Roots of red maples and water oaks grip the water's edge. On the Ridge, sinkhole lakes occur typically in deep, funnel-shaped depressions in a limestone base. These lakes are characterized by clear, acidic water with low mineral content and low nutrients. Other lakes on the Ridge occur in the intra-ridge valley, and often include several sinkholes in their basin. On the Ridge, flowing water is rare because the sand is porous.
Some lakes have no surface streams flowing in or out.
But in Ridge valleys and ravines, and in the sandy lowlands, tea-colored water gently meanders, sometimes laden with particulates and organic matter after heavy rain. Blackwater creeks often have sandy bottoms and are sometimes lined with high sandy banks.