BUREAU OF GEOLOGY


times of drought. Any data base for peat will require periodic updating if
it is to remain useful.

 Current Estimates of Peat in Florida

 The total peat resources available in Florida are difficult to estimate
and published values vary widely. The paucity of actual peat resource
investigations is an important hindrance to the development of accurate
figures. A few published studies are concerned with the entire state
(Davis, 1946; Griffin, et al., 1982). Several others concentrate on limited
areas (Stephens and Johnson, 1951; Gurr, 1972).
 Individual county soil surveys vary in their usefulness due to apparent
inconsistencies in the terminology relating to organic soils and peats. The
more recent studies were used by Griffin, et al. (1982) to estimate fuel
grade peat resources. Unfortunately, these studies are not complete for
every county in the state. As a result, Griffin, et al. (1982) were unable
to provide a comprehensive inventory of the peat resources for the entire
state.
 Another possible reason for the variation between resource estimates
may be the result of the specific material studied. Griffin, et al. (1982)
investigated "fuel-grade peats" (defined by the U.S. Department of
Energy for their peat resource study) while Davis (1946) inventoried a
variety of organic materials classified as peats. The United States Soil
Conservation Service studies soils in general and describes their organic
content in addition to other characteristics.
 Griffin, et al. (1982) reported the discrepancies among the figures
from various studies but were unable to determine the reason for the
differences. Griffin, et al. (1982) also state that verbal reports from other
U.S. Department of Energy peat researchers indicate that they have
found similar discrepancies between the resource figures from the U.S.
Soil Conservation Service and their own figures in other states.
 Published estimates of Florida's peat resources vary nearly by an order
of magnitude. Griffin, et al. (1982) provide the lowest figure of 677,688
acres (1,059 square miles) consisting of 606 million tons of moisture-
free peat. Davis (1946) estimated 2,240,000 acres (3,500 square
miles), comprising 1,750,000,000 tons of air dried peat. The highest
figure is provided by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (in U.S. Depart-
ment of Energy, 1979) and is 3,000,000 acres (4,700 square miles), or
6,900,000,000 (35 percent moisture by weight) tons of peat. The pub-
lished resource estimates vary significantly and thus should be used with
reservation.
 The determination of a more accurate resource figure for Florida peats
would require a significant investment of time and money to complete.
The scattered nature of the deposits in north and central Florida (Figure
13) is such that there are literally thousands of sites to be investigated. In
south Florida, peat deposits cover broad areas which would have to be
examined in order for accurate estimates to be prepared.