America's Most Endangered Rivers - (Page 30) NUMBER 6 FLORIDA St. Johns River THR E AT : UN S U S TA I N A B L E WAT E R A P P R O P R I AT I O N S Summary The St. Johns River provides scenic beauty, recreational opportunities, and important fish and wildlife habitat. But the river is threatened by a water withdrawal proposal that would cost taxpayers billions, fuel more runaway sprawl, and damage the river’s ecology. Instead of taking precious freshwater from the fragile St. Johns, water managers should implement proven conservation and efficiency measures that will not only save the river’s health, but protect the longterm sustainability of community water supplies. delicately-balanced estuary at the river’s mouth. During seasonal lows in river flow this mix of fresh- and saltwater reaches more than 40 miles upstream from the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to hundreds of species of fish, amphibians and mollusks, this enormous estuary is also home to unusual river residents such as dolphins, manatees and stingrays. The St. Johns River has been named one of 14 “American Heritage Rivers” due to the tremendous benefits it has provided Florida for generations. Water from the St. Johns augments municipal drinking water supplies for several small communities on its upper reaches. The health of the St. Johns River also is critical to the area’s multimillion-dollar recreational and commercial fishing and tourism industries. The Threat Unprecedented growth and development threatens the health of the St. Johns River and its tributaries. Flagler County, until recently the fastest-growing county in the U.S., is one of several counties in the watershed experiencing explosive growth. ST. JOHNS RIVER AT-A-GLANCE RIVER LENGTH: 310 miles WATERSHED AREA: 8,840 square miles LARGEST CITY IN THE WATERSHED: Jacksonville, FL (pop. 834,789) PUBLIC LANDS IN WATERSHED: More than 985 square miles DID YOU KNOW? The St. Johns River is the longest river in Florida. The River The St. Johns River is a slowmoving giant. The river drops only 30 vertical feet from origin to mouth and expands to more than three miles in width in its lower sections. The resulting low velocity creates a A M E R I C A’ S M O S T E N DA N G E R E D R I V E R S ™ : 2 0 0 8 E D I T I O N | S T. J O H N S R I V E R W W W. A M E R I C A N R I V E R S . O R G ST. JOHNS RIVERKEEPER http://www.americanrivers.org
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