Creek Digging

​​​​​​​​​​​Digging in Creeks is Illegal!

Digging for fossils is prohibited in all waters and wetlands in the City of Gainesville and Alachua County. The majority of Gainesville’s creek system is on private property or park lands. Trespassing and fossil hunting are banned by Gainesville's ordinances and Florida statutes. Urban creeks have high bacteria levels that can lead to illness.

Walking off-trail in creek systems causes erosion and harms ecosystems and animals. Prohibited activities include digging with tools for artifacts and fossil hunting.

Learn more in our “Creeks, Fossil Hunting, and Your Rights” brochure.

Access to Creeks

​​ Creek  

The majority of the creek system is on private property or park lands. Creeks that are on private property may only be accessed with permission from the property owner, or else you are trespassing. Properties/parks owned by the City of Gainesville or Alachua County prohibit wading within creeks, so enjoy the creeks from established trails.

Confusion Over “Navigable Waters”

Creeks in Gainesville and Alachua County are not considered "navigable." “Navigable waters” are determined by whether the waterway was potentially useful for public commerce in 1845. The State of Florida has determined that the creeks within the City of Gainesville do not meet this criteria.

NO PERSON, INCLUDING PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS, MAY DAMAGE, ALTER, OR IMPACT THE CREEK SYSTEM!

Resources

  • Alachua County Environmental Protection Department: County staff actively enforce creek protection and respond to citizen complaints or concerns regarding impacts from digging or excavating. Phone: (352) 264-6800
  • Gainesville Police Department: GPD responds to complaints of trespassing. If someone is accessing your property without your permission and you feel that you are in danger, call 911. If you are not in immediate danger, please use the non-emergency line at: (352) 955-1818
  • The Florida Geological Survey​ is a resource for fossil hunting information.