Choctawhatchee Bay encompasses a large estuary along the Florida Panhandle, a watershed that stretches across Okaloosa, Walton, Washington and Holmes Counties before extending into Alabama. Fed mostly by the Choctawhatchee River — the third largest river in Florida by volume — the bay exchanges water with the Gulf of Mexico through Destin’s East Pass.

Bordered on the south side by barrier islands and in the north by pine forest, Choctawhatchee Bay is made up of a diverse range of habitats. Founded in 1996 by a group of stakeholders interested in preserving water quality, the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance has spent over 20 years here improving swimmable, fishable waterways through education, research, restoration and monitoring.

Read the rest here!