76 beachLIFE EXPERIENCES WATERWAYS OF THE PANHANDLE
Entering the lower Choctawhatchee River . The watershed here is tidal and subject to surges in depth — often enhanced by heavy rainfall anywhere within the basin . The nutrient-rich brackish waters are teeming with an eclectic blend of saltwater and freshwater marine life .
Swamplands are often flooded at high tide and exposed at low tide . Stands of slash pine , scrub oak and white cedar are home to swallow-tailed kite , bald eagle , merlin , small mammals , and a variety of hawks that feed on fish .
CHOCTAWHATCHEE WATERSHED
It ’ s a watery realm few ever see , a largely untouched network of rivers and creeks where little has changed over the decades .
The headwaters of the Choctawhatchee watershed begin in southern Alabama where small streams pick up a cargo of sediment on a journey toward the Gulf of Mexico . They quickly become a lattice of tributaries that slowly swell and as they wind their way southward , ultimately forming a delta in the southern-most reaches .
Near Choctawhatchee Bay , the network of creeks is knitted together by sloughs , ponds and untouched swampland . Here you can find yellow water lilies , pickerelweed , arrow grass , bullrush and even wild rice . The seemingly primordial alligator gar can be seen sunning themselves on the surface of brackish water while below you ’ ll find entire populations of gamefish , including Southern flounder , striped mullet , sturgeon , tarpon and the occasional bull shark .
The last few miles of the watershed become increasingly influenced by the tide , alternately swelling and draining the swamplands with each cycle . The streams also become brackish , with freshwater species giving way to saltwater species . Finally , the streams and rivers meet the Bay .