JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — People who walk along the St. Johns River say that for years, they've seen people throwing trash into the water. Now they say things are shaping up.
City, state and federal leaders are pulling together to protect what local St. Johns River supporters call a precious gem.
"It's a very calm place to come and be," Cub Behr said.
Behr walks around the river at least three times a week. He said the river has come a long way since the 1970s.
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"It was really nasty at one point," Behr said.
But for the first time, city, state, and federal leaders are partnering on a restoration plan. That plan comes with long lists of work to be done to the river. The biggest priority is getting legislation to remove the Rodman Dam in order to add hundreds of millions of gallons of fresh water to the St. Johns River daily.
"When the local state and federal people work together, it's one team, one fight," said Rep. Corrine Brown, D-District 5.
The partnership includes working to increase state and federal funding to enhance water quality. Action News checked the river's report card and found that some conditions have worsened, some are improving and some remain unchanged.
"You don't see the junk so much anymore," Behr said. "You see a lot more wildlife. You can see manatees once in a while. It's getting much better."
But Behr said there's still a lot of work to be done.
"They always need to do more," Behr said.
The Riverkeeper said some parts of the plan could begin as soon as March, during the legislative session.
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