Rainbow Springs, formerly known as Blue Spring, is a first-magnitude

artesian spring An artesian aquifer is a confined aquifer containing groundwater under positive pressure. An artesian aquifer has trapped water, surrounded by layers of impermeable rock or clay, which apply positive pressure to the water contained within th ...

formation in

Marion County, Florida Marion County is located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 375,908. Its county seat is Ocala. Marion County comprises the Ocala, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. it includes part ...

, United States, several miles north of the city of

Dunnellon Dunnellon is a city with the unique feature of sitting in 3 counties in Marion, Levy & Citrus counties in Florida, United States. The predominant part falls in the Marion county. The population was 1,928 at the 2020 census, up from 1,733 in 20 ...

. Rainbow Springs is the focal point of

Rainbow Springs State Park Rainbow Springs State Park is a Florida State Parks, Florida state park located on U.S. Route 41 in Florida, U.S. 41, 3 miles (5 km) north of Dunnellon, Florida. It comprises upland (which includes around of wetlands) and submerged. T ...

. The spring formation is the fourth-largest in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, and produces over 490 million gallons of water daily. Rainbow Springs forms the headwaters of the

Rainbow River The Rainbow River is located in Dunnellon, Florida, United States, in the southwest corner of Marion County, about southwest of Ocala, northwest of Orlando and north of the Tampa Bay area. It is formed by a first-magnitude spring ( Rainbow S ...

, which empties into the Withlacoochee River.

History

Rainbow Springs was known as Wekiwa Creek by the

Seminole Indians The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, an ...

. It was known as Blue Spring until the 1930s, when the site was developed as a tourist attraction and the promoter sought a more distinctive name (there are several other springs in Florida named "Wekiwa" and "Blue"). To compete with the "glass bottom boats" of nearby

Silver Springs, Florida Silver Springs is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Marion County, Florida, United States. It is the site of Silver Springs, a group of artesian springs and a historic tourist attraction that is now part of Si ...

, submarine tours were given of the springs. As for some other Florida springs, such as

Weeki Wachee Springs Weeki Wachee Springs is a natural tourist attraction located in Weeki Wachee, Florida, where underwater performances by "mermaids," women wearing fish tails as well as other fanciful outfits, can be viewed in an aquarium-like setting in the spring ...

, "mermaid shows" were an attraction in the 1950s. The tourist attraction was forced to close in the 1970s at Rainbow Springs but still goes on daily at Weeki Wachee Springs. The entire Rainbow River was designated as a Registered Natural Landmark in 1972, an Aquatic Preserve in 1986, and an "Outstanding Florida Waterway" in 1987. The land around the headwaters of the springs remained privately owned until 1990, when the State of Florida acquired the springs and saved them from development. Much of the work to open

was done by volunteers from the community.

External links

Rainbow Springs State ParkWithlacoochee River Watershed and Rainbow Springs - Florida DEP1950s Recording of a Rainbow Springs boat driver (from the Florida Folklife Collection CD, available for public use from the Florida State Archives)
{{Coord, 29, 06, 09, N, 82, 26, 13, W, display=title Bodies of water of Marion County, Florida Springs of Florida Mermaid shows

History

See also

External links