SUMMARY 



The results of 1? years oi" continuous 

 field studies and exoeriments in the 

 Apalachicola Bay system are reviewed and 

 summarized in this paoer. Included are 

 data concerninq the geography, hydrology, 

 chemistrv, geology, and biology of the 

 Apalachicola drainage system with particu- 

 lar emphasis on the estuary and associated 

 waters. 



The Apalachicola Bay system is part of 

 a major drainage area that includes four 

 rivers and their associated wetlands in 

 Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. The Bay is 

 a shallow coastal lagoon fringed by 

 barrier islands and dominated by wind 

 effects and tidal currents. River bottom- 

 lands that include the channels, sloughs, 

 swamps and backwaters, and periodically 

 flooded lowlands are important components 

 of the system. Principal influences on 

 the biological processes in the estuary 

 are the physiography of the basin, river 

 flow, nutrient input, and salinity dis- 

 tribution in space and time. Water 

 quality is affected by periodic wind and 

 tidal influences and freshwater inflows. 



Compared to most of the estuaries in 

 the United States, the Aoalachicola Ray 

 system is in a relatively natural state, 

 although hardly pristine. However, 

 economic development and pooulation growth 

 are beginning to put pressure upon the 

 region, threatening it with destructive 

 changes. The economic and ecological 

 importance of the area as a producer of 

 food and as shelter for diverse species is 

 such that it has inspired a movement to 

 protect its natural resources. Broadening 

 the economic base of the region while 

 maintaining its biological productivity 

 will require the development of a 

 comprehensive management plan based on the 

 deepest possible understanding of the 



basis for that productivity, supported by 

 ongoing study, close monitoring, and 

 continued cooperation from local 

 interests. 



Research efforts to acquire the 

 necessary understanding are not yet com- 

 plete, but have nonetheless given rise to 

 one of the most extensive computerized 

 data bases so far assembled on an estu- 

 arine system. Powerful programs for 

 wo»-king with these data have also beei^ 

 developed; because of the extreme com- 

 plexity of their interplay, computer 

 analysis has been and will continue to be 

 a primary tool in understanding how 

 physical and biological processes work in 

 the estuary. 



Rased upon the data obtained thus 

 far, some efforts have been initiated to 

 preserve and protect important freshwater 

 and estuarine wetlands. Included in these 

 efforts are the followina: 



• State and federal land-purchase 

 programs 



• Integration of local (county) land- 

 use regulations into a comprehensive 

 plan for new and existing 

 development 



t Creation of the Apalachicola River 

 and Bay National Estuarine Sanctuary, 

 the largest such sanctuary in the 

 country. 



The effort to manage the Apalachicola 

 Bay system is an ambitious one; only time 

 will tell whether it will be successful in 

 its effort to protect important wildlife 

 values as the region undergoes economic 

 development. 



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