A tributary is a small stream or river that flows into a larger one. The Peace River is fed by many tributaries.
Saddle Creek
In the northern portion of the watershed, Upper Saddle Creek originates in the Green Swamp and flows into Lake Hancock, the largest lake in the watershed. Lower Saddle Creek drains out of Lake Hancock before it meets Peace Creek and forms the Peace River northeast of Bartow.
Peace Creek
Peace Creek originates near Lake Hamilton and passes through the cities of Winter Haven and Lake Wales along with unincorporated Polk County before converging with Saddle Creek to form the Peace River. The Peace Creek Canal was dug in the early 1900s to drain low-lying lands for agricultural use.
Horse Creek
The 40-mile Horse Creek begins at the “Four Corners,” where the counties of Hillsborough, Manatee, Polk and Hardee meet, and it joins the Peace River in southwest DeSoto County.
Horse Creek is famous for its scenic beauty and the purity of its water. Wildlife is plentiful and the banks are lined with moss-draped live oaks. Its northern half is shallow enough to wade across in many places.
Payne Creek
Payne Creek joins the Peace River near the city of Bowling Green. A waterfall, one of only a handful in Florida is visible from the bridge on County Road 664A.
Charlie Creek
Located in the east-central part of the watershed, Charlie Creek joins the Peace River at the rural community of Gardner. Charlie Creek is a favorite destination of amateur paleontologists, who scour the creek bed for fossils.
Joshua Creek
Like Charlie Creek, Joshua Creek is known for its fossils, which are often found in the creek bed. Waders have also recovered early projectile points and other stone tools, evidence of prehistoric Indian settlements.
Shell Creek
Shell Creek is the southernmost of the Peace River’s major tributaries and discharges into the estuarine portion of the river. To local paddlers, it’s one of the area’s best-kept secrets. Shell Creek is narrow and scenic, meandering through lush pine flatwoods and riverine cypress swamps. A dam controls its outflow; above the dam the water is fresh, while below the dam it’s brackish and tidally influenced.