Florida has many water worlds like beaches, lakes, and rivers.
Talking about rivers, St.
Johns River is referred to as the longest river in Florida.
I don’t doubt this record because I am yet to find another longer river in the state.
The river is a remnant of an old Intracoastal lagoon system that moves through estuary marshes, coastal dunes, and barrier islands.
Why does the St.
Johns River
run north?
When the water levels drop, the barrier islands stop water from flowing east to the ocean.
As a result, St.
Johns River
runs north instead of south.
Why Does the St.
Johns River Run North?
St.
Johns River
runs north because it has headwaters measuring 27 feet in elevation from where the river ends.
As a result, it suffers a water level drop that makes it flow north.
Why Does the St. Johns River Run North?
Rivers can only flow in a direction, which is downhill, and it is rare to find any river that can flow north.
This rarity is because the slope of the land has to be toward the south and east.
The dropping of sea levels turns barrier islands into obstacles for water flowing east to the ocean.
All the water collected in the flat valley slowly flew northward to form what we know today as St.
Johns River.
I mentioned that St.
Johns River’s headwaters are just 27 feet higher than its endpoint, which is why it flows north.
Along its course of 310 miles, it drops by approximately an inch in every mile.
This is why it is the slowest river in the world.
Fast Facts About St.
Johns River
Since I have explained why St.
Johns Rivers flows north and is also the longest river in Florida, I have other things I want you to know.
The river is distinctive because it has many unique physical features.
Johns River is among the flattest major rivers in the United States because it has a headwater less than 30m above sea level.
Therefore, the areas often suffer flooding.
The river receives saltwater
from springs like Silver Glen Springs and Blue Springs
.
Johns has dark, black water due to dissolved organic matter from decaying plant materials.
St.
Johns River: The Complete Guide
St.
Johns
River flows
backward at a speed of 0.
3 miles per hour.
The river has crystal-clear waters, blackwater streams, and more than 3,000 lakes.
This is why it is called the liquid chameleon.
Describing the many characteristics of the river may sound like a riddle that requires a solution.
It is easier to explain the angling activity the river offers.
The river started from
Vero Beach
, flew through 12 counties in central Florida, and terminated at the Atlantic ocean.
The quality of the water changes from freshwater to brackish along the way before it gets to the Atlantic.
What does this mean for prospective anglers?
Since both freshwater and saltwater species of aquatic creatures survive in the river, there is something for everyone in the fishing adventure at the river.
The truth is that St.
Johns river does not have all the features a river should have.
Do not mind the typical smooth-flowing and grassy-banked waterways usually flocked by famous landmarks and pedestrians.
The river is another kind of beast in itself.
St.
Johns river is categorized into three basins along its 310 miles.
All the basins have unique angling opportunities.
Basins
The Upper Basin of St.
John river started just west of Vero Beach.
There is fresh water in this basin.
It is the most unpredictable section of the river because of its marshy and swampy waters.
Moving towards Titusville, the end of the Upper Basin, the river gets wider and is good for fishing.
Of the three basins, the middle basin is the shortest.
It is about 37 miles long.
It is easier to navigate than the Upper Basin.
You can also get to Lakes Harney, Monroe, and Jesup from there.
Freshwater and marine creatures are abundant there.
Lastly, the Lower Basin is close to Lake George, stretches north through Jacksonville, and ends at the Atlantic Ocean.
The only basin out of the three contains freshwater and saltwater aquatic creatures.
It has a lot of angling opportunities as well.
Lakes
I had earlier talked about one or two lakes, and I can tell what you are thinking about whether St.
Johns River is a river or a lake.
This looks like an identity crisis, but the truth is that St.
Johns River is both.
Look at it his way, St.
Johns River is the main highway, running from the beginning to the end non-stop.
It is the longest river in Florida, so there is a need to have one or two gas stations along the way where one can stop.
Here the lakes come in.
St.
Johns River is a body of water
with many aquatic creatures, and for obvious reasons, it has maintained its lead as a fishing destination.
You will see all kinds of aquatic life in the river.
The reason the river is so special is that it appeals to all manners of visitors.
I earlier likened St.
Johns river to a highway, but it can better be likened to a vein that runs through
Central Florida
.
The river brought a lot of developments to the communities it passed through and united the people.
It does not matter which water you like, saltwater or freshwater, the St.
Johns River has something good for you.
FAQs
Is St.
Johns River the only river that flows north?
No, there are so many rivers that flow northward.
A good example is the popular River Nile, the longest river in the world.
Others are
Russia’s
Ob, Lena, Yenisey Rivers, and the Red River in the U.
S.
and Canada.
Where does the St John River start and end?
St John River starts from its source at Blue Cypress Lake in Indian River County, the St.
Johns River ends northwards to the Atlantic Ocean on the eastern side of Jacksonville.
Why is the water black in St.
Johns River?
The deep tea color of the St.
Johns River gave it the name the black-water river.
The river is not polluted to have black water, but it comes from the tannic acid leaching from the many dried leaves that fall into the river’s swamps and tributaries.