Bugg Spring

[sskasser]

Has anyone dove this site or know anything about it?

http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/buggspring.html


Bugg Spring inOkahumpka, Florida

Home of Florida's"Swamp Fox"



A magnificent springon the northern edge of the Lake Countycommunity of Okahumpka holds a uniqueplace in Florida history.



Bugg Spring isprivately owned and is not open to thepublic because it is leased by the U.S.Navy which conducts research on sound there. The spring, however, is quite remarkable and the grounds surrounding it hold great historical significance.



According to the St.Johns River Water Management District,Bugg Spring is a second magnitude springthat is 170-175 feet deep. Clear andcold, the water has been a focal pointof life in the area for many years.



The earlyarchaeologist Clarence B. Moore investigated (and destroyed) Native American mounds at Bugg Spring, producingevidence that human beings have used thespring for thousands of years. Althoughthe exact site is debated, the spring isone of the sites in the vicinitybelieved to be a possible location of the Seminole Indian town of Okahumpka. This important town was the scene of much planning during the days leading up tothe Second Seminole War and warriorsfrom here took part in Dade's Battle innearby Bushnell, Florida.



During the decadesafter the War Between the States, BuggSpring became the home of the notedConfederate officer, J.J. Dickison. Called the "Swamp Fox" of the Confederacy because of his similarity in tactics tothe famed Southern officer of theAmerican Revolution, Francis Marion.



Dickison was a captainfor most of the war, although he oftencommanded battalion size units. A terrorto Union forces in East and CentralFlorida, he struck when and where attacks were least expected and achieved solid results for the Confederate war effort.



Among his mostdramatic hauls was the Union steamboatColumbine that Dickison ambushed withartillery on the St. Johns River. Amongthe prisoners was Maj. Gen. J.G. Foster.

Although he was promoted to colonel atthe end of the war, Dickison did notreceive the news until after he gave hisparole. He later served as a general inthe state service.



During their years atBugg Spring, Mary Dickison wrote asentimental biography of her husbandthat she titled Dickison and His Men. Itis one of the best known books on the role of Florida in the war and includes many first hand observations of Dickison andthe men who served with him.



Bugg Spring is now onprivate property and is not open to thepublic. Please respect the rights of theowners, who were kind enough to allowthese photographs to be taken so otherscould learn the history of the spring and its grounds.

[Diverlee]

Is it near the turnpike ? The last service plaza goes by that name. Looks beautiful.

[Superlyte27]

Not really near the turnpike. No one is allowed to dive it. It's on a 100 year lease to the Navy where they do Active Sonar Testing (which will kill you). So if you're planning on sneak diving it (which isn't hard to do, as it's pretty remote) make sure you do it on a day they they are not actively pinging.

It's about 3 miles south of Leesburg on Hwy 27. It's boat accessible, but you'd have to swim under a fence.


*edit*
I'm not condoning sneaking into this place. I'm actually warning against it. Dying kinda sucks.

[Tegg]

Actually, it's not leased anymore. It was sold to the Navy in 2011.

That changes things for anyone who plans to sneak it, as it is completely owned by the Navy and would cause the trespass to be federal.

This is of course on top of the fact that I hate sneak diving in a location where the thing that could kill me is not natural and not visible...

[ScubaGypsy]

The Bugg Spring facility had been under lease to the Navy since the 1950s but was purchased by the Navy in 2012. It is used as an acoustic test facility for the calibration of underwater transducers. Bugg Spring is a field facility of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) which is headquartered in Newport, RI.

Since the purchase, a new fence with cameras has been installed. It is a federal offense to tresspass, or even take pictures, on this property without permission. It s not available for recreational diving (which includes employees). There are also usually a number of good sized gators hanging around as well! Attached are two pics from 2004 when it was leased.

[ScubaGypsy]

Actually I stand corrected as the Navy purchase was completed on 30 December 2011 (which is in FY12, i.e. Fiscal Year 2012 by the federal government which runs 01 October 2011 through 30 September 2012). Some history of the relationship between the previous owners and the Navy can be found at this link. The owners will continue to live in the house for the remainder of their lives.

[Superlyte27]

Hmm, that's a pretty cool write up.

[Diverlee]

Thanks! Very interesting.

[Mark Long]

This spring was known to me long before I ever became a cave diver. Growing up in Leesburg, me and friends would take a boat up the spring run gigging gar back in the late 60's. I was privileged to be able to dive this spring several years ago (late 90's) when I still lived in Leesburg. I had known Dr. Branham (the then owner) since high school. Every now and then I would run unto him and ask about the spring and the possibility of being able to dive in it. He was always very nice but I wasn't able to gain permission. He was understandably concerned about liability and the fact that he and his wife Margaret had leased the spring to the Navy for years. Eventually curiosity got the best of him and they actually invited us out to dive the spring! We ended up doing a survey project and over a series of 3-4 dives produced a profile map. The Navy personnel were not present while we conducted any of our dives.

The visibility in the spring is generally pretty poor, 15-20ft. The maximum depth is a uniform 170ft on a flat bottom. As you drop into the spring and loose natural light, you have the impression you are dropping into one of the many large sinkholes along the west coast of Florida instead of a spring. The water issues from a small cave on the north side of the spring at the bottom. Here the visibility improves and you realize you are in "spring water." Unfortunately the cave can only be penetrated about 20ft before it becomes too small for even no mount. The rock is soft and issues from a jumble of boulders.

We explored the entire spring, I can't remember the exact distance across the bottom from one side to the other but it was around 200ft. The walls jutted back at around 50-60ft depth and formed your typical "jug shaped" profile common to many sinkholes in Florida. What was interesting and puzzling at the same time was the fact that the bottom had no mound (talus cone) in the center. It was flat as a pancake from one side to the other.

After we had completely explored the spring and with no going cave there was no reason to go back. We moved onto other bigger and better things. We were asked to not tell anyone about the spring and up until now I've respected this wish. If the Branham's still owned the property, you wouldn't be reading this. As has been pointed out the spring has been sold to the Navy and additional security methods have been employed so this is one you just aren't going to sneak. I remember reading when the spring was sold to the Navy. There was some controversy involved with the price the Branham's were paid.

Hope you've enjoyed this information on Bugg Spring.

[diveconjeff]

Thanks Mark. Nice read.

I wonder if perhaps the Navy removed the cone for their testing?