Springs Fever: A Field & Recreation Guide to 500 Florida Springs.
3rd Edition by Joe Follman and Richard Buchanan

Safety Harbor Spring

Pinellas County

Summary of Features

  • -6th magnitude
  • Scenery-
  • How Pristine?-water piped for city fountain
  • Swimming-no
  • Protection-unknown
  • Access-excellent to fountain and site of original spring flow
  • Facilities-none
  • Safety-excellent
  • Scuba-no
  • Cost-free

Original spring site



Directions

In downtown Safety Harbor at the edge of Safety Harbor in upper Old Tampa Bay. Most of the springs are underneath the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa at the end of Main Street where it meets Bayshore Drive. The fountain is across Bayshore and one block south of the Resort and Spa by the Marina Park Fountain and marina.

Spring Description

The spring is located in the front yard of a private residence along Bayshore (a few feet from the street), across the street from the Marina Park Fountain. This unnamed spring is covered with a steel lid. The author could find no historical information about this particular spring, which for many years was piped a short distance into Safety Harbor at the marina. In 2001, the town of Safety Harbor tapped water from this spring and existing pipe for use in the new Marina Park Fountain. When visited by the author in July 2002, the attractive fountain was operating. A park staff person said the high mineral contents of the spring were filtered so as not to clog the fountain with mineral deposits.

According to a story about the fountain in the St. Petersburg Times (Tucker, May 18, 2001), it was estimated that the spring flow would take two days to fill the 8,700 fountain pool. If this is an accurate calculation of the spring's flow, its discharge is about 4,350 gallons per day or 3 gallons per minute--6th magnitude flow. Traditionally, the spring flowed a short distance--perhaps 200 feet--into Safety Harbor.

Use/Access

The spring is tapped for the Marina Park Fountain. Presumably, the excess water is piped into Safety Harbor, but the author did not confirm this and the water may be used for other purposes

Nearby Springs

Other Nearby Natural Features