The Apalachicola River - A Florida Blueway

The Apalachicola River - A Florida Blueway. A Florida Blueway. The Apalachicola River flows 107 miles from its source at the Jim Woodruff Dam to its mouth at Apalachicola Bay., A vital ecological and water resource, it has a long history as a waterway for commercial, military, and recreational use. It is Florida's largest river. The Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers flow together at Lake Seminole to form the Apalachicola. The damming of the confluence of these rivers by the U.S. Government in 1958 created a 37,500-acre reservoir that is a playground for people, waterfowl, and wildlife alike., Today's River Landing Park was a major port facility in the 19th and 20th centuries. Entrepreneurs built a tavern and warehouses to serve traffic that arrived aboard paddle wheel steamboats., The river is a popular recreation spot today, known for fishing, paddling, and enjoying the great outdoors. It is a designated Florida Blueway. , Prehistoric Highway , Archaeologists call the Apalachicola "prehistoric Highway 1." It was a major transportation route for Native Americans who traveled from as far north as the Georgia mountains and as far south as the Gulf of Mexico. This 19th century painting of the river shows Native Americans smoking fish on the near bank. , The paddlewheel steamboat Chattahoochee, an example of the 19th and early 20th century boats that traveled the river., A Vital Water Source , One of six "biodiversity hotspots" in the United States, the Apalachicola River is an International Biosphere Reserve. More that 131 species of fish live in the Apalachicola and its water is vital to the oyster beds of Apalachicola Bay. , Apalachicola River Blueway , River Landing Park is the northern gateway for paddlers looking to enjoy the Apalachicola River. Campgrounds, springs, historic sites, and natural wonders await on the downstream journey.