The Withlacoochee River or Crooked River is a river in central
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, in the United States. It originates in the Green Swamp, east of Polk City, flowing west, then north, then northwest and finally west again before emptying into the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
near Yankeetown. The river is longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data The National Map accessed April 18, 2011 and has a
drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...
of . It is believed to have been named after the Withlacoochee River in the northern part of the state, near the border with
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
.
Along the route of central Florida's Withlacoochee River is the
Withlacoochee State Trail
Withlacoochee State Trail is a long paved, multi-use, non-motorized rail trail in Florida located in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties. It follows along the Withlacoochee River and passes through the Withlacoochee State Forest. It is the ...
, the longest paved
rail trail
A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...
in Florida; the
Cypress Lake Preserve
Cypress Lake Preserve is a nature preserve in Ridge Manor, Florida. The preserve is located in the vicinity of US 98/ SR 50 and Ridge Manor Boulevard in Ridge Manor, Florida
Ridge Manor is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hernando County, F ...
, a park with approximately of frontage; and
Nobleton Wayside Park
Nobleton Wayside Park a park at 29061 Lamkin Drive in Nobleton, Florida that includes a boat ramp launching point on the Withlacoochee River as well as a shelter, basketball court, and picnic tables.Nobleton that includes a boat ramp, shelter, basketball court, and picnic tables.
The
Southwest Florida Water Management District
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (or SWFWMD, pronounced as "swiftmud" based on the word acronym), is one of five regional agencies directed by Florida State law (United States), state law to protect and preserve water resources. Es ...
operates a nature preserve and recreational area with of frontage on the Withlacoochee River in
Citrus County
Citrus County is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 153,843. Its county seat is Inverness, and its largest community is Homosassa Springs.
Citrus County compris ...
. The property was purchased for $13.5 million in 2005 from the
South Florida Council
The South Florida Council is a 501(c)(3) organization chartered by the Boy Scouts of America to serve Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties in South Florida. As of 2022, the South Florida Council had a membership of more than 20,000 you ...
, which had used it as the McGregor Smith Scout Reservation.
The Withlacoochee River flows through Pasco and Hernando counties, and then forms part of the boundary between Hernando County and Sumter County and all of the boundary between Citrus County and Sumter County, between Citrus County and Marion County and between Citrus County and
Levy County
Levy County is a county located on the Gulf coast and in the northern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,915. Its county seat is Bronson.
History
Levy County was created in 1845, after the Seminol ...
(including
Lake Rousseau
Lake Rousseau is a reservoir on the Withlacoochee River in central Florida, on the boundary of Levy County to the north-west, Marion County to the north-east, and Citrus County to the south. It was created in the early 1900s when the river was ...
). The largest city close to the river is
Dade City
Dade City is a city in and the county seat of Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is located in the Tampa Bay Area. The population was 6,437 at the 2010 census.
Dade City is popular with tourists for its antique stores, restaurants, and h ...
.
Etymology
"''Withlacoochee''" probably stems from a
Muskhogean
Muskogean (also Muskhogean, Muskogee) is a Native Americans in the United States, Native American language family spoken in different areas of the Southeastern United States. Though the debate concerning their interrelationships is ongoing, the ...
dialect, which suggests that its application is comparatively recent. It is compounded of Creek ''we'' (water), ''thlako'' (big), and ''chee'' (little), or ''little big water''. This word combination signifies ''little river'' in the Creek language, and as ''we-lako'' or ''wethlako'' may also refer to a lake, it may signify a river of lakes, or lake river. The Withlacoochee flows just to the eastward of Tsala Apopka Lake, and the
St. Johns River
The St. Johns River ( es, Río San Juan) is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders twelve counties. The drop in eleva ...
which flows through a series of large and small lakes was called ''welaka'' by the
Seminoles
The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and ...
. An alternate etymology holds that Withlacoochee is a Native American word meaning "crooked river", which accurately describes the river as it makes its 70-mile journey from the Green Swamp in northern Polk County to the Gulf of Mexico at Yankeetown.
List of crossings
See also
*
South Atlantic-Gulf Water Resource Region
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
References
Further reading
* Henderson, Rex. 1990. Withlacoochee River. in Marth, Del and Marty Marth, eds. ''The Rivers of Florida''. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press, Inc. .
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is the Florida government agency responsible for environmental protection.
History
By the mid-1960s, when the federal government was becoming increasingly involved in initiatives design ...