Interlachen Spring, Interlachen, FL

7 people follow this spring.
Directions:

Description:

This spring is know and used frequently by the local community. It also has a great surrounding for gathering local wild edibles.

Nearest Address

765 CR 315

Directions from Nearest Address

Going west on Cr310 passing the Backwoods Barbecue restaurant. CR310 dead-ends on CR315 make a left turn onto Cr310. The Spring is less than 100 yards down on the left hand side. You will notice a small steel bridge crossing the ditch and gravel parking on both sides of the road.

Vital Information

  • Fee: None
  • Access: Public
  • Flow: Continuous
  • TDS: N/A
  • Temp: N/A
  • pH: 8.58

Hours Spring is Open:

24/7/365

GPS:

N29 32′ 59″ W81 52’39”

Submitted by: Chris Frost

Responses

  1. I wanted to share with the community that I reached out to the owner of this spring in early February 2021. I looked him up through the public records and literally snail-mailed him a letter, asking if he’d be willing to provide any history of the spring, if he’s ever had the water tested, if he minds people accessing his property to obtain the water, and ultimately thanking him for sharing such an awesome resource with the community. To my surprise, he actually called my cell number, and explained that he has owned the property for approximately 20 years, and it has never been developed. He said that the County originally threatened to sue him to plug the pipe, but he refused to do so because he knew that many people in the community access the site for water. As such, he told them to take him to court, which they never did; but, instead, he said that the County had tested the water to ensure its safety (or at least make sure that it wasn’t a public health threat), and he said that “they wouldn’t tell me what was in it, but they did say that it was potable”. Interestingly, when I called the FL Dept. of Health in Palatka, they said that they do not regularly test the spring as it is on private property and it is not their responsibility to do so, but the contact there did tell me anecdotally that residents have been using the spring for decades. The owner corroborated that since he has owned the property, he has no knowledge of anyone ever falling sick from the water. I am hoping that one day I can pay to have a comprehensive test done myself (for my own peace of mind), but I think my wife might slap me (as comprehensive testing kits go for as much as $250 or more on Amazon, and testing at local labs is even more expensive). But all in all, I made the trip up to Interlachen from Orlando the day before Valentine’s Day, and am glad that I did. Even my wife (who thinks I’m completely off my rocker and doesn’t understand my water obsession) concedes that there is something more refreshing and satisfying about the water than our own municipal tap water. I have been drinking it regularly for a month now and feel great. The one thing that I do notice is that I feel that it leaves the back of my throat feeling sort of “dry” after drinking it – not sure if it’s a pH thing, or due to the total dissolved solids in the water, etc. but I definitely don’t mind the taste. If I ever do pull the trigger to get it tested, y’all will be the first ones to know! -Brian P.

    1. Thanks for the details Brian. Is the spring still active? What is the best spring in Florida? Any suggestions? I just moved to Orlando from Arizona. I miss my spring in Sedona. It was such good water. I’m desperate to find a good spring in Florida. I don’t care how far it is, I’ll happily travel to get spring water.
      Thanks!

  2. Just got water here today. Fantastic taste and smell. The water is very healing in this county! Haven’t been to this spring since around the year 2000. Was getting water at Ravine Gardens State Park till the hurricane in 2017 blew out the loop and many of the huge trees. Then started going 3 minutes north of this location.

  3. Currently the pipe work for the spring is up and running. It has been reinforced with concrete etc:. It is constantly been flowing the past 3 months. The water is crystal clear with a slight sulfur smell when in a container. That smell goes away if you let the water sit for about three days. Best water I’ve ever had.

    1. I went to the spring yesterday the water is flowing and is clear but there is a bad smell around it and trash in front of the bridge on the sides and at the button of where the cement reinforcement is built. I’m not sure where the water comes from but if it is from the small river on the side where everybody throu trash I wouldn’t drink the water. Has anybody tested the water recently?

    1. Just harvested water at this spring. Seems to be working just fine, pouring out. Water taste is not the best, but not bad at all. A slight sulfur smell when you bottle it, but no smell at the spring itself.

  4. i’m in south florida for the winter looking for low tds spring water.  i’ve looked at every blue pin on the map (which means drinking springs).  Gemini Springs apparently has a bacterial problem and now Interlachen is dry!  i called the Interlachen post office and a kind woman named Jeffery drove by on her way to home to make sure.  It’s dry!  so now, the only drinking water in Florida seems to be in the Fountain of Youth Park.  I heard they let u in with bottles, but will they let me in with my car and 4 large 3 gallon bottles?  

    i notice there are a lot of towns in Florida with “springs” in the name – that implies springs in the area at one time.  so i’m now on the search for all these towns and will report back – am open to hearing about any other springs found in Florida – please email me at sofreeroots@hotmail:twitter .com.  many thanks!  

    VIVA WILD WATER!

  5. Is there anyone to contact to make sure that this water is safe to consume? I want to make sure that theres no harmful contamination such as heavy metals or radioactive waste from that sink hole a few years ago.

    Thanks

How to Collect Spring Water

Drinking pure spring water is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Our bodies are over 99% water at the molecular level, so water affects every aspect of our biology. Yet, not all water is created equal. Almost all the bottled spring water available is pasteurized for shelf stability, which neutralizes many of the powerful health benefits such as increased hydrogen, healthy probiotics, and crystalline structure. For more about why unprocessed spring water is the best water to drink, read this.

The best way to guarantee you are getting real unprocessed spring water is to collect it yourself. This is a short and simple guide filled with information about how to gather spring water. We will cover how to find a spring, how to collect the water, how to honor the spring, how to store the water properly and other tips.

FindASpring.org is the best resource for locating a spring near you. However, not all springs are on the map. First, check the map to see if there is a spring in your local area. If there is, look at the reviews and comments. Has anyone shared helpful information about flow rate or posted a water test result? Is the spring in a pristine area? Do a bit of research and make sure the spring is safe to drink from. If you have any doubt about the purity, don’t risk it and get a water test, HERE. If you don’t see a spring on the map in your area, there still might be some that aren’t listed yet. First, ask the older generation who have lived in your area a long time if they know. You can also ask people in your community who might already get spring water such as people at a health food store or at a farmers market. Another great option is to view A US forest service map, where many springs have been marked. You can view these maps through the Gaia GPS or All Trails hiking apps on your phone. The map overlay you want is USGS Topo. Not all are easily accessible or ideal for drinking, but some are and it can be a fun adventure to find them. We have found over half a dozen great springs this way.

Once you’ve found your spring, figure out how you are going to gather the water. Is it right on the side of the road and easy to access or do you have to hike to it? We recommend storing spring water in glass instead of plastic to preserve the purity of the water. It is better for the environment, your body, and the water. Even BPA free plastic has toxic chemicals that can leach into water and cause health issues. If you do want to use plastic for safety reasons when filling at the spring, we recommend transferring the water to glass as soon as possible. FindASpring is sponsored by Alive Waters, which offers beautiful reusable glass. They have a 2.5 gallon option, which is a convenient size for carrying that isn’t too heavy. They also sell handles that you can use to transport the jugs even more easily. If you have to hike to access the spring, we recommend putting the water jugs into an extra large backpack to hike the water out with ease. We use Osprey packs that hold 2 jugs each. You can also use a wheelbarrow or even a stroller depending on how easy a walk it is.

Filling 2.5 Gallon Alive Waters Jug

When you get to the spring, remember to first give back before you take. Springs are considered sacred in indigenous cultures around the world for their life giving water and also as a connection to the inner earth. A powerful and simple way to give back is to clean up. Is there any trash that needs to be collected? Could you move any dead leaves or sticks to improve the flow rate? Show up in service. Some other wonderful ways to give is with a moment of expressing verbal gratitude, singing songs to the water, offering the water an ethically sourced crystal, a feather, or some other physical gift. Flowers are a popular and beautiful thing to offer, but please be careful to source organic ones as most flowers from the store are sprayed with pesticides and can be toxic to put near a spring. Also, flowers can attract bugs as they decay, so it can be best to offer them to the flowing water directly or a little downstream from the spring head.

When gathering the water, fill the jug as close to the spring head as possible, never gather downstream. Be very careful as wet glass is extremely slippery. Make sure the lid is securely fastened. When transporting the spring water home, the jugs can sometimes slide around the car. Secure them in place or wrap them with towels or something so they don’t crash into each other.

How you store your spring water is essential. It is not pasteurized like spring water from the store, so it will start growing algae if left in direct sunlight. This is good because it means it’s alive! If the water you drink can’t even support the most basic life forms, how do you think it will support your body? Store your water in a cool, dark place such as a dark corner, pantry or closet. The fridge is ideal if you have room. Some people prefer to filter their water through a Berkey filter before drinking, but if the spring is pure, it’s not necessary. We drink our spring water completely unfiltered.

How long the water stays good for depends on how cold a temperature it’s stored at. Spring water is best fresh. We personally do not prefer to drink spring water past 2 weeks old. However, we know other people that will drink it at a month old. It’s great to get in a rhythm where you know how long the water lasts you and put your collection day on the calendar in advance.

I believe that water is calling us to reconnect with her in the deepest way, to gather our own water. Just like our ancestors did. Our ancestors didn’t have fancy water machines. They also didn’t create villages or settle where there was no water. Water was revered as the center of the community and the nodal point around which life could spiral out and take root.

Here’s to restoring the sacred connection with the waters of life.

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