Protecting the Apalachicola River & Bay: A Vital Ecosystem

1. Apalachicola Riverkeeper The Mission of Apalachicola Riverkeeper is to provide stewardship and advocacy for the protection of the Apalachicola River and Bay, its tributaries and watersheds, in order to improve and maintain its environmental integrity and to preserve the natural, scenic, recreational, and commercial fishing character of these waterways.

2. Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin 19,600 Sq Mi Basin Chattahoochee River -Corps operates 5 Federal Reservoirs Flint River - Breadbasket of the SE (no federal reservoirs)

3. Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin Corps Authorized uses: Hydropower, Flood Control, Navigation, Recreation, Fish & Wildlife, (Atlanta M&I added by Court) Other needs met: Agriculture, M&I, Water Quality, Cooling, Recreation, Apalachicola River, Floodplain and Bay

4. Apalachicola River, Floodplain and Bay Largest forested floodplain in Florida (112,000 acres) Highest Species Diversity of any River System in North America UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Outstanding Florida Water (OFW)

5. Habitat Linkages – fisheries Linking Coastal Watersheds to Fisheries Fishing Sites

6. Bay ProductivityHarvest $200 million Local Seafood Industry, 90% of Florida Oysters, and 10% of US oysters, plus shrimp, crab and finfish. •  In 1994, Five Million lbs. of Seafood were produced from the Apalachicola Bay region. • 90% of all harvested species must spend some part of their life cycle inshore on the marsh and seagrass environment, even the grouper caught offshore must rely on this healthy environment. • Commercial fisheries of Eastern Gulf value to west Florida over $5 Billion dollars per year

7. Summary of Major Impacts: DECLINING RIVER STAGE Reduced flow Woody debris removal Loss of Fish Habitat and Fish Reduction of aquatic species DRYING OUT OF FLOODPLAIN FOREST Decrease in Forests Density Loss of 4 million trees Disconnected Sloughs DECLINING SEAFOOD HARVEST River flow drives productivity of the Bay and Eastern Gulf Loss of Nutrients and Organics Increased Salinity, Temperature and Disease Chain reaction thru Food Chain

8. Natural Features of river and floodplain Swamp Cut bank Main channel Slough Point Bar used for Disposal Site Levee

9. Forest Types Distributed by Elevation Upland High Bottomland Hardwoods Low Bottomland Hardwoods Swamps Floodplain slough Main channel

10. River Level Controls Water in Floodplain Upland High Bottomland Hardwoods Low Bottomland Hardwoods Swamps Floodplain slough Main channel

11. River Level Controls Water in Floodplain Upland High Bottomland Hardwoods Low Bottomland Hardwoods Swamps Floodplain slough Main channel

12. River Level Controls Water in Floodplain Upland High Bottomland Hardwoods Low Bottomland Hardwoods Swamps Floodplain slough Main channel

13. River Level Controls Water in Floodplain Upland High Bottomland Hardwoods Low Bottomland Hardwoods Swamps Floodplain slough Main channel

14. High and Low Water Seasons(before 1954) Upland High Bottomland Hardwoods Low Bottomland Hardwoods Swamps Early Spring Summer Fall Floodplain slough Severe drought Main channel

15. Impacts of reduced flow and deeper, wider channel High water

16. Impacts of reduced flow and deeper, wider channel Low water

17. 2007 Flow in relation to Average Flow Apalachicola River at Chattahoochee, FL Average flow 1922-2007 2007 flow

18. 85% of Apalachicola River fish species use floodplain

19. Stagnant conditions develop if sloughs are isolated for long periods

20. Fish trapped in floodplain will die if water dries up in isolated pools

21. Crawfish Integral Part of Food Chain • From the time Crawfish emerge from the ground, they are a major food source for fish, eels, turtles, otter, frogs, snakes, beaver, possum, young alligator, birds, and raccoons. • High water is the time when aquatic species migrate into the floodplain to spawn and forage.

22. Crawfish Lifecycle • After foraging above ground to regain weight, crawfish begin to spawn. • In the mating process, males place a sperm packet on the underside of the female's belly. Male top; female bottom

23. Crawfish Lifecycle • After the sperm packet is placed on the underside of the female crawfish, she curls up her tail and expresses the eggs. • She passes the eggs through the sperm down on to her tail and attaches them to the swimmerets, feathery apertures on the underside of the back section of her body.

24. Crawfish Lifecycle • After being released into water columns by the mothers, babies settle to the bottom and begin to forage and grow. • In 6-8 weeks they are large enough to catch in baskets.

25. Summary of Major Impacts: DECLINING RIVER STAGE Reduced flow Woody debris removal Loss of Fish Habitat and Fish Reduction of aquatic species DRYING OUT OF FLOODPLAIN FOREST Decrease in Forests Density Loss of 4 million trees Disconnected Sloughs DECLINING SEAFOOD HARVEST River flow drives productivity of the Bay and Eastern Gulf Loss of Nutrients and Organics Increased Salinity, Temperature and Disease Chain reaction thru Food Chain