By Georgia Ackerman
April 12, 2019–Today, Roy Ogles, Mark Ringlever and I conducted a visual survey from Bloody Bluff to Gaskins Landing in Wewahitchka. I was especially interested in checking on several sloughs, including Spider Cut and Douglas Slough. There are over 400 miles of sloughs, streams and lakes in the floodplain of the Apalachicola River. Many of these sloughs have been cut off from the main river channel due to decline in freshwater from upstream or dredging spoil sites (and shifting sand) of years ago blocking sloughs. This season rainfall has been normal to high, pushing water into the floodplain frequently as the river spills over its banks.  
Frequently, these sloughs are referred to as arteries or veins pushing, pulling and circulating water through the river system–from the main river channel out into the floodplain—quenching and nourishing the vegetation in the floodplain. In return, healthy, life-giving nutrients are carried from the floodplain into the river and down to the Apalachicola Bay. The freshwater of the river feeds the estuary and the eastern Gulf, supporting fish habitat along the west coast of Florida.
Today’s visual survey highlights included:
- Spotting numerous swallow-tail kites
- Plucking up a juvenile dragonfly from water
- Seeing tupelo blooming along several sloughs
- Mark’s climb up Sand Mountain for view
- Meeting local beekeepers on the lower Chipola. The beekeepers reported that they were hopeful for a good tupelo honey season.
- Meeting Mr. Bill Davis at Bryants Landing who told us that his spring crawfish harvest had been good to date.
Georgia Ackerman is the Riverkeeper and Executive Director at Apalachicola Riverkeeper
 
