As we enter our 25th anniversary year, we are grateful for your support and our joint accomplishments over the past quarter century – for the river – to ensure a healthy river ecosystem for generations to come.

Today, we reflect on 2024 and our annual progress and successes in advocacy, education, and community outreach as we work together toward our vision of a thriving St. Johns River Watershed.

In 2024 St. Johns Riverkeeper:

  • Wrapped up year two of the SAVe Our River’s Grasses Expedition seeking answers and solutions to the disappearing submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) of the St. Johns. Our team embarked on three four-day field visits, during which we performed 42 site visits to collect data.
  • Initiated the program to install SAV protective enclosures along our SAV Expedition route in partnership with Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and Mighty River Recovery. The dedication of these organizations in conserving and restoring fish habitat aligns with our goals for the SAVe Our River’s Grasses Expedition. We assisted with the installation of three enclosures between March and April, covering a combined total of approximately 10 acres, in collaboration with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and dedicated volunteers. The enclosures, located in the Bayard Point area, collectively spanned over a mile in length.
  • Led 23 boat trips along the river and her tributaries for 474 passengers.
  • Held polluters accountable: We participated in six legal actions to stop pollution at its source, to protect Florida’s wetlands, to protect Florida’s conservation lands and to reduce contaminated, industrial stormwater runoff.
  • Educated 4,144 K-12 students about the St. Johns River through 121 in-classroom and on-the-river programs.
  • Advocated for waterfront park improvements at Riverview Park and Ribault Scenic Drive Park to enhance access to the waterways as part of our Resilient Ribault initiative.
  • Held events in new locations along the watershed including Mud Spring, Wetland Preserve and Welaka National Fish Hatchery.
  • Launched a two-year environmental quality assessment on the Ribault River and Moncrief Creek watersheds to obtain data to determine sources of pollution, identify potential solutions, and impel action by local and state agencies. This included five field visits during which 50 fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) samples and 22 nutrient samples were collected. Among the FIB samples, 11 exceedances were identified, while no nutrient exceedances have been observed so far.
  • Led 84 educational boat trips for 2,442 K-12 students.
  • Hosted or participated in 115 events to educate the public about the river and help them experience it firsthand.
  • United with fellow clean water advocates to stop the operation of an unpermitted, high-density chicken facility that threatens the headwaters of the St. Johns in West Indian River County. Permitting is now underway while SJRK and area clean water advocates provide oversight.
  • Coordinated 61 cleanups along the St. Johns and her tributaries. We led the second annual Great St. Johns River Cleanup in March and April, collaborating with counties, businesses and organizations throughout the watershed.
  • Held monthly service days at Riverview Park, and continued our role as its Official Park Steward.
  • Rising Tides led monthly cleanups along the McCoys Creek watershed, continuing an 11-year effort.
  • Collected 10 water samples from areas with potentially harmful algal blooms. Lab results showed evidence of potentially toxigenic cyanobacteria from 9 of these 10 sites.
  • Launched our online volunteer platform to better serve our volunteers and the watershed.
  • Expanded the Brewing Up Solutions brewery series to watershed-wide. We hosted six conversations at breweries in Vero Beach, Sanford, St. Augustine, Palatka, and Jacksonville, connecting with 150 local citizens.
  • Kept the public involved and informed through 100+ public speaking engagements and presentations.
  • Received and answered approximately 75 calls and emails in regard to suspected violations or issues from concerned citizens and homeowners.
  • Gave the river a voice: We spoke on behalf of our river at more than 150 public events including civic organizations, city council/county commission meetings, legislative meetings, local & regional resilience coalitions and social gatherings to ensure that we are all doing our part to protect and restore the St. Johns River and its tributaries.

We are proud of what we accomplished together this past year – for the river and for us all – but there is much more work to be done. Along with concerned citizens and river enthusiasts like you, we plan to advance our progress in 2025 as we continue to be your trusted voice for our St. Johns River.

Become a member of St. Johns Riverkeeper today and be a part of our success!