Water's Journey: The River Returns

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At flood stage, the St. Johns River meets the forest on Drayton Island. The northward flowing St. Johns River flows some 300 miles from its headwaters west of Vero Beach to the Atlantic Ocean near Jacksonville. Russell Sparkman

Video Transcript

Narrator: Before English or Spanish was spoken here people lived on its banks. Before history was recorded civilization flourished here. Before man huge prehistoric animals walked its shores. It was called the river of lakes by the Timikwan. The river of currents by the Spanish. The river of May by the French. It is today known as the St. Johns. Throughout time the great rivers of our world had both shaped the land and its people.

Today they are asked to serve society's needs. Sometimes as a water supply, but more often as a means to transport commerce and waste. For centuries people have explored the St. Johns trying to figure out what makes it tick. In 2005 it was time to look at the river from some different angles.

In this episode of waters journey, we explain the mechanics of one our greatest rivers and the lessons learned may one day be critical to save our most precious natural resource, water.

Waters journey is a critically acclaimed, award-winning high definition television series. Offered nationally on PBS through presenting station WJCT Jacksonville. In the River Returns the series examines the complex nature of the beautiful and mysterious St. Johns River. Documented by a team full of intrepid explorers and scientists, their goal to travel the entire length of this complex river system in a quest to define the nature and source of its powerful flow. Along the way they share with viewers many important aspects about society's relationship and impacts on river systems. Loss of wetlands and stormwater runoff prepare the aspect of humanities existence threatened to take our rivers from us. It is a dangerous time where human kind is coming perilously close to outpacing our true understanding of these renewable resources. The challenge lies in learning how to coexist with our rivers while building a better understanding of how our lives are intertwined in this great natural cycle of water.

The St Johns has special significance to Floridians, but its most important role is that it is every mans river. River basins all across the planet suffer the same challenges and can be saved by the same proactive strategies seen within this watershed.

From flying high above, to diving deep within the earth, the team completely immerses themselves in the mechanics of the river system. Their adventures reveal the magical beauty of a wild and scenic land and the frightening reality that stresses of society lay just beyond the treetops.

The film explores this stunning beauty of a little known river and the difficult issues facing the populace as they grab hold of the reality of an inevitable growth. Their explorations inspire hope in the minds of the audience. The great watersheds of our planet can be saved and the environmental protection and sustainable growth can coexist in a new paradigm of cooperation. People will only protect what they love and the understanding lies hope to return water sheds world wide to more pristine days. Waters Journey the award winning high definition television series offered nationally on PBS through presenting station WJCT Jacksonville. Watch for the river returns fall 2005.