St. John's River
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| The St. John’s River is the
longest river in Florida, stretching
310 miles. It is one of the few
rivers in the U.S. that flows in a
northward direction and lazily curls
through Florida. The source of the
river, or headwaters, is a large
marshy area in Indian River County.
It flows northward and turns
eastward at Jacksonville where it
empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Its
extremely low velocity, combined
with the generally level elevation
causes the St. Johns to have a great
width for much of its course. The
slow flow of the St. Johns makes it
difficult for pollutants to be
flushed from the waters, which has
become a serious problem for the
river ecosystem. Major pollution
sources include discharges from
wastewater treatment plants and
runoff from urban and agricultural
areas after it rains. This runoff
carries pesticides and other
pollutants into streams that lead to
the river. Pollution is concentrated
around urban areas. Still, the river
is home to numerous species of
plants and animals. It is not
uncommon to see dolphins in the
river east of Jacksonville and
manatees in the springtime when the
water warms up. Alligators, bald
eagles, ospreys, stingrays, and many
species of fish—both salt and fresh
water—are found living in the river
and on its banks. The St. Johns is
known for excellent fishing,
especially largemouth bass. Its
estuarial nature provides both
freshwater and saltwater or
brackish-water species. Saltwater
species include redfish, flounder,
tarpon, and the brackish water sea
trout, known locally as the "gator
trout". Starting at the river's
mouth and moving upstream, major
tributaries of the St. Johns River
include Pablo Creek, the Trout
River, the Arlington River, the
Ortega River, Doctors Lake,
Julington Creek, Black Creek, the
Cross Florida Barge Canal, the
Oklawaha River, the Wekiwa River,
Lake Jessup, and the Econlockhatchee
River. Fort Drum Creek drains into
the St. Johns Marsh, the source of
the river. |
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