Orange Creek

Part of the Ocklawaha River drainage basin, Orange Creek rises at the southern end of Orange Lake in southeastern Alachua County, Florida. It flows generally eastwards for approximately {{convert|20|mi}},{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19960803&id=zM9PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gAcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4521,690357|title=Water district may buy muck farm|last=Ritchie|first=Bruce|date=August 3, 1996|work=Star-Banner|page=3B|access-date=2012-09-04|location=Ocala, FL}} forming the boundary between Marion and Putnam Counties, before draining into the Ocklawaha River near Orange Springs.Faulkner 1973, p.24 The creek's outflow enters the Oklawaha near Orange Ferry, along the stretch of river where the Ocklawaha is impounded to form Rodman Reservoir, part of the abandoned Cross Florida Barge Canal; the creek was considered to be a significant source of water for the reservoir, providing a 20-year mean discharge of {{Convert|188|cuft/s}} as of 1973. The record flow at that time was {{convert|2,170|cuft/s}}.Faulkner 1973, p.54 The creek is canoeable along its length, and is known for its fishing for bass and other gamefish.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bj5WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AeoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3221,1027347&dq=orange-creek+canoeing&hl=en|title=Taking the waters once again at Orange Springs|last=Chun|first=Diane|date=May 3, 1987|work=The Gainesville Sun|page=10F|access-date=2012-09-04|location=Gainesville, FL}}

Orange Creek receives surface runoff from an area of {{convert|515|sqmi|abbr=on}}. Water from Lochloosa Lake flows into Orange Lake through Cross Creek and directly into Orange Creek where it leaves Orange Lake. Lochloosa Lake is fed by Lochloosa Creek, which arises in northern Alachua County. Orange Lake receives the outflow of Newnans Lake through Prairie Creek, Camp's Canal and the River Styx. Hatchett Creek, Little Hatchett Creek and Lake Forest Creek, which arise in northern Alachua County, flow into Newnans Lake. The combined area providing surface runoff to Lochloosa Lake and Orange Lake is {{convert|323|sqmi|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Clark|Musgrove|Menke|Cagle|pp=56–57}}{{Cite web|title=Lake Forest Creek Fact Sheet|url=https://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/epd/WaterResources/WaterData/Documents/ADACompliant/Lake%20Forest%20Creek.pdf|access-date=November 5, 2021|website=Alachua County Environmental Protection Department}}

Prairie Creek, the principal outlet of Newnans Lake, originally drained into Paynes Prairie. The Camp family, which owned Paynes Prairie and operated a cattle ranch on it, wanted to drain the prairie to improve it as pasture. After very heavy rain flooded the Prairie in 1927, the Camps commenced projects to lower the water table on the Prairie that included diverting Prairie Creek to the River Styx, which flows into Orange Lake.{{sfn|Andersen|2001|pp=130-131}}

West of the Orange Creek basin in Alachua County is an area of internal drainage with subsurface outflow (cryptorheic basin). The St. Johns River Water Management District includes this area in the Orange Creek basin. The {{convert|21000|acre|km2|adj=on}} Paynes Prairie drains into the Alachua Sink.{{sfn|Andersen|2001|p=2}} A number of springs and small streams in Alachua County flow into Paynes Prairie, into other sinkholes, or into swamps that have no surface outlet. Such springs and streams include Blues Creek, Boulware Spring, Cellon Creek, Glen Spring, Hogtown Creek, Mill Creek, Possum Creek, Sweetwater Branch, Tumblin Creek (a tributary of Bivens Arm), and Turkey Creek.{{Cite web|title=Fact Sheets|url=https://www.alachuacounty.us/depts/epd/waterresources/waterdata/pages/factsheets.aspx|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105171447/https://www.alachuacounty.us/depts/epd/waterresources/waterdata/pages/factsheets.aspx|archive-date=November 5, 2021|access-date=November 5, 2021|website=Alachua County Environmental Protection Department}} Lake Alice, which receives runoff from about 60 percent of the University of Florida main campus, has no surface outlet, with ground seepage historically keeping the lake from overflowing.{{Cite web|date=2016|title=Lake Alice|url=https://soils.ifas.ufl.edu/campuswaterquality/water/lake-alice.shtml|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501045504/https://soils.ifas.ufl.edu/campuswaterquality/water/lake-alice.shtml|archive-date=May 1, 2021|access-date=November 5, 2021|website=UF Clean Water Campaign}}

A tributary, Little Orange Creek, joins from the north a few miles above the mouth of the creek. In the late 1800s several mills were located along Little Orange Creek.McLin 1904, p.543

A dispute between Alachua, Marion and Putnam Counties arose in the 1960s over where their county lines lay with regards to the course of the creek.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=T3ZPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GgUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2006,3337442&dq=orange-creek+miles&hl=en|title=Marion-Putnam Officials Agree To Orange Creek Partial Survey|last=Moorhead|first=Jim|date=May 17, 1962|work=Star-Banner|page=1|access-date=2012-09-04|location=Ocala, FL}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eYZPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cAUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3409,8518915&dq=orange-creek+florida+-basin&hl=en|title=Creek Boundary Line To Be Set By Group|date=April 23, 1969|work=Star-Banner|page=9B|access-date=2012-09-04|location=Ocala, FL}} A dam impounds Orange Lake at its exit into the creek; it was the source of controversy in the late 1980s with some calling for its removal.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mkpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OOoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4968,4100559&dq=orange-creek+florida&hl=en|title=Panel to study Orange Creek dam|date=December 13, 1989|work=The Gainesville Sun|page=2B|access-date=2012-09-04|location=Gainesville, FL}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5cpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QOoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6270,9091172&dq=orange-creek+florida+-basin&hl=en|title=Editorial: Remove the dams|date=November 24, 1990|work=The Gainesville Sun|page=2G|access-date=2012-09-04|location=Gainesville, FL}}

;Citations

{{reflist|2}}

;Bibliography

{{refbegin}}

• {{Cite book|last=Andersen|first=Lars|title=Paynes Prairie: A History of the Great Savanna|publisher=Pineapple Press|location=Sarasota, Florida|year=2001|isbn=1-56164-225-8}}
• {{Cite book|last1=Clark|first1=William E.|last2=Musgrove|first2=Rufus H.|last3=Menke|first3=Clarence G.|last4=Cagle|first4=Joseph W. Jr.|title=Water Resources of Alachua, Bradford, Clay and Union Counties, Florida|publisher=Florida Geological Survey|year=1964|series=Report of Investigations|volume=35|location=Tallahassee, Florida|pages=38–39, 43}}
• Faulkner, Glen L., 1973. [https://books.google.com/books?id=3uEQ5QwWqawC Geohydrology of the Cross-Florida Barge Canal Area with Special Reference to the Ocala Vicinity]. Tallahassee, FL: U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigations Report I-73. {{ISBN|978-1234202545}}.
• McLin, B.E., 1904. Florida: A Pamphlet Descriptive of Its History, Topography, Climate, Soil, Resources and Natural Advantages, In General and By Counties. Tallahassee, FL: Florida Department of Agriculture. {{ASIN|B008TUWP38}}

{{refend}}

• [http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/watersheds/docs/bmap/AdoptedOrangeCrkBMAP.pdf Orange Creek Basin Management Action Plan]

{{Rivers of Florida}}

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Category:Rivers of Florida

Category:Rivers of Alachua County, Florida

Category:Rivers of Marion County, Florida

Category:Bodies of water of Putnam County, Florida

Category:Tributaries of the Ocklawaha River