Water bodies, watersheds and storm water
Elder Spring main view
Elder Spring
Location
Elder Spring is located about 5 miles south of Sanford. From the intersection of U.S. Highway 17 and State Road (SR) 46 in Sanford, drive south on U.S. Highway 17 for 4.4 miles, then turn left onto SR 427 and continue northeast for 1.2 miles; the spring is 100 feet north of the highway. The spring is located on private land and permission must be obtained from the landowner before visiting the spring.
Latitude 28°44’27” N, Longitude 81°17’29” W
NE¼ NE¼ NW¼ sec.28, T 20 S, R 30 E
Elder Spring pipe
Description
Elder Spring is a surficial aquifer seep. The spring was modified from its natural condition by the placement of a short length of 3-foot-diameter clay pipe, covered by a metal lid, and set vertically into the ground at the point of discharge. The pool contained by the pipe is about 2 feet deep; spring flow is from a white-sand bottom and out through a 2-inch-diameter hole near the top of the pipe. Discharge from the pool is northwest to a man-made pond about 50 feet away. The spring is in the center of a circular, concrete wall enclosure 18 inches high and about 12 feet in diameter. This enclosure is covered by a peaked metal roof supported on pillars about 7 feet high. Woven-wire fencing extends from the top of the wall to the eaves of the roof to further enclose the spring. When visited in March 2000, the clay pipe was filled with bricks and there was no flow.
Water quality
Elder Spring was sampled once by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1972. Discharge from the spring has not been measured. Summary statistics of the water quality data for selected variables are shown in the table below.
Summary statistics of water quality and discharge
at Elder Spring
| Elder Spring | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Water temperature, °C | 24.0 | 1972 |
| Specific conductance, lab, µmhos/cm at 25°C | 73 | 1972 |
| pH, field | 5.40 | 1972 |
| Calcium, dissolved, mg/L as Ca | 4.8 | 1972 |
| Magnesium, dissolved, mg/L as Mg | 2.6 | 1972 |
| Sodium, dissolved, mg/L as Na | 4.2 | 1972 |
| Potassium, dissolved, mg/L as K | 0.8 | 1972 |
| Chloride, total, mg/L as Cl | 6.0 | 1972 |
| Sulfate, total, mg/L as SO4 | 2.4 | 1972 |
| Fluoride, dissolved, mg/L as F | 0.10 | 1972 |
| Alkalinity, total, mg/L as CaCO3 | 1.0 | 1972 |
| Total dissolved solids, mg/L | 63 | 1972 |
mg/L = milligrams per liter
cfs = cubic feet per second
