Longest underwater cave system in America to be conserved
The Wakulla/Chip’s cave system stretches for 45 miles.
In a major conservation win, the state of Florida approved $3.78 million to protect Chip’s Hole, a vast underwater cave system in Wakulla County.
The accredited Conservation Florida will use the funding to purchase 225 acres and complete a land swap with Southwest Georgia Oil Company, shifting the proposed gas station development away from the land over the cave complex.
News of potential gas station development sparked a wave of local opposition last year, with residents expressing their disapproval. Their efforts helped secure protections for the 45-mile-long Wakulla/Chip’s system — the longest underwater cave system in the U.S.
The Chip’s Hole Cave System also provides drinking water to all Wakulla County residents, contributing millions of gallons of freshwater daily downstream to Wakulla Spring.
“We are honored to stand alongside Wakulla residents in the protection of this beloved cave system,” said Conservation Florida CEO Traci Deen. “This is a true work of heart by each and every person involved. Because of this commitment to conservation, and coordination with entities like Southwest Georgia Oil Company, special places like Chip’s Hole will be preserved for future generations.”
Once permanently protected, Chip’s Hole is to become a public preserve, available for monitored public use and recreation.
This article originally appeared in Saving Land, Spring 2025 (Vol. 44 No. 2).