- Scale—4th magnitude
- Scenery—fair-good
- How Pristine?—adjacent to golf course and RV park, artificially enlarged
- Swimming—no
- Protection—unknown
- Crowds—golfers and residents walking by
- Safety—poor; alligators in pond
- Access—on private property
Summary of Features
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Directions
In complex of Shady Brook Golf Course and RV park just east of the
intersection of U.S 301 and CR 470 in Sumter County. The spring is
between two holes of the golf course and adjacent to RVs and mobile homes.
After turning off the highway, the road immediately turns left and winds
back around the golf course and the RV and mobile homes. Look for
a circular pond, with woods behind it, a golf cart path along side, a utility
pole next to it, and about 150 feet from a low, grassy, manmade rise/hill.
It is about 1/5 mile to the west of Belton's Millpond.
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
Spring Description
This prosaically named spring is in a man-enlarged circular pond that
is 150 feet in diameter. Water flows from a two-foot-wide limestone
opening in the south-central portion of the pool and creates a mild boil
on the surface. Some limestone and a sandy bottom are visible in
this section of the pool, which appear to be 2-5 feet deep. There
was some vegetation and algae in the water on the date of visit in April
2003. Water appears to flow through a pipe at the NW end of the pool,
in to tun from Belton's Millpond, and thence into Shady Creek and Lake
Panasoffkee. Land is cleared and developed for golf and residences
on three sides of the spring and if flat. A mother alligator and
several baby alligators were living in the pool on date of visit.
Use/Access
Visiting the spring at dusk on an April weekday, JF drove right in
and asked some residents about the location of the spring. They said
it was directly behind him.
Nearby Springs