Pottsburg Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pottsburg Creek |
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The flooded boat ramp of Pottsburg Creek during Tropical Storm Fay.
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| Country | United States |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Pond near J. Turner Butler Blvd. |
| River mouth | St. Johns River near Arlington. |
| Length | 16 miles (26 km) |
The Pottsburg Creek is a small urban creek in Jacksonville, Florida. It starts near a pond behind an old TV studio. This creek flows into the Arlington River, which then empties into the big St. Johns River. Pottsburg Creek mostly travels through the Southside area of Jacksonville and parts of the Arlington neighborhood.
The Creek's Journey
The Pottsburg Creek begins in the Southpoint area of Jacksonville. Its starting point is a pond, possibly a "retention pond" built to collect rainwater. This pond is near a television studio once used by the ABC channel WJXX. Old maps from 1824 already show Pottsburg Creek as a branch of the Arlington River.
When it first starts, the creek is very narrow. It looks almost like a swampy canal. The creek then goes under the busy J. Turner Butler Blvd., heading north. In this area, the creek is very overgrown. It's hard to see if you are driving by.
As the creek continues north, it flows through neighborhoods. It gets water from many places. This includes pollution and fertilizers from nearby areas. Many ponds and storm drains also feed into this part of the creek. This causes the water level to change a lot here.
The creek keeps going north. It passes under U.S. 90/SR 212/Beach Blvd. You might see several TV towers along the creek in this area. These include towers for WFOX-TV, WJAX-TV, and WCWJ. Other towers for WTLV, WJXT, and WJXX are also nearby. This part of the creek is known as Killarney Shores.
The creek starts to get wider as it leaves the Southside. It then enters the Arlington area. Many boats use this part of the creek because there is a city boat ramp nearby. Soon, the creek is joined by water from Pottsburg Spring and the Little Pottsburg Creek. The creek gets even wider as it passes under Atlantic Blvd. Finally, it flows out to meet the St. Johns River.
What Feeds the Creek?
Pottsburg Creek gets most of its water from rainwater. It also receives water from retention ponds. These ponds collect runoff from storms. Other smaller streams also flow into Pottsburg Creek. These are called tributaries. Some of these named tributaries include the Little Pottsburg Creek, Strawberry Creek, and Silversmith Creek. Water from Pottsburg Spring also adds to the creek.
