Santa Fe River

The Santa Fe River is a 75 mile (121 km) river in northern Florida. The watershed of the river is approximately 1,380 square miles (3575 km²) and spreads across southern Columbia, southern Suwanee, western Bradford, far southern Baker,Union, northern and eastern Gilchrist, and northern Alachua counties. [ [http://geology.com/state-map/florida.shtml Florida State Map Collection] . Geology.com] The headwaters of the river are Lake Santa Fe, near Keystone Heights, Florida. [ [http://www.dep.state.fl.us/lands/acquisition/FloridaForever/FFAnnual2004/Project%20Descriptions/Lake%20Santa%20Fe.pdf Lake Santa Fe] . Florida Department of Environmental Protection.] The Santa Fe river is usually a slow-flowing river. This slow speed, combined with the abundant leaf-drop from nearby trees, especially Bald Cypress, leads to a very dark-brown river.

The Santa Fe River is unusual in that it completely disappears underground and then reappears 3 miles (5 km) downstream. The river drops into a large sinkhole in O'Leno State Park and reappears in the adjacent River Rise Preserve State Park. A map of the watershed clearly shows the gap in the river where it flows underground. [ [http://www.epa.gov/owow/showcase/suwaneeriver/figure6.html Figure 6 - Map of Santa Fe River Suwannee River Watershed] . United States Environmental Protection Agency.] Numerous springs, many of which are unnamed, are located at the banks of the river, mostly downstream of the river's reappearance above ground level. The mostly slow-moving nature of the water makes the river suitable for beginner-level canoeists and kayakers. The water temperature near the numerous springs is always around 72 °F (22 °C). [http://grove.ufl.edu/~canoe/content/index.php3?body=trips Canoe Trips] . UF Canoe & Rafting Club.] The area is sparsely populated compared to the rest of Florida and there have been sightings of rare animals such as the black bear, Florida panther, bobcat, and due to the near-constant water temperatures along many portions of the river, manatees. [ [http://www.gilchristcounty.com/thingstodo.htm Gilchrist County, The natural place to live] ] As with many rivers in Florida, fossil remnants are also plentiful along the Santa Fe. [ [http://www.fossiliferous.co.uk/mammals.htm Fossiliferous] . E.R.Matheau-Raven.] [ [http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/vertpaleo/resources/plant.htm COLLECTING FOSSIL PLANTS IN FLORIDA] . Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida.] [ [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4067/is_200404/ai_n9400768/pg_17 Diets, habitat preferences, and niche differentiation of Cenozoic sirenians from Florida: evidence from stable isotopes] MacFadden, Bruce J; Higgins, Pennilyn; Clementz, Mark T; Jones, Douglas S. "Paleobiology", Spring 2004.]

The tributaries of the Santa Fe include the New River, Olustee Creek, and Ichetucknee River, another spring-fed river. The Santa Fe empties into the Suwanee River near Branford, Florida. [ [http://www.epa.gov/owow/showcase/suwaneeriver/location.html Suwannee River Watershed] . National Showcase Watersheds, United States Environmental Protection Agency.]

The river derives its name from a Franciscan mission named Santa Fé de Toloca formerly located near the river. [cite book|last=Simpson|first=J. Clarence|editor=Mark F. Boyd|title=Florida Place-Names of Indian Derivation|publisher=Florida Geological Survey|year=1956|location=Tallahassee, Florida]

References

External links

* [http://www.saveoursuwannee.org/SantaFe.pdf The Santa Fe River] , saveoursuwannee.org