St. Marys Riverkeeper (SMRK) brings together two missions at the core of its work: serving as the advocate for waterways of the St. Marys River, and bringing together residents to protect the watershed based on the needs and interests of the community. Water quality monitoring forms much of the substance of SMRK’s work, with over 50 sites monitored regularly by local citizen scientists, but the riverkeeper’s activities extend to holding regulatory agencies accountable, working collaboratively to resolve pollution issues, and increasing resiliency for vulnerable communities. With the St. Marys River forming parts of the border between Georgia and Florida, SMRK’s impact reaches multiple states and communities along the river’s 130-mile course from the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia to its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean in Florida. SMRK serves as the river’s watchdog and advocate, mobilizing residents along its length to stand up for the protection of a cherished resource.
Extracting Refuse from the St. Marys River. Photo Courtesy of St. Marys Riverkeeper.
In the short time since its founding in 2016, St. Marys Riverkeeper has become a force for water protection along the Florida-Georgia border. SMRK’s only staff member is its Executive Director, Emily Floore, but Floore is supported by an engaged 14-person Board of Directors and over 140 enthusiastic members. Members make much of SMRK’s work possible, volunteering as local citizen scientists to take regular water quality measurements at over 50 sites. This data can then be used to forge collaborative actions to prevent pollution, as was the case when SMRK worked with Camden County to replace dozens of faulty septic tanks for homeowners along the Horsepen Creek, resulting in a 92% reduction of fecal bacteria and the elimination of the “summer ick” known to plague swimmers in the area. Resiliency projects such as the living shoreline installed by SMRK in Fernandina Beach also create the dual community-nature benefits that SMRK strives after for the St. Marys River and its many neighbors.
St. Marys River. Photo Courtesy of St. Marys Riverkeeper.