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FLRD GEOLOSk ( IC SUfRiW


COPYRIGHT NOTICE
[year of publication as printed] Florida Geological Survey [source text]


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State of Florida
Department of Natural Resources
Tom Gardner, Executive Director




Division of Resource Management
Jeremy Craft, Director




Florida Geological Survey
Walt Schmidt, State Geologist and Chief











Open File Report 20

Leon Sinks Special Interest Area

by

Ed Lane






Florida Geological Survey
Tallahassee, Florida
1988




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State of Florida
Department of Natural Resources
Tom Gardner, Executive Director


Division of Resource Management
Jeremy Craft, Director



Florida Geological Survey
Walt Schmidt, State Geologist





Open File Report 20

Leon Sinks Special Interest Area




By


Ed Lane









Florida Geological Survey
Tallahassee, Florida
1988


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I. S. FOREST SERVICE

In Cooperation with

FLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

RY

Ed Lane

LEON SINKS SPECIAL INTEREST AREA


The Leon Sinks Special Interest Area is part of a larger geomorphic

area, the Woodville Karst Plain, which encompasses southeastern Leon County

and eastern Wakulla County to the Gulf of Mexico (Figure 1), and extends

eastward into Jefferson County. The loodville Karst Plain is a flat to

gently rolling, sandy plain with elevations that vary from about 50 feet

above sea level along its northern edge to sea level at the Gulf. Quartz

sand covers limestone rocks, which usually lie at depths of 30 feet or

less. Karst features that can he seen throughout the Woodville Karst Plain

are sinkholes, springs, swales and hummocky terrain, disappearing streams,

natural bridges, hundreds of circular depressions and watertable ponds, and

cavernous openings. All of these surficial expressions of karst have asso-

ciated underground drainage systems in the limestone.

Karst features form in limestone and other carbonate rocks as a result

of chemical erosion by circulating groundwater, which is usually slightly

acidic. The acidic groundwater dissolves the carbonate rock, carries it

away in solution, and creates interconnected openings through the rock.

Eventually, these channels in the rotk may divert all of the drainage under-

qround so that there are few or no surface streams, as is the case with the

Woodville Karst Plain. Depending on local conditions, the rock may








collapse, creating a sinkhole, such as Rig Dismal Sink; or a spring may

form, as at Wakulla Spring about six miles southeast of the Leon Sinks.

The present topography of the Woodville Karst Plain is the result of

hundreds-of-thousands of years of karstic evolution. The karst plain is

still evolving and new sinkholes appear frequently throughout it.







(Conndense', v,,rsion for signpost)


LEON SPIKS SPECIAL INTEREST AREA

The Leon Sinks Special Interest Area is part of a larger geomorphic

area, the Woodville Karst Plain, which encompasses southeastern Leon County

and eastern Wlakulla County to the Gulf of Mexico, and eastward into

Jefferson County. The Woodville Karst Plain has a flat to gently rolling

surface of sand that covers limestone rocks, which usually lie at depths of

30 feet or less. Sinkholes, springs, swales and hummocky terrain, disap-

pearing streans, natural bridges, hundreds of circular watertahle ponds,

and cavernous openings, all with their associated underground drainage, are

manifestations of karst processes and are prelavent in areas underlain by

limestone or other carbonate rocks. The Woodville Karst Plain exhibits all

of these features.

Karst features form as a result of chemical erosion of carbonate rocks

by circulating groundwater, which is usually slightly acidic. The ground-

water dissolves the carbonate rock, carries it away in solution, creating

openings that can eventually reach cavernous size.

The present topography of the Woodville Karst Plain is the result of

hundreds-of-thousands of years of karstic evolution. In Florida's sub-

tropical climate karst is a continuing process and new sinkholes appear

frequently throughout the plain.























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Fig. 1


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Proposed Trail for


LEON SINKS GEOLOGICAL AREA


MAGNOLIA DRY SINK


SBIG DISMAL


BLACK.
SINK


NORTH


HAMMOCK
SINK


TALLAHASSEE
-. :9 MILES


1ST SINK --


ENTRANCE
ROAD


FISHER CK.


- PERIMETER LOOP TRAIL BLUE BLAZE (3 MILES)
%,- CUT-THROUGH TRAIL WHITE BLAZE (1 MILE)


DOUBLE BLAZE MEANS PAY ATTENTION -
CHANGE OF DIRECTION


PREPARED 1988 BY
RUS ELFRDENBORG
& STEVE SHERWOOD


FISHER
SINK


BROODGE
BRIDGE


BRIDGE


IS 319