Saving the Blue Heart: The Ichetucknee River Story
Words by Betsy Schifanella Photos by Tom Schifanella
Sacred Waters
With early morning mist rising from the crystal-clear run, only birdsong breaks the morning quiet, while spider webs drip with dew. This is a magical paddle over a swirling aquatic garden. Nine named blue-holed springs, frolicking otters, manatees, wading birds, a myriad of fish and maybe even an alligator, make the upper portion of the Ichetucknee an intimate experience. Later, joined by tubers, it is a shared time, all marveling at the beauty, wonder, and cold water at your fingertips.
The Ichetucknee is a first magnitude spring complex and spring-fed river flowing six miles from its northern springhead to the Santa Fe River that then flows into the Suwannee on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. Roughly translated as “three streams where there is a beaver pond,” the Ichetucknee has a long history of human usage. Twenty-three archeological sites have been identified in the park area, spanning the entire range of Florida’s prehistory, from Paleo-Indian (12,000 – 6500 B.C.) to the Weeden Island culture (A.D. 200 – 1000). Here also was the site of the 1608 Spanish Fig Springs Mission of San Martin de Timucua whose settlers were driven out during the Seminole Wars of the early 1800s.
The Decline
As Florida grew, phosphate mining and agriculture increased, springs were diverted to run mills, and homes were built. The water quality and volume decreased. This spot’s popularity continued into the 1960s with University of Florida students and locals alike enjoying tubing in the cool water. Their overuse and partying exploits led to a deterioration of the banks and a littering problem and as a result, the residents sold the property to the State of Florida in 1970.
