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States of Matter

Back to the beginning
Visit Water in the United States

Following Agua’s lead, Hydro freezes and melts, changing between several states of matter. Along the way, we learn how heat and cold impact the water cycle. Hot on Agua’s trail, Hydro evaporates and lands in a cloud, where a clue from Agua sends him on a geographic quest, exploring watersheds in Florida.

After watching the video and finding all the 22 clues in Florida and the 12 links in the Water in the United States page, test your new knowledge with our online quizzes.

Take Quiz 1
Take Quiz 2
https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/07/States-of-Matter-0302.mp4

Instructions: Another way to think about the water cycle is the corresponding changes in states of matter of water. Water changes its form many times in Florida! Move your mouse over the different areas of the picture and click to read information or hear a description about this map. Can you find all 22 pieces of information? This webpage is best viewed at a minimum width of 1250 pixels.

Sign with a question mark
What is a river?
Illustration of Apalachicola River
Apalachicola River

Illustrated swamp foliage

Detritus

Illustration of Okefenokee Swamp

Okefenokee Swamp
Illustration of Suwannee River
Suwannee River

St. Marys River


Illustration of Ocklawaha River

Ocklawaha River

Illustration of a Mouth

Heads and mouth
The St. Johns River

Illustrated shark fin

Shark


Illustration of Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay

Illustration of Wekiva River

Wekiva River

Illustration of sign with an arrow pointing upward

River flow

Illustration of the Indian River Lagoon

Indian River Lagoon


Illustrated grass

The Everglades

Illustration of Lake Okeechobee

Lake Okeechobee

Illustration of a ruler

Gauge



Compass Rose

Illustration of Florida Keys

Florida Keys

Illustrated Arrow

Straits of Florida

Illustrated Black Creek

Black Creek

Illustrated Bottle

Bottle
Illustrated BuoyBuoy

Visit Water in the United States

Illustration of a river

What is a river?

A river is a natural stream that empties into an ocean or a lake or other body of water.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-018-river.mp3

Illustration of the Apalachicola River confluence

Apalachicola River

The Apalachicola River is formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers. A confluence is where two rivers join together. The Apalachicola River flows through the Jim Woodruff Dam just south of the Georgia-Florida border in the Florida Panhandle. It’s one of the few Florida rivers that has a dam. The river flows 109 miles through relatively undeveloped coastal plain into Apalachicola Bay.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-032-Apalachicola.mp3

Illustration of detritus

Detritus

Many Florida rivers have a naturally brown color from decaying leaves and plant material, which is called detritus. This decaying material contains tannins that stain the water just like tea.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-023-detritus.mp3

Illustration of the Okefenokee Swamp

Okefenokee Swamp

The Okefenokee Swamp is one of the largest swamps in North America. Okefenokee, which in the Seminole language means the Land of Trembling Earth, is made up of approximately 700 square miles. It is located in the southeast corner of Georgia. This swamp is the beginning, or headwaters, of both the Suwannee River and the St. Marys River.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-033-Okefenokee-Swamp.mp3

Illustration of the Suwannee system

Suwannee River

The Suwannee River flows out of the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia, south to the Gulf of Mexico. Because of its distinctive brown color, it’s often called a blackwater river. More of Florida’s springs are found along the banks of this river than any other river in Florida.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-035-Suwannee.mp3

Illustration of St. Marys River

St. Marys River

The St. Marys River forms part of the border between the states of Florida and Georgia. This river begins deep within the Okefenokee Swamp and twists for 130 miles to flow out into the Atlantic Ocean. As the crow flies, it’s only 40 miles from the headwaters to the mouth of this river.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-034-St-Marys-River.mp3

Illustration of the Ocklawaha River

Ocklawaha River

The Ocklawaha River, a tributary of the St. Johns River, begins south of Lake Apopka and flows north. A tributary is a river that flows into a larger river. Some land surrounding the Ocklawaha River was used for farming. In the past, agricultural runoff severely impacted or caused changes to this river. Work is now taking place to restore this region to a more natural system. The Silver River, which is a spring-fed river, is a tributary of the Ocklawaha River.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-028-Ocklawaha.mp3

Illustration of a mouth with teeth

Heads and mouth

Did you know that rivers have heads and mouths? The beginning of the river is known as its headwaters. The river’s mouth is where it ends and flows into another body of water. Can you find the headwaters of the St. Johns River? Hmm?

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-024-headwaters.mp3

Illustration of the St. Johns River

St. Johns River

The St. Johns River begins in southeast Florida and flows 310 miles north to Jacksonville, where it turns east and joins the Atlantic Ocean.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-019-St-Johns-River.mp3

Illustration of a shark below the water

Shark

Have you ever seen sharks in the river? Oh, I hope not. The St. Johns River has a high salt content. That’s why sharks have been found as far as 150 miles upstream.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-022-shark.mp3

Illustration of Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest open-water estuary. An estuary is a place where freshwater and salt water meet and mix.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-038-Tampa-Bay.mp3

Illustration of Wekiva River

Wekiva River

The Wekiva River begins at the confluence, where two rivers join together, of Wekiva Springs Run and Rock Springs Run. It is joined on its way to the St. Johns River by two tributaries, the Little Wekiva River and Black Water Creek.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-031-Wekiva.mp3

Illustration of the St. Johns River flowing north-ward

River flow

The St. Johns River is one of the few rivers in the United States that flows from south to north.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-020-flow-up.mp3

Illustration of the Indian River Lagoon

Indian River Lagoon

The Indian River Lagoon is not really a river or lagoon. It’s really a special place called an estuary. The Indian River Lagoon stretches approximately 156 miles. Its unique location on the east coast of Florida contains both tropical and temperate climates, which allow many different habitats and a wide diversity of species to be found in one area.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-029-Lagoon.mp3

Illustration of the Everglades

The Everglades

The Everglades is a wetland located in South Florida. Wetlands provide a vital habitat for fish and wildlife, store water and even help filter or clean the water.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-040-Everglades.mp3

Illustration of the Okeechobee

Lake Okeechobee

Lake Okeechobee is one of the largest lakes east of the Mississippi River that is not one of the five Great Lakes. Water from the Orlando area flows down the Kissimmee River into this lake.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-036-Okeechobee.mp3

Illustration of a ruler in water

Gauge

The average depth of the St. Johns River is 11 feet. At its deepest point, the river can be more than 80 feet deep.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-021-water-lvl.mp3

Compass Rose

Illustration of a compass rose

The compass rose is used to tell directions on a map.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-017-compass.mp3

Illustration of Key West

Florida Keys

Key West is the southernmost city in the continental United States and is found on an island in the Florida Keys. An island is a land area completely surrounded by water.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-041-Key-West.mp3

Illustration of Straits of Florida

Straits of Florida

The Straits of Florida connect the Gulf of Mexico with the Atlantic Ocean. The Straits are found between the Florida Keys, Cuba and the Bahamas. The Straits mark where the Florida Current, the beginning of the Gulf Stream, flows east out of the Gulf of Mexico.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-039-Straits.mp3

Illustration of Black Creek

Black Creek

Black Creek is named for its dark water, which is caused by the tannins that run into the creek from forested areas surrounding the creek. High sandy and limestone bluffs are visible in many areas as the creek winds through ravines on its way to the St. Johns River.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/08/3-2-030-Black-Creek.mp3

Illustration of Evaporation

Bottle

When the sun heats the water to a certain temperature, it causes the water to evaporate and turn into an invisible gas called water vapor. Water is constantly evaporating from oceans, rivers and lakes.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2019/09/3-2-037-bottle.mp3

Illustration of the three states of matter

Buoy

Water is the only substance that is found in nature in the form of a liquid, solid, and gas. All living things need water to survive.

https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/2020/03/3-2-060-buoy.mp3
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