Blackwater River (Florida)

Blackwater River
Blackwater River in Blackwater River State Park
Map of the course of the Blackwater River
Country	United States
State	Florida
Basin
Main source	0 ft (0 m)
Physical characteristics
Length	56.6 miles (91.1 km)

The Blackwater River of Florida is a 56.6-mile-long (91.1 km)^[1] river rising in southern Alabama and flowing through the Florida Panhandle to the Gulf of Mexico. The river enters Florida in Okaloosa County and flows through Santa Rosa County to Blackwater Bay, an arm of Pensacola Bay. The river passes through Blackwater River State Forest and Blackwater River State Park. Milton, the county seat of Santa Rosa County, is located on the river.

The Blackwater's sandy bottom, white beaches and large sandbars contrast with the dark tannic water that gives the river its name. "Blackwater" is a translation of the Choctaw word oka-lusa, which means "water black".

31 miles (50 km) of the river are navigable by canoe, kayak or small boats. This section of the river, from Kennedy Bridge near Munson, Florida to Deaton Bridge in the Blackwater River State Park, is designated a Florida Canoe Trail — part of a statewide system of greenways and trails.

The river's average flow rate is 2 to 3 miles per hour (3.2 to 4.8 km/h), with an average depth of 2.5 feet (0.76 m). Depending on rainfall, water levels can fluctuate rapidly and low-lying areas are seasonally flooded by the river. This floodplain supports a wide variety of flora and fauna.

Aquatic plants include water fern, water lily, coontail, bladderwort and spatterdock. Oak, maple, sycamore, magnolia, holly, tupelo, mountain laurel and azaleas dominate the forest along the river and streams of the floodplain. Carnivorous plants such as parrot pitcher plants, white-top pitcher plants and sundews can also be found. Upland pine forests are mixed with turkey oak, sweetgum, flowering dogwood and persimmon. Open canopy forests combine several types of pine and dense groundcovers that include gallberry, saw palmetto, wild blueberry, wax myrtle and wiregrass. Atlantic white cedars line the river, and one of these was designated a Florida Champion in 1982, the largest of its species.

Wildlife found nearby include white-tailed deer, turkeys and bobcats. River otters are occasionally seen and alligators are seen frequently. A variety of birds, including red-headed and pileated woodpeckers, hawks, crows, warblers and Mississippi kites frequent the river area. Shorebirds such as plovers and sandpipers, as well as many types of heron and egret, can be found along the banks and sandbars.

The river has spawned many oxbow lakes, some of which can be seen from the river.

Two hurricanes in 1995, Erin and Opal, changed the course of the river downstream from Deaton Bridge in Blackwater River State Park. The section of the river between Deaton Bridge and Milton, Florida is no longer navigable by boat.

The navigable section of the river begins at Kennedy Bridge on State Forestry Road 24 (Kennedy Bridge Road) east of Munson, Florida. The next access point is 6 miles downstream at Peaden Bridge on State Forestry Road 50 (Peaden Bridge Road). Five more miles downstream, between Munson and Baker, Florida, is Cotton Bridge on State Road 4. Twelve more miles downstream is Bryant Bridge, on State Forestry Road 21 (Bryant Bridge Road) near Holt, Florida. The final access point, and the end of the Florida Canoe Trail, is eight more miles downstream at Deaton Bridge on State Forestry Road 23 in Blackwater River State Park.

References

↑ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-04-05 at WebCite, accessed April 15, 2011

Marth, Del and Marty Marth, eds. The Rivers of Florida. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press, Inc. ISBN 0-910923-70-1. P. 95.
Florida Park Service & Department of Environmental Protection brochure Blackwater River State Park, 7720 Deaton Bridge Road, Holt, Florida 32564. (850) 983-5363.

External links

Significant waterways of Florida

Larger rivers	Alapaha Apalachicola Aucilla Blackwater Caloosahatchee Chattahoochee Chipola Choctawhatchee Econlockhatchee Escambia Hillsborough Indian River Kissimmee Myakka Ochlockonee Ocklawaha Pea Peace Perdido Santa Fe St. Johns St. Marys Suwannee Withlacoochee (North) Withlacoochee (South) Yellow

Lakes	Apopka Crescent Blue Cypress East Tohopekaliga George Harney Harris Iamonia Istokpoga Jackson Jesup Kissimmee Miccosukee Monroe Okeechobee Poinsett Rodman Rousseau Seminole Talquin Tohopekaliga Tsala Apopka Washington Weir

Smaller rivers	Alafia Alapahoochee Anclote Banana River Braden Carrabelle Chassahowitzka Crooked Crystal Dead East East Bay Eau Gallie Econfina Estero Homosassa Hontoon Dead Ichetucknee Imperial Little (Biscayne Bay) Little (Ochlockonee) Little Econlockhatchee Little Manatee Little Wekiva Loxahatchee Manatee Matanzas Miami Mosquito Lagoon New (Broward) New (Carabelle) New (Santa Fe) Oleta Orange Pithlachascotee Rainbow Ribault Shark Silver Sopchoppy St. Lucie St. Marks St. Sebastian Steinhatchee Tomoka Trout Waccasassa Wacissa Wakulla Weeki Wachee Wekiva

Creeks and streams	Billy Black Blackwater (Hillsborough) Blackwater (Lake) Crane Cross Econfina Fisheating Myakkahatchee Orange Pottsburg Shingle Snapper Turkey

Canals	Canaveral Barge Canal Cross Florida Barge Canal Haulover Canal Hillsboro Canal Miami Canal Mud Lake Canal St. Johns-Indian River Barge Canal Tamiami Canal Tampa Bypass Canal

See also	Coastal waters of Florida Everglades Intracoastal Waterway Indian River Lagoon List of Florida rivers List of major springs in Florida Okeechobee Waterway Okefenokee Swamp Outstanding Florida Waters Paynes Prairie

Coordinates: 30°34′26″N 87°00′04″W / 30.5738055°N 87.0010758°W / 30.5738055; -87.0010758

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