FishHawk is an unincorporated region in Hillsborough County, Florida. It is officially recognized as a census-designated place. This suburb in Florida has a population of 15,000.

Most people feel fascinated by the region’s name. Well, it was named after the “Little FishHawk Creek”. This creek is a tributary of the River Alafia. The river joins “Alafia”, which is located in the Western parts of the Lithia Springs.

The Dimensions

Alafia River in Fishhawk runs more than 40 kilometers. This is a lengthy river with watersheds that cover 335 square miles. The river neatly flows into the Tampa Bay. There are ten known ponds and lakes at the watershed. All these ponds and lakes are named. There are 29 canals, streams and rivers too. In the rainy seasons, water from River Alafia is pumped into the Young Regional Reservoir. This reservoir was opened in 2005.

The Early days

The Tocobaga Indians lived near the banks of River Alafia. Even today, traces of these Indians are seen around the river. Historians believe that the Tocobaga Indians lived near the river for centuries. The Tocabaga Indians built their settlements at the mouth of River Alafia. Most of their hunting camps were found upstream.

Finding the River!

The first map of River Alafia was made in the sixteenth century. The maps were drawn by Hernando de Soto and Panfilo de Narvaez. These maps identified River Alafia as the “Hunting River”. Regionally, Alafia means “River of Fire”. The river got its name from the red-brown color caused by algae spores. A small portion of the river is trapped inside the Alafia River State Park.