27 St. Johns River Facts! Learn About The Longest River In Florida

St. Johns River is a navigable stream in northeastern Florida of the United States and is also the longest river in the state of Florida.

St. Johns River is most important for recreational and commercial purposes, as it is known to border 12 counties of the United States. The St. Johns River is 310 mi (499 km) long, and it flows north. Like most waterways in Florida, this river also has a very low flow rate at just 0.3 mph (0.13 m/s).

Often described as lazy because of its low flow rate, the St. Johns River forms numerous lakes along the way. The widest point of the river is nearly three mi (five km), so you can imagine how wide the river actually is, apart from being the longest.

The narrowest point of the St. Johns River is in the headwaters, which is an unnavigable marsh located in Indian River County.

The drainage basin of St. Johns River has a total area of 8,840 sq mi (22,895 sq km) and has some of the most notable wetlands of Florida.

The St. Johns River is separated into three major basins and two watersheds for Ocklawaha River and Lake George. All of these are managed and cared for by the St. Johns River Water Management District.

Florida was part of the first permanent European settlement. The United States was formed by these very settlers.

However, Florida remained underdeveloped for much of that time and into the 20th century. With the growing population, St. Johns River too had to be altered to provide space for residential and agricultural areas. This created a lot of pollution as well as habitat degradation in the St. Johns River.

The upper basin of the river is the area to the south, the middle basin is the area in Central Florida, and the lower basin is in Northeast Florida.

The St. Johns River was named among one of 14 American Heritage Rivers in the year 1998 and was put under America's 10 Most Endangered Rivers at the rank of six in the year 2008. Florida's population is still increasing today, and there are restoration processes being carried out on the St. Johns River.

Fun Facts About St. Johns River

Florida's longest river is known to be one of the world's laziest rivers.

• The difference in elevation from the headwaters to the river's mouth is less than 30 ft (nine m).
• The river flows to the north and is one of only 33 rivers in the world to do so, along with the Nile.
• The three major tributaries of St. Johns River are the Wekiva River, Econlockhatchee River, and Ocklawaha River. There are also many smaller streams that flow into the river.
• There are two headwaters for the Ocklawaha. The largest is Lake Apopka in Lake County, and the other is the Green Swamp near Haines City. Ocklawaha River is the largest tributary of the St. Johns River.
• The large marshy area where the headwaters (source of the river) are found is at Blue Cypress Lake in Indian River County.
• The river becomes a broad estuary north of Palatka and east of Jacksonville, where it has its deepest channel at about 40 ft (12 m).
• The river moves very slowly, so it is difficult to flush pollutants out. Some major pollution sources are wastewater treatment plant discharges and drainage from urban and agricultural areas when it rains. This runoff from irrigation areas brings pesticides and other harmful chemicals to the streams and into the river.
• At the mouth of the river in Jacksonville, saltwater enters. When there is low water in the area, tides can cause a reverse flow to the south as far as Lake Monroe. It is 161 mi (259.1 km) upstream from the mouth of St. Johns River.

Geographical Facts About St. Johns River

The river flows north just like the Nile. The river begins in the swampy regions of Blue Cypress Lake of western Indian River County.

• As the river flows north, the upper basin is the area towards the south. The upper basin forms the marshy headwaters of the river. The middle basin is the area in East-Central Florida. The middle basin is the place where the river widens and forms Lake Harney, Lake Jesup, Lake Monroe, and Lake George. The lower basin is the area in Northeast Florida. It starts from Putnam County to Duval County, where the river's mouth is found.
• From the source, the river flows north and turns east at Jacksonville to its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean. The width of the river varies from place to place. At the headwaters, you see a broad marsh and the width of the areas between Palatka and Jacksonville is more than two mi (3.21 km). In Central Florida, the river widens to form lakes.
• The St. Johns basin is considered to be an intracoastal lagoon system of ancient times. When the sea levels dropped, it became difficult for the water to flow east of the ocean as barrier islands became an obstacle. The water instead got collected in the flat valley and slowly moved northward for around 300 mi (283 km). This is the St. Johns River.
• Some larger lakes in the upper basin are Lake Hell' n Blazes, Lake Winder, Lake Poinsett, Ruth Lake, Puzzle Lake, Lake Harney, Sawgrass Lake, Lake Washington, Lake Jesup, and Lake Munroe.

St. Johns River Ecosystem

The river has a diverse ecosystem where many mammals and fish species are found.

• You can easily spot large marine animals like dolphins and manatees and thousands of invertebrate animals. Hundreds of fish species are also seen in the river. Different plant species can be found on the shores of the river.
• Around 10,000 alligators are found in the river.
• Many saltwater fish and mammals like sharks, dolphins, and stingrays are seen in the river.

Historical Facts About St. Johns River

The St. Johns River was called Welaka before the presence of European settlers in North America. Welaka means river of lakes in a language of Seminole-Creek origin.

• The St. Johns River was called Rio de Corrientes by Spanish Seamen in the early 1500s. It means a river of currents.
• Around 50 years before the settlers arrived in Jamestown, in 1562, the French established Fort Caroline overlooking a river. They called the river Riviere de Mai as they arrived in the month of May, on May 1.
• In 1565, from St. Augustine, the Spanish marched north and captured Fort Caroline, killing the French. They named the river San Mateo to honor the saint. Afterward, the river was renamed Rio de San Juan. It was named after a mission near the mouth of the river. The English translation of the name given at this time is St. Johns River, which has remained since then.
• In 1763, England acquired Florida, and King George III sent John Bartram to explore Florida as a botanist. His son also came along, and in 1791, William Bartram published his travels in a book. The book talks about his exploration of the river as far south as Lake Harney.
• Then came the 1800s, and steamboats made the river a very popular destination for winter. The 1860s saw steamers make trips from Savannah and Charleston to Jacksonville and Palatka, and many other places where the settlers lived. St. Pauls River, among other rivers of Florida, has always been known for transportation. Steamboats brought a lot of tourism to the state, and the river was an important part of the state in terms of the economy.
• St. Johns River created a natural boundary on the east bank and indigenous lands west in the river to separate European colonies. There was an unincorporated settlement in Volusia County along the east bank. Similarly, Astor is another unincorporated village on the west bank in Lake County. Since the earliest days, Jacksonville has been a major seaport. It is around 25 mi (40 km) south of the Georgia border.