The Little River is a minor river in the Florida Big Bend. A tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Ochlockonee River

Ochlockonee River

The Ochlockonee River is a fast running river originating in Georgia and flowing for before terminating in Florida.- Background :The Ochlockonee originates south of the town of Sylvester in Worth County in southwest Georgia emptying into Ochlockonee Bay, then into Apalachee Bay, in Florida...

, it is approximately 14 miles (22.5 km) in length and is located entirely within Gadsden County

Gadsden County, Florida

Gadsden County is a county located in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2000 census, the population was 45,087. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 46,428 . Its county seat is Quincy, Florida. Gadsden County is the only predominantly African-American...

.

Forming at the confluence of Attapulgus Creek and Willacoochee Creek which drain part of southwestern Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, the river flows south through Gadsden County east of Quincy

Quincy, Florida

Quincy is a city in Gadsden County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,982 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,975...

, draining part of the Red Hills

Red Hills

The Red Hills is the name of a physiographic region located mostly in Clark, Comanche and Barber counties in southern and central Kansas. This undulating terrain of red-tinted sediments, a product of the underlying geology, does not fit the conventional description of the Great Plains landscape of...

 before entering Lake Talquin State Park before reaching its terminus, flowing into Lake Talquin

Lake Talquin

Lake Talquin is a reservoir located on the Ochlockonee River between Leon County and Gadsden County in north Florida. The lake, located about 10 miles west of Tallahassee, is south of Interstate 10 and bordered by State Road 20 on the east and State Road 267 on the west.The lake was created by the...

, a reservoir

Reservoir

A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...

 on the Ochlockonee River

Ochlockonee River

The Ochlockonee River is a fast running river originating in Georgia and flowing for before terminating in Florida.- Background :The Ochlockonee originates south of the town of Sylvester in Worth County in southwest Georgia emptying into Ochlockonee Bay, then into Apalachee Bay, in Florida...

.

The river flows through Little River Conservation Area, a 2119 acres (857.5 ha) tract purchased by the State of Florida using Florida Forever funds for the protection of wildlife habitat and floodplain

Floodplain

A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...

 forest along the middle river.

Recreation and Wildlife

The Little River, although not a designated canoe trail, is often used by canoeists, especially on the lower river. The forests surrounding the river are also popular for hunting, while bream and pickerel

American pickerel

The American pickerels are two subspecies of Esox americanus, a species of freshwater fish in the pike family of order Esociformes: the redfin pickerel, E. americanus americanus Gmelin, 1789, and the grass pickerel, E. americanus vermiculatus Lesueur, 1846.Both subspecies are native to North America...

 provide fishing opportunities.

Birch

Birch

Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...

, pine

Pine

Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...

, red cedar

Juniperus virginiana

Juniperus virginiana is a species of juniper native to eastern North America, from southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, east of the Great Plains...

 and willows can be found lining the riverbanks, while damselflies, snapping turtles and other wildlife are also present.

1969 Flood

A tropical disturbance that moved inland from the Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...

 on 20 September 1969 produced heavy rainfalls, exceeding 20 inches (508 mm), over part of Gadsden County between the 20th and 23rd of that month, including 10.87 inches (276.1 mm) at Quincy during six hours on 21 September. On the Little River near Quincy, peak discharge on 22 September was 45600 cuft/s. Between 6 a.m. 21 September and 6 a.m 22 September, the river level rose 21 feet (6.4 m), with the river's discharge exceeding that of a 50 year flood

100-year flood

A one-hundred-year flood is calculated to be the level of flood water expected to be equaled or exceeded every 100 years on average. The 100-year flood is more accurately referred to as the 1% annual exceedance probability flood, since it is a flood that has a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded...

 by a factor of 2.99, while at the US 90 bridge the westbound lanes were submerged under six inches (152 mm) of water.

List of crossings

Crossing	Carries	Image	Location	Coordinates
Headwaters				30°36′48"N 84°29′09"W
500089	SR 12 Havana Highway		Littman	30°35′15"N 84°29′47"W
500018 500063	US 90 Blue Star Highway		Quincy Quincy, Florida Quincy is a city in Gadsden County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,982 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,975...	30°33′13"N 84°30′52"W
500097 500098	Interstate 10 Interstate 10 Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...			30°31′44"N 84°31′00"W
rail bridge	CSX Transportation CSX Transportation CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...			30°31′38"N 84°31′02"W
500045	CR 268 High Bridge Road			30°30′44"N 84°31′24"W
Mouth at Ochlockonee River Ochlockonee River The Ochlockonee River is a fast running river originating in Georgia and flowing for before terminating in Florida.- Background :The Ochlockonee originates south of the town of Sylvester in Worth County in southwest Georgia emptying into Ochlockonee Bay, then into Apalachee Bay, in Florida...				30°27′11"N 84°32′18"W