The Ichetucknee River is a spring-fed, pristine river in North Central Florida. The entire 6 miles (9.7 km) of the river average 20 feet (6.1 m) wide, 5 feet (1.5 m) deep and lie within the boundaries of the Ichetucknee Springs State Park.
The name is derived from a Native American language, possibly Creek wa (water), echas (beaver), and toka or tomeka (because of, or caused by), meaning "beaver pond" (beaver remains are common in the riverbed). A Hitchiti informant to anthropologist John R. Swanton pronounced the name "Oetcotukni", and translated it as "where there is a pond of water", likely referring to a defunct beaver pond.[1]
The water in the river is crystal-clear and is 72 °F (22 °C) year-round. There are nine named springs within the Ichetucknee Springs group with an average total flow of 233 million gallons per day. The group includes: Ichetucknee Springs, Cedar Head Spring, Blue Hole Spring, Roaring Springs, Singing Springs, Boiling Spring, Grassy Hole Springs, Mill Pond Spring, and Coffee Spring. The Ichetucknee is a tributary of the Santa Fe River, which in turn flows into the Suwannee River before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.
The park restricts launch and end points along the river, permitting a tube/raft excursion of 1.5 or 3 hours. A variety of commercial vendors, located outside the entrance to the park, rent tubes and rafts for a modest fee.
Park wildlife includes: Otter, beaver, turtle, ibis, wood stork, egret, great blue heron, cormorant, anhinga, kingfisher, limpkin, wild turkey, wood duck, white-tailed deer, raccoon, armadillo, hogs, water snakes and juvenile alligators. The fish are primarily bream, bluegill, largemouth bass, alligator gar, mullet and catfish. Manatees have been seen in the winter months.
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History
The Spanish Fig Springs mission site has been identified from the 17th century in the park. Plans to reconstruct the mission and open it to the public as an interpretational site were dropped.[2] The area was abandoned in the mid 1800s due to war, but was later held by American settlers.[3]
Though mostly unknown, the area was enjoyed by University of Florida student during the 1960s, which led to litter and other problems.[4][5]
The State of Florida purchased the property in 1970 and began a cleanup and restoration project. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in 1972, and became a tourist attraction.[6]
Current threats
In the early 1990s, the springs were showing signs of an even more disturbing degradation: a progressive decline in water quality. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection commissioned studies which showed that nutrient levels were steadily increasing. Additionally, some swimmers and tubers began to report strange skin rashes, possibly caused by algae fed by nutrients introduced into the aquifer. Also the building of a cement plant nearbye is threatning to disrupt the eco-system.[7]
See also
Ichetucknee Springs State Park
References
- ^ Simpson, J. Clarence (1956). Mark F. Boyd. ed. Florida Place-Names of Indian Derivation. Tallahassee, Florida: Florida Geological Survey.
- ^ Weisman, Brent R. 1993. "Archaeology of Fig Springs Mission, Ichetucknee Springs State Park", in Bonnie G. McEwan. ed. The Spanish Missions of La Florida. University Press of Florida. ISBN 0-8130-1232-5
- ^ Ichetucknee River History
- ^ Florida Springs.org-Science Helps Protect a Springshed
- ^ Patricia C. Behnke. "Skinny Dipping in the Ichetucknee". Authorsden.com. http://www.authorsden.com/categories/story_top.asp?catid=30&id=16333. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
- ^ http://www.floridasprings.org/protection/success/ichetucknee/
- ^ Craig Pittman. "Springs bring mystery illness". St. Petersburg Times. http://www.sptimes.com/2006/08/24/State/Springs_bring_mystery.shtml. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
External links
- Ichetucknee.org help save the ichetucknee river
- Ichetucknee Springs State Park. Florida Online Park Guide
- Ichetucknee Springs Camp, Florida. Hikercentral.com
- ICHNETUCKNEE SPRINGS STATE PARK. Florida State Parks.
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