Magnesia Spring*
Alachua County

Summary of Features
  • Scale -4th-5th magnitude 
  • Scenery - fair 
  • How Pristine? - land cleared around and house near spring, fountain in pool 
  • Swimming - unknown 
  • Protection - unknown 
  • Crowds - small 
  • Access - fair-good 
  • Facilities - none 
  • Safety - unknown 
  • Scuba - unknown 
  • Cost - free 

Caption 1
Directions
From Gainesville, go west on Highway 20 about 8 miles to intersection with Highway 2041. Turn right/south onto 2041.  Go a short distance and then turn left/east onto SE County Road 2082.  Drive on 2082 for 2.8 miles and then turn right/south at mailbox - the turn is just east of/after a fenced state transportation site on the left.  Proceed 0.3 miles on sand road, then turn right and go another 400 feet to the spring on the left.

For maps, latitude/longitude data, driving directions, satellite imagery, and topographic representations as well as weather conditions at this spring, go to Greg Johnson's informative "Florida Springs Database" web site at the following address:  http://www.ThisWaytothe.Net/springs/floridasprings.htm#Florida

*Note:  JF has doubts that this site is Magnesia Spring.  This water body is at the location given in Springs of Florida (1977), the water had the distinctive coloring of a spring, and a man near the site directed JF to it and knew it by name.  However, its appearance is different from the photo Rosenau took in 1972, and the was no run.  It could be a pond near the spring, and JF missed the actual spring, which is on private property.

Spring Description
The site is a circular pool in a cleared area adjacent to a single house in an area of woods and farmland. The pools is about 85 feet across, and the water was a blue-green color and not clear on date of visit in July 2001. A fountain in the middle of the pool was shooting water, and area immediately around the pool was cleared.

According to Rosenau et al., the spring was formerly enclosed by a concrete wall and was a swimming pool open to the public. Water flowed from two vents, and the run discharged to Lochloosa Creek and thence to Lochloosa Lake the St. Johns River (1977, pp. 60-61). The run from the spring was not evident when JF visited the pool, and there was no evidence of the old pool.

Use/Access
No used was evident, but the fountain was running and it appeared that the spring was part of the property of the adjacent house. The area is not posted.

Nearby Springs

Other Nearby Natural Features