pressure of eight or more pounds. The wells in this county are used extensively for irrigation. In De Soto County flowing wells occur at Punta Gorda and along Peace Creek into Polk County. Some of the wells at Punta Gorda have a head of about fifty feet. In Lee County flowing wells have been obtained at Ft. Myers, along the Caloosahatchee River to Labelle, and in the interior southeast of Ft Myers. In the well of A. P. Miller of Ft. Myers, having a depth of 535 feet the water was found to be under a pressure of 17 pounds, giving it a head of 39 feet above the surface. The southward extent of this flowing area has not been determined. Approaching the southern limit the amount of salt in the water increases, certain of the wells tcward the southern part of Lee County becoming too salty for use. The Vicksburg Limestone is probably the water bearing formation in southern as in eastern Florida. While the northern limit of the Southern Gulf Coast area has been given as the Pinellas Peninsula, from recent well records it seems probable that a flow may be obtained north of this limit and possibly entirely around the Gulf coast. Two wells have reached this deeper flow, one at 'Crystal River in ,Citrus County and one at P'erry in Taylor

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