due to war, but was later held by American settlers. The river was a popular swimming and tubing location for locals and University of Florida students up through the 1960s, which led to litter and other problems. The State of Florida purchased the property in 1970 and began a cleanup and restoration project. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in 1972, and became a tourist attraction. Current threats In the early 1990s, the springs were showing signs of an even more disturbing degradation: a progressive decline in water quality. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection commissioned studies which showed that nutrient levels were steadily increasing. Additionally, some swimmers and tubers began to report strange skin rashes, possibly caused by algae fed by nutrients introduced into the aquifer. See also Ichetucknee Springs State Park References External links Ichetucknee Springs State Park Ichetucknee Springs Camp, Florida Ichnetucknee Springs State Park Rivers of Florida Tributaries of the Santa Fe River (Florida)