REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS No. 38 3
for the investigation and furnished advice, personnel, and logging equipment. Cuttings from the wells in the Venice well field were described by Dr. R. 0. Vernon and by Mr. Charles W. Hendry, Jr., assistant state geologist, of the Florida Geological Survey. Mr. Charles R. Sproul, assisted by Mr. H. C. Eppert, Jr. and Mr. James N. Davis, all of the Florida Geological Survey, and Mr. H. J. Woodard of the Florida Department of Water Resources collected data on the construction of the wells in the well field and made electric and gamma-ray logs of many of the wells. In addition, Messrs. Sproul and Hendry provided information on the geology of the area and aided in the delineation and description of the hydrologic units. Messrs. Hendry, Sproul, Woodard, Eppert, and Davis assisted in the pumping tests.
Mr. Orville L. Ives, waterworks superintendent for the city of Venice, furnished data on the well field and provided assistance in the gathering of additional data.
PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS
The geology and ground water of Sarasota County and the relation of the fresh ground water and salt water near the coast were described in a report by Stringfield (1933a). The report included data on the Venice public water supply. Another report by Stringfield (1933b) gave the results of a current-meter exploration of some artesian wells in Sarasota County, most of which are located 3 or 4 miles east of the Venice well field. A brief reconnaissance of the well field was made by G. G. Parker and N. D. Hoy in December 1942 (Parker, G. G., 1943, written communication).
GEOGRAPHY
LOCATION AND GENERAL FEATURES
Venice is on the gulf coast of southwestern Florida in Sarasota County (fig. 1). Venice was named in 1888 by Franklin Higel, who felt that the blue waters of the bays, rivers, and gulf gave the place a resemblance to the famous Italian city.
The Venice well field is in the city limits, lying about 11/2 miles east of the Gulf of Mexico, between Hatchett Creek on the east and U. S. Highway 41 on the west. Just to the north and northwest of the well field, Roberts Bay extends about 2 miles back into the land. The land is low and flat, the entire area being less than 20 feet above sea level.