What is special about the Suwannee 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. It winds for almost 266 miles through swamps, high limestone banks, hammocks of hardwood, and salt marshes.
How deep is the Suwannee River in Florida?
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.
Is the Suwannee River freshwater or saltwater?
freshwater
Story by Laura Rocchio, NASA Landsat Science Outreach. A satellite image offers inky evidence of the organic-rich freshwater that the Suwannee River delivers to the Gulf of Mexico.
Do alligators live in the Suwannee River?
… you can find gators, birds and nude sunbathers. This gator along the river was as long as my kayak.
Can you swim in the Suwannee River?
There are three designated swimming areas on District lands — Falmouth Springs and Suwannee Springs, located in Suwannee County, and the beach at Atsena Otie in Levy County.
Why is the Suwannee River so 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.
What big fish are in the Suwannee River?
Gulf sturgeon are present in the Suwannee River as well as most other rivers in Northwest Florida, including the Apalachicola, Choctawhatchee, Yellow, Blackwater, Escambia, Pearl and Pascagoula. The sturgeon’s roots go back 200 million years.
Can you swim in Suwannee River?
Are there dolphins in the Suwannee River?
Largely undisturbed by development and protected by the Lower Suwannee Wildlife Refuge the area is home to over 250 species of bird. Enjoy a wildlife cruise in hopes of seeing alligators, sturgeon, tarpon, and bottlenose dolphin, at the mouth of the river.
Is the Suwannee River clean?
Of all major American rivers it is the least polluted and least obstructed. On other rivers, “flood control” projects such as dams and levees promote property damage by encouraging floodplain development, then failing. On the Suwannee there’s only one kind of flood control, the only kind that ever worked — wetlands.
What fish live in the Suwannee River?
Anglers enjoy catching sunfish (also called panfish or bream) such as bluegill, redear sunfish (shellcracker), spotted sunfish (stumpknocker), warmouth, black crappie (speckled perch), as well as largemouth bass and Suwannee bass.
Do sturgeons jump out of the water?
As part of their natural behavior in summer holding areas, sturgeon frequently jump straight out of the water, turning sideways and landing with a loud noise. Much like deer hit by cars, jumping sturgeon are sometimes struck by boats.
What animals live in the Suwannee River?
Deer, bobcats, raccoons, and other animals come to the water’s edge to drink and to search for food. While canoeing, you may observe beavers and their dams, or be followed by a curious river otter. In the lower Suwannee River and other coastal rivers, you may also see an endangered West Indian manatee.
Why is the Suwannee River water black?
What kind of fish are in Suwannee River?
Why is the Suwannee River Black?
Is the Suwannee River contaminated?
HEALTH OFFICIALS IN HAMILTON, MADISON, SUWANNEE COUNTIES ADVISE OF WASTEWATER CONTAMINATION IN THE WITHLACOOCHEE AND PART OF SUWANNEE RIVERS | Florida Department of Health in Madison. It’s a New Day in Public Health.
Do sturgeon bite humans?
Unlike sharks – who are natural predators and attack their prey, sturgeon aren’t aggressive. Strikes are simply accidental collisions. But sturgeon can grow to 11 feet and weigh over 1,000 pounds, so a strike is like being hit by a truck.
Do people eat sturgeon?
Sturgeon has a refined flavor and consistency. That charm is why eating it raw is the best way to eat it. You can enjoy the charm of the fish meat by eating it as sashimi, sushi and marinading it. Even when boiled, you can enjoy the tender texture of sturgeon.
What kind of fish live in the Suwannee River?
What kind of fish is in the Suwannee River?
Why is the Suwannee River Water black?
What does the word Suwannee mean?
The Timucuan Indian word Suwani means Echo River. Some think that is the origin of the Suwannee River’s name. Others say Suwannee means River of Reeds, Deep Water, or Crooked Black Water. Tannic acid from decaying palmetto roots and vegetation causes the blackness of the water.
Is a sturgeon a dinosaur?
Sturgeon are living dinosaurs. Fisheries biologists have discovered that sturgeon existed as long as 200 million years ago. The scientific name for white sturgeon is Acipenser transmontanus, which means “fish on the other side of the mountains.” Both white and green sturgeon are native to the Columbia River.
Can Flying Fish hurt you?
Fishermen report it’s like being hit with a machine gun! Don’t worry though, although people have been injured by ‘flying fish’ that’s usually large fish leaping on the end of a line. Interestingly, the ‘Exocet’ missile is named after the Exocoetidae group because they launch underwater and skim the surface.