The Peace River is a river in the southwestern part of the
Floridapeninsula, in the
U.S.A.[1] It originates at the juncture of Saddle Creek and Peace Creek northeast of
Bartow in
Polk County and flows south through Fort Meade (Polk County)
Hardee County to
Arcadia in
DeSoto County and then southwest into the
Charlotte Harborestuary at
Punta Gorda in
Charlotte County. It is 106 miles (171 km) long and has a
drainage basin of 1,367 square miles (3,540 km2).
U.S. Highway 17 runs near and somewhat parallel to the river for much of its course. The river was called Rio de la Paz (River of Peace) on 16th century
Spanish charts.[2] It appeared as Peas Creek or Pease Creek on later maps. The
Creek (and later,
Seminole) Indians call it Talakchopcohatchee, River of Long Peas.[3] Other cities along the Peace River include
Fort Meade,
Wauchula and
Zolfo Springs.[4]
History
Fresh water from the Peace River is vital to maintain the delicate
salinity of Charlotte Harbor that hosts several
endangered species, as well as commercial and recreational harvests of
shrimp,
crabs, and
fish. The river has always been a vital resource to the people in its
watershed. Historically, the abundant fishery and wildlife of Charlotte Harbor supported large populations of people of the
Caloosahatchee culture (in early historic times, the
Calusa). Today, the Peace River supplies over six million gallons per day of drinking water to the people in the region. The river is also popular for
canoeing.[5]
There were many
Pleistocene and
Miocene fossils found throughout the Peace River area, eventually leading to the discovery of
phosphate deposits. Most of the northern watershed of the Peace River comprises an area known as the
Bone Valley.[6][7]
The Peace River is a popular destination for fossil hunters who dig and sift the river gravel for fossilized shark teeth and prehistoric mammal bones. Several campgrounds and canoe rental operations cater to fossil hunters, with
Wauchula,
Zolfo Springs, and
Arcadia being the main points of entry.[8][9][10][11][12][13]
Gallery
Backflow from Peace River after hurricanes
Streamflow changes along upper Peace River
Flow changes along upper Peace River
Zolfo Springs on the Peace River
List of crossings
Crossing
Carries
Image
Location
Coordinates
Headwaters (Juncture of Peace Creek and Saddle Creek)
^McCarthy, Kevin M. (1992).
The Book Lover's Guide to Florida. p. 304.
"The Peace River begins at Lake Hamilton in Polk County and runs through Arcadia southwesterly to Charlotte Harbor. For a description of the river, read Rivers of Florida (Atlanta: Southern Press, 1974) by Henry Marks and Gene Britt Riggs ..."
O'Donnell, Brian. (1990) "Peace River," in Marth, Del and Marty Marth, eds. The Rivers of Florida. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press, Inc.
ISBN0-910923-70-1.