The Florida Geological Survey

The Florida Geological Survey Celebrates its Centennial Anniversary.

2007 marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Florida Geological Survey. Currently a Bureau within the Division of Resource Assessment and Management in DEP, the FGS in earlier years had been a part of the Department of Natural Resources, the Board of Conservation, and initially an agency reporting directly to the Governor. The FGS continues as the oldest state agency functioning under both its original legislative enabling statute and its original title.

The original assignment to the Office of State Geologist was to map soils and shallow near- surface geology to assist with drainage of wetlands to facilitate land development. Later, the mapping and location of mineral resources was requested to support infrastructure construction and economic development throughout the state. In recent decades environmental / ecosystem understanding and natural resources conservation has been the emphasis. Now, aquifer characterization for ground water protection, conservation, development, and karst flow dynamics has dominated staff research. Springs mapping, geochemistry trend analysis, and swallet (stream to sink direct recharge to the aquifer) mapping are cooperative projects with other DEP programs and other professional groups.

The FGS maintains the only state-wide geoscience sample database with over 18,000 sets of stratigraphic core tests, well cuttings, geophysical wireline logs, and geologist log descriptions of these samples. They also maintain a geoscience research library available to professional researchers and the public. The FGS headquarters is currently housed in the Herman Gunter Building (named for the 2nd State Geologist) on the FSU Campus, with additional staff and equipment also located at the DEP Warehouse. Two Oil & Gas district field offices are located in Ft. Myers and Jay, Florida.

The head of the State Geological Survey is designated the “State Geologist” by statute. There have only been five State Geologists heading the FGS throughout its first 100 years, demonstrating the need for stability and continuity within such an agency that maintains geoscience data, inventories and sustains corporate memory to support the many and diverse needs of the public. Geologic interpretations in the form of publications and inquiry responses serve as the foundation for: mineral resources assessments, geologic and aquifer mapping, aquifer recharge / discharge mapping, geologic hazards assessments (sinkholes, flood-prone / erosion areas, radon, uranium, etc.), land planning / zoning decisions, contamination clean-up, injection & water wells, landfills, ecosystem understanding, and environmental regulations.

In recognition of their centennial anniversary, this June the FGS will be hosting the 99th annual meeting of the Association of American State Geologists. The AASG is composed of the fifty one (states and Puerto Rico) State Geologists.