The Ochlockonee River

The Ochlockonee River is one of the Apalachee region's most important river corridors and it has the potential to be one of the most significant greenways in the region. It connects the Red Hills area in the north with the public forests, wildlife management areas and coastal areas of the south. The Ochlockonee River has been designated as an Outstanding Florida Water, the state's highest designation of quality for natural water bodies. The river and its corridor are home to many fish, wildlife and plant species that are endangered, threatened or of special concern. The river corridor is part of a Strategic Habitat Conservation Area identified by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission for the Florida black bear. The Florida Natural Areas Inventory has classified the upper river segments as an alluvial stream community which is rare in Florida. Rare plants and animals are also found along the Ochlockonee River's tributaries. The river and its corridor also offer excellent recreational opportunities, as does Ochlockonee Bay. Recreational activities on the water include fishing for bass, perch and brearn and canoeing on the state-designated canoe trail upstream and downstream of Lake Talquin. Canoeists also enjoy floating Telogia Creek and the Little River below State Road 12. The Ochlockonee and Sopchoppy rivers' canoe trails end at the bay. Nearby are ten fresh and salt water beaches, 15 campgrounds, and several trails for hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding. The Florida National Scenic Trail follows the River for two miles before crossing it in the Apalachicola National Forest. Archaeological sites have been found in the river corridor indicating it has been used by at least five Native American cultures. Growth and Development Though the Ochlockonee River is probably the most heavily used river for recreation in the region and many rare species live along its banks, little has been done to conserve the river's natural and recreational resources outside the Talquin State Forest, the Apalachicola National Forest, and the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. For much of its length, most of the land along its banks is privately owned and threatened by future residential development. The river's water quality has been degraded by agricultural runoff, strip mining for fuller's earth, runoff from four major highways, a canning factory in Georgia and four wastewater treatment plants (two in Georgia and two in Florida) discharging effluent into the river's tributaries. Most residential development along the river is scattered, with the greatest concentrations near Lake Talquin and Ochlockonee Bay. Stewardship of the plantation lands north of Lake Talquin State Forest has helped to protect this portion of the river's natural corridor. The greatest threat to the continuity of the river's natural corridor are numerous crossings separated by only a few miles, including two highways, a railroad, pipelines, and electricity transmission lines. A proposed 800-acre commercial development and a regional landfill in Gadsden County threaten the river's wetlands and floodplains. The proposed residential development of Bald Point at the mouth of Ochlockonee Bay threatens the habitats of several rare species. Recommendations Evaluate the river's many pollution sources to determine their impact and develop strategies to reduce pollution. Develop strategies to conserve a greenway along the river corridor to minimize habitat fragmentation that threaten species diversity and the habitats of rare and endangered species, and to provide opportunities for outdoor recreation. Improve coordination between governments in Florida and Georgia to develop strategies addressing water quality issues, including local land use regulations for the river corridor and its tributaries. RARE ANIMALS AND PLANTS ALONG THE OCHLOCKONEE   Animals: red-cockaded woodpecker (endangered) wood stork (nesting colony) southern bald eagle (three nests recorded) white ibis (rookery) Suwannee bass little blue heron (nesting colony) Mississippi kite least tern (breeding area) Apalachicola dusky salamander Atlantic sturgeon Ochlockonee moccasin shell mussel (found only in one location on the river) Plants: Ashe's magnolia (endangered) orange azalea (endangered) bent golden aster (endangered) wild gentian (endangered) Florida maybell (found only here and along the Chipola River)

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