Withlacoochee River (Suwannee River tributary)

This article is about the northern Withlacoochee River. For the southern river, see Withlacoochee River (Florida).

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 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]

Withlacoochee River near the confluence with the Suwannee River

A river in central Florida is also named the Withlacoochee.

Etymology

The Withlacoochee River received its name from the indigenous Muscogee and Seminole people. It comes from the compound Creek word ue-rakkuce [IPA: wiɬakːut͡ʃi], from ue "water", rakko "big", and -uce "small", with the rough translation "little river."^[2][3] English speakers then changed the Muskogee voiceless lateral spelled r to "thl".

Crossings

Crossing	River Miles	Carries	Image	Location	ID number	Coordinates
Georgia
SP4 Derrell Danforth Bridge	~115	SR 354		Lenox, Georgia to Alapaha, Georgia		31.322594°N 83.297435°W / 31.322594; -83.297435
Oak Ford Bridge	~106	SR 125		Tifton, Georgia to Nashville, Georgia		31.215092°N 83.269252°W / 31.215092; -83.269252
		Georgia and Florida Railroad (Abandoned 1967) Line was formerly known as the Nashville and Sparks Railroad				31.205501°N 83.272724°W / 31.205501; -83.272724
POW Fred L. Belcher Bridge	~105	SR 76		Adel, Georgia to Nashville, Georgia		31.197289°N 83.271790°W / 31.197289; -83.271790
Shellie W. Parrish Memorial Bridge aka Williams Bridge	97.65[4]	SR 37		Adel, Georgia to Ray City, Georgia		31.120233°N 83.321272°W / 31.120233; -83.321272
B Williams Bridge		Old Lois Road (Closed)				31.132777°N 83.312516°W / 31.132777; -83.312516
Futchs Bridge/Ferry	95.2	Coffee Road				31.096088°N 83.316711°W / 31.096088; -83.316711
Hagan Bridge	84.7	SR 122		Hahira, Georgia to Lakeland, Georgia		31.013867°N 83.301798°W / 31.013867; -83.301798
Tyler Bridge	79.8	Franklinville Road (Closed)				30.981372°N 83.267727°W / 30.981372; -83.267727
Skipper Bridge		Reed Road (Defunct)				30.957000°N 83.269800°W / 30.957000; -83.269800
New Skipper Bridge	76.3	Skipper Bridge Road				30.949038°N 83.271902°W / 30.949038; -83.271902
Staten Road Bridge	74.3	Staten Road				30.932936°N 83.289006°W / 30.932936; -83.289006
Fender Bridge		Staten Road (Defunct since before 1990s)				30.933004°N 83.289189°W / 30.933004; -83.289189
Double Bridges	69.1	US 41 SR 7		Valdosta, Georgia		30.892708°N 83.318815°W / 30.892708; -83.318815
		Norfolk Southern Railway Line formerly known as Georgia Southern and Florida Railway		Valdosta, Georgia		30.863285°N 83.321587°W / 30.863285; -83.321587
	63.5	Interstate 75		Troupville, Georgia		30.855028°N 83.334319°W / 30.855028; -83.334319
	62.6	SR 133		Troupville, Georgia		30.849994°N 83.339580°W / 30.849994; -83.339580
		Valdosta, Moultrie and Western Railroad (Closed 1923, now defunct)				30.841114°N 83.353470°W / 30.841114; -83.353470
	51.8	US 84/221 SR 38		Ousley, Georgia to Quitman, Georgia		30.793568°N 83.453476°W / 30.793568; -83.453476
Spook Bridge	51.7	Old Quitman Highway (Closed)		Blue Springs, Georgia		30.789828°N 83.451651°W / 30.789828; -83.451651
	51.7	CSX Transportation Line was formerly known as the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad				30.792882°N 83.453391°W / 30.792882; -83.453391
Spains Bridge/Ferry		Historically Spains Ferry Road (Defunct)		Spains Ferry		30.749137°N 83.482455°W / 30.749137; -83.482455
Knights Bridge/Ferry		Historically Knights Ferry Road (Defunct)		Knights Ferry		30.711146°N 83.454755°W / 30.711146; -83.454755
Rocky Ford Bridge	36.7	Rocky Ford Road/Clyattville-Nankin Road		Rocky Ford		30.674944°N 83.394416°W / 30.674944; -83.394416
Georgia – Florida
	31.1	Valdosta Railway (Closed 1973)				30.636634°N 83.350468°W / 30.636634; -83.350468
Georgia
Horns Ferry Bridge	27.8	SR 31 SR 145		Clyattville, Georgia to Pinetta, Florida		30.635379°N 83.311598°W / 30.635379; -83.311598
Old Horns Ferry Bridge	27.7	(Built 1895, closed 1940, defunct)		Clyattville, Georgia to Pinetta, Florida		30.635298°N 83.309595°W / 30.635298; -83.309595
Florida
	22.4	SR 150		Bellville, Florida		30.596707°N 83.259861°W / 30.596707; -83.259861
	22.3	(Defunct)		Bellville, Florida		30.595830°N 83.259471°W / 30.595830; -83.259471
		(Defunct)		Madison Blue Spring State Park		30.482897°N 83.243676°W / 30.482897; -83.243676
	12.0	SR 6		Madison Blue Spring State Park	320016	30.482288°N 83.243448°W / 30.482288; -83.243448
West Bridge	2.3	SR 141				30.410215°N 83.179994°W / 30.410215; -83.179994

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.
3. Martin, Jack B.; Mauldin, Margaret McKane (2004-12-01). A Dictionary of Creek/Muskogee. U of Nebraska Press. p. 183. ISBN 0803283024.
4. "Sponsors up and down I-75 on Water Trail Brochures | WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®".

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

30°23′14.2″N 83°10′17.9″W