River Rise, a first magnitude spring, launches the Lower Santa Fe River on its final trek to the Suwannee. This resurgent spring mixes with diminishing amounts of clear groundwater during it’s three mile odyssey underground. The dark moody water presents an anti-climatic entrance back into the world of light and air.
River Rise is considered part of the Hornsby Springshed, and identified by the Fl DEP as an Outstanding Florida Spring OFS. The Hornsby Springs Priority Focus area is considered impaired for it’s elevated nitrate levels and in ‘recovery’ for it’s reduced flow. There are six springs in the Hornsby Spring subbasin: Santa Fe River Rise, Treehouse Spring, Col428981, Darby Spring, Hornsby Spring , and Columbia Spring. This article is the first in a series of articles on the Springs of the Santa Fe.
There are two ways to access River Rise; the first is the trail from the River Rise State Park entrance outside of High Springs on 441, the other is to paddle upstream from the 441 boat ramp.
The following databases allow you to see the peaks and valleys of the river over time. The USGS Hydrological Data and the NOAA Guage.
The SE Geological Survey Field Guide 47: Florida’s Santa Fe River Basin, “Karst Hydrology of the Santa Fe River Basin, T. Kinkaid , Aug. 25, 2007. offer an in depth look at the geology of this area.
And the Geology of River Rise offers a brief summation of the geological and hydrological features. Geology of River Rise, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, © Copyright 2025
OSFR President Joanne Tremblay
joanne.tremblay@oursantaferiver.org
“Giving Our River A Voice”
