WATER RESOURCES
OF
ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By
W. F. Lichtler, Warren Anderson, and B. F. Joyner
ABSTRACT
The population and industry of Orange County are expanding rapidly but the demand for water is expanding even more rapidly. This report provides information for use in the development and management of the water resources of the area.
The county is divided into three topographic regions: (1) lowlying areas below 35 feet (2) intermediate areas betweeen 35 and 105 feet and (3) highlands above 105 feet. The highlands are characterized by numerous sinkholes, lakes and depressions.
Surface runoff forms the principal drainage in the lowlying and intermediate regions, whereas underground drainage prevails in the highlands.
Lakes are the most reliable source of surface water as swamps and most of the streams, except the St. Johns and Wekiva Rivers, go dry or nearly dry during droughts.
Approximately 90 of the 1,003 square miles in Orange County are covered by water. The southwestern 340 square miles of the county drain to the south to the Kissimmee River. The remainder drain to the north to the St. Johns River.
The water in the lakes and streams in Orange County generally is soft, low in mineral content, and high in color. The quality of the water in most of the lakes remains fairly constant except wnere pollution enters the lakes.
Ground water is obtained from: (1) a nonartesian aquifer composed of clastic materials of late Miocene to Recent age; (2) several discontinuous shallow artesian aquifers in the Hawthorn Formation of middle Miocene age; and (3) the Floridan aquifer composed of limestone of Eocene age.
The surficial nonartesian aquifer yields relatively small quantities of soft water that is sometimes high in color. The shallow artesian aquifers yield medium quantities of generally moderately hard to hard water. The Floridan aquifer is the principal source
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