Econlockhatchee River

Econlockhatchee River
Econlockhatchee River from the Florida Trail bridge
Other name(s)	Econ River
Etymology	"Rivers of mounds"
Country	United States
Location	Central Florida
Basin
Main source	Lake Conlin north of Holopaw 92 feet (28 m)[1] 28°14′29″N 81°6′31″W / 28.24139°N 81.10861°W
River mouth	St. Johns River near Puzzle Lake 3 feet (0.91 m)[2] 28°42′13″N 81°1′42″W / 28.70361°N 81.02833°WCoordinates: 28°42′13″N 81°1′42″W / 28.70361°N 81.02833°W
Progression	Ecolockhatchee - Saint Johns River - Atlantic Ocean
River system	Saint Johns River
Basin size	173,143 acres (700.68 km^2)[3]
Physical characteristics
Length	87.7 kilometres (54.5 mi)
Features
Tributaries	Left: Disston Canal, Turkey Creek, Little Econlockhatchee River

The Econlockhatchee River (Econ River for short) is an 87.7-kilometer-long (54.5 mi)^[4] north-flowing blackwater tributary of the St. Johns River, the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida. The Econ River flows through Osceola, Orange, and Seminole counties in Central Florida, just east of the Orlando Metropolitan Area (east of State Road 417). Its name means "River of mounds", and it is a designated Outstanding Florida Waters.^[3]

The river flows north from its source, Lake Conlin, through the Econlockhatchee River Swamp (see below) south of State Road 528. Near the City of Oviedo, the tributary Little Econlockhatchee River joins, and the river turns east as it flows through the Little Big Econ State Forest. The Econlockhatchee joins the St. Johns River near Puzzle Lake. The river's floodplain is forested for its entire length.

Econlockhatchee River Swamp

The upper course of the river is called the Econlockhatchee River Swamp. Located southeast of Orlando, the swamp is 21 kilometres (13 mi) long, from Lake Conlin to State Road 528. South of State Road 532, the swamp is known as Cat Island Swamp, named after an island near County Road 500A. The river is at its widest (1.6 km) here, bordered by Lake Preston to the west. Seven miles downstream, the river's elevation is 19 metres (62 ft). The Disston Canal joins Lake Mary Jane and Lake Hart to the swamp. Turkey Creek Bay is an arm of the swamp, through which the tributary Turkey Creek flows. North of Wewahootee Road, the Econlockhatchee River leaves the swamp and remains a free-flowing river for the rest of its journey to the St. Johns River.

List of crossings

Bridge	Route	Location	Coordinates
	Snow Hill Road	Oviedo	28°40′40″N 81°06′50″W / 28.67778°N 81.11389°W
	County Road 419	Oviedo	28°39′20″N 81°10′12″W / 28.65556°N 81.17000°W
	County Road 420	Orlando
	State Road 50	Bithlo	28°33′55″N 81°09′16″W / 28.56528°N 81.15444°W
	State Road 528 near Dallas Boulevard	Orlando	28°27′05″N 81°06′28″W / 28.45139°N 81.10778°W
	Wewahootee Road	Orlando	28°25′29″N 81°07′09″W / 28.42472°N 81.11917°W
	County Road 532	Holopaw	28°16′31″N 81°06′33″W / 28.27528°N 81.10917°W

Gallery

River views

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Fauna

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  Young alligators along the river bank
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  A Florida cooter sunning on top of a log

See also

• List of Florida rivers
• Hal Scott Preserve
• Oviedo, Florida
• Wedgefield, Florida formerly known as "Rocket City"

References

1. "Holopaw Topo Map at Lat 28.243°N Long -81.1076°W Zoom 15 S Size". Trails.com. Retrieved on 2014-08-04.
2. "Geneva Topo Map at Lat 28.7035°N Long -81.028°W Zoom 15 S Size". Trails.com. Retrieved on 2014-08-04.
3. (2013-01-02). "Econlockhatchee River". Saint Johns River Water Management District. Retrieved on 2014-08-04.
4. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed April 21, 2011

External links

• Econlockhatchee River Canoe Trail