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River Sink Spring
In short
River Sink Spring is a small opening of an underwater cave – a karst window.
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In detail
Woodwille Karst Plain
There are quite many interesting geological features in the Woodwille Karst Plain – a karst area at Tallahassee, such as the giant Wakulla Cave System, the longest known underwater cave in USA (72,171 m).
Characteristic features in such karst plans are also karst windows – openings in the ground, where the ceiling of a cave has collapsed and a fragment of the cave is seen from above. In Woodwille Karst Plan such karst windows are flooded – these are small lakes with a spring in one end and sink – in another end of the lake.
Description of River Sink Spring
River Sink Spring is one of the most prominent karst windows in Woodwille Karst Plain, similar to the nearby Kini Spring. Frequently both are mentioned as 1st magnitude springs, although here the term “spring” is somewhat controversial: the water appears for a short distance and then disappears again. The measured flow of water in it is 4 644 l/s – indeed a giant flow!
This karst window is some 90 by 30 m large. At the spring vent (northern end) this small lake is some 9.1 m deep. The southern end is slightly deeper – 9.5 and there is the sink, where the water leaves the small lake. The debris that falls into the lake, collects there.
The area was turned into a plantation of Pinus taeda (loblolly pine) earlier and, currently, there is ongoing restoration of a natural habitat in this area to allow the return of the local longleaf pine and other species.
The small spring lake is a popular swimming place.
References
- Leon Sinks – Upper River Sink, CaveAtlas.com. Accessed on September 13, 2023.
Linked articles
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Wonders of the United States
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Florida Natural Wonders: 101 Slices Of Heaven That You Can’t Miss When Visiting Florida
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