FLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY


of the Pensacola Bay eastward. Sand dunes on the island are as high as
55 feet above sea level. North of Pensacola the land is hilly and well
dissected with streams that drain toward the Pensacola area. The eleva-
tions of the streambeds are sea level for distances of 30 to 40 miles inland
from the coast. The hills 20 miles inland are about 150 feet above sea
level, becoming higher to the north. The highest land elevations, 290 feet,
are along the northern boundary of the counties.
 Agriculture is the principal industry of the northern half of the area.
Much of the area is devoted to forest. The Blackwater River State
Forest occupies the northeastern quarter of the Santa Rosa County. Row-
crop farming is prevalent throughout the northern half of the area. In-
dustrial operations predominate in the section south of Cantonment and
Milton. Chemicals, synthetic fibers, and paper are the major products of
the local industries. Raw materials from many parts of the State are
shipped to the industrial area around Pensacola for processing and
manufacturing. Military operations, tourists, shipping, and fishing also
contribute to the economy of the area.

 RAINFALL
 To evaluate the effect of rainfall on the water resources of the area, a
study was made of records collected by the U.S. Weather Bureau at
two stations for a 36-year period, 1926-61. Data for these two stations
are presented in graphical form in figure 2. The rainfall data at Pensacola
were selected to represent the rainfall in the southern part of the area
along the coast. Data from the Brewton station, located in Alabama about
10 miles north of the State line, were selected to represent the rainfall
farther inland.
 Within the two-county area there seems to be only minor long-term
variations in amounts of rainfall. The difference between the Pensacola
and Brewton averages for the 36-year period is only 0.46 inch. The shorter
the period of time for which rainfall is measured at any two points, the
greater the difference may be. A 1-year period can show uneven distri-
butions. For example, in 1953 Pensacola received one-third more rain-
fall than Brewton. The pattern was reversed in 1929 when Brewton had
87.18 inches and Pensacola had a below-average rainfall of 60.79 inches.
The average rainfall, based on the 36 years of record at the Brewton and
Pensacola stations, is about 63 inches per year. The year-to-year variation
can be great at any one point. For example, the highest and lowest an-
nual rainfall occurred in successive years at Pensacola-90.41 inches in
1953 and 28.66 inches in 1954.