By Doug Alderson
July 2025–What better way to spend a hot July day than relaxing in 68-degree spring water! Because of the risk of afternoon thunderstorms, we shifted our July Chipola River kayaking trip to Merritt’s Mill Pond near Marianna and received no complaints. The pond features several clear springs, including the only first magnitude spring in the Apalachicola Basin—Jackson Blue. The spring pumps out about 76 million cool gallons a day. We paddled about two hours and swam for another hour, a perfect combination on a July morning. 
Merritt’s Mill Pond flows into Spring Creek, which, in turn, flows into the Chipola River. The Chipola watershed supplies about 11 percent of the Apalachicola River’s water. There might be something in the water of Merritt’s Mill Pond because the largest red ear sunfish in Florida was caught here in 1986, a whopping 4.86 pounds. The pond was created in the 1800s for a grist mill and the dam remains at US 90. The site of Jackson Blue and other nearby springs has a rich history going back thousands of years. You can learn more about it by watching this video by Dale Cox and Two Egg TV. Also, Rob Diaz de Villegas of WFSU has done two different ecology blogs about Merritt’s Mill Pond.
Upcoming Apalachicola Riverkeeper Eco-outings include a sunset paddling trip on Scipio Creek near Apalachicola on September 6 and a morning paddling trip on Black Creek near Sumatra on October 5. A limited number of loaner kayaks are available, so sign up early!
Apalachicola Riverkeeper is an independent, non-profit advocacy organization founded in 1998. Your financial gift fuels our fight to defend the Apalachicola River. Together, let’s work to protect and restore the Apalachicola River. Please donate today to fund our essential work on behalf of the Apalachicola River, Floodplain, and Bay.
