FLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY


 SUWANNEE COUNTY

 Falmouth Spring

Location Lat. 300 21' 40.2" N, Long. 830 08' 06.0" W (NW 1 NE 1 NE 1 sec. 32, T. 1 S, R.
12 E). Falmouth Spring is 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Live Oak. From Live Oak, travel
about 10 miles (16 km) northwest on US 90. Enter Falmouth Spring at the SRWMD sign
on the left. Spring is west of the parking area, and is accessed by an interpretive hiking
path.

Description Falmouth Spring is a karst window. At the spring head, the spring pool
measures 87 ft (27 m) north to south and 81 ft (25 m) east to west. Depth is 39 ft (3.7 m).
The spring is in a conical sink depression. Water is greenish with tiny suspended algae par-
ticles. The spring bottom and sides are thickly covered with dark green filamentous algae.
No visible boil during the October 2001 visit. Limestone is outropped along sides. The bot-
tom is sandy and rocky. High banks rise steeply along the spring and run to 25 to 30 ft (8
to 9 m) above water level. Surrounding high ground has mixed hardwood and pine forest.
Spring run flows 450 ft (137 m) northeast until disappearing into a siphon. The east side of
spring and its short run has a wooden boardwalk leading down to spring.

Utilization Falmouth Springs is an interpretive park owned by SRWMD. Swimming is
allowed.

Discharge Historical measurements were obtained from Bulletin No. 31 (Rosenau et al.,
1977). All discharge rates are measured in ft3/s. A high river stage on the Suwannee River
caused a reversal of flow in February 1933.

 1908 167
 1913 220
 February 10, 1933 365
 December 9, 1942 59.6
 July 22, 1946 157
 November 16, 1960 183
 November 15, 1973 159
 November 13, 2001 1.59