Swim Across the St. Johns

[jumpingfish]

The 3.5 Mile Swim Across the St. Johns in association with St. Johns Riverkeeper, raising awareness for the St. Johns River.  http://jumpingfish.net/sasj/

[Sharpiks]

You'd swim in that?

[ruckdl]

LOL !! @Sharpiks

[duvaldude08]

I hope you dont lose your leg afterwards! LOL

[RiversideLoki]

"SASJ"? More like "SASJAGFEB" (Swim across the St. Johns and get flesh eating bacteria.)

[north miami]

Another heart felt River Advocacy Event,RiverKeeper Publicity Committee log.

God Bless all.

Once the Big River swim,how about hitting the Bullseye:
McCoys Creek,downtown Jacksonville 2011 and the Barge Canal,site of the Nation's emerging "Environmental Awareness" during the Nixon and Florida Governor Claude Kirk era...............and still no resolve circa 2011.

A brazen McCoys Creek swim would be Measured not in miles,but even more defining yards.
Double Dare anyone.Let's go! a short swim most can personally conceive doing themselves.Bring an inner tube.Huge crowd......"The Public"!

Credit for this recent realization thanks to a Hogans Creek Noone Trifecta paddle with Noone this month.

And if a walk on water across McCoys too short to seize attention,a swim along McCoys Creek,starting at the River mouth,through the tunnel under the Florida Times Union building,site of countless River Advocacy Column Inches,and on out to the other side and beyond.

Speaking of walking on water,how about a walk across Fishweir Creek behind the former Hanz Tanzler residence?
(This stuff is perhaps too good to share here what the dang heck!.....)

Soon followed by a swim across Rodman Pool,Putnam County,focusing attention on the impaired largest tributary of the St Johns River.
Who can name the largest tributary of the St Johns River System,and how does this River System component play in the most recent River Summit euphoric yet hollow proclamations by politicians for "Everglades Style" restoration??

Jump in!

[Ocklawaha]

O C K L A W A H A !

[north miami]

O C K L A W A H A !

xoxo

MetroJacksonville Collector Series

[Ocklawaha]

Soon followed by a swim across Rodman Pool,Putnam County,focusing attention on the impaired largest tributary of the St Johns River.
Who can name the largest tributary of the St Johns River System,and how does this River System component play in the most recent River Summit euphoric yet hollow proclamations by politicians for "Everglades Style" restoration??

Jump in!

Upper Ocklawaha Basin

Why fight for the Ocklawaha River? The first time I went up the Ocklawaha, I thought it was dreamlike. It was a canopy river. It was spring-fed and swift. I was concerned about the environment worldwide. What could I do about the African plains? What could I do about India? How could I affect things in Alaska or the Grand Canyon?But here, by God, was a piece of Florida. A lovely natural area, right in my backyard, that was being threatened for no good reason."
      ~Marjorie Harris Carr

"Ocklawaha Valley Railroad Regional Intermodal Center" sometime between 1908 and 1923, served as the Steamboat Wharf and ticket offices of the Hart Line, local stage coaches, and as the DEPOT of the OCKLAWAHA VALLEY RAILROAD at Silver Springs. The exact location today is where the boarding facility for the glass bottom boat rides is, if you visit, note the large photo on the wall of the boat ride station... The old railroad followed the north and west side of the river and it's grade can be seen in the Silver Springs park in the lawn just east of the 'Silver Springs Village shops'.

In 1964, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began construction on an ill-advised project to build a canal across Florida. They needed a pool with sufficient water to float barges, so they built Rodman Dam across the Ocklawaha eight miles from where the river joined the mighty St. Johns. The waters of the Ocklawaha backed up and spread out over the floodplain, which had been cleared by crushing the hardwood forest. The shallow waters of Rodman impoundment were warm and rich, and aquatic weeds grew at great speed. Today the submerged aquatic pest, hydrilla, has filled the impoundment from top to bottom. Herbicides and drawdowns are used in an expensive and never-ending attempt to control this and other water weeds.

Conditions in the St. Johns River are tightly linked to those in the Ocklawaha. When the Ocklawaha was dammed, the resulting destruction of 16 miles of the river and 9,000 acres of river and associated floodplain forest had a degrading impact on the St. Johns. Critical pulses of particulate nutrients were impeded. Fish and mammals could no longer travel their historic natural pathways.

We are now aware of the folly of this past action. The mistake of damming the Ocklawaha was made through a combination of ignorance and greed. We need to move ahead to protect natural systems now that we know they provide valuable free services for everyone. The restored Ocklawaha River will be a legacy we leave for future generations.

http://www.fladefenders.org/tempfde.html

OCKLAWAHA

[RiversideLoki]

Or.. you know.. the St. Johns...

[jumpingfish]

Thanks for the dead fish picture. I think I have seen that fish. Might have been left overs from the gator that lives by the dock.

While I certainly appreciate everyone's concern, I have swam across the St. Johns from Fleming Island Marina to County Dock 5 times and swam this section of the river multiple times and I am quite healthy. On our expeditions (7 total) I was joined by 5 other open water swimmers and triathletes and they are fine. Those who understand tidal mechanics and coastal sciences will know why it is safe to swim this section of the river.

In terms of alligators and what not, as an open water swimmer, we are quite used to this sort of feedback, sharks and what not. It is a sport and we are protected by boats and kayaks. The crafts pretty much scare the creatures away. There IS the jellyfish exception. They just do what they do. Must of us including me have been stung multiple times but most of the time its just fine. Dolphins are often curious and we have great photos of open water swimmers and dolphins fins in frame. I was nudged by one a couple times in the Amelia Island Open Water Challenge.

Off to California in August to swim Tahoe, Alcatraz and Monterrey Bay and then our focus is set on the open water Race Across the St. Johns on October 15th.

Cheers,
Jim

[Noone]

Jim,
Good luck with your swims and travels. I've jumped in and have enjoyed our river on occasion. There have been those instances especially after shrimping when you jump in and you will hit a pocket of cold water or you do feel that soft mud sediment then get back in the boat and resume fishing or shrimping for those species that just thrive in those conditions.

I wouldn't consider myself an open water swimmer but can appreciate the following and special athletes that it attracts.

Lets hope that we will all continue to have the opportunity to access, promote, preserve, and celebrate our St. Johns River our American Heritage River.

[blizz01]

I grew up swimming/skiing in that water daily - so far so good - no growths, rashes, or additional appendages to date.......

[Overstreet]

If algae and fish kills annoy you stop fertilizing, exterminating, and flushing so much. It all comes from human activity.