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.[1]

St. Marks River
St. Marks River viewed from U.S. Highway 98.
St. Marks River watershed
Location
Country	United States
State	Florida
Counties	Leon, Jefferson, Wakulla
District	NWFWMD
Physical characteristics
Source	Tallahassee Hills
• location	Capitola, Florida
• coordinates	30°28′40″N 84°06′01″W
Mouth	Apalachee Bay
• location	Port Leon, Florida
• coordinates	30°4′53″N 84°11′31″W
Length	36 mi (58 km)
Basin size	1,150 sq mi (3,000 km2)
Discharge
• average	1,122 cu ft/s (31.8 m3/s)
Discharge
• location	St. Marks River Rise
• average	433 cu ft/s (12.3 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	East River
• right	Lafayette Creek, Wakulla River

The St. Marks River begins in eastern Leon County, Florida and flows 36 miles (58 km) through Leon and Wakulla counties into Apalachee Bay, an arm of the Gulf of Mexico. It has a drainage basin of 1,150 square miles (3,000 km²)[1] 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,[1] to pass over a stretch of rocks, forming rapids.

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.

List of crossings

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

Crossing	Carries	Image	Location	Coordinates
Headwaters				30°28′40″N 84°06′01″W
	Valentine Road		Capitola	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 Transportation		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 27 Perry Highway		Chaires Crossroads	30°25′15″N 84°06′05″W
	CR 259 Tram Road		Cody	30°21′43″N 84°03′39″W
ford	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	US 98 Coastal Highway		Newport	30°11′56″N 84°10′41″W
Confluence with Wakulla River			St. Marks	30°08′58″N 84°12′40″W
Confluence with East River				30°05′19″N 84°10′44″W
Mouth				30°04′53″N 84°11′31″W

References

• Marth, Marty. 1990. St. Marks River. in Marth, Del and Marty Marth, eds. The Rivers of Florida. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press, Inc. ISBN 0-910923-70-1.
• protectingourwater.org: St. Marks River Watershed
• Emerging Waters: Springs of Northwest Florida
• St. Marks River & Apalachee Bay Watershed
• City Of Tallahassee Sam O. Purdom Generating Station

На других языках

[es] Río St. Marks