The Oklawaha River System

Abstract

The Oklawaha River basin (Figure 6.1), about 7433 km2 in area, is located in Alachua, Lake, Marion, Putnam, and Orange Counties (U.S.D.A. Forest Service, 1973). The Oklawaha is located almost entirely in Marion County, with its headwaters in the Oldawaha Lake chain in Lake County (Lake Apopka, Lake Harris, Lake Eustis, Lake Dora, Lake Yale, Lake Griffin). The river flows northward approximately 113 km (70 mi) to its confluence with the St. Johns River near Welaka. Major tributaries of the Oklawaha River include the Silver River and Orange Creek. Low gradients and poorly drained swamps are common in the basin, and there is little exact geographic delineation of the Oklawaha drainage area to the extent that subsurface drainage becomes an important factor in such definition (U.S.D.A. Forest Service, 1973). The Oklawaha River valley thus is defined by a series of lakes, ponds, swamps, and springs that ultimately contribute to the Oldawaha River system as it flows into the St. Johns River.