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157-523: Before the Port Authority obtained Blount Island, the island was named Goat Island. The Bartchlett family lived on the island for over 35 years. They were there during World War II. They observed ships coming through the channel still burning from action in the war. The Dames Point Cut that straightened the river was signed off by George Bartchlett allowing the dredging to begin. He raised seven children and four grandchildren on this island. At that time

314-557: A 1966 Toyota Corona , the first mass-produced car to be shipped in specialised car-carriers and used as the basis of RORO vessel size. 1 RT is approximately 4m of lane space required to store a 1.5m wide Toyota Corona) or in car-equivalent units ( CEU ). The largest RORO passenger ferry is MS  Color Magic , a 75,100 GT cruise ferry that entered service in September 2007 for Color Line . Built in Finland by Aker Finnyards , it

471-433: A humid subtropical zone. In summer months, the temperature ranges from 74 and 92 °F (23 and 33 °C), and between 50 and 72 °F (10 and 22 °C) in the winter, although drops may occur in winter months to below freezing approximately a dozen times. Water temperatures in the river correlate to the air temperatures. The average range of water temperatures is between 50 and 95 °F (10 and 35 °C), rising in

628-516: A 46,000-acre (190 km ) basin spreading across Putnam , Lake, and Marion Counties , and the western part of Volusia County. Slightly north of the Wekiva River is Blue Spring, the largest spring on the St. Johns, producing over 64,000,000 US gallons (240,000,000 L) a day. Florida springs stay at an even temperature of 72 °F (22 °C) throughout the year. Because of this, Blue Spring

785-456: A 90,000-square-foot (8,400 m) Container Freight Station for cross-dock efficiency. In addition to import operations, several companies provide freight service to the Caribbean , including Trailer Bridge and Crowley Maritime . Over 30% of the terminal's shipments utilize on-dock rail service provided by CSX Corporation directly. JAXPORT owns the 14 miles (23 km) of track, which

942-556: A St. Johns tributary, where sport fishers concentrate on king mackerel ( Scomberomorus cavalla ), cobia ( Rachycentron canadum ), dolphin ( Coryphaena hippurus ) and Wahoo ( Acanthocybium solandri ). The home stadium for the Jacksonville Jaguars faces the river, as does most of the commercial center of downtown. Seven bridges span the St. Johns at Jacksonville; all of them allow tall ships to pass, although some restrict passing times when train or automobile traffic

1099-746: A chain of lakes, the largest of which is Lake Apopka in Lake County, and the Green Swamp near Haines City in Polk County , drained by the Palatlakaha River . The Silver River, fed by one of Florida's most productive springs expelling 54,000,000 US gallons (200,000,000 L) daily, is located about midway along the 96-mile (154 km) Ocklawaha. Confederate Captain John William Pearson named his militia after

1256-415: A chemical spill in 1980 that dumped DDE in it. It has experienced chronic algal blooms caused by citrus farm fertilizer and wastewater runoff from nearby farms. The proliferation of largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ), black crappie ( Pomoxis nigromaculatus ), and bluegill ( Lepomis macrochirus ) in central Florida is a major attraction for fishermen from all over the country. The St. Johns

1413-542: A combined 250,000-square-foot (23,000 m) versus 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m); 88 acres (36 ha) versus 73 acres (30 ha) (non-contiguous) plus new CSX rail connections. St. Johns River The St. Johns River ( Spanish : Río San Juan ) is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and it is the most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At 310 miles (500 km) long, it flows north and winds through or borders twelve counties. The drop in elevation from headwaters to mouth

1570-517: A day into the St. Johns. Near this confluence are the towns of DeBary and Deltona . Forests surrounding the Wekiva River are home to the largest black bear ( Ursus americanus floridanus ) population in Florida; several troops of Rhesus monkeys ( Macaca mulatta ) have adapted to live near the river as well. The monkeys' introduction to Florida is unclear; they were reportedly brought either to serve in backdrop scenes of Tarzan movies filmed around

1727-578: A dramatic effect on its geomorphology. Florida was once part of the supercontinent Gondwana . Lying underneath the visible rock formations is a basement of igneous granite and volcanic composition under a sedimentary layer formed during the Paleozoic era 542 to 251 million years ago. During the Cretaceous period (145 to 66 million years ago), the basement and its sedimentary overlay were further covered by calcium carbonate and formations left by

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1884-425: A food source for fish and birds. Insect larvae use water for breeding, feeding upon smaller copepods and amphipods that live in microscopic algae and periphyton formations. Mosquitos , born in water, are in turn the favorite food of 112 species of dragonflies and 44 species of damselflies in Florida. These animals are water hardy and adaptable to dry conditions when water levels fluctuate from one season to

2041-500: A guide. In 1795, Florida was transferred back to Spain which lured Americans with cheap land. A former loyalist to Britain who left South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War , a planter and slave trader named Zephaniah Kingsley seized the opportunity and built a plantation named Laurel Grove near what is now Doctors Lake , close to the west bank of the St. Johns River, south of where Orange Park

2198-468: A high priority was assigned to the construction of LSTs that the previously laid keel of an aircraft carrier was hastily removed to make room for several LSTs to be built in her place. The keel of the first LST was laid down on 10 June 1942 at Newport News, Virginia , and the first standardized LSTs were floated out of their building dock in October. Twenty-three were in commission by the end of 1942. At

2355-403: A northerly direction, the upper basin is located in the headwaters of the river at its southernmost point. Indian River County is where the river begins as a network of marshes, at a point west of Vero Beach aptly named the St. Johns Marsh in central Florida. The St. Johns River is a blackwater stream , meaning that it is fed primarily by swamps and marshes lying beneath it; water seeps through

2512-513: A partner of the firm Grainger and Miller. The service commenced on 3 February 1850. It was called "The Floating Railway" and intended as a temporary measure until the railway could build a bridge, but this was not opened until 1890 , its construction delayed in part by repercussions from the catastrophic failure of Thomas Bouch's Tay Rail Bridge . Train-ferry services were used extensively during World War I . From 10 February 1918, high volumes of railway rolling stock, artillery and supplies for

2669-605: A passenger certificate, and was allowed to carry fifty passengers. Thus Empire Cedric became the first vessel in the world to operate as a commercial/passenger roll-on/roll-off ferry, and the ASN became the first commercial company to offer this type of service. The first RORO service crossing the English Channel began from Dover in 1953. In 1954, the British Transport Commission (BTC) took over

2826-549: A population increase followed. When European explorers arrived in north Florida, they met the Timucua , numbering about 14,000, the largest group of indigenous people in the region. The later Seminole people called the river Welaka or Ylacco . These forms may derive from the Creek wi-láko , "big water", a compound usually applied to large rivers that run through lakes; the St. Johns forms and borders numerous lakes. Alternately,

2983-482: A portion of their Blount Island property to the United States Marine Corps . In 1989, the U.S. Navy signed a $ 5 million per year contract with Gate to dock two ships at Blount Island on new piers built for that purpose. The construction, which would require dredging the channel, was opposed by a group of fishermen, environmentalists and nearby residents who owned riverfront property. Gate's project

3140-822: A second train-ferry was established from the Port of Southampton on the South East Coast. In the first month of operations at Richborough, 5,000 tons were transported across the Channel, by the end of 1918 it was nearly 261,000 tons. There were many advantages of the use of train-ferries over conventional shipping in World War I. It was much easier to move the large, heavy artillery and tanks that this kind of modern warfare required using train-ferries as opposed to repeated loading and unloading of cargo. By manufacturers loading tanks, guns and other heavy items for shipping to

3297-455: A sharp turn west near Sanford for a few miles—which is referred to as the St. Johns River offset , but shortly changes direction to flow north again. Geologists hypothesize that the west-flowing offset may have formed earlier than the north flowing portions, possibly during the late Tertiary or early Pleistocene era 66 to 12 million years ago. Some fracturing and faulting may also be responsible for

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3454-401: A stern ramp as well as interior ramps, which allowed cars to drive directly from the dock, onto the ship, and into place. Loading and unloading was sped up dramatically. Comet also had an adjustable chocking system for locking cars onto the decks and a ventilation system to remove exhaust gases that accumulate during vehicle loading. During the 1982 Falklands War , SS  Atlantic Conveyor

3611-510: A total area of 2,600 square miles (6,700 km ) in Putnam, St. Johns , Clay , and Duval Counties. Twelve tributaries empty into the river in the lower basin. The St. Johns River widens considerably on the north end of Lake George; between Lake George and Palatka the river ranges between 600 and 2,640 feet (180 and 800 m) wide. Between Palatka and Jacksonville, that widens further to between 1 and 3 miles (1.6 and 4.8 km). This portion of

3768-412: A variety of people have lived on or near the St. Johns, including Paleo-indians , Archaic people , Timucua , Mocama , Mayaca , Ais , French, Spanish, and British colonists, Seminoles , slaves and freemen, Florida crackers , land developers, tourists and retirees. It has been the subject of William Bartram 's journals, Harriet Beecher Stowe 's letters home, and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings ' books. In

3925-480: A vessel 300 ft (91 m) long a "craft" was considered a misnomer and the type was re-christened "Landing Ship, Tank (2)", or "LST (2)". The LST(2) design incorporated elements of the first British LCTs from their designer, Sir Rowland Baker, who was part of the British delegation. This included sufficient buoyancy in the ships' sidewalls that they would float even with the tank deck flooded. The LST(2) gave up

4082-642: A wide variety of tools constructed around this time, archeologists note the transition into Archaic people . The Archaic people made tools from bone, animal teeth, and antlers. They wove fibers from plants such as cabbage palms and saw palmettos. A few burial sites have been excavated—including the Windover Archaeological Site in Brevard County near Titusville —that provide evidence of burial rituals. Archaic peoples interred their dead in shallow peat marshes , which preserved much of

4239-513: Is 209.02 m (685 ft 9 in) long and 31.84 m (104 ft 6 in) wide, and can carry 1,342 cars/4,101 lane meters of cargo. The first cargo ships specially fitted for the transport of large quantities of cars came into service in the early 1960s. These ships still had their own loading gear and so-called hanging decks inside. They were, for example, chartered by the German Volkswagen AG to transport vehicles to

4396-405: Is 223.70 m (733 ft 11 in) long and 35 m (114 ft 10 in) wide, and can carry 550 cars, or 1,270 lane meters of cargo. The RORO passenger ferry with the greatest car-carrying capacity is Ulysses (named after a novel by James Joyce ), owned by Irish Ferries . Ulysses entered service on 25 March 2001 and operates between Dublin and Holyhead . The 50,938 GT ship

4553-577: Is characterized as brackish water. Near the center of Jacksonville, average measures have been collected at 11.40 ppt. Farther south at the Buckman Bridge, joining the south side of Jacksonville to Orange Park, it decreases to 2.9 ppt and falls again to 0.81 ppt at the Shands Bridge near Green Cove Springs . Dissolved oxygen in fresh water is measured to indicate the health of plant and animal life. It enters water through

4710-517: Is developing a new vessel class with a capacity of 12,800 CEU. The design has received Approval in Principle (AiP) from Lloyd's Register , which was granted in June 2024. The car carrier Auriga Leader , belonging to Nippon Yusen Kaisha, built in 2008 with a capacity of 6,200 cars, is the world's first partially solar powered ship. The seagoing RORO car ferry, with large external doors close to

4867-863: Is discharged, which is dependent upon season and rainfall. The greatest discharge is from first magnitude springs that emit at least 100 cubic feet (2.8 m ) of water per second. There are four first magnitude springs that feed the St. Johns River: Silver Springs in Marion County, emitting between 250 and 1,290 cubic feet (7.1 and 36.5 m )/second; Silver Glen Spring straddling Marion and Lake Counties, emitting between 38 and 245 cubic feet (1.1 and 6.9 m )/second; Alexander Springs in Lake County, emitting between 56 and 202 cubic feet (1.6 and 5.7 m )/second; and Blue Spring in Volusia County, emitting between 87 and 218 cubic feet (2.5 and 6.2 m )/second. The St. Johns River lies within

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5024-458: Is forbidden. Bordering to the north of Blue Spring State Park is Hontoon Island State Park , accessible only by boat. In 1955 an extremely rare Timucua totem representing an owl was found buried and preserved in the St. Johns muck off of Hontoon Island . The figure may signify that its creators were part of the owl clan. Representing different clans of the Timucua, two more totems—in all,

5181-559: Is heavy. Tides cause seawater to enter the mouth of the St. Johns River and can affect the river's level into the middle basin. As a result, much of the river in Jacksonville is part seawater, making it an estuarine ecosystem. The animals and plants in these systems can tolerate both fresh and salt water, and the fluctuations in saline content and temperatures associated with tidal surges and heavy rainfall discharge. Marine animals such as dolphins and sharks can be spotted at times in

5338-738: Is home to 183 species of fish, 55 of which appear in the main stem of the river. One, the southern tessellated darter ( Etheostoma olmstedi ) is found only in the Ocklawaha. Some are marine species that either migrate upriver to spawn or have found spring-fed habitats that are high in salinity, such as a colony of Atlantic stingrays ( Dasyatis sabina ) that live in Lake Washington in the upper basin. Ocean worms, snails, and white-fingered mud crabs ( Rhithropanopeus harrisii ) have also been found far upriver where tidal influences are rare. In contrast, American eels ( Anguilla rostrata ) live in

5495-576: Is less than 30 feet (9 m); like most Florida waterways, the St. Johns has a very slow flow speed of 0.3 mph (0.13 m/s), and is often described as "lazy". Numerous lakes are formed by the river or flow into it, but as a river its widest point is nearly 3 miles (5 km) across. The narrowest point is in the headwaters, an unnavigable marsh in Indian River County . The St. Johns drainage basin of 8,840 square miles (22,900 km ) includes some of Florida's major wetlands. It

5652-703: Is located one mile (1.6 km) west; Interstate 95 is five minutes away with Interstate 10 on the west side of the I-295 beltway. Interstate 75 is a one-hour drive west. On April 25, 2022 Jaxport and Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) jointly announced plans for SET to lease a new vehicle processing facility at Bount Island. They had leased space at the Talleyrand Terminal since 1968. The new site will allow SET to redesign their operation for efficiency and increased capacity. Associate amenities available at other Jacksonville SET facilities will be added at

5809-446: Is rare. All plants in these basins must tolerate water fluctuation, both flooding and drought. Sweetbay ( Magnolia virginiana ), cypress ( Taxodium ), and swamp tupelo ( Nyssa biflora ) trees often find great success in this region on raised land called hammocks . Trees that live in water for long periods usually have buttressed trunks, tangled, braided roots, or protrusions like cypress knees to obtain oxygen when under water, but

5966-565: Is separated into three major basins and two associated watersheds for Lake George and the Ocklawaha River , all managed by the St. Johns River Water Management District . Although Florida was the location of the first permanent European settlement in what would become the United States, much of Florida remained an undeveloped frontier into the 20th century. With the growth of population, the St. Johns, like many Florida rivers,

6123-643: Is the winter home for West Indian manatees ( Trichechus manatus latirostris ), and they are protected within Blue Spring State Park . Manatees are large, slow-moving herbivorous aquatic mammals whose primary threats are human development and collisions with swiftly moving watercraft. Many parts of the St. Johns and its tributaries are no-wake zones to protect manatees from being critically or fatally injured by boat propellers. Human interaction with manatees in Blue Spring State Park

6280-494: Is today Jacksonville and another on Drayton Island at the north end of Lake George. Kingsley later married three other freed women in a polygamous relationship; Spanish-controlled Florida allowed interracial marriages, and white landowners such as James Erwin, George Clarke, Francisco Sánchez, John Fraser, and Francis Richard Jr.—early settlers along the river—all were married to or in extramarital relationships with African women. The first years following Florida's annexation to

6437-470: Is today. Three years later, Kingsley took a trip to Cuba and purchased a 13-year-old Wolof girl named Anna Madgigine Jai . She became his common-law wife, and managed Laurel Grove while Kingsley traveled and conducted business. The plantation grew citrus and sea island cotton ( Gossypium barbadense ). In 1814, they moved to a larger plantation on Fort George Island , where they lived for 25 years, and owned several other plantations and homesteads in what

Blount Island - Misplaced Pages Continue

6594-508: The Caloosahatchee River , and later to drain lands in the central part of the state for agriculture. Disston was furthermore persuaded to purchase 4,000,000 acres (16,000 km ) of land in central Florida for $ 1 million, which at the time was reported to be the largest purchase of land in human history. Disston was ultimately unsuccessful in his drainage attempts, but his investment sparked the tourist industry and made possible

6751-554: The Dames Point Cut , a straight channel that provided an alternative to the river's natural course, which contained several of the sharpest turns in the river. Four marsh islands received the dredging spoil and became Blount Island. The property was turned over to the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) for development. The west side of the island was developed and used for freight operations after

6908-556: The Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) was established in 1963. Railroad access to the site was added in the late 1960s. Offshore Power Systems (OPS) was a 1970 joint venture between nuclear power company Westinghouse Electric and ship builder Tenneco . The company intended to manufacture and assemble floating nuclear power plants. The east half of the island was unused and mostly marsh until OPS obtained 850 acres (3.4 km) of land from JAXPORT, destroyed

7065-738: The Mediterranean Sea , the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific Ocean . The squadron's ships contain enough food, equipment, supplies, and ammunition to support a Marine Air-Ground Task Force for one month. In 1986, the U.S. Marine Corps established the Biennial Maintenance Command (BMC) on the east side of Blount Island using 262 acres (1.06 km) leased from Gate Maritime Properties for $ 11 million per year. The lease between Gate and

7222-718: The Ocklawaha River called the Ocklawaha Rangers in the American Civil War . Prior to the civil war, Pearson ran a successful health resort in Orange Springs . After the civil war Pearson's Orange Springs resort declined in popularity due to the increasing attention to nearby Silver Springs —the source of the Silver River—at the turn of the 20th century, popularizing the Ocklawaha. Georgia-born poet Sidney Lanier called it "the sweetest waterlane in

7379-475: The Silver River in the 1930s, or to lend an air of authenticity to "jungle cruises" provided by an enterprising boat operator around the same time. Of most vital importance to marshes are invertebrate animals, the foundation of food webs . Amphibious invertebrates such as apple snails ( Pomacea paludosa ), crayfish , and grass shrimp consume plant material, hastening its decomposition and acting as

7536-444: The 1860s, weekly trips between Jacksonville, Charleston , and Savannah were made to transport tourists, lumber, cotton, and citrus. The soil along the St. Johns was considered especially successful for producing sweeter oranges. Florida's involvement in the U.S. Civil War was limited compared to other Confederate states because it had a fraction of the populations of states that had been developed. Florida provided materials to

7693-470: The ASN under the Labour Governments nationalization policy. In 1955 another two LSTs where chartered into the existing fleet, Empire Cymric and Empire Nordic , bringing the fleet strength to seven. The Hamburg service was terminated in 1955, and a new service was opened between Antwerp and Tilbury. The fleet of seven ships was to be split up with the usual three ships based at Tilbury and

7850-471: The ASN were able to convince commercial operators to support the new route between Preston and the Northern Ireland port of Larne . The first sailing of this new route was on 21 May 1948 by Empire Cedric . After the inaugural sailing Empire Cedric continued on the Northern Ireland service, offering initially a twice-weekly service. Empire Cedric was the first vessel of the ASN fleet to hold

8007-751: The Confederacy by way of steamboats on the St. Johns, although the river and the Atlantic coasts were blockaded by the U.S. Navy. One action in Florida's role in the Civil War was the sinking of the USS ; Columbine , a Union paddle steamer used for patrolling the St. Johns to keep materials from reaching the Confederate Army. In 1864, near Palatka, Confederate forces under the command of Capt. John Jackson Dickison captured, burned, and sank

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8164-596: The Econlockhatchee River, and the Wekiva River causes the average discharge to increase by 940 cubic feet (27 m ) per second between Lake Harney and DeLand, representing the greatest annual average increase of streamflow along the St. Johns. As distance between the mouth of the St. Johns and the middle and upper basins increases, the salinity in the river gradually decreases. Marine water measures at 35 parts per thousand (ppt) or more while fresh water measures below 2 ppt. What ranges in between

8321-532: The Front were shipped to France from the "secret port" of Richborough , near Sandwich on the South Coast of England. This involved three train-ferries to be built, each with four sets of railway line on the main deck to allow for up to 54 railway wagons to be shunted directly on and off the ferry. These train-ferries could also be used to transport motor vehicles along with railway rolling stock. Later that month

8478-568: The Harbor), the mission established at the river's mouth following the demise of the French fort. The name first appeared on a Spanish map created between 1680 and 1700. The Timucua, as other groups of indigenous people in Florida, began to lose cohesion and numbers by the 18th century. A tribe located in modern-day Georgia and Alabama called the Creeks assisted with this; in 1702, they joined with

8635-540: The Lake George watershed, with slash pines ( Pinus elliottii ), saw palmetto ( Serenoa repens ), and over 100 species of groundcover or herbal plants that grow in poor, sandy soil. Flatwoods pine forests stay relatively dry, but can withstand short periods of flooding. Larger land animals such as wild turkeys ( Meleagris gallopavo ), sandhill cranes ( Grus canadensis ), and the largest population of southern bald eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus ) in

8792-710: The Marine Corps was due to end in 2004, and in 2000, the Corp stated their intentions to purchase the property when the lease expired. The Marine Corps budget included $ 115.7 million for the acquisition, but extended negotiations did not result in an agreement. Gate contended that the land was worth between $ 160 million and $ 200 million, so in August 2004, the Marine Corps seized 1,100 acres (4.5 km) on Blount Island (Gate's entire Blount Island holdings) by eminent domain and paid $ 101 million (later increased to $ 106 million). In

8949-520: The Seminole name may derive from walaka (from wi-alaka , "water" and "coming"), perhaps a reference to the river's slow discharge and the tidal effects on it. The name is sometimes rendered as "Chain of Lakes" in English. Though the first European contact in Florida came in 1513 when Juan Ponce de León arrived near Cape Canaveral , not until 1562 did Europeans settle the north Atlantic coast of

9106-574: The Seminoles gradually moved into Florida and began to break ties with the Creeks to become a cohesive tribe of their own. The St. Johns provided a natural boundary to separate European colonies on the east bank and indigenous lands west of the river. After Florida came under the Kingdom of Great Britain 's jurisdiction in 1763, Quaker father and son naturalists John and William Bartram explored

9263-423: The Seminoles who called him "Puc Puggy" (flower hunter). William's visit took him as far south as Blue Spring, where he remarked on the crystal clear views offered by the spring water: "The water is perfectly diaphanous, and here are continually a prodigious number and variety of fish; they appear as plain as though lying on a table before your eyes, although many feet deep in the water." Bartram's journals attracted

9420-542: The Spanish to maintain control of the river. The French and Spanish continued to spar over who would control the natural resources and native peoples of the territory. The Timucua, who had initially befriended the French, were not encouraged to make the Spanish allies because of colonial governor Pedro Menéndez de Avilés ' abhorrence of French Protestantism and his view that the Timucuan beliefs were "Satanic". By 1573,

9577-612: The St. Johns and Ocklawaha and spawn in the Sargasso Sea in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. After a year living in the ocean, many of them find their way back to the St. Johns to live, then, prompted by the phases of the moon, make the return journey to spawn and die. From the intersection of the Ocklawaha River, 101 miles (163 km) to the Atlantic Ocean, the St. Johns lies within the lower basin, draining

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9734-458: The St. Johns at Jacksonville as can manatees. Fish such as mullet ( Mullidae ), flounder ( Paralichthys lethostigma ), shad ( Alosa sapidissima ), and blue crabs ( Callinectes sapidus ) migrate from the ocean to freshwater springs upriver to spawn. Although freshwater invertebrates inhabiting and comprising algae and periphyton make the foundation of food webs in the middle and lower basin, zooplankton and phytoplankton take that role in

9891-646: The St. Johns is black, owing to the tannins in leaf litter and decaying aquatic plants. Spring fed streams, on the other hand, are remarkably clear and visibility is very high, even when the river bottom is dozens of feet below. Humans arrived on the Florida Peninsula about 12,000 years ago when the ocean was about 350 feet (110 m) lower than today, and the peninsula was double its current size. These earliest people are called Paleo-Indians . They were primarily hunter–gatherers who followed large game, such as mastodons , horses, camels, and bison. Much of

10048-417: The St. Johns or its tributaries reported at or below these minimums in the 1990s, including the mouth of the Wekiva River, the St. Johns at the town of Christmas , and in the early 2000s at Blue Spring and Blackwater Creek. Sustained low levels of dissolved oxygen may create algal blooms, which may also cause a further decrease in dissolved oxygen. Like all blackwater streams in Florida, the color of most of

10205-793: The St. Johns was significantly lowered in the 1920s with the establishment of the Melbourne Tillman drainage project. This drained the St. Johns' headwaters eastward to the Indian River through canals dug across the Ten-Mile Ridge near Palm Bay . As of 2015, these past diversions are being partially reversed through the first phase of the Canal 1 Rediversion project. The river is at its narrowest and most unpredictable in this basin. Channel flows are not apparent and are usually unmarked. The most efficient way to travel on this part of

10362-477: The St. Johns, were created by past beach ridges which were often divided by swales . As ocean water retreated, lagoons formed in the swales, which were further eroded by acidic water. Barrier islands , furthermore, formed along the Atlantic Coast, surrounding the lagoon with land and forming a freshwater river. From its origins to approximately the area of Sanford, the St. Johns flows north. It takes

10519-444: The Timucua were in outright rebellion, testing the governor's patience and forcing Spanish settlers to abandon farms and garrisons in more interior parts of Florida; the Spanish could not persuade the Timucua to keep from attacking them. Over a hundred years later, missionaries had more success, setting up posts along the river. Spanish Franciscan missionaries gave the river its current name based on San Juan del Puerto (St. John of

10676-560: The U.S. and Canada. During the 1970s, the market for exporting and importing cars increased dramatically and correspondingly also did the number and type of ROROs . In 1970 Japan's K Line built the Toyota Maru No. 10 , Japan's first pure car carrier, and in 1973 built the European Highway , the largest pure car carrier (PCC) at that time, which carried 4,200 automobiles. Today's pure car carriers and their close cousins,

10833-599: The USS Columbine , making her perhaps the only ship commandeered by the Confederacy. The same year and farther downriver, Confederates again sank a Union boat, the Maple Leaf , which struck a floating keg filled with explosives and settled into the muck near Julington Creek , south of Jacksonville. Part of the shipwreck was recovered in 1994, when it was discovered that many Civil War-era artifacts, including daguerreotypes and wooden matches, had been preserved in

10990-434: The United States in 1821 were marked with violent conflicts between white settlers and Seminoles, whose bands often included runaway African slaves. The clashes between American and Seminole forces during the establishment of the Florida territory are reflected in the towns and landmarks along the St. Johns named for those who were directly involved. Even before Florida was under U.S. jurisdiction, Major General Andrew Jackson

11147-435: The United States, when land is seized by eminent domain for "public use", the government is required to pay landowners "just compensation", so Gate asked for a jury to decide the land's value. On November 14, 2005, a jury determined that the government should pay $ 162 million for the parcel. The 754-acre (3.05 km) Blount Island Marine Terminal is JAXPORT's largest container facility, handling 80% of all container cargo at

11304-539: The Yamasee and attacked some of the Timucua, forcing them to seek protection from the Spanish who forced them into slavery. The Creeks began assimilating other people and spread farther south until they were known by 1765 as Seminoles by the British, a term adapted from cimarrones that meant "runaways" or "wild ones". The Seminoles employed a variety of languages from the peoples the Creeks had assimilated: Hitchiti , Muskogee , as well as Timucua. Between 1716 and 1767,

11461-531: The atmosphere and from aquatic plant photosynthesis, and is affected by water pressure and temperature. Rapid decomposition of organic materials will decrease the amount of dissolved oxygen in the river, as will nutrients added to the water artificially by wastewater treatment runoff or drainage from fertilized agricultural fields. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Florida recommend no less than 5 mg of oxygen per liter. Several locations on

11618-628: The attention of such prominent Americans as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton . The success of these journals inspired other naturalists such as André Michaux to further explore the St. Johns, as he did in 1788, sailing from Palatka south to Lake Monroe, and gave names to some of the plants described by the Bartrams' journals. Michaux was followed by William Baldwin between 1811 and 1817. Subsequent explorers, including John James Audubon , have carried William's Travels Through North & South Carolina, Georgia, East & West Florida with them as

11775-408: The central part of the state north, along the Atlantic Coast lived people in the St. Johns culture , named for the most significant nearby natural formation. Around 750 CE , the St. Johns culture learned to cultivate corn, adding to their diet of fish, game, and gourds. Archeologists and anthropologists date this agricultural advancement to coincide with a spread of archeological sites, suggesting that

11932-410: The city of Sanford . It is at this point that the St. Johns' navigable waterway, dredged and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with channel markers maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard , begins. Lake Monroe, a large lake at 15 square miles (39 km ) with an average depth of 8 feet (2.4 m), drains a surrounding watershed of 2,420 square miles (6,300 km ). Sanford has adapted to

12089-427: The city. Mayport is home to approximately 20 shrimping vessels that use the mouth of the St. Johns to access the Atlantic Ocean. Lying within a coastal plain , the St. Johns River passes through an area that was at one time barrier islands, coastal dunes, and estuary marshes. The Florida Peninsula was created primarily by forces and minerals from the ocean. It lies so low that minor fluctuations in sea levels can have

12246-465: The confining layer is fractured to allow breaches of water to percolate down to recharge the layer below. The Floridan Aquifer , underneath the confining layer, underlies the entire state and portions of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina. It is particularly accessible in the northern part of Florida, serving as the fresh water source of metropolitan areas from St. Petersburg north to Jacksonville and Tallahassee . Acidic rainwater erodes

12403-415: The contiguous U.S., find it easier to live in the flatwoods. Typical mammals that live in these ecosystems, such as raccoons ( Procyon lotor ), opossums ( Didelphis virginiana ), bobcats ( Lynx rufus ), and white tailed-deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ), are ones that prefer dry, flat areas with good ground cover and available nesting sites. The Ocklawaha River flows north and joins the St. Johns as

12560-482: The counties of Indian River north to Duval produces rain that is drained by the St. Johns River. Tropical Storm Fay in 2008 deposited 16 inches (410 mm) of rain in a 5-day period, most of it located near Melbourne . The St. Johns near Geneva in Seminole County rose 7 feet (2.1 m) in four days, setting a record. The river near Sanford rose 3 feet (1 m) in 36 hours. Fay caused severe flooding in

12717-655: The crew) at a speed of 18 knots, it could not have the shallow draught that would have made for easy unloading. As a result, each of the three ( Boxer , Bruiser , and Thruster ) ordered in March 1941 had a very long ramp stowed behind the bow doors. In November 1941, a small delegation from the British Admiralty arrived in the United States to pool ideas with the United States Navy 's Bureau of Ships with regard to development of ships and also including

12874-527: The early 19th century, frustrated when trying to navigate through floating islands of macrophytes , or muck and weeds, as the islands changed location with the creeping flow. Lakes Washington , Winder , and Poinsett are located further along this stretch of the river. The northernmost points of the upper basin contain the Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area , created in 1977 to assist with filtration of waters flowing into

13031-550: The efforts of railroad magnates Henry Flagler and Henry Plant to construct rail lines down the east coast of Florida, including a rail link between Sanford and Tampa. Disston was responsible for creating the towns of Kissimmee , St. Cloud , and several others on the west coast of Florida. Roll-on Roll-on/roll-off ( RORO or ro-ro ) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo , such as cars , motorcycles , trucks , semi-trailer trucks , buses , trailers , and railroad cars , that are driven on and off

13188-409: The end of the first world war vehicles were brought back from France to Richborough Port drive-on-drive-off using the train ferry. During the war British servicemen recognised the great potential of landing ships and craft. The idea was simple; if you could drive tanks, guns and lorries directly onto a ship and then drive them off at the other end directly onto a beach, then theoretically you could use

13345-483: The estuarine habitat. Mollusks gather at the St. Johns estuary in large numbers, feeding on the bottom of the river and ocean floors. The abundance and importance of oysters ( Crassostrea virginica ) is apparent in the many middens left by the Timucua in mounds many feet high. Oysters and other mollusks serve as the primary food source of shorebirds. The large trees that line the river from its source to south of Jacksonville begin to transition into salt marshes east of

13502-485: The evaporation of water called evaporites . What covers the peninsula is the result of simultaneous processes of deposits of sands, shells, and coral, and erosion from water and weather. As ocean water has retreated and progressed, the peninsula has been covered with sea water at least seven times. Waves compressed sands, calcium carbonate, and shells into limestone ; at the ocean's edge, beach ridges were created by this depositional forming. North–south axis rivers, such as

13659-527: The first purpose-built seagoing ships enabling road vehicles to roll directly on and off. The British evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940 demonstrated to the Admiralty that the Allies needed relatively large, seagoing ships capable of shore-to-shore delivery of tanks and other vehicles in amphibious assaults upon the continent of Europe. As an interim measure, three 4000 to 4800 GRT tankers, built to pass over

13816-595: The front directly on to railway wagons, which could be shunted on to a train-ferry in England and then shunted directly on to the French Railway Network, with direct connections to the Front Lines, many man hours of unnecessary labour were avoided. An analysis done at the time found that to transport 1,000 tons of war material from the point of manufacture to the front by conventional means involved

13973-805: The human tissue. Further climate change between 5,000 and 3,000 years ago led to the Middle Archaic period; evidence suggests that human habitation near the St. Johns River first occurred during this era. Populations of indigenous people increased significantly at this time, and numerous settlements near the St. Johns have been recorded from this era; the banks of the St. Johns and its arteries are dotted with middens filled with thousands of shells, primarily those of Viviparus georgianus —a freshwater snail—and oysters. The advent of regional types of pottery and stone tools made of flint or limestone marked further advancements around 500 BCE . The Archaic people transitioned into settled groups around Florida. From

14130-429: The lake by building some of its downtown area on the waterfront; citizens use boat transportation and Sanford's public dock to commute into town. Optimally an 8-foot (2.4 m) deep channel about 100 yards (91 m) wide after leaving Lake Monroe, the St. Johns meets its most significant tributary in the middle basin, the spring-fed Wekiva River , discharging approximately 42,000,000 US gallons (160,000,000 L)

14287-509: The land was far from water—most fresh water was contained in glaciers and polar ice caps. As a result, Florida was an arid landscape with few trees, dominated by grasslands and scrub vegetation. Around 9,000 years ago, the climate warmed, melting much of the polar ice caps and many glaciers, creating a wetter environment and submerging half the peninsular shelf. As Paleo-Indians now did not have to travel as far to find water, their camps became more permanent, turning into villages. With evidence of

14444-455: The larger St. Johns. Wetlands in the upper and middle basin are fed by rainwater, trapped by the structure of the surrounding land. It is an oxygen- and nutrient-poor environment; what grows usually does so in peat which is created by centuries of decaying plant material. Water levels fluctuate with the subtropical wet and dry seasons. Rain in central and north Florida occurs seasonally during summer and winter, but farther south rain in winter

14601-511: The largest tributary, and one of significant historical importance. The Ocklawaha (also printed as Oklawaha) drainage basin expands through Orange, Lake, Marion, and Alachua Counties, comprising a total of 2,769 square miles (7,170 km ). Ocala , Gainesville , and the northern suburbs of the Orlando metropolitan area are included in this basin. There are two headwaters for the Ocklawaha:

14758-565: The length of the river while visiting the southeastern United States from 1765 to 1766. They published journals describing their experiences and the plants and animals they observed. They were charged by King George III to find the source of the river they called the Picolata or San Juan, and measured its widths and depths, taking soil samples as they traveled southward. William returned to Florida from 1773 to 1777 and wrote another journal about his travels, while he collected plants and befriended

14915-501: The limestone and can form caverns. When the overlay of these caverns is particularly thin—less than 100 feet (30 m)— sinkholes can form. Where the limestone or sand/clay overlay dissolves over the aquifer and the pressure of the water pushes out, springs form. The upper and middle basins of the St. Johns River are located in a portion of the peninsula where the aquifer system is thinly confined, meaning springs and sinkholes are abundant. Springs are measured in magnitude of how much water

15072-481: The local Timucua and Mocamas were friendly. The colony was unable to support itself; some of the French deserted. Those who remained were killed in 1565 by the Spanish, led by Pedro Menéndez, when they marched north from St. Augustine and captured Fort Caroline. The river was renamed San Mateo by the Spanish in honor of the Apostle Matthew, whose feast was the following day. Capturing Fort Caroline allowed

15229-572: The local economy and supports 10,000 jobs. The U.S. Navy has two bases in the Jacksonville area: Naval Station Mayport , at the mouth of the river, serves as the second largest Atlantic Fleet operation and home port in the country. Naval Air Station Jacksonville is one of the service's largest air installations, home to two air wings and over 150 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, and the host for one of only two full-fledged Naval Hospitals remaining in Florida. If I could have, to hold forever, one brief place and time of beauty, I think I might choose

15386-545: The majority of plant life is aquatic. Wetland staples include the American white waterlily ( Nymphaea odorata ), pitcher plants , and Virginia iris ( Iris virginica ). In the southernmost points of the river, Cladium , or sawgrass, grows in vast swaths of wet prairie that at one time extended into the Everglades . These wetland flora are remarkably successful in filtering pollutants that otherwise find their way into

15543-534: The marsh, and replaced it with sterile fill. Utilities, roads and other infrastructure were established and the world's largest crane, 38 stories tall and capable of lifting 990 metric tons, was purchased and installed for $ 15 million. A total of $ 125 million was invested in development of the site and improvements, but no power plants were ever built and the company closed in 1984. Westinghouse sold their Blount Island property to Gate Petroleum for $ 17 million in 1985. The following year, Gate Petroleum leased

15700-415: The middle basin due not only to the deluge but the flat slopes of the river. Typically, however, the St. Johns basin receives between 50 and 54 inches (1,300 and 1,400 mm) of rain annually, half of it in summer months. The rate of evapotranspiration corresponds to rainfall, ranging between 27 and 57 inches (690 and 1,450 mm) a year, most of it occurring in the summer. The entire river lies within

15857-448: The mouth at Mayport averages 15,000 cubic feet (420 m ) per second, but with tides it exceeds 50,000 cubic feet (1,400 m ) per second, and following heavy rains combined with tides can top 150,000 cubic feet (4,200 m ) per second. Farther upriver, the discharge rate ranges from 1,030 cubic feet (29 m ) per second near Lake Poinsett to 2,850 cubic feet (81 m ) per second near DeLand. The confluence of numerous springs,

16014-617: The name of White Star Line ships in combination with the "Empire" ship naming of vessels in government service during the war. On the morning of 11 September 1946 the first voyage of the Atlantic Steam Navigation Company took place when Empire Baltic sailed from Tilbury to Rotterdam with a full load of 64 vehicles for the Dutch Government. The original three LSTs were joined in 1948 by another vessel, LST 3041 , renamed Empire Doric , after

16171-505: The nearly flat Pamlico terrace, giving it an overall gradient of 0.8 inches (2.0 cm) per mile (km); it is one of the flattest major rivers on the continent. Its proximity to the ocean in the lower basin affects its rise and fall with tides and salinity. Tides regularly affect water levels as far south as Lake George; when combined with extreme winds, the river's tidal effects can extend to Lake Monroe 161 miles (259 km) away and have on occasion reached Lake Harney. Tides typically raise

16328-475: The new location, expected to be completed by the end of 2024. Jaxport is currently working with the Florida Department of Transportation on a $ 45 million project to expand capacities at Blount Island. SET will contribute $ 16.5 million of that cost. The facility will then accommodate larger ships and permit two ships to berth simultaneously. The new site will have two vehicle processing buildings with

16485-469: The next or through drought and flood cycles. Of vertebrates, numerous species of frog, salamander, snake, turtle, and alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis ) proliferate in marsh waters. Most of these animals are active at night. Frog choruses are overwhelming; during alligator mating season the grunts of bulls join in. The marshes around the St. Johns River upper basin teem with birds. A recent study counted 60,000 birds in one month, nesting or feeding in

16642-529: The night on that high lonely bank above the St. Johns River — Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in Cross Creek Using an unofficial nickname of "The River City", Jacksonville has a culture centered on the St. Johns. An annual footrace named the Gate River Run accepts 18,000 participants who travel a course along and over the river twice. The largest kingfishing tournament in the U.S. is held on

16799-500: The observation that "there was little merit in a simple conception of this kind, compared with a work practically carried out in all its details, and brought to perfection." The company was persuaded to install this train ferry service for the transportation of goods wagons across the Firth of Forth from Burntisland in Fife to Granton . The ferry itself was built by Thomas Grainger ,

16956-430: The offset. Although seismic activity in Florida is mostly insignificant, several minor earthquakes have occurred near the St. Johns River, caused by the trough created by Pangaean rifting . All of Florida's abundant fresh water is the result of precipitation that returns to the atmosphere in a process called evapotranspiration that involves evaporation and transpiration of moisture from plants. As rains fall, most of

17113-635: The only totems in North America to have been found outside of the Pacific Northwest—shaped like a pelican and otter were found in 1978 after being snagged by a barge at the bottom of the river. River otters ( Lutra canadensis ) can be found through the length of the St. Johns and its tributaries, living in burrows or in the roots of trees bordering waterways. They eat crayfish, turtles, and small fish, and are active usually at night, playful but shy of human contact. The St. Johns creeps into

17270-551: The only way to the island was by boat. The house once set on the Dames Point side of the island. The children going to school caught the bus at the end of Dames point road. There is a lot of history to this island that once was a family's home. The St. Johns River between Jacksonville and the Atlantic Ocean twists and turns. That was not a problem until shipping companies began using bigger and bigger freighters after World War II. The United States Army Corps of Engineers created

17427-644: The others maintaining the Preston to Northern Ireland service. During late 1956, the entire fleet of ASN were taken over for use in the Mediterranean during the Suez Crisis , and the drive-on/drive-off services were not re-established until January 1957. At this point ASN were made responsible for the management of twelve Admiralty LST(3)s brought out of reserve as a result of the Suez Crisis too late to see service. The first roll-on/roll-off vessel that

17584-424: The peninsula. Early Spanish explorers named the river Rio de Corientes (River of Currents). The St. Johns River became the first place colonized in the region and its first battleground: when French explorer Jean Ribault erected a monument south of the river's mouth to make the French presence known, it alarmed the Spanish who had been exploring the southern and western coast of the peninsula for decades. Ribault

17741-426: The port, but also processes Ro/Ro , heavy lift, breakbulk and liquid bulk cargoes. The terminal has 6,600 linear feet (2,012 m) of deep water berths. Blount Island has one 112-ton whirly crane and eight container cranes (five 50-ton cranes, one 45-ton crane and two 40-ton cranes); two of the 50-ton cranes were purchased in 2010. The terminal also offers 240,000 square feet (22,000 m) of transit shed space and

17898-617: The possibility of building further Boxer s in the US. During this meeting, it was decided that the Bureau of Ships would design these vessels. As with the standing agreement these would be built by the US so British shipyards could concentrate on building vessels for the Royal Navy . The specification called for vessels capable of crossing the Atlantic and the original title given to them was "Atlantic Tank Landing Craft" (Atlantic (T.L.C.)). Calling

18055-829: The pure car/truck carrier (PCTC), are distinctive ships with a box-like superstructure running the entire length and breadth of the hull, fully enclosing the cargo. They typically have a stern ramp and a side ramp for dual loading of thousands of vehicles (such as cars, trucks, heavy machineries, tracked units, Mafi roll trailers , and loose statics), and extensive automatic fire control systems. The PCTC has liftable decks to increase vertical clearance, as well as heavier decks for "high-and-heavy" cargo. A 6,500-unit car ship, with 12 decks, can have three decks which can take cargo up to 150 short tons (136  t ; 134 long tons ) with liftable panels to increase clearance from 1.7 to 6.7 m (5 ft 7 in to 22 ft 0 in) on some decks. Lifting decks to accommodate higher cargo reduces

18212-416: The restrictive bars of Lake Maracaibo , Venezuela , were selected for conversion because of their shallow draft. Bow doors and ramps were added to these ships, which became the first tank landing ships. The first purpose-built LST design was HMS  Boxer . It was a scaled down design from ideas penned by Churchill. To carry 13 Churchill infantry tanks , 27 vehicles and nearly 200 men (in addition to

18369-550: The river and broad, shallow lakes. Two of the largest lakes in the middle basin are created by the river: Lake Harney and Lake Monroe. The shallow 9-square-mile (23 km ) Lake Harney is fed by the long narrow Puzzle Lake ; immediately north is the Econlockhatchee River , which joins to increase the volume of the St. Johns to where navigation becomes easier for larger boats. The river veers west, touching on Lake Jesup before it empties into Lake Monroe , passing

18526-467: The river has a long backwater . It ebbs and flows with tides that pass through the barrier islands and up the channel. Uniquely, it shares the same regional terrain as the parallel Kissimmee River , although the Kissimmee flows south. The St. Johns River is separated into three basins and two associated watersheds managed by the St. Johns River Water Management District . Because the river flows in

18683-478: The river is by airboat . Approximately 3,500 lakes lie within the overall St. Johns watershed; all are shallow, with maximum depths between 3 and 10 feet (1 and 3 m). The river flows into many of the lakes, which further confuses navigation. Eight larger lakes and five smaller ones lie in the upper basin; one of the first is named Lake Hell 'n Blazes (sometimes polished to read as Lake Helen or Hellen Blazes), referencing oaths yelled by boatmen and fishermen in

18840-452: The river is the most navigable and shipping is its primary use. The Army Corps of Engineers maintains shipping channels at least 12 feet (3.7 m) deep and 100 feet (30 m) wide. North of Jacksonville, the channels are expanded to 40 feet (12 m) deep and between 400 and 900 feet (120 and 270 m) wide. The towns and cities along the lower basin of the river are some of the oldest in Florida, and their histories have centered on

18997-508: The river level about 1.2 feet (0.37 m) at Jacksonville, decreasing some to 0.7 feet (0.21 m) at Orange Park where the river widens, and increasing back to 1.2 feet (0.37 m) at Palatka as it narrows. As a result of tidal effects, discharge measurements in the lower basin are often inaccurate. However, the estimated rate of discharge between the Ocklawaha River and the center of Jacksonville ranges from 4,000 to 8,300 cubic feet (110 to 240 m ) per second. The nontidal discharge at

19154-492: The river muck. Although the Spanish had colonized Florida for two centuries, the state remained the last part of the east coast of the United States to be developed and explored. Following the Civil War, the State of Florida was too far in debt to build roads and rail lines to further its progress. Florida Governor William Bloxham in 1881 appealed directly to a Pennsylvania-based industrialist named Hamilton Disston , initially to build canals to improve steamboat passage through

19311-436: The river's course runs through Jacksonville with a population of more than a million. Much of the economic base of Jacksonville depends on the river: 18,000,000 short tons (16,000,000 t) of goods are shipped in and out of Jacksonville annually. Exports include paper, phosphate, fertilizers, and citrus, while major imports include oil, coffee, limestone, cars, and lumber. The Port of Jacksonville produces $ 1.38 billion in

19468-450: The river. For 37 miles (60 km) the river passes through a 1,200-square-mile (3,100 km ) basin fed primarily by springs and stormwater runoff. This basin, spreading throughout Orange, Lake , Volusia , and Seminole Counties, is home to the greater Orlando metropolitan area, where two million people live and major tourist attractions are located. The topography of the middle basin varies between clearly distinguishable banks along

19625-404: The river. Both Palatka and Green Cove Springs have been popular tourist destinations in the past. Several smaller locations along the river sprang up around ferry landings, but when rail lines and then Interstate highways were constructed closer to the Atlantic Coast, many of the towns experienced significant economic decline, and ferry landings were forgotten. The final 35 miles (56 km) of

19782-490: The same landing craft to carry out the same operation in the civilian commercial market, providing there were reasonable port facilities. From this idea grew the worldwide roll-on/roll-off ferry industry of today. In the period between the wars Lt. Colonel Frank Bustard formed the Atlantic Steam Navigation Company , with a view to cheap transatlantic travel; this never materialised, but during

19939-500: The sandy soil and collects in a slight valley. The upper basin measures approximately 2,000 square miles (5,200 km ); the St. Johns transforms into a navigable waterway in Brevard County . The river touches on the borders of Osceola and Orange Counties , and flows through the southeast tip of Seminole County , transitioning into its middle basin a dozen miles (19 km) or so north of Titusville . The upper basin of

20096-471: The ship on their own wheels or using a platform vehicle, such as a self-propelled modular transporter . This is in contrast to lift-on/lift-off (LoLo) vessels, which use a crane to load and unload cargo. RORO vessels have either built-in or shore-based ramps or ferry slips that allow the cargo to be efficiently rolled on and off the vessel when in port. While smaller ferries that operate across rivers and other short distances often have built-in ramps,

20253-710: The ship unstable and causing it to capsize . Free surface water on the vehicle deck was determined by the court of inquiry to be the immediate cause of the 1968 capsize of the TEV ; Wahine in New Zealand. It also contributed to the wreck of MS  Estonia . Despite these inherent risks, the very high freeboard raises the seaworthiness of these vessels. For example, the car carrier MV  Cougar Ace listed 60 degrees to its port side in 2006, but did not sink, since its high enclosed sides prevented water from entering. In late January 2016 MV  Modern Express

20410-465: The shipping industry, cargo is normally measured by tonnage or by the tonne , but RORO cargo is typically measured in lanes in metres (LIMs). This is calculated by multiplying the cargo length in metres by the number of decks and by its width in lanes (lane width differs from vessel to vessel, and there are several industry standards). On PCCs, cargo capacity is often measured in RT or RT43 units (based on

20567-554: The signing of the Armistice on 11 November 1918, train ferries were used extensively for the return of material from the Front. Indeed, according to war office statistics, a greater tonnage of material was transported by train ferry from Richborough in 1919 than in 1918. As the train ferries had space for motor transport as well as railway rolling stock, thousands of lorries, motor cars and "B Type" buses used these ferries to return to England. During World War II , landing ships were

20724-575: The southern tip of Lake George , the second largest lake in Florida at 72 square miles (190 km ), 6 miles (9.7 km) wide and 12 miles (19 km) long. The watershed surrounding Lake George expands through 3,590 square miles (9,300 km ), lying within Ocala National Forest and Lake George State Forest , that protect an ecosystem dominated by pine and scrub more than 380,000 acres (1,500 km ) and 21,000 acres (85 km ) in size, respectively. Flatwoods forests dominate

20881-453: The speed of HMS Boxer at only 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) but had a similar load while drawing only 3 ft (0.91 m) forward when beaching. In three separate acts dated 6 February 1942, 26 May 1943, and 17 December 1943, Congress provided the authority for the construction of LSTs along with a host of other auxiliaries, destroyer escorts , and assorted landing craft . The enormous building program quickly gathered momentum. Such

21038-445: The summer months. Where the river widens between Palatka and Jacksonville, wind becomes a significant factor in navigation, and both whitecap waves and calm surface waters are common. Rain occurs more frequently in late summer and early fall. Tropical storms and nor'easters are common occurrences along the Atlantic coast of Florida; the St. Johns River lies between 10 and 30 miles (16 and 48 km) inland, so any storm striking

21195-456: The term RORO is generally reserved for large seagoing vessels. The ramps and doors may be located in the stern , bow , or sides, or any combination thereof. Types of RORO vessels include ferries , cruiseferries , cargo ships , barges , and RoRo service for air/ railway deliveries. New automobiles that are transported by ship are often moved on a large type of RORO called a pure car carrier (PCC) or pure car/truck carrier (PCTC). Elsewhere in

21352-556: The total capacity. These vessels can achieve a cruising speed of 16 knots (18 mph; 30 km/h) at eco-speed, while at full speed can achieve more than 19 knots (22 mph; 35 km/h). As of 7 August 2024 , the largest LCTC was the Höegh Aurora , the inaugural vessel of a planned class of twelve, each with a capacity of 9,100 CEU. Meanwhile, the Marine Design & Research Institute of China (MARIC)

21509-426: The up-and-coming civil engineer Thomas Bouch who argued for a train ferry with a roll-on/roll-off mechanism to maximise the efficiency of the system. Ferries were to be custom-built, with railway lines and matching harbour facilities at both ends to allow the rolling stock to easily drive on and off. To compensate for the changing tides , adjustable ramps were positioned at the harbours and the gantry structure height

21666-492: The upper basin. Wading and water birds like the white ibis ( Eudocimus albus ), wood stork ( Mycteria americana ), and purple gallinule ( Porphyrio martinicus ) depend on the water for raising their young: they prey upon small fish and tadpoles in shallow water and puddles in the dry season. In successful seasons, their colonies can number in the thousands, creating a cacophony of calls and fertilizing trees with their droppings. The river turns north again as it rolls through

21823-531: The use of 1,500 labourers, whereas when using train-ferries that number decreased to around 100 labourers. This was of utmost importance, as by 1918, the British Railway companies were experiencing a severe shortage of labour with hundreds of thousands of skilled and unskilled labourers away fighting at the front. The increase of heavy traffic because of the war effort meant that economies and efficiency in transport had to be made wherever possible. After

21980-591: The war he observed trials on Brighton Sands of an LST in 1943 when its peacetime capabilities were obvious. In the spring of 1946 the company approached the Admiralty with a request to purchase three of these vessels. The Admiralty were unwilling to sell, but after negotiations agreed to let the ASN have the use of three vessels on bareboat charter at a rate of £13 6s 8d per day. These vessels were LSTs 3519 , 3534 , and 3512 . They were renamed Empire Baltic , Empire Cedric , and Empire Celtic , perpetuating

22137-470: The war, a concept called the shipborne containerized air-defense system (SCADS) proposed a modular system to quickly convert a large RORO into an emergency aircraft carrier with ski jump, fueling systems, radar, defensive missiles, munitions, crew quarters, and work spaces. The entire system could be installed in about 48 hours on a container ship or RORO, when needed for operations up to a month unsupplied. The system could quickly be removed and stored again when

22294-428: The water is directed to lakes, streams, and rivers. However, a significant amount of fresh water is held underground but close to the surface in aquifers . A surficial aquifer consisting mostly of clay, shells, and sand is over a confining layer of denser materials. Wells are drilled in the surficial aquifer, which supplies better quality water in areas where the deepest aquifer has a high mineral content. Occasionally

22451-424: The waterline and open vehicle decks with few internal bulkheads , has a reputation for being a high-risk design, to the point where the acronym is sometimes derisively expanded to "roll on/roll over". An improperly secured loading door can cause a ship to take on water and sink, as happened in 1987 with MS  Herald of Free Enterprise . Water sloshing on the vehicle deck can set up a free surface effect , making

22608-433: The world" in a travel guide he published in 1876. The river gave Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings access to the St. Johns from her homestead at Orange Lake . The region served as a major fishing attraction until a decline in water quality occurred in the 1940s, and since then further degradation of the river and its sources have occurred. In particular, Lake Apopka earned the designation of Florida's most polluted lake following

22765-525: The year 2000, 3.5 million people lived within the various watersheds that feed into the St. Johns River. Starting in Brevard County and meeting the Atlantic Ocean at Duval County , the St. Johns is Florida's primary commercial and recreational waterway. It flows north from its headwaters, originating in the direction of the Lake Wales Ridge , which is only slightly elevated at 30 feet (9.1 m) above sea level. Because of this low elevation drop,

22922-419: Was altered to make way for agricultural and residential centers, suffering severe pollution and redirection that has diminished its ecosystem . The St. Johns, named one of 14 American Heritage Rivers in 1998, was number 6 on a list of America's Ten Most Endangered Rivers in 2008. Restoration efforts are underway for the basins around the St. Johns as Florida's population continues to increase. Historically,

23079-653: Was consistent with the city's master plan for the industrial area, but Gate chose to abandon the development and requested that the Navy cancel the contract for public relations reasons. In November 1990, Gate sold the 20-year-old Offshore Power Systems crane for $ 3 million to the China State Shipbuilding Corporation and their workers dismantled it for shipment overseas. Blount Island Command supports three Maritime Prepositioning ship squadrons (each with multiple ships) strategically located in

23236-446: Was detained after he returned to Europe. In 1564, René Goulaine de Laudonnière arrived to build Fort Caroline at the mouth of the St. Johns River; they called the river Rivière de Mai because they settled it on May 1. An artist named Jacques LeMoyne documented what he saw among the Timucuan people in 1564, portraying them as physically powerful and not lacking for provisions. Fort Caroline did not last long, though relations with

23393-470: Was formed in 1842 and the company wished to extend the East Coast Main Line further north to Dundee and Aberdeen . As bridge technology was not yet capable enough to provide adequate support for the crossing over the Firth of Forth , which was roughly five miles across, a different solution had to be found, primarily for the transport of goods, where efficiency was key. The company hired

23550-561: Was laid down in the late 1960s. In the Fall of 2009, the Port Authority received a grant of almost $ 6 million to improve the Blount Island rail system, which was also utilized by the U.S. Marine Corps' terminal. The United States Department of Transportation required matching funds of $ 1.7 million from JAXPORT. The project laid 3½ miles of new track and replaced 12,000 aging crossties. The island has highway access nearby. Interstate 295

23707-409: Was listing off France after cargo shifted on the ship. Salvage crews secured the vessel and it was hauled into the port of Bilbao, Spain. At first, wheeled vehicles carried as cargo on oceangoing ships were treated like any other cargo. Automobiles had their fuel tanks emptied and their batteries disconnected before being hoisted into the ship's hold, where they were chocked and secured. This process

23864-649: Was purpose-built to transport loaded semi trucks was Searoad of Hyannis , which began operation in 1956. While modest in capacity, it could transport three semi trailers between Hyannis in Massachusetts and Nantucket Island, even in ice conditions. In 1957, the US military issued a contract to the Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Chester, Pennsylvania , for the construction of a new type of motorized vehicle carrier. The ship, USNS Comet , had

24021-499: Was requisitioned as an emergency aircraft and helicopter transport for British Hawker Siddeley Harrier STOVL fighter planes; one Harrier was kept fueled, armed, and ready to VTOL launch for emergency air protection against long range Argentine aircraft. Atlantic Conveyor was sunk by Argentine Exocet missiles after offloading the Harriers to proper aircraft carriers, but the vehicles and helicopters still aboard were lost. After

24178-657: Was responsible for removing the Alachua Seminoles west of the Suwannee River , either killing them or forcing them farther south towards Lake County, in 1818. Jackson's efforts became the First Seminole War , and were rewarded by the naming of a cattle crossing across a wide portion of the St. Johns near the Georgia border—previously named Cowford—to Jacksonville. The result of Jackson's offensive

24335-568: Was tedious and difficult, and vehicles were subject to damage and could not be used for routine travel. An early roll-on/roll-off service was a train ferry , started in 1833 by the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway , which operated a wagon ferry on the Forth and Clyde Canal in Scotland . The first modern train ferry was Leviathan , built in 1849. The Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway

24492-481: Was the transfer of Florida to the U.S. Following the Seminole Wars, a gradual increase in commerce and population occurred on the St. Johns, made possible by steamship travel. Steamboats heralded a heyday for the river, and before the advent of local railroads, they were the only way to reach interior portions of the state. They also afforded the citizens of Jacksonville a pastime to watch competing races. By

24649-472: Was varied by moving it along the slipway. The wagons were loaded on and off with the use of stationary steam engines . Although others had had similar ideas, Bouch was the first to put them into effect, and did so with an attention to detail (such as design of the ferry slip ) which led a subsequent President of the Institution of Civil Engineers to settle any dispute over priority of invention with

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