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Wonder
Siphon Creek Rise
In short
Some kilometers to the east from Hollingworth Bluff part of Santa Fe River goes undergound and resurfaces in several springs. The most powerful of them is Siphon Creek Rise.
30.8%
GPS coordinates
Location, address
Average discharge
Map of the site
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In detail
Santa Fe River is an unusual river – it has multiple locations where part of the river goes underground, while the rest flows as usual. After some hundreds of meters of kilometers the underground part reappears as a powerful spring.
Siphon Creek Rise system is one of such unusual places – this is a cave system that in 2007 had a known total length of some 6 km.
Siphons
At first come siphons – places where the river water goes underground. In this area are at least three such named siphons and the best known are the Big Awesome Siphon (Big Awesome Suck) and Little Awesome Siphon (Little Awesome Suck).
Big Awesome Siphon is a peculiar landmark: an approximately 1.5 m wide, noisy vortex, where the water of Santa Fe River goes underground, swirling like a tornado. It is located some 1.6 km upstreams from Siphon Creek Rise, at the north bank of Santa Fe, coordinates: 29.8536 -82.7196. This is a quite dangerous place: if one falls in it, there seems to be little chance to get out alive.
Little Awesome Siphon is much smaller, just some 0.3 m wide.
Springs – resurgences
After flowing under Santa Fe River for 1-2 km the water comes upwards. There are at least four named springs – resurgences of Siphon Creek Rise system.
Siphon Creek Rise is the most powerful resurgence of Santa Fe Waters from this underground system.
This resurgence is under the river level, but from the river bank can be seen the cave opening in the limestone at the depth of 3.6 m.
The discharge of the spring is fluctuating and at some times it can be very powerful.
On the opposite, northern bank of Santa Fe River some 230 m below the Siphon Creek Rise is another very interesting spring – Myrtle’s Fissure. This is a true fissure in limestone, at least 18 m deep “cut” in the forest. This spring also belongs to the system of Siphon Creek Rise caves.
References
- Appendix 2-2: Descriptions of Priority Springs (PDF file), Suwannee River Management District. Accessed on September 10, 2023.
- Big Awesome Siphon/Suck (PDF file),Springs Fever: A Field & Recreation Guide to 500 Florida Springs. 3rd Edition by Joe Follman and Richard Buchanan. Accessed on September 22, 2023.
Siphon Creek Rise is included in the following article:
Linked articles
Springs
Powerful natural freshwater springs belong to the most fascinating monuments of nature. Even more exciting is the diversity of unusual springs – mineral springs, hot springs, submarine springs as well as the unusual black smokers. Especially beautiful are such natural rarities as travertine, silica, or salt terraces created by warm and hot springs and, especially, geysers.
Wonders of the United States
The United States of America is one of the largest countries in the world and offers a wide array of diverse attractions: many are unsurpassed in the world. Highlights of the United States are cliffs, canyons, and rock formations, several impressive downtowns of cities with numerous skyscrapers as well as a rich array of geothermal features, and the giant forest of California.
Wonders of Florida
Florida is the tropical paradise of the mainland United States. Over the last century, it has experienced fabulous changes, turning from a forgotten, swampy badland into a densely populated and rich land. Highlights of Florida include the architecture of the late 19th and 20th centuries as well as its giant springs and caves.
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Florida Natural Wonders: 101 Slices Of Heaven That You Can’t Miss When Visiting Florida
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