Uncover the 15 Largest Rivers in Florida

Florida is the furthest southeastern state in america of America. The Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean border the Florida peninsula. The state of Florida has about 25,949 miles of rivers, but simply 49.2 miles of rivers are designated as wild and scenic (about .2% of the state’s whole). Which rivers are the 15 largest rivers in Florida? What are these rivers like? What sorts of wildlife dwell in these distinctive our bodies of water? Let’s check out the 15 largest rivers in Florida.

Rivers in Florida

A river is a physique of water that strikes and flows into a bigger physique of water like a lake, sea, or ocean. Rivers act just like the veins in our physique, transferring water and vitamins by ecosystems. Due to this, there may be usually an abundance of spectacular wildlife and wonderful surroundings in and round rivers.

As we have a look at the most important rivers in Florida, we’re measuring their measurement based mostly on size relatively than measuring their depth or discharge quantities. So, let’s have a look at a few of these unimaginable rivers and ecosystems.

15. Aucilla River – 89 miles

Aucilla River
Size	89 Miles
Ending Level	Gulf of Mexico

The Aucilla River is 89 miles lengthy, starting in Brooks County, Georgia. It flows by the Large Bend area of Florida till it empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The Aucilla River is each wild and picturesque, with massive tree canopies overlaying banks of limestone.

There are a number of underground drainage techniques, sinkholes, and caves beneath the Aucilla River. Due to this, the river usually disappears underground in locations, flowing beneath the bottom earlier than returning to the floor once more.

14. Chipola River – 92.5 miles

Chipola River
Size	92.5 Miles
Ending Level	Apalachicola River

The Chipola River is 92.5 miles lengthy, flowing by northwest Florida. It’s fed by sixty-three freshwater springs. The Chipola River flows by the Lifeless Lakes State Recreation Space. Flooding as soon as killed hundreds of bushes within the floodplain areas of the Chipola River. As we speak, useless stumps of the destroyed cypress bushes stand guard, giving it an otherworldly look because the clear water of the Chipola River flows previous.

13. Peace River – 106 miles

Peace River
Size	106 Miles
Ending Level	Slave River

The Peace River is 106 miles lengthy. It begins northeast of Bartow, Florida, and flows south to Punta Gorda at Charlotte Harbor on the Gulf of Mexico. As its title suggests, the Peace River has a mild circulation which makes paddling and canoeing simple.

This river is a superb place for fossil looking. The gradual, mild circulation of the river helps to maintain the fossils effectively preserved. Fossils from the Pleistocene and Miocene eras, in addition to more moderen instances, are frequent within the space, like shark tooth, mammoths, bison, alligators, and mastodons.

12.      Indian River – 121 miles

Indian River
Size	121 Miles
Ending Level	St. Lucie Inlet

The Indian River is just not a standard river by definition. Nevertheless, it’s definitely an vital waterway within the state of Florida. The Indian River is a 121-mile brackish lagoon the place saltwater from the ocean and freshwater streams combine collectively. It is likely one of the most biologically various estuaries in North America.

The Indian River is full of mangrove wetlands and salt marshes. It supplies the proper habitat for quite a lot of wildlife. The lagoon is residence to 2,200 completely different animal species, together with 685 species of fish and 270 species of birds. Loggerhead sea turtles, inexperienced sea turtles, and leatherback sea turtles dwell alongside the banks of the Indian River. Manatees swim inside its clear waters.

11. St. Marys River – 126 miles

St. Marys River
Size	126 Miles
Ending Level	Atlantic Ocean

St. Marys River is 126 miles lengthy and kinds the easternmost border between Georgia and Florida. It begins within the Okefenokee Swamp and ends within the Atlantic Ocean. St. Marys River is a distant blackwater stream with an in depth marsh system.

The St. Marys River Basin is residence to an abundance of wildlife. There are various animals right here, like alligators, deer, beavers, otters, turkey and ribbon snakes, and gopher tortoises. Across the center part of the river there are additionally bobcats, red-cockaded woodpeckers, panthers, and bears.

10. Kissimmee River – 134 miles

Kissimmee River
Size	134 Miles
Ending Level	Lake Okeechobee

The Kissimmee River is 134 miles lengthy and kinds a part of the Everglades wetlands space in Florida. The river originates in East Lake Tohopekaliga in south-central Florida, then flows south by Lake Kissimmee and into Lake Okeechobee. The river was channelized resulting from flooding, however this made air pollution worse and diminished the wetland habitat.

Within the Nineties, restoration efforts started and are persevering with right now. The restoration of the Kissimmee River is the most important true ecosystem restoration challenge on the earth. It has confirmed very profitable. Most of the as soon as misplaced wildlife have now returned to the river.

9. Withlacoochee River – 141 miles

Withlacoochee River
Size	141 Miles
Ending Level	Gulf of Mexico

The Withlacoochee River begins within the Inexperienced Swamp, east of Polk Metropolis in Florida. It then flows for 141 miles, twisting and turning till it empties into the Gulf of Mexico close to Yankeetown, Florida. The is an abundance of wildlife surrounding the Withlacoochee River, together with alligators, kingfishers, ospreys, eagles, hawks, and turtles. Alongside the river is the 46-mile Withlacoochee State Path, the longest paved state path within the state of Florida.

8.      Choctawhatchee River – 141 miles

Choctawhatchee River
Size	141 Miles
Ending Level	Choctawhatchee Bay

The Choctawhatchee River is 141 miles lengthy, beginning in southeastern Alabama. It flows by the Panhandle of Florida till it empties into Choctawhatchee Bay. There may be much less industrial exercise on this space. Because of this, the Choctawhatchee River is way cleaner than many different rivers in Florida.

A wealthy assortment of wildlife lives within the Choctawhatchee River. Animals like sunfish, noticed bass, carp suckers, redhorse suckers, channel catfish, and gulf sturgeon dwell in its waters. There are additionally 21 aquatic snails and mussel species discovered right here. In reality, one in every of these aquatic species of snail is barely discovered within the Choctawhatchee River. Two of those mussel species are additionally solely discovered within the Choctawhatchee River.

7.      Pea River – 154 miles

Pea River
Size	154 Miles
Ending Level	Choctawhatchee River

The Pea River will get its title because of the “pea inexperienced” colour of its water. The Muscogee title for the Pea River is Talakhatchee, that means “pea inexperienced stream.” The Pea River begins close to the city of Halfway in Bullock County, Alabama. After flowing south, it dips into Florida for a bit, then joins the Choctawhatchee River again in Alabama.

6.      Alapaha River – 202 miles

Alapaha River
Size	202 Miles
Ending Level	Suwannee River

The Alapaha River is 202 miles lengthy, flowing from southern Georgia into northern Florida. Alongside its journey, parts of the Alapaha River disappear! It’s because the Alapaha River is an intermittent river. Which means when the water circulation is low, sections of the river disappear underground and turn into a subterranean river. At instances there might be as much as 11 miles of the dry financial institution above floor whereas the water of the Alapaha River continues to circulation beneath floor.

5.      Ochlockonee River – 206 miles

Ochlockonee River
Size	206 Miles
Ending Level	Gulf of Mexico

The Ochlockonee River is a fast-running river that begins in Georgia. It flows for 206 miles till it ends in Florida. The Ochlockonee River is exclusive as a result of it’s influenced by tides. It’s also a mixture of freshwater, brackish water, and saltwater.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee designated the Ochlockonee River as a strategic habitat conservation space. This implies there are lots of uncommon and threatened species within the Ochlockonee River, together with the Apalachicola dusky salamander, least tern, and red-cockaded woodpecker. There are various uncommon freshwater mussels within the Ochlockonee River. Three of those freshwater mussels are endangered: the oval pigtoe, the shinyrayed pocketbook, and Ohlockonee moccasinshell.

4.      Suwannee River – 246 miles

Suwannee River
Size	246 Miles
Ending Level	Gulf of Mexico

The Suwannee River is 246 miles lengthy, starting in southern Georgia and flowing into Florida. It’s a wild blackwater river. Guests come right here to look at wildlife, canoe, fish, hunt, and even see the remnants of a historic 19^th century steamship.

3.      Escambia River / Conecuh River – 258 miles

Escambia River
Size	258 Miles
Ending Level	Escambia Bay

The Escambia River generally is a bit complicated. This Florida River goes by two completely different names. In Alabama, it is called the Conecuh River, however in Florida, it’s referred to as the Escambia River. The complete Escambia River is 258 miles lengthy, starting close to Union Springs, Alabama. It then flows southwest into Florida after which into Escambia Bay. The Escambia River is residence to 85 native freshwater species of fish. There are extra completely different sorts of freshwater fish within the Escambia River than in another Florida river.

2.      St. Johns River – 310 miles

St. Johns River
Size	310 Miles
Ending Level	Atlantic Ocean

The St. Johns River is the most important river in Florida that stays inside the borders of Florida. St. Johns River can be crucial river in Florida for business and leisure use. It begins in Florida’s Brevard County and flows for 310 miles. Ultimately, it meets up with the Atlantic Ocean in Duval County. St. Johns River is a blackwater stream and is usually described as a “lazy river” due to its very low circulation charge.

1.      Apalachicola River / Chattahoochee River – 430 miles

Apalachicola River/Chattahoochee River
Size	410 Miles
Ending Level	Flint River/Apalachicola Bay

The Apalachicola River goes by two completely different names. It’s because sections of the river had been every given a special title by completely different colonial settlers. The portion of river within the state of Georgia is known as the Chattahoochee River. The portion in Florida is known as the Apalachicola River.

The Apalachicola River is the most important river in Florida and begins within the southern Blue Ridge Mountains. It flows by Georgia and merges with the Flint River in Florida. As soon as the river reaches the town of Chattahoochee, its title adjustments to the Apalachicola River. The river continues its course by Florida till it reaches the town of Apalachicola and flows into Apalachicola Bay.

The Apalachicola is residence to the endangered Florida Torreya (also referred to as “stinking cedar” or “gopher wooden”). The Florida Torreya is a tree that grows solely on this area.