The Santa Fe River is a 75 miles (120.7 km) river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 in northern Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. The watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

 of the river is approximately 1380 square miles (3,574.2 km²) and spreads across southern Columbia

Columbia County, Florida

Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 56,513. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 64,040 . Its county seat is Lake City, Florida....

, southern Suwannee

Suwannee County, Florida

Suwannee County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 34,844. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 38,624 . Its county seat is Live Oak, Florida. Suwannee County was a dry county until August, 2011.....

, western Bradford

Bradford County, Florida

Bradford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 26,088. The 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimate for the county was 28,118 . Its county seat is Starke, Florida. Bradford County is the home of the Florida State Prison as well as several other state...

, far southern Baker

Baker County, Florida

Baker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 22,259. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county is 26,164 . Its county seat is Macclenny, Florida. While primarily rural, the county is included in the Jacksonville Metropolitan Area.-...

, Union

Union County, Florida

Union County is a county located in the state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 14,916. The county seat is Lake Butler.- History :...

, northern and eastern Gilchrist

Gilchrist County, Florida

Gilchrist County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 14,437. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 16,402. Gilchrist County has only one traffic light in the entire county and has no road with more than one lane of traffic...

, and northern Alachua

Alachua County, Florida

Alachua County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 227,120. Its county seat is Gainesville, Florida. Alachua County is the home of the University of Florida and is also known for its diverse culture, local music, and artisans...

 counties. The headwaters of the river are Lake Santa Fe

Lake Santa Fe

Lake Santa Fe is a spring-fed lake in northeastern Alachua County, Florida. The lake is located entirely in Alachua County, but is bounded on the east side by Bradford County...

, near Keystone Heights

Keystone Heights, Florida

Keystone Heights is a town located in both Bradford County and Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,349 at the 2000 census, all of it in the Clay County section, although over 40 percent of the city's area lies in Bradford County. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...

. 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

Taxodium distichum

Taxodium distichum is a species of conifer native to the southeastern United States.-Characteristics:...

, leads to a very dark-brown river

Blackwater river

A blackwater river is a river with a deep, slow-moving channel that flows through forested swamps and wetlands. As vegetation decays in the water, tannins are leached out, resulting in transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling tea or coffee. Most major blackwater rivers are in...

.

The Santa Fe River is unusual in that it completely disappears underground and then reappears 3 miles (4.8 km) downstream. The river drops into a large sinkhole in O'Leno State Park

O'Leno State Park

O'Leno State Park is a Florida State Park located on the Santa Fe River six miles north of High Springs on U.S. 441. Many facilities at the park were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.-Geology:...

 and reappears in the adjacent River Rise Preserve State Park

River Rise Preserve State Park

River Rise Preserve State Park is a Florida State Park, located six miles north of High Springs, off U.S. Route 441 within O'Leno State Park. The name derives from it being where the Santa Fe River comes to the surface after having travelled underground for some distance beneath O'Leno State...

. A map of the watershed clearly shows the gap in the river where it flows underground. 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 water temperature near the numerous springs

Spring (hydrosphere)

A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...

 is always around 72 °F (22.2 °C). The area is sparsely populated compared to the rest of Florida and there have been sightings of rare animals such as the black bear

American black bear

The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...

, Florida panther

Florida Panther

The Florida panther is an endangered subspecies of cougar that lives in forests and swamps of southern Florida in the United States. Its current taxonomic status is unresolved, but recent genetic research alone does not alter the legal conservation status...

, bobcat

Bobcat

The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...

, and due to the near-constant water temperatures along many portions of the river, manatee

Manatee

Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows...

s. As with many rivers in Florida, plant and animal fossil remnants are plentiful along the Santa Fe.

The tributaries of the Santa Fe include the New River

New River (Santa Fe River)

New River is a tributary of the Santa Fe River in northern Florida, USA. The river was used as the border to create Union County from Bradford County in 1921....

, Olustee Creek, and Ichetucknee River

Ichetucknee River

The Ichetucknee River is a spring-fed, pristine river in North Central Florida. The entire of the river average wide, deep and most of the 6 miles lie within the boundaries of the Ichetucknee Springs State Park while the rest is to the south of US Highway 27...

, another spring-fed river. The Santa Fe empties into the Suwannee River

Suwannee River

The Suwannee River is a major river of southern Georgia and northern Florida in the United States. It is a wild blackwater river, about long. The Suwannee River is the site of the prehistoric Suwannee Straits which separated peninsular Florida from the panhandle.-Geography:The river rises in the...

 near Branford, Florida

Branford, Florida

Branford is a town in Suwannee County, Florida, United States. The population was 695 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Branford is located at .The town is located on the banks of the Suwannee River. U.S. Route 27 and U.S...

.

The river derives its name from a Franciscan

Franciscan

Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

 mission named Santa Fé de Toloca formerly located near the river.

External links

• The Santa Fe River, saveoursuwannee.org

• Paddling on Santa Fe River, adventureoutpost.net