Defending Florida’s Forgotten Coast
It flows downriver.
The Wakulla River emerges from the world’s largest freshwater spring, Wakulla Spring, giving life to wildlife sanctuaries and commercial fisheries.
As pollution seeps into North Florida’s groundwater, it flows south to the waterways, wells, and commercial fisheries that support our way of life. When polluters and bureaucrats threaten our water, we fight back and win.
The Downriver Project is a nonprofit run entirely by volunteers. We unite fishermen, hunters, oyster farmers, faith leaders, troublemakers, and misfits to defend the waters that all of us depend on.
Latest Victory
SunStop wanted to store thousands of gallons of fuel on the underground river that delivers water to Wakulla Springs. Photo: David Moynahan
Southwest Georgia Oil Company, better known as SunStop, has a long history of polluting Florida waters, including in Wakulla County. For two years, they lobbied to build a 16-pump mega gas station on the Wakulla Springs cave—a massive underground river that feeds the largest freshwater spring on Earth.
Up against a powerful corporation, volunteers from the Downriver Project fought back. When the Wakulla County Commission tried to advance SunStop's plan in August 2023, we organized a record meeting turnout of 400 fishermen and residents, most of whom were forced to stand in a sweltering parking lot amid a heat advisory. Refusing to leave, the crowd eventually halted the meeting and generated a statewide wave of public pressure.
Today, we’re working toward a new plan that would allow the state to permanently protect the Wakulla Springs Cave by creating a 230-acre conservation corridor and nature park. Rep. Jason Shoaf and Sen. Corey Simon showed great leadership by carrying this proposal through the Florida Legislature in spring 2024. Now, it just needs the Governor’s signature.
A Legacy to Uphold
Pictured in 1960, Spring Creek maintains a proud crabbing culture and is home to a spring whose waters flow from as far north as Georgia.
The Forgotten Coast has a proud fishing, hunting, and outdoor tradition. That’s something worth defending.
In just three years, we have beaten three separate multimillion-dollar attempts to pollute the waters of Wakulla County. We are now working with others to keep an oil company from drilling beside the Apalachicola River.
We also strive to promote education through the Downriver Scholars program and a Forgotten Coast-themed coloring book series, due to launch in summer 2024.