OPEN FILE REPORT NO. 85


 GILCHRIST COUNTY

 Devil's Ear Spring

 Location Lat. 290 50' 07.3" N,
 Long. 820 41' 47.8" W (SE14 SW4
 SNE 4 sec. 34, T. 7 S, R. 16 E).
 e c Devil's Ear is located among a
 s complex of springs on the south
 bank of the Santa Fe River. The
 spring is approximately 7.5
 miles (12 ki) northwest of the
 town of High Springs within the
 privately owned Ginnie Springs
 Resort. From the intersection
 with US 41, drive 6.6 miles (10.6
 km) west on SR 340. Turn north
 on a graded road and go 1.2
 miles (1.9 km) to the Ginnie
 Springs Resort entrance. Follow
 the road around to the back of
 the office and towards the river.
 Turn right just before the bath-
 house and follow the sand road
 to the parking area. Devils Ear
 is in a complex of three vents
 and is the vent nearest the Santa
 Fe River.
 Figure 31. Devil's Ear Spring (photo by H. Means). Description Devil's Ear Spring
is part of a complex of nearby springs. It is situated in the mouth of a 375 ft (114 m) long
spring run that enters into the Santa Fe River from the south trending side. It is an elon-
gated limestone fissure that discharges directly into the adjacent Santa Fe River. Dark
water from the river contrasts distinctly with clear bluish water issuing along the side of the
river. There is a large boil over the spring vent. The spring pool measures approximately
105 ft (32 m) east to west and 60 ft (18 m) north to south. The vent is an oval shaped open-
ing in bedrock limestone with steep sides leading down to a depth of 34 ft (10.5 m). Native
aquatic grasses are common around the vent opening, and some algae are on grass blades
and limestone walls. The banks on the south trending side of the river (and therefore the
spring) rise steeply to approximately 3 ft (1 m) above water level, then levels off. On top of
the bank, a mesic hardwood forest with interspersed clearings is present.

Utilization Devil's Ear Spring is part of the privately owned Ginnie Springs Resort. The
spring is heavily used for swimming and scuba diving and is a hotspot for cave diving. Full
facilities are located nearby to the east.

Discharge Devil's Ear Complex, September 5, 2001: 206.59 ft3/s