Weeki Wachee River System Recommended Minimum Flows and ...

Figure 2-6
Hurricane Tracks near Bayport Florida 1905-2005
2.3 Flow and Hydrogeology (Adapted from Wolfe 1990 and
Knochenmus & Yobbi 2001)
Florida as we know it is the emergent part of a land feature known as the Florida
Platform that extends southward and separates the deep waters of the Atlantic from the
deep waters of the Gulf. Throughout the ages, portions of this platform have been
episodically submerged and emergent depending upon sea level. The near surface
limestone and dolostone bedrock that underlies the platform was deposited
approximately 55 (Eocene) to 15 (early Miocene) million years (my) ago when sea level
was higher. The historical change in sea level gives rise to step-like terraces that
progress from the shoreline to the interior.
The Weeki Wachee watershed lies largely in Palimico and Talbot terraces, while the
springshed extends inland through several additional scarps. The near-Gulf terraces
are part of a larger landform known as the Gulf Coastal Lowlands which includes land
from the Gulf to an elevation of approximately 30 m above sea level. Further inland a
prominent rise known as the Brooksville ridge begins approximately 45 km inland from
the mouth of the Weeki Wachee River and extends eastward for an additional 50 km.
Elevation of the southern portion of the Brooksville ridge ranges from 21 – 75 m above
sea level.
The Spring Coast is a notable karst landscape, characterized by springs, sinkholes, and
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Proposed Minimum Flows and Levels for Weeki Wachee River Page 22 of 164
Watershed Characteristics