Pensacola Bay facts for kids
Pensacola Bay is a large bay found in the northwest part of Florida, United States. This area is often called the Florida Panhandle. It is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico.
The bay is located near the city of Pensacola, Florida. It stretches across Escambia County and Santa Rosa County. Pensacola Bay is about 13 miles (21 km) long and 2.5 miles (4 km) wide.
The larger Pensacola Bay water system is very big. It includes Escambia Bay, Blackwater Bay, East Bay, and Santa Rosa Sound. Four rivers also flow into it: the Escambia, Blackwater, Yellow, and East Rivers. This whole system covers 144 square miles. It is the fourth largest water system of its kind in Florida.
Pensacola Bay is naturally protected by Fairpoint Peninsula and Santa Rosa Island. Santa Rosa Island is a barrier island. The Pensacola Bay Bridge crosses the bay. It connects Pensacola to Gulf Breeze. Part of the bay is also within the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway also runs through a section of the bay. Pensacola Bay connects to Escambia Bay and East Bay. The Pensacola Pass is a channel that links the bay to the Gulf of Mexico.
History of Pensacola Bay
After the War of 1812, the U.S. government wanted to make Pensacola and its bay stronger. They decided to build forts to protect the area.
- Navy Yard: Construction started in 1828. This was built west of the city in Warrington. Later, it became the Naval Air Station Pensacola.
- Fort Pickens: This fort was finished in 1834. It is located at the western end of Santa Rosa Island.
- Fort McRee: This fort was completed in 1839.
- Fort Barrancas: This fort was redesigned and made bigger in 1844. These forts helped defend the bay.
Oil Spill in 2010
In 2010, a big oil spill happened in the Gulf of Mexico. It was called the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Oil started to enter Pensacola Bay. This happened because the daily high tide pushed oil-filled water into the bay.
The government and BP, the oil company, planned to block the entrance to Pensacola Pass. They wanted to use a floating barrier system. This barrier would let boats pass when the tide was going out. But it would close when the tide was coming in. This was meant to stop more oil from entering the bay.
However, this plan was not fully carried out. The barrier was only in place for one day. Strong currents broke the boom. No other plan was put in place for areas with weaker currents. So, oil still entered Pensacola Pass.
See also
In Spanish: Bahía de Pensacola para niños
