Groundwater Levels are LOW
The Suwannee River Water Management District recently released their June 2011 Hydrologic Conditions Report which compiles data to assess the condition of water resources. As shown in the picture to the left, groundwater levels are really low right now.
The red area in Alachua County is part of the area that feeds the springs of the Santa Fe River (also called a springshed). This red color means that the groundwater levels are especially low right now. This depleting source of groundwater is responsible for keeping the springs and river flowing, supporting agriculture in the area, and supplying water for our homes and businesses.
Since we aren't getting much rain, it is tempting to add more water to our lawns and our pools. However, it is really important to reduce our water use so that there is enough for all of the uses, including the springs. Click HERE to learn how you can use less water.
New 
map of Floridan aquifer high recharge areas!
An updated Alachua County map designating the Floridan Aquifer protection zones has been created which more accurately depicts the aquifer system's relative vulnerability and recharge. The more refined map will replace the high aquifer recharge map titled "Degree of Confinement of the Floridan Aquifer System (1988)", which is also referred to as the 3-color map.
In 
creating the map four data layers were evaluated: overburden thickness above the Floridan aquifer, karst features (sinkholes, swallets, etc), soil permeability, and water level difference between the surficial and Floridan aquifer. Stream-to-sink watersheds were overlain provide additional protection of the Floridan aquifer in the Santa Fe River and its tributaries and in the smaller closed basins in the central portion of Alachua County, creating the map of Floridan aquifer high recharge areas.
The map of Floridan aquifer high recharge areas will be adopted into the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan as part of the first round of Large Scale Comprehensive Plan amendments in 2009. The definition of high aquifer recharge and minor text changes will be made to clarify use of the new map. This map will affect the location of new high risk hazardous materials handling facilities and the design of stormwater basins in the unincorporated area of Alachua County.
Click HERE to read the Alachua County Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment report or HERE to view a presentation on the map.
Groundwater supplies ALL of our drinking water!
The Floridan aquifer system is located underneath all of Florida and is the primary source of drinking water for Alachua County. (Click 
HERE to see a map of the Floridan aquifer.) Water is stored and flows through porous limestone and dolomite formations. The shallow water of the Floridan aquifer system is recharged primarily by rain. Rain water soaks into the ground in the western part of the county where the aquifer is unconfined, which means there is only sand lying above the limestone and dolomite. In eastern Alachua County the Floridan aquifer is overlain by clay, sand, and carbonate sequences called the Hawthorn Group. This clay layer keeps rainwater on the surface and causes it to run off and form the surface water streams, lakes and wetlands in eastern Alachua County. The map below shows the abundance of surface waters in the eastern part of the county. Many of these surface waters eventually end up recharging the Floridan aquifer system through 
sinkholes or swallets, which are sinkholes that swallow up a portion or all of a stream's flow.
Click HERE to see an enlarged version of this map.
Where's all the Water Going?
The water in the Floridan aquifer beneath Alachua County is slowly moving northwest to the springs along the Santa Fe and Suwannee Rivers where they discharge into these rivers. We are working on a map to show the movement of groundwater and will post it as soon as it is ready. In many parts of Florida the overuse of groundwater for irrigation of non-agricultural landscapes has caused water shortages requiring the use of other sources such as lakes, rivers and even the desalination of salt water. The irresponsible and wasteful use of groundwater has lowered the potentiometric surface (water table elevation) of the Floridan aquifer system, which means there is less water in the aquifer since rainfall can not replace what is being used. The lowering of the potentiometric surface has caused some springs to stop flowing and wells to go dry, requiring people to drill their wells deeper.
There are many ways you can help to conserve water!
Reduce the area of turf in your yard
Plant native drought tolerant plants that don't require irrigation once established
Collect rainwater in rain barrels or cisterns for irrigation purposes
Install low flow drip irrigation for landscape plants
Install rain and moisture sensors to prevent wasteful irrigation
Install low flow showers heads, toilets and appliances
Related Links
Florida Geologic Survey (FGS)
GRU Home Page
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Water Resource Management
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Florida Integrated Science Center
ACEPD Springs Protection Page