| South Negril River | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | Jamaica |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • coordinates | 18°16′40″N78°15′22″W / 18.2778°N 78.2560°W |
| • elevation | About 250 feet (76 m) [1] |
| Mouth | |
• coordinates | 18°16′48″N78°20′52″W / 18.2800°N 78.3479°W |
• elevation | Sea level [1] |
| Length | 15 km (9.3 mi) [2] |
The South Negril River is a river in Westmoreland, Jamaica.
The head of the river is at the base of a row of hills that rise more than 500 feet (150 m) above the inland edge of the coastal plain. [1] [3]
From its head the river meanders south for about 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi), [2] passes under a small bridge carrying the New Hope - Delve Bridge road, [1] then swings east in a 600 metres (2,000 ft) [2] clockwise arc round the base of a ridge of the hills (passing under two small road bridges as it does so, the first carrying the New Hope - Delve Bridge road and the second the Springfield - New Hope road) [1] before heading south west through sugar cane fields for 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) [2] in a straight, open culvert to a point just north west of the village of Retreat. [1]
From Retreat the river arcs clockwise to flow north west out of the sugar cane into an area of swampy ground. [1] After a further 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) [2] it enters a region of small low hills, flowing through a defile in the middle of these for another 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) [2] before emerging to pass under a bridge carrying the Springfield - Sheffield road. [1]
Returning to flat agricultural terrain it continues north and west a little further, then arcs anti clockwise round another small hill to establish the westerly tendency which will carry it to the sea. [1] At the end of this 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) [2] section it passes under a small bridge carrying the Springfield - Sheffield road and reaches the south east corner of the Great Morass just north of the village of Sheffield. [1]
Over its final 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) [2] the river broadens dramatically as it flows along the southern edge of the Great Morass, gathering water as it goes, finally entering a culverted section and passing under its largest bridge (which carries the southern end of the main road paralleling Negril's seven mile beach) and out into the Caribbean Sea. [1] [4]
Along its route the river passes a number of small settlements and named regions including (working downstream from east to west): [1]
Throughout its 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) length the river falls no more than 250 feet (76 m) giving it a very gentle average gradient of about 1 in 200.
Working downstream from source to mouth the South Negril River passes under: [1] [5]
The South Negril River has no tributaries of any consequence. [1]