Santa Fe River (Florida) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Santa Fe
Santa Fe River, north of High Springs
Santa Fe River Drainage Basin
Country	United States
State	Florida
Cities	Keystone Heights, Branford
Physical characteristics
Main source	Lake Santa Fe Keystone Heights, Florida
River mouth	Suwannee River Branford, Florida
Length	75 mi (121 km)
Basin features
Basin size	1,380 sq mi (3,600 km2)

The Santa Fe River is a 75-mile (121 km) river in northern Florida. The watershed of the river is approximately 1,380 square miles (3,574 km²) and spreads across southern Columbia, southern Suwannee, western Bradford, far southern Baker, Union, northern and eastern Gilchrist, and northern Alachua counties. The headwaters of the river are Lake Santa Fe, near Keystone Heights. The Santa Fe River is usually a slow-flowing river. This slow speed, combined with the abundant leaf-drop from nearby trees, especially Bald Cypress, leads to a very dark-brown river due to dissolved tannins.

The Santa Fe River is typical of many rivers in karst regions in that it completely disappears underground and then reappears 5 kilometres (3 mi) downstream. The river drops into a large sinkhole in O'Leno State Park and reappears in the adjacent River Rise Preserve State Park. The land over the underground section of the river, referred to as a natural bridge, was used for the main route of the Spanish mission trail and the Bellamy Road to avoid a water crossing of the Santa Fe River.

Springs like Gilchrist Blue, Ginnie, Hornsby, Lily, Poe, and Rum Island springs are located at the banks of the river, mostly downstream of the river's reappearance above ground level. The water temperature near the numerous springs is always around 72 °F (22 °C). The area is sparsely populated compared to the rest of Florida, there have been sightings of animals like the black bear, bobcat, the rare Florida panther and due to the near-constant water temperatures along many portions of the river, manatees. As with many rivers in Florida, plant and animal fossil remnants are plentiful along the Santa Fe.

The tributaries of the Santa Fe include the New River, Olustee Creek, and the Ichetucknee River, another spring-fed river. The Santa Fe empties into the Suwannee River near Branford, Florida.

The river derives its name from a Franciscan mission named Santa Fé de Toloca formerly located near the river.

List of crossings

Crossing	Carries	Image	Location	Coordinates
Headwaters (Santa Fe Lake)			Waldo	29°26′33″N 82°02′35″W / 29.44248°N 82.04311°W / 29.44248; -82.04311
Culvert	County Road 1471			29°49′55″N 82°08′16″W / 29.831823°N 82.137833°W / 29.831823; -82.137833
	Wildwood Subdivision (Railroad)			29°50′00″N 82°08′56″W / 29.833462°N 82.149002°W / 29.833462; -82.149002
260107, 260108	US 301		Hampton	29°50′22″N 82°09′49″W / 29.839430°N 82.163572°W / 29.839430; -82.163572
	Unnamed Road			29°50′44″N 82°12′21″W / 29.845497°N 82.205842°W / 29.845497; -82.205842
	N County Road 225			29°50′47″N 82°13′10″W / 29.846297°N 82.219421°W / 29.846297; -82.219421
	SW 136th Avenue		Brooker	29°50′50″N 82°15′50″W / 29.847093°N 82.263991°W / 29.847093; -82.263991
260025	SR 235			29°52′44″N 82°20′10″W / 29.878799°N 82.336211°W / 29.878799; -82.336211
260032	County Road 1493			29°52′53″N 82°23′05″W / 29.881297°N 82.384824°W / 29.881297; -82.384824
Confluence with New River			Worthington Springs	29°55′24″N 82°25′07″W / 29.923204°N 82.418574°W / 29.923204; -82.418574
260111	SR 121			29°55′19″N 82°25′35″W / 29.921824°N 82.426330°W / 29.921824; -82.426330
260086	SW County Road 241			29°56′34″N 82°30′24″W / 29.942729°N 82.506794°W / 29.942729; -82.506794
290086, 290087	I-75		High Springs	29°55′36″N 82°33′32″W / 29.926593°N 82.558769°W / 29.926593; -82.558769
260112	US 41 / US 441			29°51′11″N 82°36′30″W / 29.853014°N 82.608462°W / 29.853014; -82.608462
260006	US 27			29°50′34″N 82°37′50″W / 29.842745°N 82.630659°W / 29.842745; -82.630659
310007	SR 47		Fort White	29°51′54″N 82°44′24″W / 29.865017°N 82.740092°W / 29.865017; -82.740092
confluence with Ichetucknee River				29°55′56″N 82°48′01″W / 29.932325°N 82.800262°W / 29.932325; -82.800262
310005	US 129		Branford	29°54′42″N 82°51′36″W / 29.911679°N 82.860095°W / 29.911679; -82.860095
Mouth (Suwannee River)				29°53′14″N 82°52′46″W / 29.887257°N 82.879563°W / 29.887257; -82.879563