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Treehouse Spring (Treehouse Rise)

Treehouse Spring
Treehouse Spring./ J. Stevenson, Wikimedia Commons / public domain

WorldBlue  In short

Two in one – this is about Treehouse Spring that consists of two spring vents close together, but each of them connected to its own large cave system. Lately this has been one of the most powerful springs in Florida.

2.9 out of 10 stars 29.0%

GPS coordinates
29.8549 N 82.6029 W
Location, address
North America, United States, Florida, Alachua County, at the eastern bank of Santa Fe River east of South US Highway 441
Alternate names
Treehouse Rise
Average discharge
7,875 l/s (1998-2023, 1.)

Map of the site

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WorldYellow In detail

Treehouse Spring is one of 30 Outstanding Florida Springs and one of six springs on this list that are considered to be not impaired, i.e., not significantly degraded by human activities. Nevertheless, the nitrate content in its water is slightly increasing.

This spring is located on the eastern bank of the Santa Fe River and has formed a bay-spring pool that is 38 by 53 meters large and up to 9.4 meters deep. The spring pool is a popular swimming location.

Two springs close together

This gargantuan spring has two vents: Treehouse Rise itself and a vent with the number ALA112971 a little south of the first. Surprisingly, even though both vents are located close to each other, each of them is connected to a different water passage.

The main vent connects the spring to the Old Bellamy Cave, a 12,657-meter-long and up to 48.77-meter-deep cave system. It goes up to another enormous river rise – Santa Fe River Rise.

ALA112971 is linked to another cave system – it is a resurgence from the Hornsby Spring, a kind of karst window approximately 1 kilometer away that disappears underground at Treehouse Swallet. The Hornsby Spring Cave System is a 5,876-meter-long cave system that is up to 46 meters deep.

Both Treehouse Spring and Hornsby Spring lost much of their power for some time period and even stopped flowing around 2012. However, lately, from 2015 to 2023, the spring has been very powerful, and since 2015 its mean output has been over 11,000 liters per second! (1.)

References

  1. Treehouse Spring. Suwannee River Water Management District, Water Data Portal. Last accessed on 9th September 2023.
  2. Treehouse Spring. Florida Springs.org. Last accessed on 26th September 2023.

Treehouse Spring is included in the following article:

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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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