The Apalachicola Riverkeeper E-Newsletter - RiverTrek//Slough Restoration Update//Ruling on USACE case //The Apalachicola Blueway and More!

August 2021

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Together, we are Apalachicola Riverkeeper! Greetings Riverkeeper Friends, We hope you are enjoying a summer that includes some water play (maybe on the Apalachicola River and Bay) and memorable time with friends and loved ones. We also recognize the continued challenges of coping with the covid pandemic. So, let's all strive to keep taking care of each other and our precious natural resources like the Apalachicola River and Bay system. Thank you for your steadfast support of our important work! Call on us any time. All the best, Your Apalachicola Riverkeeper Staff Diane, Doug, Georgia, and Susan www.apalachicolariverkeeper.org

RiverTrek! More than a Kayak Trip RiverTrek 2021 is going strong with a blue-ribbon team preparing their gear and setting a record pace for fundraising. And RiverTrek is much more than a 5-day October kayaking trip down the entire river. Participants become ambassadors for the river and bay as they raise funds for Apalachicola Riverkeeper, and many become closely involved with the organization during subsequent years. Learn more in this latest blog.

Support Our Work

Slough Restoration Project Advances Apalachicola Riverkeeper’s slough restoration project is on schedule. The scientific team now has most of the necessary data to apply for federal and state permits to proceed with sediment and debris removal in Douglas Slough, Spiders Cut and East River. Once work is completed, current estimates are that flow will be doubled or tripled in these sloughs during low water levels, benefitting both the lower river floodplain and Blounts and East Bays. Project Manager Ken Jones recently provided a detailed update of the project to Apalachicola Riverkeeper’s Program Committee. Watch the video here.

Picking it up at Apalachicola's Mill Pond Apalachicola Riverkeeper volunteers met at the Mill Pond on Independence Day morning for a “power hour” clean up. Lynn Wilder, board vice-president, said, “We’ve recently adopted the park through the city’s new rec program. So, we’ll be out here regularly as part of Apalachicola Riverkeeper’s (AR) work protecting an American treasure, the Apalachicola River and Bay.” Next cleanup is August 27th. Read more!

History of the Apalachicola Blueway Native Americans, followed by European traders, have long known that the Apalachicola River is an excellent waterway for paddling, as evidenced by the 50-foot trader’s dugout canoe found in the river, the longest ever found in Florida. But for the modern paddler, the current Apalachicola Blueway guide began in 2010. Learn about how the current Apalachicola Blueway was developed.

Greenfly Orchids & More on July Outing

Eco-educational outings offer a fun, memorable experience for all involved. On the July outing on South Prong creek near Sumatra, the group enjoyed a shaded blackwater stream canopied by tupelo and cypress. And they found an abundance of greenfly orchids a few feet above the water. These orchids are most often found on live oak trees, but also bald cypress and bloom from May through October. So, next time you are on one of our area swamp streams, don't forget to look up!

Court Rules in favor USACE We learned this week that the federal court ruled in favor of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in our legal challenge to how water is managed in the ACF system. The court’s decision is extremely disappointing. The Corps’ new water management plan ignores extensive testimony by scientific agencies and experts during the update process. Read more

Mark Your Calendars

Cleanup Power Hour at Apalachicola's Mill Pond August 27 River Landing Park Cleanup in Chattahoochee September 11  International Coastal Cleanup in Franklin County September 18 Contact Doug Alderson for event details.

Visit our website Apalachicola Riverkeeper is located at 301 Market Street, at Scipio Creek Marina The office is open by appointment.

http://live.oysterradio.com/