Cave system
Jackson Blue Spring cave
A first-magnitude spring cave east of Marianna, feeding Merritt's Mill Pond; the head spring is leased by Jackson County, which describes limited scuba training and exploration there. Diving rules are not published by the county.
Jackson Blue Spring rises in Blue Springs Recreation Area, about five miles east of Marianna, and feeds Merritt's Mill Pond, a 202-acre reservoir. Jackson County has leased the head spring from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for more than 20 years and runs it as a swimming and recreation park, with day-to-day operations handled by a private concession.
The spring opens into a cave complex that the county says is home to two rare cave-dwelling animals, the Georgia blind salamander and the Dougherty Plain cave crayfish. The county describes its management of the site as including limited scuba training and exploration, but its pages publish no diving rules, fees or permit procedure.
The Northwest Florida Water Management District lists Jackson Blue as a first-magnitude spring. No published survey length or maximum depth for the cave was found in sources that could be checked for this record.
Water, flow and flooding
A first-magnitude spring (64.6 million gallons a day or more, by the water management district's definition) that supplies Merritt's Mill Pond.
Why it matters
Habitat for the Georgia blind salamander and the Dougherty Plain cave crayfish, according to Jackson County.
Conditions
The park operator describes the water as 72°F (22°C) year-round. The county announced revised park hours starting 2026-03-21.
Typical ranges from published sources, not current conditions.
Entrances and dive sites
The head spring in Blue Springs Recreation Area is the documented entrance. Other springs feed Merritt's Mill Pond, but their cave connections are not described in the sources read.
For orientation, not navigation. Hollow dots are approximate.
Every fact on this page, with its source (8)
| Fact | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson County has leased the head spring from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for over 20 years, manages the site with limited scuba training and exploration, and has a third party run operations and concessions.No diving rules published by the county as of 2026-10-14. | Verified | [1] |
| The spring supplies Merritt's Mill Pond, a 202-acre reservoir, and is about five miles east of Marianna. | Verified | [1] |
| The cave complex is home to the Georgia blind salamander and the Dougherty Plain cave crayfish. | Verified | [1] |
| Jackson Blue is a first-magnitude spring, which the district defines as discharging 64.6 million gallons per day or more. | Verified | [2] |
| The park operator cites a year-round water temperature of 72°F.Operator statement. | Reported | [3] |
| Jackson County lists park hours starting 2026-03-21 of 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM on weekdays and 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM on weekends.The operator's site lists 5:00 PM weekday closing. | Verified | [1] |
| USGS lists Jackson Blue Spring near Marianna (site 02358795) at latitude 30.79046943.Public county park head spring. | Verified | [4] |
| USGS lists Jackson Blue Spring at longitude -85.1407611. | Verified | [4] |
Verified: stated by an official or primary source we opened. Reported: from a secondary source only. Sources conflict: the note gives both versions. May be out of date: the newest source we found is old.
Written in our own words from the sources above. Report a correction