Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer in the Ichetucknee Springshed and Vicinity, Northern Florida, September 2003

The high permeability is due in a large part to the widening of fractures that developed over time and the formation of conduits within the aquifer through dissolution of the limestone. This process has also produced numerous karst features such as springs, sinking streams, and sinkholes in northern Florida.

These dissolution features, whether expressed at the surface or not, greatly influence the direction of ground-water flow in the Ichetucknee springshed adjacent to the Ichetucknee River. Ground water generally flows southwestward in the springshed and discharges to the Ichetucknee or Santa Fe Rivers, or to the springs along those rivers. This map depicts the September 9-10, 2003, potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer based on 94 water-level measurements made by the Suwannee River Water Management District.