BASS FISHING, CANOEING, & EXPLORING
Florida's Hillsborough River at
Hillsborough River State Park
An Information, Opinion, Photos, & Sources Webpage Report
Compiled by "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca
Created: 22 June 2019
Last Revised: 19 December 2021
The HILLSBOROUGH RIVER was historically named "Lockcha-popka-chiska" which is SEMINOLE "speak" meaning "River where one crosses to eat acorns."
This wild Florida river beckons the skilled canoeist to head upstream for exploration & then back downstream through the rapids to a Deliverance-like adventure!
The 54-mile long Hillsborough River "heads-up" in central Florida's Green Swamp and then receives the inflow of
Crystal Springs near Zephyrhills (in Pasco County) before it reaches the Hillsborough River State Park (in Hillsborough County). The Withlacoochee, the Ocklawaha, & the Peace River as well also have Green Swamp headwaters.
There are NO dams on the Hillsborough River until 10 miles above its mouth at Tampa Bay.
Excerpts from: Fernandez, M., Jr., Goetz, C., and Miller, J. 1984. Evaluation of future base-flow water quality conditions in the Hillsborough River, Florida. United States Geological Survey. Water Resources Investigations Report 83–4182. Tallahassee, Florida.
"The Hillsborough River has been the principal water-supply source for the city of Tampa since 1926. In 1945, part of the lower Hillsborough River in northeast Tampa was impounded by construction of the Tampa Reservoir dam. In 1964, the city of Tampa Water Department began intermittent pumping from nearby Sulphur Springs into the Hillsborough River above the dam to augment supplies when needed."
"The Hillsborough River basin is in west-central Florida (fig. 1). From its source in Pasco County, the river flows 54 miles southwest to Hillsborough Bay. Land-surface altitudes in the basin range from near sea level at the mouth of the Hillsborough River to about 140 feet above sea level east of Plant City (Menke and others, 1961). The Tampa Reservoir dam (fig. 2) is on the Hillsborough River, 10 miles above its mouth, and impounds water from a drainage area of about 650 mi . During base-flow periods, flow of the Hillsborough River is sustained by discharge from Crystal Springs that supplies an average discharge of 59.4 ft /s. Concentrations of various chemical and biological constituents such as nitrogen species, dissolved solids, and coliform bacteria are highest during base-flow periods.
"Tampa Reservoir is long and narrow and extends about 12.5 miles upstream from the dam, meandering through large urban areas of north Tampa and Temple Terrace. The reservoir has a V-shaped channel that averages about 15 feet at the deepest point in any cross section. During low stages, the lower part of the reservoir has one main deep channel and one or two shallow side channels that span a width of about 1,000 feet near the dam. Upstream channel widths may narrow to about 100 feet or less. Bottom sediments range from sand to soft silt and clay with organic detritus rather than a hard packed or scoured bottom (Goetz and others, 1978).
"Above Tampa Reservoir, the Hillsborough River has a V-shaped, meandering channel that ranges in depth from about 1 to 16 feet. At low flow, the channel ranges in width from about 30 to 130 feet. In a 4-mile reach upstream from Flint Creek, the river has many shallow channels and flows through a large swampy area. Small rapids are present above New River; bottom sediments are predominantly sand with limestone and chert boulders in the rapids areas.
"Tributaries to the Hillsborough River that have perennial flow are Big Ditch, Blackwater Creek, and Flint Creek (fig. 2). Nonperennial or intermittent tributaries include Indian Creek, New River, Two Hole Branch, Basset Branch, Hollomans Branch, Clay Gully, and Trout Creek. Cypress Creek, also a nonperennial stream, is tributary to the study reach via a large swamp area. The Tampa Bypass Canal is used to divert flood waters for the Hillsborough River into Hillsborough Bay."
Excerpts from: Munson, A., M. Kelly, J. Morales, and D. Leeper. 2007, Proposed minimum flows and levels for the upper segment of the Hillsborough River, from Crystal Springs to Morris Bridge, and Crystal Springs.Southwest Florida Water Management District, Brooksville, Florida.
"The Hillsborough River begins in the Green Swamp area of Pasco and Polk counties; as do three other major rivers in Florida: the Withlacoochee, Peace and Ocklawaha. The Green Swamp region of central Florida consists of an estimated 870 square miles of low-lying flatlands and swamps flanked by several topographic ridges. In this region of flat topography, seasonal rainfall accumulates over the landscape forming extensive headwater swamps. After leaving the swamps, the Hillsborough River, with an estimated drainage area of 675 square miles as determined from SWFWMD land use maps (or 650 square miles as reported by USGS), flows 54 miles southwesterly into Hillsborough Bay. Annual mean discharge for the Hillsborough River near Tampa for the period 1939 to 2004 was 446 cubic feet per second (cfs). The Hillsborough River watershed (Figure 2-1) extends over parts of three counties, including much of the northeastern quarter of Hillsborough County, a large area of central Pasco County, and a small portion of northwestern Polk County. It is bounded to the north by the Withlacoochee River watershed, to the east by the Peace River watershed, to the south by the Alafia River watershed, and to the west by the North Coastal and Tampa Bay watersheds. It incorporates parts of Tampa, Lakeland, Dade City, Plant City, the community of Land O' Lakes, and all of the municipalities of Zephyrhills and Temple Terrace. The watershed ends at the Tampa Bypass Canal (TBC) basin. The TBC basin is not within the USGS boundaries of the Hillsborough River watershed, but is highly influenced by it (refer to TBC Minimum Flows and Levels Report, SWFWMD 2005)."
NOTE -- IF NEEDED: Right-click-on individual photos then "Open image in new tab" to ENLARGE them!
PHOTOS FROM 20 JUNE 2019
20 June 2019 -- The SECOND set of RAPIDS downstream from the US-301 Bridge appears to be the major rapids of the Hillsborough River State Park
20 June 2019 -- Gage Height = 3.00 feet
PHOTOS FROM 27 JUNE 2019
27 June 2019 -- Gage Height = 1.43 feet
27 June 2019 -- Upstream side of the sign at the southern edge of the State Park
27 June 2019 -- A 16-inch Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)
27 June 2019 -- A chunky 16.5-inch Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)
27 June 2019 -- Exotic Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
27 June 2019 -- Exotic Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
27 June 2019 -- Exotic Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
27 June 2019 -- Downstream side of the sign at the southern edge of the State Park
PHOTOS FROM 18 JULY 2019
18 July 2019 -- Gage Height = 1.68 feet
18 July 2019 -- Approaching the US-301 Bridge from the downstream side
18 July 2019 -- A typical blockage to "pull-over" on the upper Hillsborough River
18 July 2019 -- An 18.5-inch Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)
18 July 2019 -- A chunky 16.5-inch Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)
18 July 2019 -- Fort Foster
18 July 2019 -- Fort Foster
18 July 2019 -- Fort Foster Bridge
18 July 2019 -- Fort Foster Bridge
18 July 2019 -- Fort Foster Bridge
18 July 2019 -- Exotic Mexican Petunia (Ruellia simplex)
18 July 2019 -- Exotic Mexican Petunia (Ruellia simplex)
PHOTOS FROM 19 SEPTEMBER 2019
19 September 2019 -- Gage Height = 1.62 feet
19 September 2019 -- A 26-inch Bowfin (Amia calva)
19 September 2019 -- Waterline on baldcypress tree shows the recent 9-foot stage difference
19 September 2019 -- Waterline on baldcypress tree shows the recent 9-foot stage difference
19 September 2019 -- Waterline on baldcypress tree shows the recent 9-foot stage difference
19 September 2019 -- FWC identified it as a female BULLFROG (Lithobates catesbeianus)
19 September 2019 -- FWC identified it as a female BULLFROG (Lithobates catesbeianus
19 September 2019 -- FWC identified it as a female BULLFROG (Lithobates catesbeianus
PHOTOS FROM 10 OCTOBER 2019
10 October 2019 -- Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
10 October 2019 -- Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
10 October 2019 -- Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
10 October 2019 -- SEVENTEEN RUNS (managed as a WILDERNESS)
10 October 2019 -- SEVENTEEN RUNS (managed as a WILDERNESS)
10 October 2019 -- SEVENTEEN RUNS (managed as a WILDERNESS)
10 October 2019 -- SEVENTEEN RUNS (managed as a WILDERNESS)
SEVENTEEN RUNS OF THE HILLSBOROUGH RIVER
A mean stretch of river. There's a section where the Hillsborough breaks into the so-called Seventeen Runs.
"Abandon all hope ye who enter here."
Eventually, we came upon a kayak fisherman near the last pullover before he could go upstream into Seventeen Runs.
"Any luck?" I asked him. He shook his head, no. Then he asked, "What's up there?"
My response: "No place that you would want to go."
PHOTOS FROM 07 NOVEMBER 2019
SOME SHORT VIDEOS OF THE FREE-FLOWING HILLSBOROUGH RIVER
https://www.facebook.com/paul.nosca/videos/1514476448699395/
https://www.facebook.com/paul.nosca/videos/1514529732027400/
USGS TOPOGRAPHIC MAP IMAGES
SEVENTEEN RUNS (managed as a WILDERNESS) is on the southern (bottom) side of this map
PHOTOS FROM 05 JUNE 2020
PHOTOS FROM 02 JULY 2020
PHOTOS FROM 23 JULY 2020
"Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca says, "From the rivers that flow from our sister states of Alabama and Georgia to the rivers that originate in our own Green Swamp, REAL experience in the Florida outdoors matters. Sometimes I put on my old jungle boots and go for the gusto!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=BbRbZ0aPL7g&feature=youtu.be