River Report - Is the St. Johns Improving?

[riverkeepered]

The fifth annual State of the River Report for the Lower Basin of the St. Johns River was recently released and shows improvement in some areas but continuing threats in several critical categories.

Since 2008, researchers from Jacksonville University and the University of North Florida have reviewed and analyzed data and literature about the river to determine the status and trends of various health indicators. The analysis covers approximately 100 miles of the river from near Welaka to its mouth at Mayport.

The Report indicates that nutrient concentrations have recently remained stable and improvements in fecal coliform bacteria counts in some tributaries have been documented.  However, these pollution problems are far from being resolved, and the St. Johns continues to face serious threats to its health. The question remains - Are we willing to invest in the St. Johns and do what is necessary to restore its health?

Visit www.sjrreport.com to access the entire report.  They also have a great brochure that summarizes the findings over the last five years.

Here are some excerpts:

Even more than last year, the lack of data has limited our assessment. While the reliability and accuracy of available data is improving with time, the quantity of new data samples for many locations is decreasing. This is a concern, as frequent data collection is required in order to determine whether environmental concerns, such as algal blooms, are linked to trends in water quality parameters. Frequent, long-term data are also needed to evaluate the impact of TMDLs and other management strategies. The number of data samples is on an alarming decrease, with real-time data decreasing most rapidly.

Over the years, dredging to deepen the channel for commercial and naval shipping in Jacksonville, has led to salt water intrusion upstream. The magnitude of this intrusion over time has not been well quantified. Further deepening is likely to impact salinity regimes that could be detrimental to the grass beds. This is especially important if harbor deepening were to occur in conjunction with freshwater withdrawals for the river.

A total of 64 non‑native aquatic species are documented and believed to be established in the LSJRB.  There is a high probability that future invasions of non-native aquatic species will occur in the Lower St. Johns River Basin.

[Captain Zissou]

So one of our big problems facing researchers is lack of data?  How do we remedy this?  Is this a funding or volunteer issue?