| Black Creek | |
|---|---|
 Black Creek at Old Ferry Rd. Boat Ramp | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| County | Clay County,Duval County |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Confluence of North Fork and South Fork |
| • location | Middleburg |
| • coordinates | 30°04′08″N81°51′37″W / 30.06885120°N 81.86037780°W /30.06885120; -81.86037780 |
| • elevation | 33 feet (10 m) |
| 2nd source | South Fork |
| • location | Stevens Lake inCamp Blanding[1] |
| • coordinates | 29°53′32″N82°00′34″W / 29.89231482°N 82.00939680°W /29.89231482; -82.00939680 |
| • elevation | 157 feet (48 m) |
| 3rd source | North Fork |
| • location | Kingsley Lake[1] |
| • coordinates | 29°57′54″N81°59′56″W / 29.96503202°N 81.99902458°W /29.96503202; -81.99902458 |
| • elevation | 174 feet (53 m) |
| Mouth | |
• location | 3 miles (4.8 km) north ofGreen Cove Springs on theSt. Johns River[1] |
• coordinates | 30°02′29″N81°42′29″W / 30.04135220°N 81.70814890°W /30.04135220; -81.70814890 |
• elevation | Less than 5 feet (1.5 m)[1] |
| Basin size | 474 mi2 (1,230 km2)[2] |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 515 cu ft/s (14.6 m3/s)[3] |
Black Creek is a tributary of theSt. Johns River inClay County, Florida. It is formed by the confluence of North Fork Black Creek and South Fork Black Creek. North Fork Black Creek originates as an outflow fromKingsley Lake and flows north and then southeast, meeting South Fork Black Creek on the east side ofMIddleburg. North Fork Black Creek has Yellow Water Creek as its main tributary. South Fork Black Creek originates in a chain of lakes about four miles south of Kingsley Lake, with Ates Creek, Bull Creek, and Greens Creek as its main tributaries. Both forks are fed by areas of wetlands and numerous small streams.
The Black Creek basin covers 474 square miles (1,230 km2), including about two-thirds of Clay County. The western edge of the basin is the Trail Ridge, a sand ridge extending from northeastern Florida into southeastern Georgia. The northern 74 square miles (190 km2) of the Black Creek watershed lies inDuval County. North Fork Black Creek and South Fork Black Creek both originate from lakes in the southwestern portion of the basin, about four miles apart. The average flow of Back Creek into the St. Johns River is 515 cu ft/s (14.6 m3/s), of which about 44% is from South Fork, 39% is from North Fork, and the remaining 17% is from Peters Creek and other tributaries below the confluence of North Fork and South Fork.[4][5][6]
The Black Creek Crayfish (Procambarus pictus) was once thought to be found only in upland streams in the Black Creek basin.[7] It has since been found in a few neighboring stream basins.[8]
The main stem of Black Creek from the confluence of the forks to its mouth on the St. Johns River is 13.0 miles (20.9 km) long.[9] Peter's Creek joins Black Creek just before its mouth. Black Creek flows into the St. Johns River 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Green Cove Springs.[4]
TheSt. Johns River Water Management District has established the Black Creek Ravines Conservation Area along 2.7 miles (4.3 km) of the south side of Black Creek from just above where North Fork Black Creek and South Fork Black Creek join.[10][11]
North Fork Black Creek arises as the outflow fromKingsley Lake. It runs 14 miles (23 km) northward and then turns to the southeast flowing throughJennings State Forest to its confluence with South Fork Black Creek near Middleburg. Its primary tributary is Yellow Water Creek, which arises in swamps in Duval County, flowing south to meet North Fork Black Creek in Jennings State Forest.[4]
The North Fork passes the Main Street Boat Ramp, and the approximate location of FortsHeileman and Sanderson.
South Fork Black Creek arises in three lakes inCamp Blanding, starting as the outflow from Stevens Lake and passing through Whitmore Lake and Varnes Lake. It flows generally northeastward, then west of north until turning northeastward again shortly before joining North Fork Black Creek near Middleburg. The stream has three primary tributaries; Ates Creek, Bull Creek, and Greens Creek.[4]
Black Creek is ablackwater stream. The streams in the Black Creek basin carry 30 to as much as 336parts-per-million (ppm) of dissolved substances. The color of North Fork Black Creek water ranges as high as 240 (on a scale of 0–500) units on thePlatinum-Cobalt scale.Hardness,pH, and particularly, color and iron content make the water from Black Creek objectionable to most users.[12]
The Alachua Trail was an ancient Indian trail that ran from theAltamaha River inGeorgia to south of theAlachua Prairie, a primary route from the Southeastern United States into north central Florida during theSecond Spanish andFlorida territorial periods. Another ancient trail branched from the Alachua Trail southwest of Kingsley Lake, passing south of the lake to Middleburg and Black Creek. The Black Creek route offered the settlers around the Alachua Prairie a shorter alternative to access water-borne commerce than the original route to theSt. Mary's River.[13] Steamboats plying the St. Johns River made regular stops at Black Creek in the 1830s and 1840s.[14]
In 1826, amilitary road was established betweenColeraine, Georgia, on theSt. Marys River andTampa Bay. The road followed Black Creek Trail from its juncture with the Alachua Trail, crossing Black Creek where the North and South forks joined, and then proceeding to a juncture with theKing's Road northeast of what is nowJacksonville. The town of Middleburg grew up where the road crossed Black Creek. During theSecond Seminole War Fort Heileman was established there. Cotton and other agricultural produce from the Alachua Prairie area was carried over the Black Creek Trail to Middleburg, which became an important cotton-shipping port between the Second Seminole War and theCivil War. Middleburg eventually lost its monopoly on trade with the Alachua Prairie area. A wagon road was opened in the 1830s betweenMicanopy, on the south edge of the Alachua Prairie, andSt. Augustine, crossing theSt. Johns River via the Alachua Ferry. TheFlorida Railroad, starting fromFernandina, reachedAlachua County in 1860, capturing the Cotton shipments that had previously gone to Middleburg.[15]
The Black Creek Water Resource Development Project is planned to pump water from a point on the South Fork Black Creek out of the Black Creek Basin to feed into Alligator Creek in southwestern Clay County. Alligator Creek flows into Lake Brooklyn, adjacent toKeystone Heights. The project is intended to raise the water level in Lake Brooklyn and replenish theUpper Floridian aquifer. The State of Florida appropriated almost $43.4 million for the project in 2017. The St. Johns River Water Management District is providing another $5 million for the project. Up to 10 million US gallons (38 Ml) a day will be captured at an intake station whereFlorida State Road 16 crosses the South Fork west ofPenney Farms. Water will be diverted from South Fork only when the stream flow is at or above average. The diverted water will be pumped through a pipeline running along State Road 16 west to the junction withFlorida State Road 21, and then south along State Road 21 until it reaches Alligator Creek.
The project was delayed when theUS Environmental Protection Agency raised questions about the effects of adding dark water from the Black Creek basin to the clear water of Lake Brooklyn. The District implemented a pilot project in March, 2021 to test filtering the Black Creek water through a man-made wetland. A consultant estimated that a full-scale wetland filter might cost $15 million to construct.[16][17]
Two majorhighways cross Black Creek:State Road 21 crosses North Fork Black Creek at Middleburg andU.S. Route 17 near the mouth of Black Creek at the St. Johns River.[18]State Road 16 crosses North Fork Black Creek just below its outflow from Kingsley Lake, and crosses South Fork Black Creek east of Penney Farms.County Road 218 also crosses South Fork Black Creek at Middleburg just .1 miles (0.16 km) east of State Road 21 or as it is more commonly known Blanding Blvd. and again crosses North Fork Black Creek 8.2 miles west of Blanding Blvd., northwest of the south entrance to Jennings State Forest.
Portions of North Fork Black Creek, South Fork Black Creek, Peters Creek, and areas around boat ramps on the lower Black Creek, are designated "slow speed/minimum wake" zones. Portions of North Fork Black Creek and South Fork Black Creek are also closed to water skiing.[19]
30°02′33″N81°42′39″W / 30.042424°N 81.710815°W /30.042424; -81.710815
Authority control databases: National |
|---|