St. Johns River
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Map of St. Johns River in 1876 |
The
St. Johns River (commonly misspelled as the
St. John's River) is the longest
river in the
U.S. state of
Florida, stretching 310 miles (500 km) from
Indian River County to the
Atlantic Ocean in
Duval County. The St. Johns river is one of many rivers that flow North (see [
1]), and it is the longest river in the United States that flows north. The elevation change from headwaters to mouth is only about 30 feet, making the St. Johns one of the world's "laziest" rivers. This slow flow makes it difficult for pollutants to be flushed from the waters, which has become a serious problem for the river
ecosystem. Despite the pollution the river is home to numerous species. It is not uncommon to see
dolphins in the river north of
Jacksonville,
manatees in the springtime when the water warms up,
alligators,
bald eagles,
ospreys,
stingrays, and many species of fish, both salt and fresh water.
The upper (southern) basin of the river has indistinct banks, with numerous
sloughs and
lagoons, often pooling into ponds and lakes. Some of the larger lakes are known today as
Lake Hell 'n' Blazes,
Sawgrass Lake,
Lake Washington,
Lake Winder,
Lake Poinsett,
Ruth Lake,
Puzzle Lake,
Lake Harney,
Lake Jesup and
Lake Monroe.
Below Lake Harney, the river is joined by the
Econlockhatchee River, and runs between higher bluffs on either side, forming the middle basin. This part of the river runs through what is now the
Ocala National Forest. After the English acquisition of Florida from Spain in
1762, English explorer
William Bartram was sent by
King George III to explore the territory. In his subsequent book
Travels, Bartram called the middle basin a "...blessed land where the gods have amassed into one heap all the flowering plants, birds, fish and other wildlife of two continents in order to turn the rushing streams, the silent lake shores and the awe-abiding woodlands of this mysterious land into a true garden of Eden." Here the river forms the broad and shallow
Lake George, where marine sharks have been seen in drought years where the normally rain-fed freshwaters of the river cannot fight back the inflowing Atlantic salt water.
The lower (northern) basin begins where the largest
tributary of the St. Johns, the
Ocklawaha River, joins the flow. (Both rivers are part of the modern
Caravelle Ranch Wildlife Management Area.) It passes through the historic city of
Palatka, Florida, then through unspoiled riverine bottomland hardwoods, pine flatwoods and sandhill communities, on its way to Jacksonville.
Past
Green Cove Springs, the river becomes an
estuary, where fresh and salt water meet, and a wide diversity of living species inhabit the islands, inlets, sounds, streams and marshes of the area.
More than 100,000 years ago, the area of land that now comprises the river was connected to the Atlantic Ocean for most, if not all, of its length, making the river nothing more than an extended system of lagoons and tributaries. As the ocean levels dropped, barrier islands and reef formations effectively walled off the system of lagoons from the ocean, forming the river. This unusual geologic past explains why a river of this size arose with such little drop in elevation from source to mouth (30 feet over 310 miles).
The river basin was the home to the native
Timucua tribes, who called it
Welaka, or "river of lakes".
In the early
1500s, Spanish explorers called the river
RÃo de Corrientes, or "river of currents".
An expedition of French
Huguenots landed at the mouth of the river on May 1, 1562, and thus called it
Rivière du Mai, or "river of May". In
1564, a bluff overlooking this site (
St. Johns Bluff) became the location of
Fort Caroline, the first
French colony in North America. This fort was captured by the Spanish from
St. Augustine a little over a year after it was founded.
The conquering Spanish renamed the river (and the fort)
San Mateo, after
Saint Matthew, whose feast day fell the day after their victory over the French.
A
Catholic mission named
San Juan del Puerto was founded on
Fort St. George Island near the river's mouth around 1578, and in time the river came to be known as
RÃo de San Juan. This was translated St. Johns River in English, and this name has remained intact through colonization, war, and the creation of the United States.
As the St. Johns River flows through the city of
Jacksonville, Florida it is spanned by seven bridges (see below). The Jacksonville Port Authority (often abbreviated JAXPORT) facilities at the mouth of the St. Johns river make up Florida's second largest
port. In fiscal year
2003, JAXPORT handled over 1,500 ships, delivering almost 700,000 containers and over 500,000 cars. Some of the major local commodities include
gypsum and
oil.
The
U.S. Navy maintains the
Naval Air Station Jacksonville and
Naval Station Mayport near the river's mouth.It was designated as one of the
American Heritage Rivers in 1997.
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Map of Downtown Jacksonville bridges across the St. Johns |
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, red drum, flouder, tarpon, and the brackish water
sea trout ,known locally as the "gator trout". A recent report states that saltwater species have been venturing farther up the river (southwards) in recent years.
Some of the best known fishing occurs in Januaryâ€"March, when the
American shad run up the river, and it becomes full of trolling boats. The shad, like the salmon, are
anadromous and live most of their life at sea. They are caught primarily for the eggs,
shad roe, for the flesh is below average and full of small bones.
Update: Shands Bridge has been rebuilt and completed (SR16)
*
List of Florida rivers*
St. John River, in
Maine and
New Brunswick*
Tour and History of the St. Johns River*
Bartram Seeks News of the Creeks and Seminoles. Bartram Wakes to the Call of the Wild Turkey. Bartram on the Live Oak and Florida Forest. William Bartram explores the St. John's River, just south of St. Augustine, Florida, in April of 1774.
*
Article from Florida Sportsman Account of redfish increasing in the St. Johns while black bass decrease.
