P;65 m3 sec-l (23, '^00 ft^ sec'l) measured 

 at Blountstown, Florida. Maximum and 

 minimum discharqes over the pa<;t 1? years 

 are 4,600 m^ sec"! (162,^^00 cfs) and 178 

 m^ sec"l (6,280 cfs), respectively. The 

 river and, secondarily, local rainfall 

 determine the distribution o^" salinity in 

 the estuary. The placement of the barrier 

 islands also has a maior influence on the 

 salinity reqime of the estuary (Livinqston 

 1^79, iq84a). The islands limit the 

 outflow of the low-sal initv water to the 

 outer Gul-P of Mexico. 



The Aoalachicola basin occupies the 

 last sparsely inhabited and undeveloped 

 drainaqe system and coastal reqion in 

 Florida (Livingston lQ83a, b, c). 

 Franklin County, with a population of only 

 8,403 in 197Q, encompasses the lower river 

 and bay system. Forested uplands, 

 wetlands, and aquatic habitats comprise 

 most of the land area in Franklin County. 

 The local economy is based larqely on the 



sport and commercial fisheries of the 

 Apalacbicola River and Ray system. 

 According to recent estimates (Florida 

 Department of Administration l'^77), 

 commercial fishinq, recreation, forestry 

 and timber processing, aqriculture, and 

 light manuf acturinq characterize the 

 regional economv of the entire 

 Apalacbicola basin. The human population 

 of the six counties along the river has 

 grown slowly since li^GO, increasing only 

 7% (from 101,782 to 10Q,?S4) from 1%^ to 

 1974. State government is a major 

 employer in the region, while industrial 

 or commercial land use is confined to only 

 0.2% of the basin area. 



The Apalacbicola drainage system is 

 one of the least polluted in the country 

 (Livingston 1974a, b, iq77a-d, 1Q78, 1979, 

 1980a-c; Livingston and Thompson 1975; 

 Livingston and Duncan 1979; Livinqston et 

 al. 1974, 1976a, b, 1Q77, 1Q78_). Some 

 problems, however, have emerged in recent 

 years (Livinqston l'583d). 



CAPE SAN BLAS 



Figure 3. Detailed features of the Apalachicola Bay system including the major contri- 

 buting drainages, the barrier island complex, and the major passes in the bay complex. 



