Tom King Bayou

Last updated
Tom King Bayou
EtymologyOrigin unclear, though name dates back to prior to 1915
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • location Navarre, Florida
 • coordinates 30°24′58″N086°56′20″W / 30.41611°N 86.93889°W / 30.41611; -86.93889
Mouth  
 • location
 East Bay, Navarre, Florida
 • coordinates
 30°27′08″N086°56′19″W / 30.45222°N 86.93861°W / 30.45222; -86.93861 30°27′08″N086°56′19″W / 30.45222°N 86.93861°W / 30.45222; -86.93861
Length2.95 miles (4.75 km)
Basin features
Cities Navarre, Florida
Bridges Tom King Bayou Bridge

Tom King Bayou is a small, but locally important, bayou and creek in Navarre, Florida. [1] [2] The mouth of the bayou opens onto East Bay near Axelson Point and Robledal. [1] [3]

Contents

The bayou acts as a major runoff for stormwaters and is critical to the local environment and for local homes for this purpose. [4] [5]

Recreation

The bayou is navigable by small boats for just short of a mile (1.6 km) and is a popular fishing spot. [2] Though lacking the volume of recreators as other bodies of water in the area such as Santa Rosa Sound, paddleboarding and kayaking is not uncommon in the relatively calm waters of the bayou. [6]

The origin of the name of the water body is mostly unclear, though the name does appear on maps as early as 1921 and is mentioned by name in accounts of the area from as early as 1915. [7] [8]

Bridge

The bayou is crossed by East Bay Boulevard near the entrance of the bayou. Though it had no official name, the bridge is often referred to as Tom King Bayou Bridge. [9] [10] [11] [12]

The bridge had previously not been pedestrian friendly, despite sidewalks and trailway expansions along the connected East Bay Boulevard. [9] [10] However, several designs were furthered to allow for pedestrian friendliness. [10] In 2022, a pedestrian bridge was constructed alongside the bridge to improve pedestrian connectivity and is part of a larger trail project by the Florida Greenways and Trails Foundation. [13]

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References

  1. 1 2 "GNIS Detail - Tom King Bayou". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  2. 1 2 "Tom King Bayou fishing". Fish Brain. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  3. ↑ "Robledal History". Robledal. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  4. ↑ Escobedo, Duwayne. "Santa Rosa officials get early look at 2019-20 budget". Santa Rosas Press Gazette. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  5. ↑ Escobedo, Duwayne. "Project priorities proposed for Santa Rosa half-cent sales tax". Northwest Florida Daily News. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  6. ↑ "Tom King Bayou, Navarre, FL (r/sup)". Reddit. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  7. ↑ "USGS Map - 1921 - Holley, Florida". United States Geological Survey.
  8. ↑ Bingham, F.F. (1991). Rucker, Brian; Woolsey, Nathan (eds.). Log of the Peep O' Day: Summer Cruises in West Florida Waters, 1912-1915 (1991 Reprint with Contextual Footnotes ed.). Baghdad, Florida: Patagonia Press. ISBN   9781882695034.
  9. 1 2 "CR 399 over Tom King Bayou". Bridge Reports. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  10. 1 2 3 "Tom King Bayou Pedestrian Bridge Design - Consultant Negotiations Summary". Santa Rosa County Civil Clerk.
  11. ↑ "East Bay repaving delayed by contractor flight". Navarre Press. 2017-02-16. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  12. ↑ "Tom King Bayou Bridge Archives". Navarre Press. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  13. ↑ "Project Maps". Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
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