Field Report Highlights: Removal and Fish Haven Complete on East River
By Dan Tonsmeire
August 1, 2025–Apalachicola Riverkeeper’s contractors continued the steady removal of sediment over the past month in East River. Post construction survey data was recorded. The data will be converted to depths for comparison to the pre-construction depths. Over the 3-month duration of the project, approximately 12,000 linear feet of East River bottom has been dug to designed depth. That is about 40 football fields in length.
The Graham Creek Cut channel was filled, first with woody debris and then covered with sediment from the dredging in the nearby section of East River. This fill is designed to settle considerably over time and become level with the adjacent floodplain. The combination of sediment and woody debris forms a durable block of the artificial cut made long ago by timber harvesters. The flow out of Graham Creek has been returned to its historic channel.
Work on building the fish refuges was undertaken after the dredging and sediment removal was completed. Logs to place in the fish refuges were placed on or near the areas where the fish refuges will be constructed. The refuge areas were cleared of debris and vegetation and dug to the designed depths. Problems were encountered with the large logs staying in place when placed horizontally in these areas and then covered with water. Even the largest and heaviest logs were floating out of place. Driving the logs in vertically was suggested. This was specified in the plans for smaller logs, intended to be placed around the perimeter of the Fish Refuge.
Based on local knowledge, the placement of all the logs driven vertically in the area of the fish refuge would provide excellent fish habitat. After experimenting with this technique, it was agreed that this method provided the desired habitat (or better) and would remain in place until the logs rotted away.
The nature of the work took a heavy toll on equipment from broken propellers to entire lower units on the outboards powering three of the four push boats and smaller vessels. A smaller skiff suffered a punctured hull and lower unit failure and was taken out of service the last few days of the project. All four of the push boats and two smaller boats have been taken back for service and repair in preparation for the next project at Spiders Cut. The four loaders that were on the job were taken to Eastpoint for service. Only the four hopper barges and one deck barge remain tied up just below the head of East River on the Apalachicola River.
As mentioned before, the quantity of material moved is difficult to estimate. The view of the sand pile at Coastline’s work yard in Eastpoint gives a good perspective of how much material was blocking East River and why it could take many generations for this material to get pushed out of the East River. Even then, its ultimate destination would be to cover more habitat in East Bay, the primary nursery area of Apalachicola Bay. Many locals agree that the combination of removing the sand from East River and increasing the flow to East Bay will be a highly significant benefit to this popular commercial and recreational fishing river in the delta and bay.
Former long-time Riverkeeper Dan Tonsmeire is the onsite construction manager of the Apalachicola Riverkeeper Slough Restoration Project.
