St. Johns Riverkeeper is Patrolling the River and Searching for Solutions to the Loss of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation
In May 2023, St. Johns RIVERKEEPER (SJRK) launched the SAVe Our River’s Grasses Expedition to monitor and map the current condition of the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the St. Johns River, and to better understand how we can take meaningful action to restore this vital habitat. From August 20-23, SJRK returns to the river for the second field visit of 2024.
On August 20, SJRK will launch its patrol boat, the Kingfisher, from Duval County to survey an 80-mile stretch of the river between Doctors Lake (Clay County) and Lake George (Putnam County). During the expedition, our team will take grass bed measurements, conduct water quality testing, and identify urgently needed solutions.
“SAV acts like kidneys for our river. It filters pollution and helps keep our river clean. Restoring our river’s grasses is essential to bolstering the health of the St. Johns and fulfilling our mission as an organization,” said Lisa Rinaman, the St. Johns Riverkeeper.
“However, multiple stressors – such as blue green algae blooms, back to back tropical storms, and saltwater intrusion – stunt the growth of our river’s SAV, making it more susceptible to grazing pressure from wildlife,” added Rinaman.
So Far in 2024…
During their last expedition in May, SJRK found SAV at every monitoring site along the 80-mile expedition route. At several sites, grass beds were more extensive and canopy heights were measured to be longer than they were in 2023. One of the most exciting highlights was the presence of long, healthy grasses within the temporary enclosures at Dancy Point and San Mateo that are part of the Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) pilot project.
FWC has been installing temporary fencing to protect grasses from grazing wildlife, giving our river’s SAV a fighting chance. Once the grass beds are reestablished, the enclosures will be removed. Outside the Dancy Point enclosure, SAV was cropped like all the other unprotected areas, demonstrating the significant grazing pressure that makes it difficult for grass beds to grow and thrive.
August 2024 Field Visit
During the upcoming field visit, SJRK will collect more data and continue the conversation with homeowners, anglers, scientists, business owners and river enthusiasts. We will visit the following sites:
- Tuesday, August 20: Clay County – Doctors Lake; St. Johns County – Fruit Cove, Orangedale, Colee Cove
- Wednesday, August 21: Putnam County – Mays Cove, Dancy Point, Forrester Point, San Mateo; 6pm: SAV Community Conversation at Azalea City Brewing (Palatka)
- Thursday, August 22: Putnam County – Floridian Club, Beechers Point, Jenerson Point
- Friday, August 23: Putnam County – Drayton Island, Georgetown North, Georgetown South
Field visit findings, data collected, next steps, potential solutions and opportunities, testimonials from local residents have all been compiled on the SJRK website.
Finding Solutions, Together.
St. Johns RIVERKEEPER is the voice for the St. Johns River. We will continue to learn all we can and take meaningful action toward a healthier river ecosystem. Together, we can make a difference – for the river and for us all! Locals who love the St. Johns River can support this effort directly to impact our river’s health for the better.