South Negril River | |
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Basin countries | Jamaica |
Length | 15 kilometres (9.3 mi)[1] |
Source elevation | About 250 feet (76 m)[2] |
Mouth elevation | Sea level[2] |
The South Negril River is a river in Westmoreland, Jamaica.
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The head of the river is at the base of a row of hills that rise more than 500 feet (150 m) above the inland edge of the coastal plain.[2][3]
From its head the river meanders south for about 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi),[1] passes under a small bridge carrying the New Hope - Delve Bridge road,[2] then swings east in a 600 metres (2,000 ft)[1] clockwise arc round the base of a ridge of the hills (passing under two small road bridges as it does so, the first carrying the New Hope - Delve Bridge road and the second the Springfield - New Hope road)[2] before heading south west through sugar cane fields for 2 kilometres (1.2 mi)[1] in a straight, open culvert to a point just north west of the village of Retreat.[2]
From Retreat the river arcs clockwise to flow north west out of the sugar cane into an area of swampy ground.[2] After a further 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi)[1] it enters a region of small low hills, flowing through a defile in the middle of these for another 1 kilometre (0.62 mi)[1] before emerging to pass under a bridge carrying the Springfield - Sheffield road.[2]
Returning to flat agricultural terrain it continues north and west a little further, then arcs anti clockwise round another small hill to establish the westerly tendency which will carry it to the sea.[2] At the end of this 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi)[1] section it passes under a small bridge carrying the Springfield - Sheffield road and reaches the south east corner of the Great Morass just north of the village of Sheffield.[2]
Over its final 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi)[1] the river broadens dramatically as it flows along the southern edge of the Great Morass, gathering water as it goes, finally entering a culverted section and passing under its largest bridge (which carries the southern end of the main road paralleling Negril's seven mile beach) and out into the Caribbean Sea.[2][4]
Along its route the river passes a number of small settlements and named regions including (working downstream from east to west):[2]
Throughout its 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) length the river falls no more than 250 feet (76 m) giving it a very gentle average gradient of about 1 in 200.
Working downstream from source to mouth the South Negril River passes under:[2][5]
The South Negril River has no tributaries of any consequence.[2]
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