Apalachicola Bay, St. Joe Bay, St. Andrew Bay and Lake Wimico
BAYSAVERS is a 501(c)(3), 100% volunteer organization with no paid director or board. It is a nonpolitical, practical-minded collection of individuals who care deeply about the environmental and economic future of our unique part of Florida, specifically Apalachicola Bay, St. Joseph Bay, St. Andrews Bay and the Lake Wimico ecosystem that connects them.
Our goal is straightforward: to restore the clear waters of St. Joe Bay and St. Andrew Bay and the sediment-rich waters of Apalachicola Bay to their natural states before they were artificially connected with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW).
BAYSAVERS is actively working with the Army Corps of Engineers and Florida DEP to identify solutions to the problems in the Bays and Lake Wimico. The USACE is prepared to move forward with the next step, which is the 7001 feasibility Study. We need your help, support and involvement to encourage the State of Florid to do the same. Go to this link to download the support letter and email address of Florida DEP. They need to hear how important this issue is to the people and businesses of the panhandle.
Working with the Corps of Engineers to find and Implement solutions to the ecological problems in Apalachicola Bay, St. Joe Bay, St. Andrew Bay and Lake Wimico
The ecological problems in the Bays and Lake Wimico are inexorably linked to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) built and operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. Solving these problems will require a cooperative effort between all the affected and involved parties (the Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Florida, the local water management district, the local counties and cities, and interested nonprofits like BAYSAVERS).
What is BAYSAVERS doing?
To get the process moving forward BAYSAVERS has worked with the Corps of Engineers Mobile District to request that they include a study in its Fiscal Year 2025 budget submission to investigate the problems of the loss of freshwater and sediment from Apalachicola Bay and Marsh and the damage done to its complex oyster bar based ecosystem, as well as the increased sedimentation and increased turbidity in St. Joe Bay and St. Andrews Bay causing destruction of the sea-grass based ecosystems and the marine life that depends on them. This study will also address the connected problems associated with saltwater intrusion into the Lake Wimico watershed and the consequent loss of freshwater marshes and related native aquatic grasses and trees and wildlife there.
What’s next?
A Corps of Engineers feasibility study is a necessary first step in the process leading to projects and solutions to assist the recovery of the degraded and damaged terrestrial and aquatic habitats of Apalachicola Bay, St. Joseph Bay, St. Andrews Bay and Lake Wimico. Go to (CivilWorksPartnership_Factsheet.pdf) for a description of the Corps of Engineers study process.
How long will it take?
Things won’t happen overnight. The problems are complex, there are many stakeholders and interested parties, and formulating projects that address the needs and concerns of all will not be easy but a Corps of Engineers study is the best way to bring all the parties together in a collaborative framework to address the problems and define solutions. We are fortunate in that, working with the Corps of Engineers Mobile District, we have identified a path forward that allows the study to advance without having to go through the Congressional authorization process – this has shaved years off the study timeline. If the study receives an appropriation in Fiscal Year 2025 it could potentially begin early in 2025 and construction could potentially begin in 2030. Go to (Study timeline assuming 2025 appropriation.docx) to see a detailed timeline for the study.
What can you do to help?
We can always use financial help and volunteers to help spread the word. We have specific needs for engineers, graphic artists, public speakers, and many other specific tasks that will be required as we move forward with this project, but you do not need any specific skills to belong to BAYSAVERS! Go to https://baysaversfl.org/join-us/ to volunteer or donate.
Solving the problems in the Bays and the Lake Wimico Watershed will require a demonstration of broad based local support to get the study going. We want to demonstrate to the Corps of Engineers and the State of Florida that this is an important issue for us and we want something done. We want a Corps of Engineers Feasibility Study to bring all the stakeholders and interested parties together to restore the Bays and Lake Wimico. You can help by sending us a letter of support for the study. Go to (sample support letter) to download a sample letter.