Water bodies, watersheds and storm water
Witherington Spring main view
photo by T. Roberts, FGS
Witherington Spring
Location
Witherington Spring is located in the Wekiwa Springs State Park, east of Apopka.
Latitude 28°42’53.73” N, Longitude 81°29’23.67” W
NE¼ SW¼ SW¼ sec. 23, T 20 S, R 28 E
Description
Witherington Spring pool
Witherington Spring is a third-magnitude spring with three pools. The largest pool is about 130 feet long and 110 feet wide. Sand boils in the bottom of the pool are not easily discernible due to poor water clarity. However, upwelling of suspended organic matter on the western side of the largest pool presents possible evidence of sand boils that will require further investigation. Flow from the pool is eastward through a run about 15 feet wide that forms the head of Mill Creek.
Discharge
Discharge at Witherington Spring was measured four times by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and once by St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD). The mean and median discharges for the period are 4.7 and 3.7 cubic feet per second, respectively (see the table below).
Water quality
Witherington Spring was sampled by USGS four times from 1960 to 1995. SJRWMD sampled Witherington Spring 10 times from 1995 to 2000. Summary statistics of the water quality data for selected variables are shown in the table below.
Summary statistics of water quality and discharge at Witherington Spring
| Witherington Spring | Min | Mean | Median | Max | Count | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discharge, cfs | 1.0 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 12.0 | 5 | 1945–1995 |
| Alkalinity, total, mg/L as CaCO3 | 89.0 | 96.3 | 96.0 | 103.9 | 11 | 1960–2000 |
| Calcium, total, mg/L as Ca | 27.0 | 29.6 | 29.0 | 36.7 | 9 | 1995–2000 |
| Chloride, total, mg/L as Cl | 7.0 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 10.0 | 12 | 1960–2000 |
| Fluoride, total, mg/L as F | 0.17 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.21 | 9 | 1995–2000 |
| Magnesium, total, mg/L as Mg | 8.7 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 10.5 | 9 | 1995–2000 |
| Nitrate + nitrite, total, mg/L as N | 0.09 | 0.38 | 0.32 | 0.70 | 9 | 1995–2000 |
| Orthophosphate, total, mg/L as P | 0.10 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.19 | 9 | 1995–2000 |
| pH, field | 6.78 | 7.14 | 7.08 | 7.60 | 12 | 1960–2000 |
| Potassium, total, mg/L as K | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 7 | 1995–2000 |
| Sodium, total, mg/L as Na | 4.7 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 6.0 | 9 | 1995–2000 |
| Specific conductance, field, µmhos/cm at 25°C | 233 | 244 | 241 | 276 | 9 | 1995–2000 |
| Specific conductance, lab, µmhos/cm at 25°C | 219 | 234 | 235 | 242 | 7 | 1960–1996 |
| Sulfate, total, mg/L as SO4 | 9.1 | 11.4 | 11.0 | 15.0 | 13 | 1960–2000 |
| Total dissolved solids, mg/L | 126 | 139 | 138 | 156 | 12 | 1972–2000 |
| Water temperature, °C | 23.3 | 23.8 | 23.7 | 25.0 | 14 | 1960–2000 |
mg/L = milligrams per liter
cfs = cubic feet per second
