Lehigh Spring Background as of 6.25.2012
Lehigh Spring is a sinkhole that has also been known in the past as Leeland Lake, Still Lake, and Still Hammock Lake. Lehigh Spring is located in Lehigh Acres, Florida which is east of Fort Myers in Lee County. Lehigh Spring is a possible future archaeological dive site that can be accessed from RSW Airport, Southwest Florida
International Airport (Lee County Port Authority), PGD Punta Gorda
Airport (Charlotte County), and APF Naples Municipal Airport (Collier
County).
Lehigh Spring has become a hot topic here in Lehigh Acres, Florida. It is supposedly the only known natural sinkhole in Lee County Florida.
As best as this Lehigh Acre's resident can figure, based on news articles and internet research, this sinkhole SHOULD be at least 69 years old. In 1943 the lake was "sounded" at 208 feet deep. However, this resident cannot find online data to support this claim.
There is evidence that Lehigh Spring, known as Leeland Lake in 1975, was the only known sinkhole in Lee County. See US Department of the Interior Geological Survey 1975. During 1975 it was sounded to 208 feet deep.
As of June 2012, the land-visible side of the lake appears close to circular. The edges are so overgrown so it is difficult to determine the visible diameter of the sinkhole. In 1943 it was claimed to be 600 feet in diameter, however this resident cannot find data to support this claim. In 1972 the diameter was 420 feet according to the US Department of the Interior Geological Survey 1975.
The sinkhole appears to rise and fall with drought and rain periods based on the US Department of the Interior Geological Survey 1975.
The US Department of the Interior Geological Survey 1975 qualified the water as "good" with increased sulfate concentration between 1943 to 1974.
Please review the US Department of the Interior Geological Survey 1975, for the most recent technical data on the water quality and details.
This resident's view is that this COULD bring much needed tourism to Lehigh Acres, but questions how this would impact the neighboring homes and communities if left out of check.
