Ochlockonee River

The Ochlockonee River is a 206-mile (332 km) river. It rises south of Sylvester in Worth County, Georgia, and flows south into Florida, where it empties into Ochlockonee Bay and then Apalachee Bay. In Florida it forms the western boundaries of Leon and Wakulla counties and the eastern boundary of Gadsden County. The name comes from Hitchiti words for "yellow river." In 1927 the Florida Power Corporation built the Jackson Bluff Dam, a 60-foot earthen dam, to produce hydroelectric power, and the water it held back formed Lake Talquin. Below the dam the river runs through Talquin State Forest and the Apalachicola National Forest. Tides reach more than 15 miles upstream from the mouth, and the lower river is a mix of fresh, brackish and salt water. The watershed covers about 2,476 square miles and includes Telogia Creek, the Little River and the Sopchoppy River.

The Lower Ochlockonee River Canoe Trail starts just below Lake Talquin and runs 62 miles through the Apalachicola National Forest and other public lands to Ochlockonee River State Park. It is part of Florida's Statewide System of Greenways and Trails and is rated intermediate to expert. Water levels change with releases from the Jackson Bluff Dam. Ochlockonee River State Park, near Sopchoppy, has two 7.5-mile paddling loops: the Dead River Sopchoppy Loop and the Bear Creek Paddling Trail. Motorboats are more common in the park section of the river.

Lake Talquin and the tailwater below the Jackson Bluff Dam support a popular striped bass fishery. The fish there are also used as broodstock for striped bass restoration hatcheries across the Gulf of Mexico region.