An aquifer is an underground layer of rock or sand that holds water. When it rains, water may soak through the ground by a process called percolation. Rainwater percolates down through the surface soil, into the aquifer below. Click around to find out more about aquifers.
Many scientists believe the rock layers in the Floridan aquifer were deposited about 25 to 60 million years ago. It can take water as long as 20 years to 50,000 years to travel north through the aquifer from Keystone Heights, Florida, to Jacksonville, Florida. People in Jacksonville are drinking water today that may have fallen as rain in the Clay County recharge area a long time ago.
Sand and gravel aquifer
The sand and gravel aquifer is composed of mostly sand and gravel, which is how it got its name. It is the major source of freshwater in Escambia and Okaloosa counties in northwest Florida.
Biscayne aquifer
Some cities in southeast Florida get their water from the Biscayne aquifer. This is a shallow or surficial aquifer that lies on top of the Floridan aquifer and near the earth’s surface. The Biscayne aquifer supplies water for almost 4 million Floridians daily.
Intermediate aquifer
Besides the Biscayne, the sand and gravel, and the Floridan aquifers, there is another water supply aquifer for the state of Florida, the intermediate aquifer. This aquifer is an important source of freshwater in Sarasota, Charlotte and Glades counties.
Depth of Floridan aquifer
To reach the Floridan aquifer, you would have to dig very deep in some places. The aquifer can be found anywhere from a few feet to 700 feet below the ground. Most of the aquifer is several hundred feet below the earth’s surface.
