Lake George (Florida)

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Lake George is a broad and shallow lake on the St. Johns River in the U.S. state of Florida. It is six miles (10 km) wide and eleven miles (18 km) long, with an average depth of 8 feet (2.5 m). The west side of the lake is encompassed in the Ocala National Forest. Three major spring groups flow into Lake George on the west side. Salt Springs enters the northwest side of the lake through the 4.3 mile (7 km) Salt Creek. Silver Glen Springs enters the lake about midway down on the west side, and multiple springs comprise Juniper Creek that flows into Lake George on the southwest side, with Juniper Springs at the headwater of the creek. The large island on the north side of the lake is Drayton Island.

Lake George is the second largest lake in Florida, after Lake Okeechobee. Lake George was the third largest lake behind Lake Apopka, but conversion of the littoral zone on the northern side of Lake Apopka to farm fields in the previous century reduced it's surface area.

There is an operational U.S. Military bombing range called Pine Castle Bombing Range located in the Ocala National Forest just west of Lake George and a designated bombing range in the lake itself. The bombing ranges date back to WWII, when the Navy built bomb targets in Lake George and nearby Crescent Lake, and stationed personell in the area to maintain the targets and perform search and rescue operations for downed pilots.

The lake also hosts a wide variety of wildlife ranging from migratory water birds and alligators to a number of normally marine animals. Local springs in Lake George (and throughout the St Johns River) impart enough salt to the system to make the habitat suitable to resident and migratory marine species like Atlantic stingray, various species of mullet, striped bass and blue crabs. There is a large enough blue crab population to support a local fishery, making it one of the only fresh water blue crab fisheries in the world.

[edit] See also

• Drayton Island

[edit] References

• Dreggors, W. and J. Hess. A Century of West Volusia County: 1860-1960, published by the West Volusia Historical Society, Volusia Co. Fl.

• Ferguson, G.E., et al. (1947). Springs of Florida. Geological Bulletin No. 31. Florida Geological Survey.

• Johnson, M.R. and Snelson, F.F. Jr. (1996) Reproductive Life History of the Atlantic Stingray, Dasyatis Sabina (Pisces, Dasyatidae) in the Freshwater St. Johns River, Florida. Bulletin of Marine Science, 59(1): 74-88, 1996.

• Joyce, E.A. (1965). The Commercial Shrimps of the Northeast Coast of Florida. Professional Papers Series No. 6. Florida Board of Conservation Marine Laboratory, St. Petersburg Fl.

• LaRocque, Kaylee (2006). Florida bombing Range helps pilots hone skills. JaxAirNews.com. accessed 19-Feb-07.

• McLane. W.M. (1955). The Fishes of the St Johns River System. PhD. Dissertation. University of Florida, August, 1955.

• Tagatz, M.E. (1965). The Fishery for Blue Crabs in the St. Johns River, Florida, with Special Reference to Fluctuation in Yield Between 1961 and 1962. Special Scientific Report No. 501. US Dept of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service.

Coordinates: 29°17′12″N, 81°35′53″W