The St. Johns Riverkeeper heads out Tuesday on a 13-day tour of the river.
The goal is to raise awareness about threats facing the state's longest river.
The St. Johns River is a quirky one. It flows north starting south of Melbourne and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Jacksonville. It also flows slower than most rivers.
St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman says among the biggest threats is a loss of freshwater, beginning with the springs flowing into the St. Johns.
"More than 90 springs provide freshwater to the St. Johns River, and we've been overusing our aquifer, our water supply source, which has also had a negative impact on the St. Johns," said Rinaman.
The tour begins with a blessing and paddle in Blue Cypress Lake west of Vero Beach. The group of about ten will pass through central Florida this weekend, paddling the Wekiva River.
The nearly two-week tour will end at Fort George Island northeast of Jacksonville.
