By Dan Tonsmeire I was lucky enough to participate in the recent fish surveys on the slough restoration project sites with some of the best fisheries biologists in the Southeast. Fish surveys are a component of the slough restoration project. Fish surveys are done by seining or by an electrofishing boat used to momentarily stun …
SSWA SB 604 will be heard Monday, February 7 before the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Support the bill with an email HERE. Residents and tourists come to Florida’s iconic waters for recreation and enjoyment. Unfortunately, 9,000 miles of rivers and streams and nearly 1 million acres of coastal estuaries are known (by Florida Department …
By Doug Alderson, Director of Outreach & Advocacy The true snowbirds have arrived—migratory birds! Recently, along the St. George Island public beach near the lighthouse, several snowbirds were seen. They included the western willet, a long-legged bird with a long straight bill. Western willets are winter visitors who feed in the swash zone for mole …
By Doug Alderson, Apalachicola Riverkeeper Director of Outreach & Advocacy Eight people braved cold temperatures on Saturday, January 22nd, to clean up three launch areas in the Chipola watershed in Jackson County: Magnolia Bridge, Spring Creek launch, and Yancey Bridge. The Spring Creek launch area was the most challenging with a significant amount of trash …
Updated by Georgia Ackerman, Riverkeeper and Executive Director January 2 2022– The 6 oil and gas drilling permits issued to Cholla Petroleum by FLDEP have expired. No drilling activities have occurred to date. It is not anticipated that new permits will be sought. Apalachicola Riverkeeper will continue to monitor oil and gas prospecting in the …
UPDATE: Oil and Gas Drilling, Cholla Permits Expire Read More »
By Doug Alderson, Apalachicola Riverkeeper Outreach & Advocacy Director Volunteers for Apalachicola Riverkeeper set a group record in 2021: 362 different volunteers logged in more than 2721 hours on behalf of the river and bay. That is a solid commitment that continues to inspire. The majority of volunteer activities were cleanups. We continued to cleanup …
Many of the Slough Restoration Project team members spent a few days in the field together in November. Forester John Tracy and hydrologist Scott Walls shared some notes on the work. Here are some photos. From John Tracy: We had a great opportunity to meet members of the slough restoration project team that we normally …
Slough Restoration Project: Field Notes, November 2021 Read More »
By FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory The effort to help Florida’s troubled Apalachicola Bay and its famous oysters cleared a key hurdle on November 16th. The Apalachicola Bay System Initiative (ABSI) Community Advisory Board (CAB) unanimously adopted the framework document for the Apalachicola Bay System (ABS) Ecosystem-Based Adaptive Management and Restoration Plan (the Plan). Members …
The ABSI Community Advisory Board Adopts Framework Plan for the Apalachicola Bay System Read More »
By Georgia Ackerman, Riverkeeper November 22, 2021- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has awarded about $33 million from its Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (GEBF) to the State of Florida to acquire and manage approximately 32,000 acres of wetlands and floodplain habitat along 38 miles of the Apalachicola River. Counties include Calhoun, Gulf and Liberty. The …
Land Conservation: Good news for the Apalachicola River and Floodplain Read More »
By Mary Allgire, first-time Apalachicola RiverTrek participant We did it!!! We paddled into Apalachicola on Sunday afternoon with the tide and the winds at our back to a royal welcome including a band, frolicking dolphins at the bridge, cheering friends and riverkeepers, and beer from Oyster City, the local brewery. It was an amazing trip …
