Grant supports St. Johns River habitat restoration, research and citizen-led conservation efforts

OCALA, Fla. (June 1, 2026) – Major League Fishing’s Fisheries Management Division (MLF FMD), in partnership with the Zoeller Pump Company, has awarded a $5,000 grant to Mighty River Recovery through the Zoeller “We Work For Water” program. The grant will support Mighty River Recovery’s ongoing work to restore native habitat, improve water quality and better understand the causes behind the decline of Florida’s historic St. Johns River system.

The check presentation took place in conjunction with MLF’s Kubota Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops all-star event at Orange Lake in Ocala, Florida.

Mighty River Recovery, led by Executive Director Joe Balog, is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to reversing the decline of the St. Johns River, one of Florida’s most iconic fisheries and a longtime cornerstone of recreational and tournament bass fishing. The organization’s work focuses on habitat research, submerged aquatic vegetation restoration, water-quality monitoring and citizen-led conservation projects designed to help rebuild the river’s ecosystem.

“On behalf of Major League Fishing, our Fisheries Management Division and Zoeller Pumps’ We Work For Water program, we’re proud to present this $5,000 grant to Joe Balog and Mighty River Recovery to support the important work they’re doing on the St. Johns River,” said Gary Klein, MLF co-founder. “The St. Johns River is a special place to so many anglers, including me. I started my professional B.A.S.S. career there in 1979, and it has played a major role in the history of organized bass fishing for decades. Supporting work that helps protect and restore that resource is exactly what this program is all about.”

The grant marks the second round of support awarded through the Zoeller “We Work For Water” program. The initiative launched at REDCREST 2026, where Klein presented the program’s inaugural grant to the James River Basin Partnership in support of its “Fresh Flush Program,” which targets water-quality improvements through proactive septic tank pump-outs.

Mighty River Recovery was established in 2024 to address the decline of native submerged aquatic vegetation throughout the St. Johns River system. The organization has developed a multifaceted approach to ecosystem recovery, including research stations along the river, citizen-built enclosures that protect native vegetation, sediment and water-quality research, and monitoring efforts designed to better understand fish and wildlife activity around active restoration sites.

“Mighty River Recovery is determined to end the decline of the St. Johns River,” said Balog. “This river has been an important part of organized fishing, recreational fishing and tourism in Florida for decades, but over the last 20 to 30 years we’ve seen declines in water quality, aquatic vegetation, habitat and fish numbers. We’re working to figure out why that’s happening and what we can do to help drive management and resources toward rebuilding the ecosystem.”

Balog said the $5,000 grant will go directly toward Mighty River Recovery’s on-the-water conservation work.

“This money will go directly into our habitat research and restoration work on the St. Johns River,” Balog said. “There’s no administrative fee. This is $5,000 of boots-on-the-ground effort. We appreciate companies like Zoeller Pumps that see the value of conservation, fisheries and habitat improvement, and we’ll use this money wisely.”

Mighty River Recovery’s work includes its Citizens Enclosure Project, which protects native aquatic vegetation inside fenced areas while researchers track plant growth. The organization also conducts sediment and water-quality research, partners with academic and state resource professionals, and monitors restoration sites with underwater and trail cameras.

Balog also credits Mighty River Recovery’s volunteer base for helping move the organization’s work forward.

“We have a couple hundred volunteers now helping us every day in the water, and we couldn’t do it without them,” Balog said. “We also couldn’t do it without support from groups like Major League Fishing, so we’re thankful for what MLF and Zoeller Pumps are doing to support this work.”

For more information about Mighty River Recovery, visit MightyRiverRecovery.org. For more information about the Major League Fishing Fisheries Management Division, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, X,  Instagram, Rumble and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Outdoor Channel, VICE, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV, Game & Fish TV and Rumble, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.