United States » Little Salt Spring

Overview Location & Specifics Conditions Resources Nearby Systems  
Portions of the following information were taken from Florida Geological Survey Bulletin 66.

Little Salt Spring is located 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Weeki Wachee. From the intersection of US 19 with SR 50 and SR 550 in Weeki Wachee head west on SR 50/550 (Cortez Boulevard) approximately 3.4 miles (5.5 km) to the intersection with SR 595. Continue west (straight) 0.2 miles (0.3 km) west of the T-shaped intersection with SR 595. The spring is 200 ft (61 m) south (left side) of SR 50/550.

Description – Hernando Salt Spring (Little Salt Spring), at the head of Salt Creek, has a circular spring pool with a diameter of 60 ft (18.2 m). The pool is 46.5 ft (14.2 m) deep. The spring emerges from a cavern in limestone. Exposed limestone in the spring has a soft, chalky texture. Most limestone and sand substrates are covered in thick iron-reducing bacterial mats and algae. Another smaller vent is located at the north end of the pool. The saline water is blue-greenish with slight murkiness. Several logs are submerged within the spring pool, and one of the logs has the remains of an old platform. The spring is tidally influenced, and the size of the boil in the center may fluctuate depending on tides. The spring run flows southwest for about 1 mile (1.6 km) into Mud River and averages approximately 30 ft (9.1 m) wide and 4 ft (1.2 m) deep. Land surrounding Hernando Salt Spring is low-lying, and the spring is situated within a subtropical hardwood and palm hammock. An underwater cave system occurs at Hernando Salt Spring. Depths within the cave system reach 170 ft (51.8 m) (Rosenau et al., 1977).

Utilization – The spring is undeveloped and surrounded by privately owned lands.
Click the map below for all mapping options.
Click to View Larger Map
Latitude: 28.546181
Longitude: -82.619366
Zone:
Coordinate System:
Maximum Depth: 240'
 Cave Diving
 Cavern Diving
 Open Water Diving
Hernando Salt, Salt Spring 2, SWFWMD Owned - Permit Required
Date Submitter Visbility Remarks
9/23/2008 Buhlz 20- 0 Just like what Stacey said. Nice little spring, DEFINATELY advanced!!!! This is not for the novice and I'm not saying that for people to stay clear. It's like working on electrical- must respect it. Made it to the ski rope and turned due to enormous flow. Best case senerio; go at high tide- but try not to schmegg to much and let the cave clear before exiting is about all I can say for my first few dives there. Excellant little spring to say the least!
9/27/2007 AARON 0 WE DOVE THIS SO CALLED SPRING THIS WEAK AND LET ME TELL YOU IT LOOKS VERY NISE ON TOP BUT AFTER WE WENT DOWN LIKE 30 FT THE VIS WENT TO 0 YOU CANT EVEN SEE YOUR HAND IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE WITH A 24 WATT HID LIGHT AND IT WAS THIS NASTY RUST COLERED CRAP ALL OVER THE PLACE BIG LIKE THE SIZE OF YOU FIST IT WAS IN MY HARE AND ALL OVER OUR GEAR WE WENT IN TO THE CAVE AND DOWN TO LIKE 60 ON THE ROPE HOPING IT WOOD GET BETER BUT IT DID NOT AND WE HAD TO CALL IT OFF NOT A NISE DIVE EMAIL ME IF YOU HAVE ?? OR ARE LOOKING FOR SOME 1 TO DIVE WITH
6/17/2006 Stacey Sandrey 20' First time in system. Eric did a quick repair on the line that had broken. Made it to the second ski rope where I turned the dive because of flow. Exiting was very interesting.
12/5/2005 Walter Pickel 15 Eric and I went back to finish the line up and take some video. The flow seemed very high for the tide. However, Eric didn't seem to think it was up. To equate it to another system would be this flow is greater than that of say Little River when Little River is pumping hard.

The viz absolutely sucked (worse I have seen). You can defiantly tell we haven't been diving it from all the particulate. I turned the dive at the bottle room.
9/17/2005 Walter Pickel 2'-3' It looks like 2 hours after the Bayport high tide is when you will get a high at Little Salt Springs. Eric and I dove it to install survey markers and ski rope. There are now 2 ski ropes installed. 1) Gauntlet entrance to the Shroom Room and 2) from the Nebula (125'-250' drop) to the Shroom Room. Very silty today but it was great not dealing with much flow -- we robbed Peter to pay Paul.
8/24/2005 Walter Pickel 10' We decided to get in the water around high tide to minimize flow. It looks like the tides are Bayport tide reference - 1 hour (if Bayport high is 6PM Little Salt high will be 5PM); just keep that in mind. New line has been run from the bottle room into the main room. We will be going back this weekend to hopefully install a ski rope, finish placing the new mainline and replace the mainline from the entrance to the bottle room. Overall, viz was worse than before with initial viz being about 10'. As always, it was zero (at best) on the way out.
8/10/2005 Eric Deister 40' then -1' Went at high tide so the flow would be down. Walter P stopped at "Walter's Wait" while I went on to the second room. The second room had all the line it, lt looks like the broken thin line and the now broken ski line are done with. We plan on putting new line in next week. Going out, Walter and I "cleaned" the cave. Eric
Click here if you would like to contribute any information or resources for this system.
Description Type Date Author Remarks
 Pictures Images
 System Map Map
Sslect Search Radius:
System Depth Cave Cavern OW Last Report Distance (mi)
 Overview Information Available for Buford Spring  Buford Spring 167 True True False 10/1/2024 6.3
 Overview Information Available for Eagles Nest  Eagle's Nest 315 True False False 3/14/2024 0.9
   Lost 40 165 True False False 7/15/2023 4.8
 Overview Information Available for Hospital Hole  Hospital Hole 143 False True True 4/30/2023 1.1
   Warm Springs 140 False True False 11/1/2022 6.3
   Arch Sink 197 True True False 7/18/2021 8.7
   Bulldozer Sink 60 False True True 3/22/2020 1
 Overview Information Available for Diepolder III  Diepolder III 300 True False False 5/27/2017 5.7
   Little Gator Siphon 180 True False False 1/3/2015 6.3
 Overview Information Available for Twin Dees  Twin Dees 335 True False False 8/3/2013 3.3
 Overview Information Available for Weeki Wachee Spring  Weeki Wachee Spring 407 True False True 4/28/2012 3.4
 Overview Information Available for Diepolder II  Diepolder II 360 True False False 12/23/2010 5.8
   Gator Spring 192 True False False 12/6/2009 1.2
 Overview Information Available for Blind Spring  Blind Spring 180 True True False 11/29/2009 7.8
   Free Ride Cave 120 True False False 10/10/2009 10.7
   Double Keyhole 230 True False False 1/11/2009 9.7
 Overview Information Available for Bobhill Springs  Bobhill Springs False False False 12/29/2007 7.8
 Overview Information Available for Jewfish Sink  Jewfish Sink 200 True False False 9/2/2007 9.7
   The Jewel 315 True True False 6/2/2006 10.1
 Overview Information Available for Mud Spring  Mud Spring 210 True True False 11/20/2005 0.4
   Garden World Sink 250 True False False 9.8
 Overview Information Available for Joes Sink  Joe's Sink 60 True False True 4.7
   Nursery Sink 214 True False False 4.6
 Overview Information Available for Marys Sink  Mary's Sink 58 True False True 4.7
   Willow Sink True False False 6.1
 Overview Information Available for Ryles Spring  Ryles Spring False False False 9.7
   Snook Spring 120 True False False 10.7
   Star Sun Spring 120 True False False 10.7
   Snake Eyes False False False 1.1
   Wolf Sink False False False 5.3
 Overview Information Available for Hospital Spring  Hospital Spring 40 False True False 1.1
 Overview Information Available for Jenkins Creek  Jenkins Creek 50 True False False 1.9