FLORIDA RIVERS: THE ST. JOHNS
Show Your Local River Some Love June is National Rivers Month . To celebrate, I'd like to highlight the river that runs through my home in the Jacksonville, Florida area: The Beautiful St. Johns River Photo by Donna Kaluzniak The St. Johns River rises through the sawgrass marshes in Indian River County and is one of the few rivers that flows north. It's the longest river in Florida, stretching 310 miles before it empties into the Atlantic Ocean in Mayport. The St. Johns is also one of the laziest rivers dropping only 30 feet from the headwaters to the mouth, or about one inch per mile. There's quite a lot of tidal influence at the mouth of the river. As it winds north the river becomes the source of several large lakes, including Lake George, as well as springs and tributaries. The river is home to numerous varieties of plants, birds, and marine life, including manatees, dolphins and river otters. A Vital Natural Resource The St. Johns River plays many importan...