Swing into September with Apalachicola Riverkeeper

Join us at the annual International Coastal Clean Up in Franklin County. Saturday, September 20 We look forward to seeing you and our many coastal neighbors! SUPPORT OUR WORK

Public Meeting Oct 21 in Apalachicola   The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Mobile District is evaluating the impacts of reinstating dredging on the Apalachicola River.  A public meeting will be held in Apalachicola on October 21. Time and location have not yet been announced. Please watch website for updates (link below).     From the early 1960’s through the early 2000’s, the USACE attempted to maintain a 100-foot wide by nine-foot-deep channel for commercial barge traffic for 90 percent of the year.  After more than 40 years, the channel was determined to be economically infeasible and environmentally unsustainable and unacceptable.  The Corps’ authorization was denied by the State of Florida in 2005. USACE Dredging History

Cleaning Up Historic River Landing Park   The area has been labeled “Florida’s Inland Graveyard of Ships” by marine archeologists, and for good reason. The concentration of early vessels here is one of the largest in the United States since this shoreline was once a bustling wharf. A strong current and a twist in the river before the Jim Woodruff Dam forced many vessels to run aground, sometimes atop one another. Besides goods and passengers, soldiers and military supplies were loaded or unloaded at Chattahoochee (called Mount Vernon in the early days), since the town had an active federal arsenal during the Second Seminole War and Civil War.    Chattahoochee River Landing Park

Surveying Sea Turtle Nests on Little SGI   Fun fact: Little St. George used to be part of big St. George, forming one long barrier island until Sike’s Cut was created in 1954. History buffs will also appreciate relics like the Marshall House and the remains of the 1852 Cape St. George Lighthouse. That lighthouse, by the way, fell in 2005 but was rebuilt on St. George Island and now operates as a museum. I tagged along with ANERR’s stewardship staff for sea turtle surveys, which they do multiple times a week during nesting season (May–October). Sea Turtle Nest Survey Clean Up Captain McCauley Leads Mill Pond Volunteers   Mill Pond gets its name from back in the day when it was a sawmill where timber was processed after coming down river. If you visit today, you will see numerous shrimp boats docked. Locals and tourists alike enjoy the vibrant sunsets, as well as opportunities for fishing and birdwatching. A farmers market often occurs during the monthly clean up.   With all the boat and foot traffic that occurs near Mill Pond, litter is a common issue, unfortunately. During a cleanup, volunteers help prevent a variety of trash from entering our bay, which is just about a mile south of the cleanup site. Mill Pond Volunteers Make a Difference! Waterkeepers Florida Files Lawsuit to Protect Anglers   Many of Florida’s water quality criteria have remained woefully outdated since the 1990s. “Florida has the largest recreational fishery in the United States and the second largest seafood industry. It only makes sense to protect Florida waters and Floridians from toxic chemicals that accumulate in our fish,” says Lisa Rinaman, St. Johns Riverkeeper. In January of 2022, the Environmental Defense Alliance and Waterkeepers Florida sent a petition to EPA urging the agency to make a determination that new and revised water quality criteria in Florida are necessary.   WK FL Legal Action

Meet us at the Mill Pond in Apalachicola for a Power Hour Clean Up!

Read More Blogs Apalachicola Riverkeeper is an independent, non-profit advocacy organization founded in 1998. Your financial gift fuels our fight to defend the Apalachicola River.  Together, let’s keep working to protect and restore the Apalachicola River. SUPPORT OUR WORK   Apalachicola Riverkeeper P.O Box 8 Apalachicola , FL 32329 United States

http://live.oysterradio.com/