The Ocean Beneath Our Feet
Beneath our feet exists one of the most important and unique natural resources in the state of Florida. The Floridan Aquifer is a vast underground layer of water contained in porous limestone rock that extends throughout the entire state of Florida and into Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. It is a crucial source of freshwater for agriculture, irrigation and drinking water for tens of millions of people.
A Brief History
The Floridan Aquifer was formed over 50 million years ago. During the Eocene period, Florida was covered by a shallow sea; over time, marine organisms such as shells, coral, and other calcium-rich sediments accumulated on the sea floor, which eventually compressed and hardened into limestone rock. As sea levels rose and fell, this limestone rock was eaten away, riddling the layer full of holes ranging in size from small pores to vast caverns.
Sea levels have ranged wildly throughout the course of Florida's natural history. During periods of low sea level rise, rain and freshwater from the surface filled these holes, creating the layer of freshwater that we call the Floridan Aquifer.
Florida's Interconnected Waterways
The Floridan Aquifer exists as an interconnected system between water underground and water on the surface in the shape of our lakes, springs, rivers and streams. Water drips down into this subterranean layer and then emerges once again to support water features on the surface. Arching like veins across the landscape, our waterways and the material in them flow into each other; creeks merge into streams and then rivers and tributaries which all then flow directly into either the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Atlantic Ocean. Finally, ocean currents move water and whatever its carrying up and down Florida’s shorelines. After evaporating the water falls down as rain to begin the process anew.
A Source of Water for Millions
The Floridan Aquifer is one of the largest aquifers in the world with the ability to hold over 100 trillion gallons of water. Over 90% of Florida's population relies on the aquifer as their primary source of drinking water.
This amazing natural system however, is under threat; as Florida's population grows and the demand for water increases, the aquifer is being depleted at a faster rate than it is being replenished, threatening the long-term sustainability of this important resource.