Madison Blue Spring State Park is a
Florida State Park
There are 175 state parks and 9 state trails in the U.S. state of Florida which encompass more than , providing recreational opportunities for both residents and tourists.
Almost half of the state parks have an associated local 501(c)(3) non-pr ...
, located approximately ten miles east of
Madison on the west bank of the
Withlacoochee River. It contains one of the
state's 33 first magnitude springs.This title entails that the spring is discharging at least 2,800 liters of water per second.
History
The park was established after a private owner sold 38 acres at the spring in 2000. Prior to the property being sold Madison Blue Spring was utilized as a fresh water source for local inhabitants. This crystal-clear spring is about 25 feet deep, 82 feet wide, and includes a 150-foot spring run that pours into the Withlacoochee River. This rolling water stems from a 25 feet deep cavern. Florida State parks explains how this stream of water impacts 23.7% of flow of the Withlacoochee River, into the opposite direction. This then results in a swept river bottom along with the formation of a large arc of clear water.
Along the Withlacoochee River one can find distinct examples of karst topography, which includes Suwannee Limestone, of the Oligocene age. Subsequently,
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. (; ; ) is a Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other metrics, since ...
bought 2 adjoining acres, and a preexisting, but unused, bottling permit. After contentious hearings, the state authorized Nestlé to move forward, and tax incentives were approved for Nestlé's construction of a bottling plant. The plant opened in 2004. Water from this operation is used for Nestlé's
Deer Park and
Zephyrhills bottled water
Bottled water is drinking water (e.g., well water, distilled water, mineral water, or spring water) packaged in plastic or glass water bottles. Bottled water may be carbonated or not. Sizes range from small single serving bottles to lar ...
brands.
[Ivan Penn]
"The profits on water are huge, but the raw material is free"
''Tampa Bay Times
The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single ...
'', March 15, 2008. Not only is Madison Blue Springs State a prime source for bottle planting but it also provides many recreational resources for individuals. These of which include birding, fishing, paddling, picking, diving, swimming, and tubing.
Features
Madison Blue Spring is known for its cool waters and underwater caves. The waters remain at a constant temperature of year-round. Madison Blue Springs underwater cave systems are internationally known, meaning they attract a variety of divers nationwide. According to Florida State Parks, exploration of over 26,000 feet of underground passages has occurred. Within the spring, one can easily spot catfish, freshwater turtles, and sunfish. Yet, this is not the only marine life, below the surface within the intricate cave systems, three rather unique species of crustaceans exist and thrive. As reported by Florida State Parks, these include Hobb's cave amphipod, the pallid cave crayfish, and the swimming little cave isopod.
Gallery
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File:Madison Blue Springs SP sign01.jpg, Sign
File:Madison Blue Springs SP ranger station01.jpg, Ranger station
File:Madison Blue Springs SP spring01.jpg, Spring
References
External links
Madison Blue Spring State Parka
Florida State ParksMadison Blue Spring State Parka
Wildernet
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State parks of Florida
Parks in Madison County, Florida