St Marys Riverkeeper

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Kingsland, GA
St Marys Riverkeeper

To protect the St. Marys River now and for our future.

To conserve the water quality of our River, by utilizing the license and resources of the Waterkeeper Alliance, to educate the youth and communities within the watershed to the issues that might negatively impact the water quality and quantity of the River, to actively advocate for the conservation of the St. Marys River and surrounding watershed to the community, government and private entities, and to raise sufficient funds to support the mission of the Riverkeeper

06/08/2026

Today is World Ocean Day—a day to celebrate our oceans and raise awareness for their conservation! Did you know that the health of rivers is directly linked to the health of our oceans? Upstream impacts on sediment loads and flow levels can result in downstream effects which reach past the shoreline; a healthy river will result in a vibrant saltwater ecosystem at its outflow, while an unhealthy river may result in "dead zones" and excessive sediment loads. The interconnected relationship also works both ways, where oceans can impact upstream conditions through tides, storm surge, saltwater inundation, thermal conditions, etc. Our river and its coastal estuaries are also home to several rare or endangered ocean-going species such as the Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, Smalltooth Sawfish and of course the Atlantic Sturgeon!

By working to improve watershed resilience, St. Marys Riverkeeper is one of many groups across the world working to better serve our oceans!

06/05/2026

Shoutout to the 18 volunteers who joined us at the Borrell Creek site last month for the big river cleanup! Thank you to our site captain, Gabriela Simmons, for overseeing the site cleanup.

This site cleanup included 800 pounds of bagged trash alongside a lot of metal rubbish, like hubcaps and patio furniture, and a mattress and box spring!

The St. Marys River Cleanup across all sites in total collected nearly 6 tons of trash and over 200 tires. We will be doing a post weekly to highlight the great work at each of the 17 sites that were cleaned up during the 2026 St. Marys River Cleanup!

06/04/2026

Citizen Scientist volunteers Shelley Carry, Joe Waas, and Heidi Lewis collecting water samples from 5 different locations in Harriett's Bluff! Shelley and Heidi have been collecting samples together with a focus on chemical and bacterial water quality monitoring on our watershed. Way to go team and thank you Heidi for photos of the outing!

Citizen scientists are an invaluable resource for the river and its community's health and stewardship, and we're so thankful for each and every one. You can read more about our water quality testing program and testing results on our site: https://www.stmarysriverkeeper.org/water-quality/water-quality-campaign/

06/01/2026

June 1st marks the first official day of hurricane season, and NOAA predicts a below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season while still urging residents to prepare early for potentially unpredictable or fast-moving weather conditions. On the other hand, El Nino results in warmer waters which results fewer but stronger stronger storms and higher tides.
We'll keep you updated on inclement weather events, how they impact the watershed and its community, and how to stay prepared! You can read more about this year's hurricane season and current drought conditions on our blog.

05/29/2026

Earlier this month, we hosted our Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) meeting at the Camden Resilience Operations Center (ROC). The TAP is made up of experts and partner organizations from both sides of the border, including federal and state government agencies, environmental nonprofits and university representatives. We host quarterly meetings, where the TAP hears updates from St Marys Riverkeeper staff and our partners at UGA, and provides critical insights, strategic partnerships and recommendations for our efforts to build a resilient watershed.

This meeting, we discussed:
Plans and strategies to turn community input into actionable data
Elaborated on future Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) that could be used to support our watershed, and the partnerships needed to carry them out
Which Sea Level Rise (SLR) scenario should be used when developing a compound flood model for the future

We appreciate the TAP’s continued technical support and collaboration as we continue to carry out our resilience efforts! Thank you to all our partners for helping us build a more resilient future for the St. Marys River and its community!

05/27/2026

Shoutout to the 16 volunteers who joined us, including members from three local boy scout troops, at the St. George bridge & landing cleanup site last month for the big river cleanup! Thank you to our site captain, Alex Cribb, for overseeing the site cleanup.

This year, we kept over 560 of trash & debris (like a recliner and couch cushions!) from making it into our St. Marys River.

A big shoutout to Meridian Waste Charlton County for dumpster donation and trash disposal.

The St. Marys River Cleanup across all sites in total collected nearly 6 tons of trash and over 200 tires. We will be doing a post weekly to highlight the great work at each of the 17 sites that were cleaned up during the 2026 St. Marys River Cleanup!

05/23/2026

Recent wildfires across Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia are a stark reminder of how deeply prolonged drought is affecting our region. Dry soils, stressed forests, and low water levels have created dangerous conditions that allow fires to spread quickly and burn intensely.

Communities across the watershed have experienced smoke impacts, road closures, and heightened wildfire risk as firefighters continue working to contain outbreaks fueled by extreme dryness.

Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia are currently experiencing one of the worst drought periods the Southeast has seen in decades. Much of the region has been running a rainfall deficit since summer 2025, and drought coverage across Georgia and Florida remains extremely high, with many areas still classified in severe to exceptional drought categories.

To truly restore rivers, wetlands, groundwater, aquifers, and soils to normal hydrologic conditions, it takes months of steady, above-normal rainfall—not just one large storm event. According to NOAA, our region would need more than 26 inches of rainfall over the next three months just to improve extreme drought conditions. Even with that amount of rain, drought impacts are expected to persist.

The ongoing drought also increases pressure on our water resources at a time when healthy wetlands, floodplains, and intact natural systems are critical for community resilience. Protecting and restoring these natural buffers helps retain water on the landscape longer, reduces wildfire vulnerability, and strengthens ecosystems during prolonged dry periods.

Residents are encouraged to stay informed on current burn advisories and watering restrictions, including:
Georgia Environmental Protection Division Phase I outdoor watering restrictions
St. Johns River Water Management District Phase III water shortage restrictions

Sign up for our newsletter to get updates and info on conditions such as droughts and hurricane season prep!

05/20/2026

Shoutout to the over 45 volunteers who showed up at the Blue Bridge cleanup site last month for the big river cleanup, including Camden Rotary who joined us on land and by water and Commissioner Casey who helped transport bags of trash, tires, and bulk debris to the dumpster! Thank you to our site captain, Niccole Wildes, for overseeing the site cleanup.
This site is always one of our largest cleanups for both people participating and pounds of trash collected. This year, we kept over 3400 lbs of trash & debris and 12 tires from making it into our St. Marys River.

A big shoutout to Camden County Solid Waste for continued support of our cleanup events by donating the dumpster and trash disposal for this site.

The St. Marys River Cleanup across all sites in total collected nearly 6 tons of trash and over 200 tires.

We will be doing a post weekly to highlight the great work at each of the 17 sites that were cleaned up during the 2026 St. Marys River Cleanup!

05/18/2026

This month's Resilient River Critter is the Variable Spike (Elliptio icterina)!

Variable Spikes are a common mussel species across many southeastern rivers, including our own, and they can be found in a wide variety of substrate conditions from coarse sandy bottoms to thick mucky debris. One of the more resilient species of mussel, the Variable Spike can withstand certain drought conditions, including being able to survive in dry streambeds for up to 20 days and endure hypoxic water.

The next time you see one of these shiny brown critters sitting in the muck by a boat ramp, just remember you're looking at more than just a shell: you're looking at one of the St. Marys' most enduring aquatic critters!

05/15/2026

May 15 is Endangered Species Day—a time for recognizing and raising awareness of endangered species globally.

The St. Marys River is the southernmost river on the eastern seaboard that provides critical habitat for the Atlantic and Shortnose Sturgeon, two federally endangered anadromous fish that return to its natal river to spawn. St. Marys Riverkeeper in partnership with University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources are leading the effort to conduct a comprehensive scientific study of the St. Marys River to map potential spawning grounds, develop a hydrodynamic water quality model, and use eDNA tracing to determine when sturgeon are spawning. Last month, we completed our second successful season of sampling eDNA—short for Environmental DNA—a process of detecting trace amounts of genetic material left over in the environment by target species, which in our case is sturgeon. On a weekly basis, our team hit the same sites throughout the watershed taking samples in hopes of finding out just when and where these amazing fish are potentially spawning!

This work is made possible by federal grant funding through National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in support of our Watershed Resilience Planning.

Atlantic sturgeon caught and posted with permission of USFWS & under NMFS Permit 23096.

Address

694-3 E William Avenue
Kingsland, GA
31548

Website

http://www.stmarysriverkeeper.org/

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