Where the River Meets The Bay

Where the River Meets The Bay. . Apalachicola Bay is considered one of the least polluted, most undeveloped, resource rich systems in the U.S. The Apalachicola drainage basin includes upland, floodplain, riverine, estuarine, and barrier island environments all of which are inter-related and influenced by each other., The Apalachicola River basin drains the Chattahoochee and Flint River basins and brings huge amounts of fresh water into the Apalachicola River, where both plants and animals depend on large amounts of water to thrive. The river flows into Apalachicola Bay where it mixes with salt water to create a brackish estuary, which is an ideal nursery habitat for many species. The salty water pushes into the Gulf of Mexico, where a briny halo is formed around the Bay, ideal spawning and nursery areas for many offshore fish species., Numerous protective designations have been granted to note the importance of and help protect the Apalachicola Bay and River system. Some of those designations include Aquatic Preserve, National Estuarine Research Reserve, Outstanding Florida Water, Area of Critical State Concern and Biosphere Reserve. All of these designations, from state, national, and international agencies, recognize the Apalachicola River and Bay system as a unique and environmentally sensitive resource which deserves protection. Because of its unique geographic location, Franklin County is also part of the Atlantic and Mississippi flyway - a superhighway for migrating birds. In addition to native bird species, birders also can see migratory birds such as least terns, American oystercatchers, plovers, bald eagles, Peregrine falcons, marsh hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, merlins, kestrels, swallow tail kites, night heron, ospreys, indigo buntings and summer tanagers during annual migration and nesting periods., (sidebar) , The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve Visitor Center in Eastpoint features a nature center., The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve was established in 1979 as part of a system of reserves around America to protect estuaries. The Reserve encompasses nearly 247,000 acres of public lands and waters in the Florida Panhandle., The Reserve is part of a watershed that is nearly 20,000 square miles in size, that stretches from the Gulf Coast of Florida to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in North Georgia. Watery habitats within the Reserve include the lower 52 miles of the Apalachicola River and the portion of Apalachicola Bay from Indian Pass eastward through St. George Sound. Extensive bottom land hardwoods, pine flatwoods and coastal barrier islands are just a few of the natural communities that make the Reserve a true gem of natural diversity. This one estuary provides people with shrimp, crabs, fish and oysters., Scan the code to read more Apalachicola history at www.Cityofapalachicola.com, (captions) , Photo courtesy Florida State Archive , Photo courtesy Jeff Wolfram, ANERR