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18-710: The historical and original source of the Ocklawaha River is Lake Griffin , part of the Harris chain of lakes in Lake County, Florida . The river now receives discharge from the entire Harris Chain of Lakes, including Lake Eustis , Lake Harris , Lake Dora , Lake Beauclair and Lake Apopka , via a series of man-made canals and natural waterways including Haynes Creek, the Dead River, the Dora Canal, and

36-466: A full-facility campground, a half-mile nature trail, a boat ramp that provides access to the Dead River , and a playground for small children as well as kayak and canoe rentals, a forty site campground, and a picnic area. The park is open from 8:00 am until sundown year-round. This Florida State Park related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about

54-515: A hydric soil is waterlogged long enough to support not only the growth of plants adapted to life in anaerobic conditions but also the regeneration of such plants. Another common definition of a hydric soils is provided by the National Technical Committee of Hydric Soils (NTCHS) as "a soil that formed under conditions of saturation, flooding, or ponding long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in

72-474: A location in Lake County , Florida is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Hydric soil Hydric soil is soil which is permanently or seasonally saturated by water, resulting in anaerobic conditions, as found in wetlands . Most soils are aerobic . This is important because plant roots respire (that is, they consume oxygen and carbohydrates while releasing carbon dioxide ) and there must be sufficient air—especially oxygen—in

90-415: A relatively small portion of the landscape, they maintain important soil functions in the environment. The plants found in hydric soils often have aerenchyma , internal spaces in stems and rhizomes, that allow atmospheric oxygen to be transported to the rooting zone. Hence, many wetlands are dominated by plants with aerenchyma; common examples include cattails, sedges and water-lilies. A hydric soil

108-793: Is a popular place to canoe , kayak and fish . The river forms the western boundary of the Ocala National Forest . Portions of the river remain mostly undisturbed by man. The natural landscapes and lush wildlife and growth of the outlying area are mostly hydric hammocks and flatwoods , with scrub pine ridges and sugar sandy soils. Wildlife is abundant, including wild turkey , white-tailed deer , and wading birds in this area. Outdoor recreational activities include hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, hiking, horseback riding, and paddling, although there are few established trails. The Gores Landing unit of Ocklawaha River Wildlife Management Area consists of almost 3,000 acres (12 km) along

126-571: Is artificially diverted towards Orange Lake via the Camps Canal, the rest flows to its historic destination, Paynes Prairie . The river was used extensively in the 19th century and early 20th century for steamboat transportation, most famously the Hart Line operated by Hubbard L. Hart . Narrow steamboats such as the Alligator were used to navigate the constrictive and winding river. In

144-497: Is defined by federal law to mean "soil that, in its undrained condition, is saturated, flooded, or ponded long enough during a growing season to develop an anaerobic condition that supports the growth and regeneration of hydrophytic vegetation". This term is part of the legal definition of a wetland included in the United States Food Security Act of 1985 (P.L. 99-198). This definition is provided in

162-436: Is easily accessible and very popular with boaters. Orange Creek is navigable for most of its length by canoe. Most non-canoe navigation ends with Lake Apopka. Aids to navigation along the main river and its source tributaries include: The river has suffered severe ecological damage in the 20th century from impoundment , fertilizer runoff, dredging , pollution and rerouting. In the 1960s and 1970s, Marjorie Harris Carr led

180-636: Is home to one of the state's largest live oak trees. The park is unique in connecting to Lake Griffin, the Ocklawaha River and thence to the Harris Chain of Lakes , and is made up of 577.63 acres (2.33758 km ) of swampland and hardwood upland. Activities include boating and canoeing, kayaking, hiking, fishing, camping, and wildlife viewing. Among the wildlife of the park are osprey , bald eagle , blue heron , anhinga , ibis , American alligator , and river otter . Amenities include

198-656: Is the principal tributary of the St. Johns River. The most important and well-known tributary of the Ocklawaha is the Silver River , which carries the discharge from Silver Springs . Another important tributary of the Ocklawaha is Orange Creek , which originates from Orange Lake , which is fed by Lochloosa Lake via Cross Creek and by Newnans Lake , via the Prairie Creek. From Prairie Creek, only half of its water

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216-535: The 1870s, the route between Palatka and Silver Springs became very popular and was travelled by prominent figures such as Harriet Beecher Stowe , Ulysses S. Grant , Thomas Edison and Mary Todd Lincoln to visit Silver Springs. The scenic trip up the river added a sense of adventure to a visit to Silver Springs. The popularity of the river route to Silver Springs declined after the arrival of railroad service to Ocala in 1881. The river and its source tributaries are navigable for most of their length. The Silver River

234-548: The Apopka-Beauclair Canal. The addition of the canals has increased both the discharge and amount of runoff pollution carried into the river. The Ocklawaha River watershed includes parts of the Green Swamp , most of Lake County , and portions of Marion , Alachua and Putnam counties. The largest of several large lakes in the Ocklawaha's watershed is Lake Apopka near Orlando . The Ocklawaha River

252-703: The Ocklawaha River in eastern Marion County. The Ocklawaha River basin is a primary tributary of the St. Johns River Water Management District . 29°28′13″N 81°41′25″W  /  29.4702489°N 81.6903582°W  / 29.4702489; -81.6903582 Lake Griffin State Park Lake Griffin State Park is a Florida State Park located two miles (3 km) north of Leesburg , in Fruitland Park and 30 miles (48 km) south of Ocala on U.S. Highway 441 . It

270-644: The controlling regulations to the Wetland Conservation Provisions of the FSA of 1985(7 C.F.R 12) and is used by the U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service in the administration of the Wetland Conservation Compliance provisions ("Swampbuster") contained in the FSA of 1985. In adopting this definition in 1985, Congress attempted to capture the duration of waterlogged condition of a hydric soil by adding that

288-455: The remaining oxygen. When this anaerobic environment continues for long periods during the growing season, quite different biological and chemical reactions begin to dominate, compared with aerobic soils. In soils where saturation with water is prolonged and is repeated for many years, unique soil properties usually develop that can be recognized in the field. Soils with these unique properties are called hydric soils, and although they may occupy

306-726: The soil to support most forms of soil life . Air normally moves through interconnected pores by forces such as changes in atmospheric pressure , the flushing action of rainwater, and by simple diffusion . In addition to plant roots , most forms of soil microorganisms need oxygen to survive. This is true of the more well-known soil animals as well, such as ants , earthworms and moles . But soils can often become saturated with water due to rainfall and flooding. Gas diffusion in soil slows (some 10,000 times slower) when soil becomes saturated with water because there are no open passageways for air to travel. When oxygen levels become limited, intense competition arises between soil life forms for

324-559: The successful campaign to stop construction of the Cross Florida Barge Canal , which would have dammed the river at two points and created two artificial reservoirs to facilitate navigation along the canal; however, the river is still blocked by Rodman Dam . Florida Defenders of the Environment, which Carr co-founded in 1969, continues to push for the preservation and restoration of the Ocklawaha River. The river

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