What is Suwannee River famous for?
OLD FLORIDA PLACES. ON THE SUWANNEE RIVER. The Suwannee River is well known by name because of Stephen Foster’s famous song, “Old Folks at Home”. It is mostly a mystery, however, to the majority of Floridians and tourists who have never visited it.
Can you swim in the Suwannee River?
The Gulf sturgeon is a protected species of fish that is found in the Suwannee River and its tributaries. Swimming in the water with them is not dangerous. However, they do jump out of the water and serious injuries to boaters have occurred.
Are alligators in the Suwannee River?
… you can find gators, birds and nude sunbathers. This gator along the river was as long as my kayak. Special to the Record-Eagle photos/Mike TerrellLimestone cliffs line much of the upper Suwannee River. Turtles enjoy the Florida sunshine.
How deep is the Suwannee River?
Depths in the Suwannee Sound average 6.6 feet, with depths to about 20 feet in the river channels of East and West passes (Figure 2-20). East and West passes divide the flow from the Basin with about 64 percent discharging through West Pass and 36 percent through East Pass.
What is the history of the Suwannee River?
The Suwannee River formed the boundary between the Timucuan on the east and the Apalachee Indians on the west. To the Timucuan of north central Florida, the Suwannee was a river sacred to their Sun God. To them, the Moon of the Suwannee put the colors of the rainbow into the earth.
What kind of fish is in the Suwannee River?
More than 60 species of fish are found in the Suwannee River basin. Minnows, suckers, chain pickerel, longnose gar, Florida gar, bowfin (mudfish), as well as catfish and bullheads are common. Sport fishing is quite popular on rivers and lakes in the District.
How often does the Suwannee River flood?
At Lafayette Blue Springs State Park, the river has approximately a one-in-five chance of flooding in any given year. Three of the natural communities found within the park are often completely inundated with water, regardless of the season.
Is the Suwannee River contaminated?
A point source of pollution that affects the Suwannee River is the Withlacoochee Water Treatment Plant in Valdosta, Georgia. This allowed 15 million to 20 million gallons of untreated wastewater to overflow and pass into the river system, tainting the Suwannee as it flowed downstream.
Why is Suwannee River Black?
Originating at its headwaters in the Okefenokee Swamp in southeastern Georgia, the Suwannee River flows south and southwest to the Gulf of Mexico. The river derives its tannic color from decaying vegetation in the Okefenokee Swamp and maintains a black tint as it flows south.
Are there otters in the Suwannee River?
The historic Suwannee River, featured in the song by Stephen Foster, is home to many native species like whitetail deer, gray fox, otter, eagles, and the endangered salt marsh vole.
What fish live in the Suwannee River?
How far north does the Suwannee River go?
Suwannee River, river, rising in the Okefenokee Swamp, southeastern Georgia, U.S., and meandering generally south-southwestward across northern Florida to enter the Gulf of Mexico at Suwannee Sound after a course of 250 miles (400 km). All but 35 miles (56 km) of the river’s course are in Florida.
Where is the Swanee River located?
The Suwannee River is a federally designated wild river. It is the only major waterway in the southeastern United States that is still unspoiled. The Suwannee flows from the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico in Florida.
Are there rivers in Florida?
Most streams and rivers in Florida start from swamps, while some originate from springs or lakes. Many of the streams and rivers are underground for part of their courses. The Everglades, sometimes called the “river of grass”, is a very wide and shallow river that originates from Lake Okeechobee.
Does the Suwannee River flood?
This style of construction, more commonly found in the coastal, hurricane-prone areas of Florida, is a guard against the heavy flooding that can, and has, occurred here. Heavy rains in South Georgia and North Florida contribute to the Suwannee River basin, sending floodwaters down the river until it empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
What is the Swanee River?
Our teacher / guide — we just called him “Hulme” — found us a spot in a cypress tree forest grove along the Suwannee River. Even though the air was a relatively chilly 60 or 65 degrees, we would have it no way but to go swimming in that river.