All information needed for this earth cache is available from the sidewalks and there is no need to go off the sidewalk for any answer. There are steps, so it is not wheelchair friendly, but it is all paved. Other information needed to complete the earth cache is listed in the description below.
Boulware Springs is one of only two artesian springs in Gainesville. It has historical significance within the city of Gainesville. The spring at Boulware was essential to Gainesville's existence from its very beginning. In 1854, there was a gathering at Boulware to vote on relocating the county seat for Alachua County and the citizens of the area voted to create a new town. It would replace Newnansville as the county seat, and it would be called "Gainesville." Secondly, Boulware was essential to Gainesville's development with its clear, running spring, the source for the town's water for many years.
So, exactly what is an artesian spring and how does it differ from an artesian well? Both are pumpless water sources that allow underground water that is under pressure to rise to the surface. The pressure that builds up between layers of rock gets relieved when the water finds a path to the open air. Porous stone is sandwiched between a top and bottom layer of an impermeable substance, such as clay soil or shale rock. This keeps the water pressure high, so that at a point below the entryway of the flow, there is enough pressure to bring the water up when the pressure is released.
When this pressurized water escapes through a natural opening, perhaps caused by erosion of the rock or by an earthquake, we call it a spring. Florida has more natural springs than any other state. When the hole is deliberately drilled by humans, it is a well.
The Hydrologic Cycle is one key component to the formation of springs such as this one. The cycle differs based on the topography and the image below shows what karst topography (the predominant feature found in Florida) may look like below the surface. The cycle is in constant motion from precipitation (filling rivers, streams, entering sinkholes and replenishing the aquifer) and a return to evaporation to allow the cycle to continue. The rate that the cycle varies, especially in the groundwater component in regions with karst topography. There are many sinkholes nearby (the Alachua Sink being the most prominent in close proximity to this site) that serves as the major conduit from the surface to the aquifer. Florida is home to many springs ranging from first magnitude springs (with more than 750 gallons per second of water entering the spring) to 0 magnitude (with no flow that were past or historic springs). There are 33 first magnitude springs located within Florida, several of those are in Alachua County and the surrounding counties.
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Magnitude
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Flow (ft³/s, gal/min, pint/min)
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1st magnitude
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> 100 ft³/s
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2nd magnitude
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10 to 100 ft³/s
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3rd magnitude
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1 to 10 ft³/s
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4th magnitude
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100 US gal/min to 1 ft³/s (448 US gal/min)
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5th magnitude
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10 to 100 gal/min
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6th magnitude
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1 to 10 gal/min
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7th magnitude
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2 pint to 1 gal/min
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8th magnitude
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Less than 1 pint/min
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0 magnitude
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no flow (sites of past/historic flow)
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Whether from a spring or a well, water from our this underground source, called the aquifer, has been the main source of people’s drinking water as long as humans have been in Florida. , the water has been naturally filtered because it passes through porous rock as it seeps into the Earth to reach the aquifer. For centuries, people have drilled artesian wells to drink filtered water that doesn't need to be manually or mechanically hauled up from the depths; people have used water from Florida’s springs for thousands of years.
To claim credit for this earthcache, please email the owner of the cache through their profile with the answers to the following questions. Please do not post your answers, even if encrypted.
1) What year was this spring tapped with a pipe?
2) What was this water source used to entice to Gainesville?
3) What opened that led to this spring being abandoned as Gainesville's water source?
4) How many gallons per day did Boulware Springs contribute to Boulware Run?
5) Describe the flow of water into the first brick lined pool.
6) Walk down by the fence at the south end of the pools and observe the water flowing out of the pipe. What magnitude do you think this spring is?
7) What impacts do you think severe drought may have on the hydrologic cycle in this area?
References:
http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-an-artesian-well.htm
http://heritage.acld.lib.fl.us/1001-1050/1039.html
http://www.globalunderwaterexplorers.org/problems-groundwater-and-surface-water-management-part-2