Alafia River
The river the town is named for
Riverview was founded on the Alafia in 1885, and the tannin-dark river is still the best thing about living here — preserves on its banks, paddling upstream, and live water data.
HomeAlafia River
Live water data
Alafia River at Lithia
Source: U.S. Geological Survey real-time gauge 02301500.
The local angle
A working river with wild banks
The Alafia runs tannin-dark past Riverview's founding site, and the county has kept real nature on its banks: Alafia Scrub Nature Preserve's loop trails end at a river overlook, and Bell Creek Preserve protects 477 acres of the watershed. Upstream at Lithia, Alafia River State Park turned a reclaimed phosphate mine into some of Florida's best-known mountain-bike terrain, plus paddling and equestrian trails.
River levels swing with the seasons — the live gauge above is the same one paddlers check before committing to a run.