The Peculiar Hydrology of West-Central Florida’s Sandhill Wetlands, Ponds, and Lakes—Part 1: Physical and Chemical Evidence of Connectivity to a Regional Water-Supply Aquifer

The sandhill wetlands, ponds, and lakes of west-central Florida, USA, are an understudied, poorly understood variant geographically isolated features. Their karst origin xeric setting impart a characteristic ecohydrology, which has been attributed to their apparent connectivity regional water-supply aquifer. This study uses physical geochemical hydrologic data provide evidence this connectivity. findings presented here debut these rare features, advances fundamental understanding at time when increasing anthropogenic pressures risk further loss degradation. From findings, the nature ponds is characterized, may be useful in distinguishing them from others with different controls for identifying features similar connectivity, or otherwise, wherever they found. Water levels and/or geochemistry were compared 12 five two lakes, monitor wells (10 constructed limestone, surficial sand) Florida. Hydrograph regression analyses indicate widely ranging water (2–5 m) that both analogous elevation highly correlated each other (0.84 ≤ R2 0.99). Sandhill feature also reflects wells, varying relative depth rainwater-limestone mixing zone. Findings suggest wetland/water surface expressions underlying unconfined aquifer hydrology, elsewhere establishing as groundwater endmember along continuum.