The River Accord Background

The River Accord has four major components: improving water quality, tracking the river's sedimentation, improving access, and program accountability.

Improving Water Quality
Restoring the river's health is the key component. This restoration will be accomplished by reducing or eliminating harmful agents that are released into the river on a daily basis.

For example, high levels of nitrogen can contribute to the unhealthy summer algal blooms that the river occasionally experiences.

But the reduction of nitrogen entering the river is not the only critical water quality issue. The amount of fecal coliform bacteria leaching into the city's tributaries must also be eliminated. A growing body of evidence suggests that failing septic tanks may be the primary source of the bacteria.

Tracking Sedimentation
The river and its tributaries have been filling with silt at an alarming rate during the past two decades. Millions of dollars are regularly spent to dredge the channel to Jacksonville's seaport. On astronomical tides, some of the river's tributaries are completely dry. The River Accord, in partnership with the University of North Florida (UNF) Environmental Center, has proposed a program that will deploy monitors to track the amount of silt in the water. The monitors will radio the data in 'real time' so it can be analyzed daily and be utilized to enforce existing regulations regarding siltation.

Improving Access
Past studies have shown that while Jacksonville is truly a River City, there are inadequate opportunities for residents to enjoy the river and its tributaries. To address these needs, The River Accord, along with its Preservation Project partners, is proposing a number of projects including land acquisition, trails, facilities, boat ramps, docks, expanded river taxi service, fishing piers, extended preserve visitation hours and more.

Program Accountability
To ensure the initiative meets its goals, The River Accord features a steering committee composed of representatives from partnering agencies. The committee meets quarterly and produces written annual reports to the mayor of Jacksonville, the Jacksonville City Council and the governing boards of the JEA, SJRWMD and WSEA.

TMDL and BMAP Team
The team responsible for developing and implementing the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and the Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) serves as The River Accord steering committee.

Annual Report
This report addresses accountability for The River Accord by describing in detail the current status of the 10 key components on the initiative..

State of the River Report
A team of faculty members from the University of North Florida and Jacksonville University publish an annual State of the River Report for river stakeholders. This independent evaluation of the health and restoration progress of the Lower St. Johns River Basin also will be available to the public in an abbreviated printed version and online in its entirety.

River Accord White Papers