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Loxahatchee
River
The
unique ecosystem of the Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee River, with
its serene and quiet beauty, has captured the attention and imagination
of residents, visitors, agency and community leaders for many years.
Consisting of 9.5 miles of federally designated "Wild and Scenic River",
it provides essential habitats that support a wide spectrum of
ecological resources including freshwater riverine floodplain vegetation
such as bald cypress, freshwater and estuarine fishes, and tidal
floodplain vegetation such as mangroves, oysters and sea grasses.
The
natural pre-development Loxahatchee Watershed originally covered a much
larger area than what is left today. Basin modifications and
drainage have significantly altered the hydrology and ecology of the
area. The permanent opening of the Jupiter Inlet in 1947, along with
the rising of sea levels, has resulted in significant saltwater
encroachment.
Today,
there exists a saltwater tolerant, mangrove dominated community where
once existed a freshwater, bald cypress dominated floodplain.
Furthermore, the watershed has been permanently altered by the
construction of canals for drainage. The C-18 Canal and the S-46
Structure were constructed in the 1960s, to divert flows from the
Northwest Fork of the river to the Southwest Fork for flood control
purposes.
Reduced
amounts of freshwater, which flows into the Northwest Fork, especially
during the dry season, allows saltwater encroachment to adversely impact
the freshwater floodplain ecosystem. Restoration and protection of the
floodplain ecosystem depends largely on increasing freshwater flows to
the Northwest Fork at appropriate times, such as during the dry season.
In 2002,
staff from the FDEP Southeast District, SFWMD, Florida Park Service
District 5 and the Loxahatchee River District launched an effort to
develop a restoration plan for the Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee
River. The plan was completed in April 2006.
For more
information, please contact Dianne Hughes at (561) 681-6703 or via
e-mail at
Dianne.K.Hughes@dep.state.fl.us. You may also visit the
following links about the Loxahatchee River.
Southeast District Main Switchboard
(561) 681-6600
Map and Directions
to the Southeast District Office
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Southeast
District Watershed Management and Planning Program - Loxahatchee River
