State Recognizes July As Florida Rivers Month

~Florida’s rivers play a crucial role in state’s ecological and economic health~

TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist recently signed a proclamation honoring July as Florida Rivers Month, recognizing the importance of protecting the more than 50,000 miles of rivers and streams flowing throughout the state.

Florida’s famed waterways include the historic Suwannee River made famous by folk musician Stephen Foster, the 310-mile St. Johns River, one of only a few rivers in North America that flows north, and Northwest Florida’s Apalachicola River, which helps supply 90 percent of Florida’s oysters by feeding Apalachicola Bay.

“The flow of water that enables and sustains our lives—personally, ecologically, and economically—is aptly epitomized by our rivers. Rivers connect us one and all,” said Ken Prest, DEP Northwest District Director,  “With so many competing uses, it is increasingly important that we think and work together to assure that the many benefits rivers deliver accrue to future generations as well as the present ones.”

Floridians can help protect Florida’s treasured rivers and streams by practicing water conservation habits in their homes and yards, which can be as simple as turning off the faucet while brushing or not running sprinklers on rainy days.

By practicing “green” gardening techniques, such as reducing fertilizer use or spreading mulch to prevent erosion, residents can improve the quality of the waters near their homes. 

Residents can also help protect water quality supply, and stop polluters by reporting environmental crimes and suspicious activities at drinking water treatment plants and water towers to your local police department and the State Warning Point (1-800-320-0519).

“Northwest Florida contains some of the most pristine water resources in the state” said Douglas Barr, Executive Director of the Northwest Florida Water Management District.  “The District has made it a priority to protect and preserve our river corridors, purchasing up to 90 percent of the floodplain on several rivers.”

Through its nationally recognized water quality restoration program, Florida is using the best science available to identify and restore impaired rivers based on the first state law of its kind in the nation.

Demonstrating stringent water quality standards, rigorous environmental permitting requirements and a strong commitment to reuse, the state has eliminated nearly 300 discharges of industrial and domestic wastewater into Florida’s rivers in the last twelve years.

In addition, Florida has invested $3.7 billion since 1999 to protect the state’s rivers by cleaning up stormwater pollution and improving wastewater treatment.

In addition, since 1990, Florida has acquired more than 2.4 million acres of environmentally-sensitive land to protect water quality in rivers, lakes, estuaries and streams through Florida Forever and its predecessor, P2000.

The acreage includes the acquisition of 117,460 acres of natural floodplains and more than 510,000 acres of functional wetlands since July 2001.

During the summer months, residents and visitors alike can go outside and enjoy some of Northwest Florida’s most famous rivers, such as:

• The Apalachicola River in Northwest Florida runs through one of the top six biodiversity “hot spots” in the U.S and supports a remarkable collection of habitats and wildlife. The largest river in Florida in terms of flow, the Apalachicola River stretches 112 miles from the Georgia border to Apalachicola Bay. Together with its tributaries, the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers, the entire river basin drains a 20,000-square-mile watershed. The Apalachicola Bay supplies ten percent of all oysters harvested nationally and is the second largest National Estuarine Research Reserve in the nation.

• In east-central Wakulla County, the St. Marks joins with the Wakulla River, its largest tributary. The Wakulla, a classic spring-run river, originates at Wakulla Springs and flows south for approximately 10 miles to its confluence with the St. Marks River. From there, the St. Marks River widens and flows to Apalachee Bay, approximately 3 miles to the south. Tidal effects extend upstream in both the St. Marks and Wakulla Rivers for about 6 miles from the river mouth.

    * The Blackwater River drains 860 square miles, of which about 80 percent is in Florida. For most of its length in Florida, the river flows through the Blackwater River State Forest in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa Counties before discharging into the Pensacola Bay estuary. Tidal fluctuations can reach as far as six miles upstream.

To learn more Florida’s waters visit www.dep.state.fl.us  or www.protectingourwaters.org for watershed specific information.

To view Governor Crist’s Florida Rivers Month proclamation, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2010/07/files/florida_rivers.pdf .