SURFACE WATER IMPROVEMENT 

AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM 

PRIORITY LIST 

FOR THE 

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT 

Prepared under the auspices of Chapter 373, Florida Statutes 

Program Development Series 06-02 

January, 2006 
NORTHWEST FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT 

GOVERNING BOARD

Wayne Bodie, Chair 

DeFuniak Springs 

Joyce Estes, Vice Chair 

Eastpoint 

Paul Bradshaw, Secretary/Treasurer 

Havana 

 L.E. McMullian, Jr. Sharon T. Gaskin Michael Joyner 

 Sneads Wewahitchka Tallahassee 

 

 Hulan S. Carter Sharon Pinkerton Stephanie H. Bloyd 

 Chipley Pensacola Panama City Beach 

Douglas E. Barr, Executive Director

For additional information, write or call: 

Northwest Florida Water Management District 

81 Water Management Drive 

Havana, Florida 32333 

(850) 539-5999; Suncom 793-5999 

FAX # (850) 539-2777; Suncom 793-2777 

http://www.state.fl.us/nwfwmd/
i 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Introduction ...............................................................................................................................1 

NWFWMD SWIM Priority List Background ...............................................................................1 

SWIM Plan Development and Implementation .........................................................................4 

Updated NWFWMD SWIM Priority List.....................................................................................4 

Apalachicola River and Bay Watershed....................................................................................6 

Pensacola Bay Watershed........................................................................................................8 

Choctawhatchee River and Bay Watershed ...........................................................................10 

St. Andrew Bay Watershed.....................................................................................................12

St. Marks River and Apalachee Bay Watershed.....................................................................16 

Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed .................................................................................14 

Perdido River and bay Watershed ..........................................................................................18 

References..............................................................................................................................20 

LIST OF TABLES 

Table 1. Initial Waterbodies Identified for Ranking (1988).......................................................2 

Table 2. 1988 NWFWMD SWIM Priority List...........................................................................2 

Table 3. 1993 NWFWMD SWIM Priority List...........................................................................3 

Table 4. Approved NWFWMD SWIM Plans ............................................................................4 

Table 5. 2006 NWFWMD SWIM Priority List...........................................................................5 

Table 6. Apalachicola River and Bay System Characteristics.................................................6 

Table 7. Pensacola Bay System Characteristics.....................................................................8 

Table 8. Choctawhatchee River and Bay System Characteristics ........................................14 

Table 9. St. Andrew Bay Watershed Characteristics.............................................................10 

Table 10. St. Marks River/Apalachee Bay Watershed Characteristics..................................12 

Table 11. Ochlockoneee River and Bay Watershed Characteristics.....................................16 

Table 12. Perdido River and Bay Watershed Characteristics ...............................................18 

LIST OF FIGURES 

Figure 1. Apalachicola River and Bay System ........................................................................7 

Figure 2. Pensacola Bay System ............................................................................................9 

Figure 3. Choctawhatchee River and Bay Watershed...........................................................11 

Figure 4. St. Andrew Bay Watershed ....................................................................................15 

Figure 5. St. Marks River/Apalachee Bay Watershed ...........................................................13 

Figure 6. Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed ................................................................17 

Figure 7. Perdido River and Bay Watershed .........................................................................19 

 
1 

Introduction 

The purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive review and update of the Northwest 

Florida Water Management District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) 

priority list. The Florida Legislature passed the Surface Water Improvement and Management 

Act in 1987. In so doing, the Legislature recognized that the surface waters of the state perform 

important functions, including providing habitat for native plants, fish, and wildlife; providing safe 

drinking water to the growing population of the state; providing an aesthetic and recreational 

resource; and attracting visitors and accruing other economic benefits. The Legislature also 

recognized, however, that quality of many of the state’s surface waters had become degraded 

or were in danger of becoming degraded. The Legislature further recognized that natural 

systems associated with many of these surface waters had become so altered as to diminish 

their ability to provide their valued functions. In considering these challenges, the Legislature 

concluded that such problems could be corrected and prevented through cooperative efforts on 

the part of water management districts, state agencies, and local governments. 

As specified in section 373.453, Florida Statutes (F.S.), each water management district shall 

maintain a list that prioritizes waterbodies of regional or statewide significance. This list is to be 

developed in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), the 

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), the Florida Department of 

Community Affairs (FDCA), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC), 

local governments, and others, and it must be reviewed and updated every five years. 

The Northwest Florida Water Management District adopted its initial SWIM priority list in April 

1988 and updated it in 1993. Additional revisions to the list were made in 1996 in consultation 

with FDEP. In 2001, the SWIM priority list was reviewed by District staff, but no changes were 

recommended. 

NWFWMD SWIM Priority List Background 

The methodology for developing the initial priority list in 1988 included a limited basin-approach 

as described in the 1993 Priority List. The process included identifying waterbodies of regional 

and statewide significance and ranking them according to criteria that included waterbody 

condition, functional value, and public interest and commitment. The initial set of waterbodies 

identified for consideration is listed in Table 1, and the final approved priority list is provided by 

Table 2. 
2 

Table 1. Initial Waterbodies Identified for Ranking (1988) 

Alligator Harbor Lake Seminole/Chattahoochee River 

Apalachee Bay Lower Ochlockonee River/Ochlockonee Bay 

Apalachicola Bay/St. George Sound Merritts Mill Pond 

Apalachicola River Pensacola Bay Area 

Blackwater River Perdido Bay 

Chipola River Perdido River 

Choctawhatchee Bay St. Andrew Bay 

Choctawhatchee River St. Joseph Bay 

Deer Point Lake St. Marks River 

Escambia River Sand Hill Lakes 

Lake Iamonia Santa Rosa Sound 

Lake Jackson Shoal River 

Lake Lafayette Upper Ochlockonee River/Lake Talquin 

Lake Miccosukee Wakulla River 

Lake Munson Yellow River 

Table 2. 1988 NWFWMD SWIM Priority List 

Rank Waterbody Major Activity 

1 Apalachicola River Preservation 

2 Apalachicola Bay/St. George Sound Preservation 

3 Lake Jackson Preservation 

4 Deer Point Lake Preservation 

5 Pensacola Bay Area Preservation 

6 St. Marks River Preservation 

7 Choctawhatchee Bay Preservation 

8 Choctawhatchee River Preservation 

9 Santa Rosa Sound Preservation 

10 St. Joseph Bay Preservation 

11 Chipola River Preservation 

12 St. Andrew Bay Preservation 

13 Escambia River Preservation 

14 Lake Munson Preservation 

15 Merritts Mill Pond Preservation 

16 Upper Ochlockonee River/Lake Talquin Preservation 

17 Lake Iamonia Preservation 

18 Blackwater River Preservation 

19 Lake Lafayette Preservation 

20 Shoal River Preservation 

21 Yellow River Preservation 

22 Lower Ochlockonee River/Ochlockonee Bay Preservation 

23 Lake Miccosukee Preservation 

24 Sand Hill Lakes Preservation 
3 

The SWIM priority list was updated in 1993. In developing the 1993 update, District staff 

applied the same methodology used for the initial list. The 1993 list, however, more completely 

applied a watershed approach (Snowden 1993). The 1993 SWIM priority list is provided by 

Table 3. 

Table 3. 1993 NWFWMD SWIM Priority List 

Rank Waterbody Major Activity 

1 Apalachicola River and Bay System (including 

Lake Seminole, the Chipola River, St. George 

Sound, and Merritts Mill Pond) 

Preservation 

2 Lake Jackson Preservation 

3 Deer Point Lake Preservation 

4 Pensacola Bay System (including the Escambia, 

Blackwater, Yellow, and Shoal rivers) 

Preservation 

5 St. Marks River (including Wakulla River and 

Apalachee Bay) 

Preservation 

6 Choctawhatchee River and Bay Preservation 

7 Santa Rosa Sound Preservation 

8 St. Joseph Bay Preservation 

9 St. Andrew Bay Preservation 

10 Lake Munson Preservation 

11 Ochlockonee River and Bay Preservation 

12 Lake Iamonia Preservation 

13 Lake Lafayette Preservation 

14 Lake Miccosukee Preservation 

15 Sand Hill Lakes Preservation 

District and FDEP staff in 1996 agreed to include western and central Santa Rosa Sound in the 

Pensacola Bay System SWIM program. The eastern portion of Santa Rosa Sound is included 

in the Choctawhatchee River and Bay SWIM program (roughly from the city limits of Fort Walton 

Beach eastward to Choctawhatchee Bay). 
4 

SWIM Plan Development and Implementation 

Since 1988, SWIM plans have been approved for seven waterbodies (Table 4).

Table 4. Approved NWFWMD SWIM Plans 

Deer Point Lake (Superseded by St. Andrew Bay SWIM Plan) 

Apalachicola River and Bay 

Lake Jackson 

Pensacola Bay 

St. Marks River/Apalachee Bay 

St. Andrew Bay 

(Including Deer Point Lake Reservoir & Sand Hill Lakes)

Choctawhatchee River and Bay

All of these plans, with the exception of Deer Point Lake (which was subsequently incorporated 

within the St. Andrew Bay Watershed SWIM plan) are in the implementation stage. 

Updated NWFWMD SWIM Priority List 

The 1993 SWIM priority list and original ranking provided the basis for the current update. To 

more completely apply a comprehensive watershed approach, the NWFWMD designated 

priority list now identifies waterbodies based exclusively on major riverine-estuarine watersheds. 

In so doing, sub-watersheds are aligned within their respective river or bay systems. This 

results in identified SWIM waterbodies giving full consideration that watershed management is 

the recognized approach for their improvement and management. Additionally, the approach 

facilitates efficient SWIM plan development and implementation and supports associated 

programs, such as the Florida Forever program, regional wetland mitigation, and FDEP’s basin 

approach for watershed assessment and management. 

The updated SWIM priority list is provided in Table 5. In addition to respective watersheds, the 

list identifies major tributaries and waterbodies. All other tributaries, sub-embayments, and 

contributing watershed areas are also considered as being part of the listed priority waterbodies. 

The SWIM priority list is intended to allow for maximum flexibility to target specific programs, 

projects, and activities to all waterbodies and watersheds. Annual budgeting and workplan 

development allows the District to target specific SWIM tasks and resources for implementation, 

contingent on the appropriation of adequate funds by the Florida Legislature. 
5 

Table 5. NWFWMD SWIM Priority List

Apalachicola River and Bay Watershed 

Apalachicola River 

Lake Seminole 

Chipola River 

New River 

Apalachicola Bay 

Pensacola Bay Watershed 

Escambia River 

Blackwater River 

Yellow River 

Shoal River 

East Bay River 

Pensacola Bay 

Escambia Bay 

East Bay 

Blackwater Bay 

Western and Central Santa Rosa Sound 

Big Lagoon 

Choctawhatchee River and Bay Watershed 

Choctawhatchee River 

Holmes Creek 

Eastern Santa Rosa Sound 

Choctawhatchee Bay 

St. Andrew Bay Watershed 

St. Andrew Bay 

North Bay 

West Bay 

East Bay 

Deer Point Lake Reservoir 

St. Joseph Bay 

Econfina Creek 

St. Marks River and Apalachee Bay Watershed 

St. Marks River 

Wakulla River & Wakulla Springs 

Lake Miccosukee 

Lake Lafayette 

Lake Munson 

Apalachee Bay 

Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed 

Ochlockonee Bay 

Ochlockonee River 

Lake Jackson 

Lake Iamonia 

Perdido River and Bay Watershed

Perdido River Perdido Bay 

Land acquisition and coordination with Alabama are primary activities and resource priorities 

considered to be preservation and restoration. Thus, SWIM and associated program activities 

will continue to encompass both preservation and restoration components. 

The Florida Water Protection and Sustainability Program, created by the 2005 Florida 

Legislature, provides impetus to integrate SWIM activities with other District responsibilities by 

providing a funding mechanism for SWIM plan implementation. This important legislation allows 

the District to further plan for SWIM program implementation with an additional source of 

funding to help accomplish the original goals of the program. 

General descriptions and watershed maps of the priority watersheds are provided on the 

following pages. 
6 

Apalachicola River and Bay Watershed 

The Apalachicola River and Bay Watershed is a major interstate watershed. The system 

(Figure 1) is comprised of the Apalachicola River and Bay watershed, including the Chipola 

River watershed, and is a component of the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint (ACF) River 

basin. 

The ACF Basin drains 21,794 square miles of lands within Alabama, Georgia and Florida. The 

river is 21st in magnitude of flow volume among the rivers in the coterminous United States, the 

5th largest entering the Gulf of Mexico, and the largest in Florida. As described in the 1996 

SWIM Plan for the Apalachicola River and Bay, the hydrologic regime and water quality of the 

Chattahoochee and Flint rivers define the physical and biological characteristics of the 

Apalachicola River and floodplain, which plays a key role in defining the salinity regime and 

ecology of the Apalachicola Bay. The estuary, in turn, is significant to the character and 

productivity of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. 

The ACF basin is one of the southeastern United States’ most diverse, productive and 

economically important natural systems. Its uniqueness and diversity is related to its origin in 

the southern Appalachian Mountains and the adjacent Piedmont, which has contributed to a 

diverse physical environment and connectivity of regional biota. The forested floodplain of the 

Apalachicola River is the largest in Florida and covers approximately 173 square miles of 

floodplain. The Apalachicola watershed also has the highest species density of amphibians and 

reptiles in North America, north of Mexico, and the greatest number of freshwater fish species in 

Florida. The estuary provides an especially significant commercial fishery. It is commonly 

reported as providing over 90% of the state’s commercial oyster harvest. 

The Apalachicola River and Bay System has been recognized as a resource of state, federal, 

and international importance. The bay has been designated an Outstanding Florida Water, a 

State Aquatic Preserve, and an International Biosphere Reserve. It includes the Apalachicola 

Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge. 

Additionally, state and federal agencies, as well as the NWFWMD, have made extensive 

investments in acquiring and protecting lands along both the river and the bay and in 

implementing retrofit and restoration activities. 

Table 6. Apalachicola River and Bay System Characteristics 

Florida Watershed Area: 3,270 square miles 

Interstate Watershed Area: 21,794 square miles 

Florida Counties: Jackson, Gadsden, Calhoun, Liberty, Gulf, Franklin 

Major Cities: Apalachicola, Blountstown, Chattahoochee, 

Marianna, Carrabelle 

Principle Land Uses: Forestry, agriculture 

Florida Population 2004 (total county est.): 143,500 

Outstanding Florida Waters: Apalachicola River, Apalachicola Bay, Chipola River 

Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve 

Apalachicola Bay State Aquatic Preserve 

St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge 

Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve 

State Parks: St. George Island, Three Rivers, 

Torreya, Florida Caverns 
7 

Figure 1. Apalachicola River and Bay Watershed
8 

Pensacola Bay Watershed 

The Pensacola Bay system watershed (Figure 2) covers nearly 7,000 square miles. About onethird of the overall watershed is within Florida. The watershed includes three major river 

systems, the Escambia, Blackwater, and Yellow. These rivers discharge into a 144-square mile 

estuary that includes Escambia Bay, Pensacola Bay, Blackwater Bay, East Bay, and Santa 

Rosa Sound. Supported habitats within the watershed include alluvial rivers, tributaries, 

floodplain forests, diverse wetlands, and seagrasses. 

The river and bay system includes an array of interrelated ecological systems and habitats, 

including pitcher plant bogs, steephead streams, salt marshes, and bottomland hardwood 

forests. Extensive public landholdings, including Blackwater River State Forest, District lands 

along the Escambia River floodplain, Conecuh National Forest, and Eglin Air Force Base, help 

protect and manage water quality, flows, and habitat along the principle tributary rivers and 

streams. 

Water quality is the major issue facing the watershed, due to long-term pollution problems from 

point and nonpoint sources within the basin in both Alabama and Florida. The most intractable 

and chronic water and sediment quality problems occur in the urban areas in and around 

Pensacola. Wetlands and aquatic habitats have been impacted locally and regionally by 

incremental conversion, fragmentation, and secondary impacts. Water quality management 

initiatives taken to improve the river and bay system include stormwater retrofit projects, point 

source abatement, and advanced treatment and disposal technologies. According to the 1997 

SWIM Plan for the Pensacola Bay Watershed, the major watershed and resource management 

issues include water and sediment quality in bays and bayous and declining habitat quality. 

Intergovernmental and interagency coordination is also noted as an essential component of plan 

implementation. 

Table 7. Pensacola Bay Watershed Characteristics 

Florida Watershed Area: 2,300 Square miles 

Interstate Watershed Area: 7,000 Square miles 

Florida Counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton 

Major Cities: Pensacola, Milton, Crestview, Gulf Breeze 

Principle Land Uses: Urban, agricultural, and forestry 

Florida Population 2004 (total county est.): 677,300 

Outstanding Florida Waters: Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve 

Blackwater River 

Shoal River 

Blackwater River State Park 

Escambia Bay Bluffs 

Gulf Islands National Seashore 

Fort Pickens State Park Aquatic Preserve 

Big Lagoon State Recreation Area 

Milton to Whiting Field CARL area 
9 

Figure 2. Pensacola Bay System Watershed
10 

Choctawhatchee River and Bay Watershed 

The Choctawhatchee River and Bay watershed covers about 5,347 square miles. About 42 

percent of this is within Florida, and the remainder is in Alabama. Major tributaries of the river 

include the Pea and Little Choctawhatchee rivers in Alabama, as well as Holmes, Wrights, 

Bruce, and Pine Log creeks in Florida. Direct tributaries of the bay include Alaqua, Rocky, 

Black, and Turkey creeks. The watershed also includes a portion of the Sand Hill Lakes in 

Washington County, including a recharge area for Floridan Aquifer springs discharging into 

Holmes Creek. The bay has one direct opening to the Gulf of Mexico at East Pass, adjacent to 

the city of Destin, and joins with Santa Rosa Sound to the west and the Intracoastal Waterway 

to the east. 

As described in the 1996 Choctawhatchee River and Bay SWIM plan, the Choctawhatchee 

River and Bay watershed supports a wide array of aquatic and wetland resources and provides 

numerous benefits for the human community. Among the environmental resources are a variety 

of aquatic and wetland habitats, extensive forests, Floridan Aquifer springs, steephead streams, 

and many species of flora and fauna. Human benefits provided include commercial and 

recreational fisheries, marine transportation, military uses, outdoor recreation, tourism, aesthetic 

qualities, and economic benefits associated with all of these. 

While the Choctawhatchee River and Bay watershed continues to support outstanding 

resources, it has also experienced many of the impacts that are common to Florida estuaries. 

These include urban stormwater runoff and other nonpoint sources of pollution, widespread 

sedimentation, domestic and industrial wastewater discharges, and habitat loss and 

degradation. Cumulatively, these impacts have degraded the productivity of the river and bay 

system and diminished the benefits it provides. 

Table 8. Choctawhatchee River and Bay Watershed Characteristics 

Florida Watershed Area: 2,228 Square Miles 

Interstate Watershed Area: 5,347 Square Miles 

Florida Counties: Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Jackson 

Major Cities: Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Bonifay, Niceville, 

Chipley 

Principle Land Uses: Agriculture, forestry, and urban 

Florida Population 2004 (total county est.): 326,600 

Outstanding Florida Waters: Choctawhatchee River 

State Parks: Falling Waters, Ponce de Leon 

Springs, Eden Gardens, Topsail Hill, Rocky Bayou, 

Henderson Beach 

Point Washington CARL program area 

Rocky Bayou Aquatic Preserve 
11 

Figure 3. Choctawhatchee River and Bay Watershed
12 

St. Andrew Bay Watershed 

The St. Andrew Bay watershed covers about 1,170 square miles and is the only major estuarine 

drainage basin entirely within the NWFWMD. Spring-fed Econfina Creek is the main stream 

feeding the estuarine system of the bay, through the Deer Point Lake Reservoir. Created by an 

impoundment across North Bay in 1961, the reservoir retains flow from Econfina Creek, Bear 

Creek, Bayou George and Cedar Creek and serves as the water supply source for Panama City 

and much of the outlying urbanized area. The importance of water quality protection has led to 

the District’s acquisition of a large portion of the creek’s watershed and interior recharge areas. 

One of the original SWIM priority waterbodies for the District, the Deer Point Lake SWIM 

program is now incorporated within the St. Andrew Bay Watershed SWIM Plan. 

The 2000 SWIM Plan describes in detail the natural resources and management challenges of 

the watershed, as well as resource descriptions of the systems’ water and related resources. 

St. Andrew Bay interacts with the Gulf of Mexico through West Pass and East Pass. The bay 

and its watershed have experienced many of the impacts common to Florida waterbodies, 

including urban nonpoint source pollution, domestic and industrial wastewater discharges, and 

loss of seagrasses and other habitat. The bay system and its watershed have a considerable 

history of research, coordination, and implementation projects as described in the SWIM Plan. 

Priority management issues are identified as growth management/land use planning, nonpoint 

source pollution, point source pollution, chemical contamination, biological diversity, public 

outreach, and Deer Point Lake management. 

Table 9. St. Andrew Bay Watershed Characteristics 

Florida Watershed Area: 1,170 square miles 

Interstate Watershed Area: n/a 

Florida Counties: Bay, Walton, Gulf, Washington, Calhoun, and 

Jackson 

Major Cities: Panama City, Lynn Haven, Panama City Beach, 

Springfield, Callaway, and Port St. Joe 

Principle Land Uses: Forested, urban, residential 

Florida Population 2004 (total county est.): 310,000 

Outstanding Florida Waters: Lake Powell, Phillips Inlet and tributaries 

St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve 

St. Andrew State Park Aquatic Preserve 

Grayton Beach State Park 

Western Lake 

Upper Eastern Lake 

Upper Camp Creek 

St. Andrews State Park 

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park 
13 

Figure 4. St. Andrew Bay Watershed
14 

St. Marks River and Apalachee Bay Watershed 

The St. Marks River watershed (Figure 5) extends from southern Georgia through Florida to the 

Gulf of Mexico, covering approximately 1,170 square miles. The watershed includes the St. 

Marks River; its major tributary the Wakulla River; Apalachee Bay; and lakes Miccosukee, 

Lafayette, and Munson. The river and bay system and the lakes within the watershed are 

popular for recreational uses including fishing, boating, canoeing, and nature observation. 

Overall water quality and habitat values are good for the watershed, and there are extensive 

public landholdings that help provide for resource protection and management. There are, 

however, localized exceptions related primarily to nonpoint source management, with needs 

including stormwater treatment, nutrient management, and public education. 

The watershed is predominantly characterized by karst topography, with limestone lying close to 

the surface and numerous springs and sinks. As a result, surface and ground waters readily 

interact. Groundwater, particularly through Floridan Aquifer springs, establishes the quality and 

character of surface waters within the watershed. Similarly, activities on the land surface can 

very quickly affect groundwater quality. These conditions present distinct management 

challenges that must be considered in land use planning, resource regulation, and the treatment 

and management of both stormwater and wastewater. 

Watershed conditions, issues, and the associated SWIM program projects and activities are 

described in the 1997 SWIM Plan. According to the plan, nutrient management is a priority 

concern for Wakulla Springs and Wakulla River, including its upgradient springshed. 

Table 10. St. Marks River/Apalachee Bay Watershed Characteristics 

Florida Watershed Area: 1,060 square miles 

Interstate Watershed Area: 1,170 square miles 

Florida Counties: Leon, Jefferson, Wakulla 

Major Cities: Tallahassee 

Principle Land Uses: Urban, suburban, and forestry 

Florida Population 2004 (total county est.): 303,500 

Outstanding Florida Waters: St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge 

St. Marks River 

Wakulla River 

Wakulla Springs State Park 

Big Bend Seagrasses State Aquatic Preserve 
15 

Figure 5. St. Marks River/Apalachee Bay Watershed
16 

Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed 

The Ochlockonee River originates in south-central Georgia and flows about 206 miles south to 

Ochlockonee Bay, draining about 2,400 square miles and all or part of eleven counties in both 

states (Figure 6). Numerous tributaries contribute flow to the river system, ranging in flow from 

small intermittent streams to moderate streams such as Little River, Telogia Creek, and 

Sopchoppy River. The mean flow for the USGS station near Havana above Lake Talquin, with 

a 78 year period of record, is about 618 cubic feet per second. Downstream of the dam the 79-

year period of record mean flow is about 1,350 cfs. The increase is due to input from Little 

River, Bear Creek, Rocky Comfort Creek, Ocklawaha Creek, and many smaller streams. 

The river is impounded by the Jackson Bluff dam (built in the 1920s for hydroelectric power), 

forming Lake Talquin. Most of the area drained by the Ochlockonee is forested or agricultural, 

but there are growing urbanized areas around Tallahassee and Quincy above Lake Talquin. As 

a result, there are nonpoint source management issues associated with urban and agricultural 

lands. These issues include erosion and sedimentation, nutrients, coliform bacteria, and 

turbidity. 

Lakes Iamonia and Jackson are in the upper Florida portion of the basin. Lake Iamonia and the 

Ochlocknee River have an intermittent surface water hydrologic connection (during high river 

flows and higher lake levels). Lake Jackson is in an internally-drained basin with no surface 

water outfalls. Because Lake Jackson’s basin is in an active karst area, the lake periodically 

drains into the Floridan Aquifer system. Lake Jackson has been a component of the District’s 

SWIM program since 1988 and has been the focus of considerable restoration and protection 

activity as detailed in the 1994 SWIM Plan for the lake and the 1997 Addendum. 

Below Lake Talquin, the river flows through the Apalachicola National Forest and Tate’s Hell 

State Forest, providing a degree of protection to the lower river basin. The lower river, the lower 

Sopchoppy River, and Crooked River are all tidally influenced. 

Table 11. Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characteristics 

Florida Watershed Area: 1,080 square miles 

Interstate Watershed Area: 2,416 square miles 

Florida Counties: Leon, Gadsden, Liberty, Wakulla, Franklin 

Major Cities: Tallahassee 

Principle Land Uses: Agricultural, forestry, residential, urban 

Florida Population 2004 (total county est.): 354,200 

Outstanding Florida Waters: Ochlockonee River 

Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve 

Lake Talquin State Park 

Ochlockonee River State Park 

Mashes Sands 

Sopchoppy River 
17 

 

Figure 6. Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed
18 

Perdido River and Bay Watershed 

The Perdido originates in Baldwin County in south-central Alabama and flows about 44 miles 

south to Perdido Bay, forming the state border and draining about 1,250 square miles in both 

states (Figure 7). Most of the watershed’s land area and the river’s tributary streams are in 

Alabama. Florida tributaries include Tarkiln Bayou, Eightmile Creek, Elevenmile Creek, 

Cowdevil Creek, Alligator Creek, McDavid Creek, Boggy Creek, and Brushy Creek. The river’s 

61-year period of record mean flow at the U.S. Geological Survey stream gage at Barrineau 

Park is 809 cubic feet per second. Perdido Bay covers about 50 square miles and is separated 

from the Gulf of Mexico by Perdido Key. 

The Perdido River is a sand-bottom river in its upper reaches and a blackwater stream in its 

lower reaches. Overall water quality is relatively good for most of the watershed, but there are 

water quality problems associated with point source discharges to Elevenmile Creek. The 

Florida portion of the watershed drains the western half of Escambia County including the 

suburbs of Pensacola. The lower part of the bay has extensive shoreline residential 

development in Alabama and Florida, and likely has nonpoint source pollution issues related to 

yard and street runoff. Most of the upper bay and river frontage is relatively undeveloped. 

Table 12. Perdido River and Bay Watershed Characteristics 

Interstate Watershed Area: 1,250 square miles 

Florida Counties: Escambia 

Major Cities: Bay Minette, Pensacola (near) 

Principle Land Uses: Forestry, agricultural, residential, urban 

Florida Population 2004 (total county est.): 307,000 

Outstanding Florida Waters: Perdido River, Big Lagoon State Park, Perdido Key 

State Park, Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State park 
19 

Figure 7. Perdido River and Bay Watershed
20 

References 

Barkuloo, J.M., L. Patrick, L. Stitch, and W.J. Troxel. 1987. Natural Resources Inventory 

Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin. US Fish and Wildlife Service. 154p. 

Edmiston, H.L. and H.A. Tuck. 1987. Resource Inventory of the Apalachicola River and Bay 

Drainage Basin. Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission. 303 pp. 

Leitman, S.T. 1986a. Wetland Resources of the Apalachicola Basin. In Managing Cumulative 

Effects in Florida Wetlands. Conference Proceedings, New College Environmental Studies 

Program 38. 

Macmillan, T.L., and C. Diamond. 1994. Lake Jackson Management Plan: A Comprehensive 

Plan for the Restoration and Preservation of Lake Jackson. Northwest Florida Water 

Management District. 

Macmillan, T.L. 1997. Lake Jackson Management Plan Addendum. Northwest Florida Water 

Management District, Program Development Series 97-4. 

Means, D.B. 1977. Aspects of the Significance to Terrestrial Vertebrates of the Apalachicola 

River Drainage Basin, Florida. Proceedings of the conference on the Apalachicola Drainage 

System. Florida Marine Research Publications 26:37-67. 

Northwest Florida Water Management District. 1988. Surface Water Improvement and 

Management Program. Program Development Series 88-1. 

Northwest Florida Water Management District. 2001. Florida Forever 2001 Five Year Work 

Plan. Havana: Northwest Florida Water Management District. Project Development Series 

2001-1. 

http://www.nwfwmd.state.fl.us/pubs/florida_forever/florida_forever.pdf 

Olinger, L.W., R.G. Rogers, P.L. Force, T.L. Todd, B.L. Mullings, F.T. Bisterfeld, and L.A. Wise 

II. 1975. Environmental and Recovery Studies of Escambia Bay and the Pensacola Bay

System, Florida. Washington: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Richards, Christopher J. 1997. Delineation of the Floridan Aquifer Zone of Contribution for 

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