Summary of Features
Scenery - fair to excellent How Pristine? - adjacent to mall and near highway, but spring pretty pristine Swimming - no Protection - excellent Crowds - none Access - none at time of publication; site in process of development as a state park |
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Directions
The spring is directly behind the south end of Gulfview Square Mall
in Port Richey. From U.S. 19, turn west onto Salt Springs Road at the south
end of the mall. Drive to the back of the mall and continued on the road
which becomes sandy and passes alongside the mall’s holding pond to the
right (north). The spring pond will become visible through shrubs and grass
to the left (south). Across from the west corner of the mall holding pond,
look for and proceed down a path 200 yards to the spring run and spring.
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
The spring forms an oval-shaped pond behind it with dimensions of about
200 by 300 feet. Water flows from an indeterminate spot at the western
end of the pond, either at the head of the pond or just before a constriction
that flows an S-shaped run about 100 feet wide and 10-25 feet across. Water
flows strongly in the short run, which is surrounded by shrubs and trees.
While water in the lake is dark, the run is lighter and has some green
color although it is not very clear. The run narrows and flows over a dirt/limestone
road into an estuary/bayou system and thence into the Gulf of Mexico. Just
below the spot where the run crosses the road is another vent in very shallow
water.
Wetterhall and Rosenau (citing Wetterhall) describe two limestone bridges under which water flows. One of the bridges is likely the road over (and under as well?) which the spring flowed on date of visit in May 2001. JF did not see any spot where the run went underground, but there was also a second spot in which the water became very shallow and he was able to wade across. The locations of these two shallow spots correspond roughly to the Wetterhall descriptions:
Nearby Springs