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Withlacoochee River (Florida)

River in Florida, US

Withlacoochee River (Florida)

River in Florida, US

Course of the southern Withlacoochee River
Withlacoochee River, looking east in Hernando County, just north of the Pasco County border

The Withlacoochee River or Crooked River is a river in central Florida, in the United States. It originates in the Green Swamp, east of Polk City, flowing west, then north, then northwest and finally west again before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico near Yankeetown. The river is 141 mi long and has a drainage basin of 1170 sqmi.

Along the route of central Florida's Withlacoochee River is the 46 mi Withlacoochee State Trail, the longest paved rail trail in Florida; the Cypress Lake Preserve, a 324 acre park with approximately 600 ft of frontage; and Nobleton Wayside Park, a 2 acre park in Nobleton that includes a boat ramp, shelter, basketball court, and picnic tables.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District operates a 5,484 acre nature preserve and recreational area with 3.7 mi of frontage on the Withlacoochee River in Citrus County. The property was purchased for $13.5 million in 2005 from the South Florida Council, which had used it as the McGregor Smith Scout Reservation.

The Withlacoochee River flows through Pasco and Hernando counties, and then forms part of the boundary between Hernando County and Sumter County and all of the boundary between Citrus County and Sumter County, between Citrus County and Marion County and between Citrus County and Levy County (including Lake Rousseau). The largest city close to the river is Dade City.

Tsala Apopka Lake is an area composed of a number of lakes, swamps and marshes interspersed with islands located in Citrus County within the bend of the river where it turns from north flowing to west flowing. The area was historically connected to the river by wetlands. Starting in the 1880s, canals were dug connecting the river to various parts of the lake area. The area of Tsala Apopka Lake historically has been known as the "Cove of the Withlacoochee".

History

During the Second Seminole War, Seminole chief Osceola founded a camp of fellow Seminole and escaped slaves called the Cove of the Withlacoochee. On December 31, 1835, the Battle of Withlacoochee was fought at the cove. It was one of the first engagements of the war.

In the 1890s, logs, stumps, and other debris were removed from the river to facilitate the travel of barges carrying phosphate to Port Inglis. Phosphate continued to move along the river this way until WWI, when shipping lanes were closed, and then by the early 1930s, the phosphate deposits were completely depleted.

Etymology

"Withlacoochee" probably stems from a Muskhogean dialect, which suggests that its application is comparatively recent. It is compounded of Creek we (water), thlako (big), and chee (little), or little big water. This word combination signifies little river in the Creek language, and as we-lako or wethlako may also refer to a lake, it may signify a river of lakes, or lake river. An alternate etymology holds that Withlacoochee is a Native American word meaning "crooked river", which accurately describes the river as it makes its 70 mi journey from the Green Swamp in northern Polk County to the Gulf of Mexico at Yankeetown.

List of crossings

CrossingCarriesImageLocationCoordinatesHeadwaters (Green Swamp)Confluence with Little Withlacoochee RiverMouth (Gulf of Mexico)
160210[[File:Florida 33.svg25px]] SR 33[[File:NB FL 33 over the Withlacoochee River.jpg70px]]Lake-Polk County Line.
140018[[Image:Florida 471.svg25px]] SR 471[[File:Northbound FL 471 over Withlacoochee River Bridge.JPG70px]]Sumter-Pasco-Polk County Line.
River Road (The Lanier Bridge)[[File:Lanier Bridge at Withlacoochee River County Park.jpg70px]]Withlacoochee River County Park,
East of Dade City
Former ACL Railroad Bridge
(Orange Belt Railway)Withlacoochee State Forest
Richloam WMA
140031[[Image:Florida 575.svg25px]] SR 575[[File:Withlacoochee River East of FL 575.JPG70px]]Lacoochee
CSX S-Line (Wildwood Subdivision)
080030[[Image:US 301.svg25px]] US 301[[File:US 301 Withlacoochee River bridge03.jpg70px]]
140066[[Image:US 98.svg20px]] US 98[[File:US 98 Bridge over Withlacoochee River (Northbound).JPG70px]]Trilby
14?????? (EB)
14??????? (WB)--[[Image:US 98.svg20px]][[Image:Florida 50.svg20px]] US 98-SR 50
Cortez Boulevard[[File:US 98-FL 50 @ Withlacoochee River.jpg70px]]Ridge Manor
River Junction State Park
080026 (NB)
080025 (SB)[[Image:I-75.svg20px]] Interstate 75Silver Lake
184019[[Image:Hernando County Road 476 FL.svg22px]][[Image:Sumter County Road 476 FL.svg22px]] CR 476[[File:Hernando-Sumter CR 476 Bridge; Looking North.JPG70px]]Nobleton
184006[[Image:Citrus County Road 48 FL.svg22px]][[Image:Sumter County Road 48 FL.svg22px]] CR 48[[File:Citrus-Sumter CR 48 Bridge; Looking East(Wynn Haven).JPG70px]]Bay Hill
020004 (EB)
020003 (WB)[[Image:Florida 44.svg20px]] SR 44
Gulf-Atlantic Highway[[File:FL 44 Withlacoochee River Bridge; Looking SE-2.JPG70px]]Rutland
020008[[Image:Florida 200.svg25px]] SR 200[[File:NB Florida SR 200 Bridge; Withlacoochee River.JPG70px]]Stoke's Ferry
Former San Jose Boulevard BridgeDunnellon-Citrus Springs
Dunnellon Trail Bridge
Abandoned Seaboard Air Line Railroad line[[File:Crossing the Withlacoochie River in Dunnellon - panoramio.jpg70px]]Dunnellon-Citrus Springs
CSX Citrus Springs-Dunnellon Bridge[[File:US 41 Withlacoochee River Bridge; View of CSX Bridge.JPG70px]]Citrus Springs-Dunnellon
Brittan Alexander Bridge
020026[[Image:US 41.svg20px]] US 41
Main Street[[File:NB US 41 Bridge; Boating and Canoeing signs.JPG70px]]Citrus Springs-Dunnellon
020920 (NB)
020005 (SB)[[Image:US 19.svg20px]][[Image:US 98.svg20px]] US 19 98[[File:NB US 19-98 at Withlacoochee River-Outstanding Waterway.jpg70px]]Red Level-Inglis

References

References

  1. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map], accessed April 18, 2011
  2. [http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide/regions/crossflorida/trails/with_state.htm Withlacoochee State Trail (Florida Greenways and Trails)]
  3. "Hernando Parks".
  4. (August 28, 2005). "Scouts sell land to water district". [[Tampa Bay Times]].
  5. "Minimum and Guidance Levels for Tsala Apopka Lake in Citrus County, Florida". Southwest Florida Water Management District.
  6. Weisman, Brent. (March–June 1986). "The Cove of the Withlacoochee: a First Look at the Archaeology of an Interior Florida Wetland". The Florida Anthropologist.
  7. (2006). "Tatham Mound and the bioarchaeology of European contact: disease and depopulation in central Gulf Coast Florida". University Press of Florida.
  8. "Battle of the Withlacoochee". University of Central Florida.
  9. "From Devastation to Reforestation: The Story of the Withlacoochee State Forest". Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
  10. Simpson, J. Clarence. (1956). "Florida Place-Names of Indian Derivation". Florida Geological Survey.
  11. "Withlacoochee State Forest / State Forests / Our Forests / Florida Forest Service / Divisions & Offices / Home - Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services".
  12. "The Lanier Bridge near Dade City, Pasco County, Florida".
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