Blog #2
August 15, 2018
by Dr. Joann Mossa
We recently had our third excursion for the EPA Gulf of Mexico Program restoration project. The group included Dr. Chen from UF, Georgia Ackerman, Dan Tonsmeire and me. The first was in June with Dr. Kevin Robertson, a botanist from Tall Timbers with expertise on the point bar vegetation in the Gulf coastal plain. He described the diversity of plants as our group explored the environmental conditions and human activities on the three point bars. We tested a water jetter, a mechanical way of making deep holes for willow and poplar stakes and did some trial plantings. On our second trip with Vicki and Bruce Mathis of Chipley, described in our last blogpost, we did more plantings and learned about the potential for using horticultural methods.
For our third trip in late July, we checked how our first and second trip plantings were faring. Due to changes in water level, many of our last plantings were under water. Since early July, the flow went from 14K to 30K cfs and then back down to 22K. However, the good news is that our earlier plantings, marked with survey tape, have held up in the current and humans have left them alone. One of our guests on this trip was Garrett Edwards, a UF student and licensed drone operator. He took some drone images of our drowned bars, as well as of Alum Bluff, one of the more prominent geological features of the upper river that provides sediment to the river from erosion and mass wasting. He got some great shots of the landslide that occurred in 2013, which I shared with Guy “Harley” Means, Assistant State Geologist and expert on Alum Bluff, who seemed impressed. If any river trekkers or local residents have photos of this bluff, we are interested in assessing how it has changed over time, especially any photos you might have from 2013 and to present.
On the third trip, we were also joined by Leigh Brooks, a local environmental conservation leader known for her work in and surrounding Torreya State Park. She shared some interesting ideas about canebrakes and other plants that were on the bars and floodplain historically. As last time, our volunteers also helped with planting and Dr. Chen recorded all of our efforts with the GPS. We took numerous small cuttings from willows to soak until we go out on the river again. This is a “normal” year for the Apalachicola, which means it is much wetter than it has been recently. The streamflow went up over 40K cfs since our last planting, so we live with uncertainty about whether the willows will be uprooted or thrive with all this water or not, but we are hopeful that Mother Nature is trying to help our project. A beaver, a fawn, and numerous fish, birds and butterflies watched from a distance. Next time, we plan to put up a few vinyl banners identifying our restoration sites. What looks like sticks hopefully will grow to a full-fledged forest.
To learn more, follow this blog for updates. If you have an interest in volunteering on this project, please connect with Joann at [email protected] and we hope to get you involved. If you have copies of any photos of the bluffs taken in different years, the dredge boats depositing material, or anything else that you think we will find interesting, we would be grateful. Credit will be given in any report or paper that we write if we use your image.