Figure 44. Dredge spoil bank along the 

 Apalachicola River--a result of channel- 

 maintenance efforts of the U.S. Army Corps 

 of Engineers. Note dead trees in what was 

 once the river flood plain. 



located in the upper Apalachicola at the 

 end of the usual spring flooding. Recent 

 studies (Wooley and Crateau 1984 in 

 review) indicate seasonal migrations of 

 sturgeon between freshwater and estuarine 

 portions of the Apalachicola system. A 

 strong homestream tendency is apparent. 



The tailwaters of the Jim Woodruff 

 Dam still support some sport fishing in 

 the spring, especially for the white bass 

 ( Morone chrysops ) and the hybrid or 

 sunshine bass (M^. saxati 1 is x M_. 

 chrysops). Largemouth bass and various 

 forms of bream and shellcrackers are also 

 important sport fishes. The yellow perch 

 ( Perca f lavescens ) is taken occasionally 

 by freshwater fishermen. The Alabama shad 

 ( Alosa alabamae ) is the most abundant 

 anadromous fish along the river. As 

 pointed out by Miller et al. (1977), the 

 general decline of the freshwater 

 fisheries is inevitable if habitat 

 destruction along the river continues. 

 Habitats are destroyed by dredging and 

 channelization, damming, urban and 

 agricultural runoff, toxic substances, and 

 other forms of river modification. There 

 is a need for a comprehensive assessment 

 of the current status of the Apalachicola 

 River fisheries and the current and future 

 effects of river modifications and habitat 

 loss on such productivity. However, as of 

 this writing, the channelization of the 

 upper Apalachicola River by dredging and 

 rock removal for navigation purposes 



continues, and there is little hope of a 

 return to former levels of productivity of 

 the once-viable freshwater fisheries. 



The commercial fisheries of the 

 Apalachicola Bay system are diverse and 

 substantial. According to the summaries 

 of commercial marine landings in Franklin 

 County (Florida Department of Natural 

 Resources, 1952-1976) and 

 projections of commercial 

 there is considerable annual 

 such landings over the 

 observation (1952-1977) 

 Prochaska 1977). Shrimp, 



analyses of 

 populations, 

 variation of 

 period of 

 (Cato and 

 together with 

 oysters and blue crabs, provide over 80^ 

 of the annual catch by weight. Black 

 mullet and grouper contribute almost m 

 of the remaining catch. Whiting, 

 menhaden, flounder, red snapper, and 

 spotted seatrout all contribute to the 

 overall landings. In terms of total 

 value, shrimp (53.9°/$), oysters (33%), and 

 blue crabs (5.1%) constitute the backbone 

 of the commercial fishery value in 

 Franklin County, which itself accounts for 

 over 90% of Florida's oyster landings and 

 the third highest catch of shrimp 

 statewide. 



The oyster fishery in the 

 Apalachicola estuarv has historical 

 significance (Swift 1896; Ruge 1897; 

 Danglade 1917). Many of the historic 

 observations were similar to today's in 

 that floods and droughts have an important 

 impact on the viability of individual 

 oyster bars. The present distribution of 

 oyster bars does not differ substantially 

 from that depicted on maps produced during 

 the early part of this century (Whitfield 

 and Beaumariage 1977). However, the 

 current maps (Figure 20) need to be 

 updated, as they are based largely on 

 obsolete surveys. Commercially valuable 

 oyster bars currently cover only half the 

 area estimated to be available at the turn 

 of the century. Shell planting with 

 "cultch" or shucked shells has proven to 

 be a successful management technique for 

 encouraging oyster bar development 

 (Whitfield 1973). Approximately 40% of 

 the Apalachicola Bay area is suitable for 

 growing oysters if cultched in an 

 appropriate manner (Whitfield and 

 Beaumariage 1977). The actual and 

 potential productivity has been attributed 

 to the unique geographical and physical 



100 



