Choctawhatchee Bay

Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee bay map fl
Satellite image of the Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee Bay is located in Florida
Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee Bay
Coordinates30°26′22″N 86°18′40″W / 30.43944°N 86.31111°W / 30.43944; -86.31111
Primary inflowsChoctawhatchee River
Primary outflowsGulf of Mexico, Santa Rosa Sound
Catchment area5,405 square miles (14,000 km2)
Max. length27 miles (43 km)[1]
Max. width6 miles (9.7 km)
Surface area129 square miles (330 km2)
Max. depth43 feet (13 m)
SettlementsFort Walton Beach, Destin Santa Rosa Beach, Freeport, Niceville, Shalimar, Valparaiso

Choctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico and has a surface area of 334 square kilometres (129 mi2).[2] It connects to Santa Rosa Sound in Fort Walton Beach, Florida to the west and to St. Andrews Bay in Bay County to the east, via the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. East Pass (also known as Destin Pass) is the only outlet of the bay flowing directly into the Gulf of Mexico, and is crossed by US 98.[3] The Choctawhatchee River flows into the bay, as do several smaller rivers and streams.[2][4] The tolled Mid-Bay Bridge (SR 293) crosses the bay, connecting the city of Destin to Niceville, Florida. The Judge Clyde B. Wells Bridge (US 331) crosses the eastern part of the bay, connecting Freeport to the coast.[5] The Bay's history dates back to Spanish, French, and English expansion with numerous purposes served throughout, from lumber transportation, military use, to water sports.[6][7][8]

Aerial view of bay looking westward
Looking westward onto Choctawhatchee Bay

History

Pensacola Bay and Choctawhatchee Bay (Bahia de Sta. Rosa) in a 1700 Spanish map

The bay was charted by Spanish, French, and English expeditions, The bay appears on some charts as "St. Rose's Bay".[6][7]

Following the Treaty of Moultrie Creek, small bands of Creeks lived on the shores of Choctawhatchee Bay.[9]

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Choctwhatchee River was used to transport timber and other agricultural goods. Before modern roads were created, the river and bay were the most efficient ways to transport lumber and other agricultural goods.[8]

At the beginning of the 1900s, Choctawhatchee Bay was mainly freshwater and had a small channel to the Gulf of Mexico. During a storm in 1929, the bay's water level increased and threatened homes on the bay with flooding. Locals dug a small trench near Destin to release the water, which quickly eroded into a large channel, creating today's large Destin's Pass or East Pass. The larger channel increased the bay's salinity, significantly changing its ecosystem.[10]

Military use

As noted in a 1993 Eglin AFB report, Test Area D-55 was originally installed in the World War II era by Eglin Air Force Base with "omnidirectional radar corner reflectors" on top to be used as a radar target range.[11] Test Area D-55 is formed by 25 arrays of 2,040 wood pilings placed east of the Clyde B. Wells Bridge. They are located in 8 feet of water and the array extends for 1.2 miles.

Human Use

Fishing and Shellfish Harvesting

Choctawhatchee Bay supports both commercial and recreational fishing. Species you can find while fishing are red drum, spotted seatrout, sheepshead, Spanish Mackerel, flounder, and mullet.[8] The Bay is also home to oyster beds that are commercially and recreationally harvested as well. Some areas within are part of oyster-reef restoration projects to help sustain the populations.[12]

Recreation and Tourism

The bay attracts many of its tourists due to the recreational activities available. This includes boating, kayaking, paddleboarding, and swimming. The water in the bay is much calmer compared to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, making it a presumably safer destination for families and water sports. The bay's environment also supports wildlife observation and fishing.[12][13]

Waterfront Development

Shorelines across Choctawhatchee Bay include much residential and tourism infrastructure, particularly near Destin and Santa Rosa Beach. Smaller towns such as Niceville, Valparaiso, and Freeport also have waterfront access to the bay. Numerous private docks, public boat ramps, marinas, and parks can be found along the waterfront of the bay, serving both private and public use.[8]

Environmental Programs

Choctawhatchee Bay is home to local organizations that help maintain good ecological health. These include the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA) and the Choctawhatchee Bay Estuary Program (CBEP). These programs initiative's include water-quality monitoring, shoreline and oyster-reef restoration, seagrass restoration, and community education programs. [14][12]

Municipalities

Several towns and cities are located around the Choctawhatchee Bay:

Tributaries

Below are a few of the tributary rivers and bayous that feed into the Choctawhatchee Bay.

Rivers

Bayous

Lakes

  • Pippin Lake
  • Jack Lake
  • Lower Memorial Lake
  • Bens Lake
  • Lake Lorraine
  • Lake Vivian
  • Lake Clyde
  • Lake Earl

References

  1. ^ Ruth, Barbara; Handley, Lawrence R. (2006). "Choctawhatchee Bay" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "GulfBase - Choctawhatchee Bay". Archived from the original on November 30, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2007.
  3. ^ "EAST PASS INLET MANAGEMENT STUDY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN CERTIFICATE OF ADOPTION" (PDF). Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 8, 2006. Retrieved November 26, 2007.
  4. ^ "Choctawhatchee Info - HISTORICAL". Retrieved November 25, 2007.
  5. ^ "Bridge Dedication Ceremony for Judge Clyde B. Wells". July 14, 2017.
  6. ^ a b John D. Ware (1982). George Gauld, Surveyor and Cartographer of the Gulf Coast. Gainesville: University Press of Florida.
  7. ^ a b "The Coast of West Florida and Louisiana. Jefferys, Thomas, 1775". The David Rumsey Collection. Retrieved November 26, 2007.
  8. ^ a b c d Ruth, Barbara; Handley, Lawrence R. (2006). https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2006/5287/pdf/ChoctawhatcheeBay.pdf. "Choctawhatchee Bay" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  9. ^ Rucker, Brian R. (January 1991). "West Florida's Creek Indian Crisis of 1837". The Florida Historical Quarterly. 69 (3): 315. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  10. ^ Williams, Jared (July 11, 2024). "Four men, shovels, and a storm: The accidental birth of Destin's East Pass in 1929". Get the Coast. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
  11. ^ "What are those mysterious pilings in Choctawhatchee Bay by the 331 bridge?". 30A. May 1, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c "In the Choctawhatchee Bay". Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance. May 29, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  13. ^ "Welcome to the Boating and Angling Guide to Choctawhatchee Bay". gis.myfwc.com. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  14. ^ Communications, IFAS. "Choctawhatchee Bay Living Shorelines - Okaloosa County - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - UF/IFAS". sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu. Retrieved December 1, 2025.

30°26′22″N 86°18′40″W / 30.43944°N 86.31111°W / 30.43944; -86.31111


allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Pass_(Florida)