Withlacoochee River (Suwannee River)

The Withlacoochee River originates in Georgia, northwest of Nashville, Georgia. It flows south through Berrien County where it joins the New River and forms part of the boundary between Berrien and Cook counties. It then flows south into Lowndes County, Georgia. At Troupville, Georgia the Little River joins the Withlacoochee River flows continues to flow south and forms part of the boundary between Lowndes and Brooks counties in Georgia. The river then flows into Florida for 1.34 miles Florida before returning into Georgia for an additional 2.44 miles. It then returns to Florida , forming the northeast boundary of Madison County, Florida and the western boundary of Hamilton County, Florida and eventually merges with the Suwannee at Suwannee River State Park west of Live Oak. The river is 115 miles (185 km) long.^[1] It is believed to be the source for the name of the central Florida river of the same name.

Etymology

"Withlacoochee" probably stems from a Muskhogean 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 St. Johns River which flows through a series of large and small lakes was called welaka by the Seminoles.^[2]

Crossings

Crossing	Carries	Image	Location	ID number	Coordinates
SP4 Derrell Danforth Bridge	SR 354		Lenox, Georgia to Alapaha, Georgia		31°19′21″N 83°17′51″W / 31.322594°N 83.297435°W
	SR 125		Tifton, Georgia to Nashville, Georgia		31°12′54″N 83°16′09″W / 31.215092°N 83.269252°W
	Georgia and Florida Railroad (Abandoned 1967) Line was formerly known as the Nashville and Sparks Railroad				31°12′20″N 83°16′22″W / 31.205501°N 83.272724°W
POW Fred L. Belcher Bridge	SR 76		Adel, Georgia to Nashville, Georgia		31°11′50″N 83°16′18″W / 31.197289°N 83.271790°W
Shellie W. Parrish Memorial Bridge aka Williams Bridge	SR 37		Adel, Georgia to Ray City, Georgia		31°07′13″N 83°19′17″W / 31.120233°N 83.321272°W
	Old Lois Road (Closed)				31°07′58″N 83°18′45″W / 31.132777°N 83.312516°W
Futchs Bridge/Ferry	SR 31 Coffee Road				31°05′46″N 83°19′00″W / 31.096088°N 83.316711°W
Hagan Bridge	SR 122		Hahira, Georgia to Lakeland, Georgia		31°00′50″N 83°18′06″W / 31.013867°N 83.301798°W
	Franklinville Road (Closed)				30°58′53″N 83°16′04″W / 30.981372°N 83.267727°W
Skipper Bridge	Skipper Bridge Road				30°56′57″N 83°16′19″W / 30.949038°N 83.271902°W
Staten Road Bridge	Staten Road				30°55′59″N 83°17′20″W / 30.932936°N 83.289006°W
Double Bridges	US 41 SR 7		Valdosta, Georgia		30°53′34″N 83°19′08″W / 30.892708°N 83.318815°W
	Norfolk Southern Railway Line formerly known as Georgia Southern and Florida Railway		Valdosta, Georgia		30°51′48″N 83°19′18″W / 30.863285°N 83.321587°W
	Interstate 75		Troupville, Georgia		30°51′18″N 83°20′04″W / 30.855028°N 83.334319°W
	SR 133		Troupville, Georgia		30°51′00″N 83°20′22″W / 30.849994°N 83.339580°W
	Valdosta, Moultrie and Western Railroad (Closed 1923, now defunct)				30°50′28″N 83°21′12″W / 30.841114°N 83.353470°W
	US 84 SR 38		Ousley, Georgia to Quitman, Georgia		30°47′37″N 83°27′13″W / 30.793568°N 83.453476°W
	CSX Transportation Line was formerly known as the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad				30°47′34″N 83°27′12″W / 30.792882°N 83.453391°W
Spook Bridge	Old Quitman Highway (Closed)		Blue Springs, Georgia		30°47′23″N 83°27′06″W / 30.789828°N 83.451651°W
Spains Bridge/Ferry	Historically Spains Ferry Road (Defunct)		Spains Ferry		30°44′57″N 83°28′57″W / 30.749137°N 83.482455°W
Knights Bridge/Ferry	Historically Knights Ferry Road (Defunct)		Knights Ferry		30°42′40″N 83°27′17″W / 30.711146°N 83.454755°W
Rocky Ford Bridge	Rocky Ford Road/Clyattville-Nankin Road		Rocky Ford		30°40′30″N 83°23′40″W / 30.674944°N 83.394416°W
	Valdosta Railway (Closed 1973)				30°38′12″N 83°21′02″W / 30.636634°N 83.350468°W
Horns Ferry Bridge	SR 31		Clyattville, Georgia to Pinetta, Florida		30°38′07″N 83°18′42″W / 30.635379°N 83.311598°W
Old Horns Ferry Bridge	(Built 1895, closed 1940, defunct)		Clyattville, Georgia to Pinetta, Florida		30°38′07″N 83°18′35″W / 30.635298°N 83.309595°W
	SR 150		Bellville, Florida		30°35′48″N 83°15′35″W / 30.596707°N 83.259861°W
	(Defunct)		Bellville, Florida		30°35′45″N 83°15′34″W / 30.595830°N 83.259471°W
	(Defunct)		Madison Blue Spring State Park		30°28′58″N 83°14′37″W / 30.482897°N 83.243676°W
	SR 6		Madison Blue Spring State Park	320016	30°28′56″N 83°14′36″W / 30.482288°N 83.243448°W
West Bridge	SR 141				30°24′37″N 83°10′48″W / 30.410215°N 83.179994°W

Notes

1. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed April 18, 2011
2. Simpson, J. Clarence (1956). Mark F. Boyd, ed. Florida Place-Names of Indian Derivation. Tallahassee, Florida: Florida Geological Survey.

External links

• Withlacoochee River (North) Canoe Trail at Florida Department of Environmental Protection
• Rivers that flow north at EcoFlorida
• Withlacoochee River (North): Georgia State Line to Suwannee River State Park at Trails.com

Coordinates: 30°23′14.2″N 83°10′17.9″W / 30.387278°N 83.171639°W