Clean The St Johns River

William Bartram wrote the book “Travels” it was later published in 1791, and in this book he speaks of a stretch of the river in what is now the Ocala National Forest. “....blessed land where the gods have amassed into one heap all the flowering plants, birds, fish and other wildlife of two continents in order to turn the rushing streams, the silent lake shores and the awe-abiding woodlands of this mysterious land into a true Garden of Eden." In what used to be a “Garden of Eden” a simple rise in the nutrients in the river, which is called eutrophication, has happened and is apparent because of everyday maintenance of houses, construction and other various chemicals. Eutrophication has overtaken the Saint John’s River and is one major reason why people tend not to eat fish or swim in this river. Sedimentation is one of the most, if not the most significant problem facing waterways throughout the Saint John’s River. Particulate matter, like soil, that washes off construction sites leads to sedimentation, or the accumulation of particles in waterways. A tremendous amount of soil leaving construction sites is burying aquatic life, disrupting the food chain, and affecting citizens’ ability to enjoy the outdoors on boats or swimming. Sediment is one of our most destructive water pollutants. America's water is polluted by more than one billion tons of sediment annually. There are also financial costs associated with sediment runoff. Because there is a tremendous amount of history around the Saint John’s River, there is a need to preserve this for our future. With the growing population around the Saint John's River, the river is too rich in nutrients and is slowly deteriorating beyond the control of environmentalist.

The Saint John’s River has been named Rio de Corrientes by the Spanish; Riviera du Mai by the French. The French established the first outpost called Ft. Caroline some 50 years before Jamestown. In 1565, Spanish soldiers marched from St Augustine to concur Ft Caroline, and renamed the river San Mateo. Later on the Spanish renamed the river Rio de Juan. The Saint John’s River is around 5,000 years old and this river flows north, which contribute to its slow movement of around one inch per mile. The river is divided into three basins, an upper, middle and lower. There are many wetlands that help contribute to the quality of the river, these wetlands were part of the Seminole Indian Wars and the Civil War. The Saint John’s River was used as a means of transportation, and was at some points a battlefield. With more than 12 ships sunk, one has become a national monument; The Maple Leaf was discovered right near Orange Park. After the Civil War, the Saint John’s River had become a popular destination for tourists. Several steamboats were operating out of Palatka, which at that time rivaled Jacksonville as a port city along the Saint John’s River. From early 1900’s to the1970’s, developers drained as much as 300,000 acres of the upper Saint John’s River Basin which was used for development, and had severally affected the environment. In 1988, the St. Johns River Water Management District began a restoration project to undo what developers had destroyed. And in 1998 President Clinton had made Saint John’s River an “American Heritage” and pronounced one of the 14 to receive this honor.

There is concern for the Saint John’s River for out future generation and the environment if there is no concern by individuals. Two major points are the quality of water and the degradation of the impact on habitats and the ecosystem within or around the river. There is continued development around the Saint John’s River, with the new construction projects working, the biggest problem is sedimentation. Sedimentation is the deposition by settling of a suspended material, which eventually finds its way to our, rivers,