But it didn't appear overnight. Nor did it come from heavy rainstorms or a garden hose. The water found in our rivers, lakes, estuaries and bays has long swirled and swished its way through underwater springs and wetlands before reaching a river destination. Once a river, it can then branch off and become a lake or move on to an estuary where it will mix with saltwater in preparation for its trip to the ocean. Rivers and lakes If you connected all of Florida's rivers, you would find that they stretch for 10,000 miles.
Alluvial rivers carry and deposit materials such as silt or sand.
Spring-fed rivers are clear and flow on a direct path from the spring to the sea. And blackwater rivers, which are dark, as their name implies, contain water that has drained through acidic woods and swamps. Lakes, however, aren't as important. Unlike a river, which is constantly flowing, lakes are large bodies of standing freshwater water. The holes then fill up with water.