St. Marks River
Encyclopedia
The St. Marks River is a river in the Big Bend
region of Florida. It has been classified by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection
as an Outstanding Florida Water, and is the easternmost river within the Northwest Florida Water Management District
.
The St. Marks River begins in eastern Leon County
, Florida
and flows 36 miles (57.9 km) through Leon
and Wakulla
counties into Apalachee Bay
, an arm of the Gulf of Mexico
. It has a drainage basin
of 1150 square miles (2,978.5 km²) in size. It has one significant tributary
, the Wakulla River
.
A few miles south of its source the St. Marks passes under a natural bridge
at Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park and then disappears underground to become a subterranean river
for about one-half mile. The river emerges at the St. Marks River Rise, a first magnitude spring with a discharge of 433cf/s, to pass over a stretch of rocks, forming rapid
s.
The incorporated town of St. Marks
is located at the juncture of the Wakulla and St. Marks Rivers. To the north is the community of Newport. Between St. Marks and Newport is a small industrial area serviced by barge
.
The San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park
and St. Marks lighthouse
are located near the mouth of the river, while the City of Tallahassee's Sam O. Purdom Generating Plant is located on the river in St. Marks.
Big Bend (Florida)
The Big Bend of Florida, U.S.A., is an informal region of the state with no official surveyed boundary. It includes part of the counties of the Florida Panhandle. Geologists prefer to characterize Florida’s Big Bend as the drowned karst section of the coast that occurs between the mouth of the...
region of Florida. It has been classified by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the Florida government agency charged with environmental protection.-History:...
as an Outstanding Florida Water, and is the easternmost river within the Northwest Florida Water Management District
Northwest Florida Water Management District
The Northwest Florida Water Management District stretches from the St. Marks River Basin in Jefferson County to the Perdido River in Escambia County. The District is one of five water management districts in Florida created by the Water Resources Act of 1972...
.
The St. Marks River begins in eastern Leon County
Leon County, Florida
Leon County is a county located in the state of Florida, named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. At the 2010 Census, the population was 275,487. The county seat of Leon County is Tallahassee which also serves as the state capital. The county seat is home to two of Florida's major...
, 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...
and flows 36 miles (57.9 km) through Leon
Leon County, Florida
Leon County is a county located in the state of Florida, named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. At the 2010 Census, the population was 275,487. The county seat of Leon County is Tallahassee which also serves as the state capital. The county seat is home to two of Florida's major...
and Wakulla
Wakulla County, Florida
Wakulla County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 22,863. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 28,212 people...
counties into Apalachee Bay
Apalachee Bay
Apalachee Bay is a bay in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico occupying an indentation of the Florida coast to the west of where the Florida peninsula joins the United States mainland. It is bordered by Taylor, Jefferson, Wakulla and Franklin counties. The Aucilla, Econfina, St. Marks and Ochlocknee...
, an arm of 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...
. It has a drainage basin
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 1150 square miles (2,978.5 km²) in size. It has one significant 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...
, the Wakulla River
Wakulla River
The Wakulla River is an river in Wakulla County, Florida. It carries the outflow from Wakulla Springs, site of the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, to the St. Marks River north of the Gulf of Mexico...
.
A few miles south of its source the St. Marks passes under a natural bridge
Natural arch
A natural arch or natural bridge is a natural geological formation where a rock arch forms, with an opening underneath. Most natural arches form as a narrow ridge, walled by cliffs, become narrower from erosion, with a softer rock stratum under the cliff-forming stratum gradually eroding out until...
at Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park and then disappears underground to become a subterranean river
Subterranean river
A subterranean river is a river that runs wholly or partly beneath the ground surface – one where the riverbed does not represent the surface of the Earth ....
for about one-half mile. The river emerges at the St. Marks River Rise, a first magnitude spring with a discharge of 433cf/s, to pass over a stretch of rocks, forming rapid
Rapid
A rapid is a section of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. A rapid is a hydrological feature between a run and a cascade. A rapid is characterised by the river becoming shallower and having some rocks exposed above the...
s.
The incorporated town of St. Marks
St. Marks, Florida
St. Marks is a city in Wakulla County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Tallahassee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 272 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 299 .-Geography:...
is located at the juncture of the Wakulla and St. Marks Rivers. To the north is the community of Newport. Between St. Marks and Newport is a small industrial area serviced by barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
.
The San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park
San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park
San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park is a Florida State Park and historic site located in Wakulla County, Florida. It is located in St. Marks, off S.R. 363. The address is 148 Old Fort Road. On November 13, 1966, it was designated a National Historic Landmark and added to the U.S...
and St. Marks lighthouse
St. Marks Light
The St. Marks Light is the second-oldest light station in Florida. It is located on the east side of the mouth of the St. Marks River, on Apalachee Bay....
are located near the mouth of the river, while the City of Tallahassee's Sam O. Purdom Generating Plant is located on the river in St. Marks.
List of crossings
| Crossing | Carries | Image | Location | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headwaters | 30°28′40"N 84°06′01"W | |||
| Valentine Road | Capitola Capitola, Florida Capitola is a small unincorporated community in eastern Leon County, Florida located at Capitola Road and Leon County Road 1541.- History :Evergreen Hills Plantation, a large cotton plantation, occupied the land that is now or extremely close to Capitola. From 1908 through the 1940s Capitola was... |
30°28′21"N 84°06′04"W | ||
| CR 1568 Buck Lake Road |
Capitola | 30°27′49"N 84°06′25"W | ||
| rail bridge | CSX 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... |
Capitola | 30°26′39"N 84°06′12"W | |
| CR 1540 Capitola Road |
Capitola | 30°26′36"N 84°06′11"W | ||
| Confluence with Lafayette Creek | 30°25′40"N 84°06′17"W | |||
 US 27U.S. Route 27 U.S. Route 27 is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne, Indiana...  Perry Highway |
Chaires Crossroads | 30°25′15"N 84°06′05"W | ||
| CR 259 Tram Road |
Cody Cody, Florida Cody is an unincorporated community in western Jefferson County, Florida, United States. It is west of Wacissa near the Leon County/Jefferson County line.Cody was serviced by the Florida Central Railroad and had its own post office from 1912 through 1937.... |
30°21′43"N 84°03′39"W | ||
| ford Ford (crossing) A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns... |
private road | 30°19′42"N 84°05′21"W | ||
| natural bridge | CR 2192 Natural Bridge Road |
Natural Bridge Battlefield State Park | 30°17′03"N 84°09′02"W | |
| natural bridge | 30°16′59"N 84°09′03"W | |||
| George Nesmith Bridge George NeSmith Bridge The George Nesmith Bridge carries U.S. Route 98 over the St. Marks River in Newport, Florida.-References:**Wakulla Area Times, Volume 8 Edition 4 , p. 40... |
 US 98U.S. Route 98 U.S. Route 98 is an east–west United States highway that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola, Florida and Apalachicola, Florida, and has since been extended westward into Mississippi and eastward across the Florida... Coastal Highway |
Newport | 30°11′56"N 84°10′41"W | |
| Confluence with Wakulla River Wakulla River The Wakulla River is an river in Wakulla County, Florida. It carries the outflow from Wakulla Springs, site of the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, to the St. Marks River north of the Gulf of Mexico... |
St. Marks St. Marks, Florida St. Marks is a city in Wakulla County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Tallahassee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 272 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 299 .-Geography:... |
30°08′58"N 84°12′40"W | ||
| Confluence with East River East River (Florida) The East Bay River in Florida is a river located in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties. It flows from east to west, forming near Hurlburt Field, and empties into the eastern portion of Pensacola Bay near the towns Holley and Navarre... |
30°05′19"N 84°10′44"W | |||
| Mouth | 30°04′53"N 84°11′31"W | |||