The quest to save the St. Johns River grasses continues: we will embark on our third and final expedition for the year on October 17, 2023. Our team will return to our project survey sites to gather data and assess the status of the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), as we work with concerned citizens and state and federal agencies in search of solutions. We will travel an 80-mile stretch of the river between Doctors Lake in Clay County and Lake George in Putnam County.
Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is an important biological indicator of river health and is vital to a healthy river ecosystem. SAVs are sources of refuge, oxygen, habitat, and food for many aquatic species, including largemouth bass and blue crab.
State and federal agencies have documented and acknowledged the loss in SAV, but no funded plan exists to restore the river’s lost grasses or to protect the St. Johns River Estuary from the growing stressors of SAV.
As a result, we launched the SAVe our River’s Grasses Expedition, seeking answers and solutions to the disappearing SAV of the St. Johns River.
Join the Conversation
On October 18 at 6 p.m., SJRK will host a community conversation at Azalea City Brewing in Downtown Palatka as part of our Brewing Up Solutions series. The St. Johns Riverkeeper, Lisa Rinaman, will lead the discussion with conservationists Ben and Louann Williams. We will explore the importance of the St. Johns River’s submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) to the river’s health and to its fisheries, as well as the importance of protecting and restoring our land, wild spaces and wetlands. Learn more and RSVP.
View the August 2023 Field Log
Our August 2023 Field Log goes into detail about each site we visited and what we found during our last SAVe our River’s Grasses Expedition.
View the 2023 Expedition Overview
The Expedition Overview provides background information, details about SAV including stressors and solutions, our study area, and more.
Learn More About SAV
Check out our SAV webpage to learn more about SAV and stay up-to-date on our latest tour updates.
Help us Make a Difference
Please consider a gift to help support St. Johns RIVERKEEPER’s SAVe our River’s Grasses Expeditions and SAV research so that we can continue this vital work in some of the most threatened habitat of our watershed. Choose the “Program – SAV Research” cause on our giving form if you’d like to specifically support this endeavor.