- Apalachicola Bay
Apalachicola Bay is an
estuary andlagoon located onFlorida 's northwest coast renowned for its oysters. The Apalachicola Bay system also includes St. Georges Sound, St. Vincent Sound and East Bay, covering an area of about 208 sq. miles. Four islands St. Vincent Island to the west,Cape St. George Island andSt. George Island to the south, and Dog Island to the east separate the system from theGulf of Mexico . Water exchange occurs through Indian Pass, West Pass, East Pass and the Duer Channel. The lagoon has been designated as aNational Estuarine Research Reserve and theApalachicola River is the largest source of freshwater to the estuary. Combined with theChattahoochee River and Flint River,Ochlockonee River they drain a watershed of over 20,000 sq. miles at a rate of 19,599 cubic feet per second according to theUnited States Geological Survey in 2002.The region features 1,162 species of plants, and includes the largest natural stand of
tupelo trees in the world. The area is also home to 308 species of birds, 186 species of fish, 57 species of mammals, and boasts the highest species density of amphibians and reptiles in all ofNorth America , north of Mexico stated by theApalachicola Reserve , 2002.Apalachicola Bay is part of the
The National Estuarine Research Reserve System .cite web
url=http://nerrs.noaa.gov/welcome.html#
title=The National Estuarine Research Reserve System
publisher=
accessdate=2007-01-27]ee also
*
Apalachicola (tribe) References
External links
*GNIS|277921|Apalachicola Bay
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