Tolomato River

The Tolomato River is a river in St. Johns County, Florida{{cite gnis|308150|Tolomato River|February 12, 2021}} situated southwest of Vilano Beach and north of St. Augustine.{{cite web |title=Tolomato River South Inlet |url=https://marinas.com/view/inlet/j2id5_Tolomato_River_South_Inlet_Vilano_Beach_FL_United_States |website=Marinas.com}} It extends northward and meets the St. Augustine inlet. During the British Period of Florida's history (1763–1783), the Tolomato River was known as the North River, and it is still referred to by that name by many locals today.

Biodiversity

Tolomato River provides a natural habitat for a wide variety of plant, fish and animal species. Among the diverse species identified in the Tolomato River, some of them are designated as threatened or endangered. This includes the West Indian Manatee, loggerhead sea turtles, the Northern right whale and the large-flowered rosemary.{{Cite book|last=Department of Environmental Protection|title=Guana, Tolomato, Matanizas, Site Designation, National Estuarine Research Reserve: Environmental Impact Statement|publisher=Florida: Sanctuaries and Reserves Division|year=1998|location=Florida}} Loggerhead sea turtles use the sandy beaches of the Tolomato estuarine system for nesting. Tolomato River also provides a natural habitat for the Manatees (large air-breathing aquatic mammals) due to its extensive cordgrass marshes.{{Cite report|chapter=Survey of Aquatic Environments|title=Inventory of Existing Conditions|url=http://www.co.st-johns.fl.us/Environmental/media/ManateeProtectionPlan/mpp_chap5.pdf|date=September 30, 2005|website=St. Johns County Manatee Protection Plan|pages=18-33}} The Tolomato River estuaries are used by Manatees during their seasonal migration.

Restoration efforts

Marsh restoration and living shoreline projects were undertaken by the SARP and ACFHP since 2012 to improve and enhance fish habitats, prevent shoreline erosion and provide opportunities for community involvement and stewardship to address the conservation goals.{{Cite web|title=Tolomato River, Florida {{!}} National Fish Habitat Partnership|url=http://www.fishhabitat.org/waters-to-watch/detail/tolomato-river-florida|access-date=2021-07-17|website=www.fishhabitat.org}} In 2012, Oyester reefs were constructed by the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM Research Reserve) along the Tolomato river to prevent shoreline erosion and to attenuate wave energy from storms and wind.{{Cite journal|last1=Chaya|first1=Taryn|last2=Veenstra|first2=Jessica|last3=Southwell|first3=Melissa|date=2019-09-30|title=After Hurricanes Irma and Matthew: Living Shorelines Stabilize Sediments|journal=American Journal of Undergraduate Research|volume=16|issue=2|pages=63–72|doi=10.33697/ajur.2019.024|issn=1536-4585|doi-access=free}}

References

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Category:Rivers of St. Johns County, Florida