The St. Mary’s Estuary is the result of the fresh water of the St Mary’s River spilling out into the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean and creating an environment of brackish water that is rich with life and biodiversity. In fact, more than 70% of Georgia’s commercially viable seafood resides within its estuaries. Some of these species include redfish, flounder, and spotted sea trout. The river also spills into the Cumberland Sound, and an area of brackish water in between the river and ocean that is protected by the barrier island named Cumberland Island. The St. Mary’s watershed includes over 3,000 miles of tributaries and streams.
The St. Mary’s River has its headwaters in the Okefenokee Swamp and runs through southeastern Georgia and northeastern Florida for around 130 miles until it reaches the ocean. The river is the feature used as the border between Georgia and Florida. The river is known as a blackwater river because of its dark color caused by the decay of peat and vegetation within the water. This decay causes the waters to become acidic due to the tannins it produces and as a result limits the productivity of the river as a fishery. However, the river does hold over 52 species of fish in limited populations. The wildlife supported by the river includes black bears, panthers, bobcats, deer, otters, beavers, alligators, and gopher tortoises among many others. Today, the river is mainly used for recreation and site seeing, but around 13,000 years ago the area was inhabited by the Timucuan Native American people.
Sources:
“St. Mary’s River.” Georgia River Network, 10 Oct. 2019, https://garivers.org/st-marys-river/.
“St. Marys River Basin.” SJRWMD, 2 Feb. 2018, https://www.sjrwmd.com/waterways/st-marys-river/.
“Geography – St. Marys Riverkeeper.” St. Marys Riverkeeper –, 26 July 2021, https://www.stmarysriverkeeper.org/geography/.