RESTORATION OF THE LOXAHATCHEE RIVER OF SOUTH FLORIDA

The Loxahatchee River watershed is located along the southeast coast of Florida, within Palm Beach and Martin Counties. In 1985, a portion of the Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee River was designated by the Federal Government as Florida's first "Wild and Scenic" River.

Major impacts occurred to the River during the 1940's, caused primarily by the deep dredging of the Jupiter Inlet, allowing increased salt water movement into the upper portions of the river. This modification to the inlet resulted in the gradual loss of ancient cypress trees in the downstream portion of the River and subsequent invasion by saltwater-tolerant mangroves. In 1957-58, the Loxahatchee Slough (the main headwaters of the river) was altered and drained by construction of the C-18 Canal, a major flood protection feature constructed under the Central and Southern Florida Project. The headwaters of the Northwest Fork of the River have also been impacted by major highway construction that blocks historical drainage flow-ways to the River.

Since the 1970s, the SFWMD has implemented a number of projects to improve freshwater flows delivered to the River. The SFWMD has implemented a minimum flow target of 35 cubic feet per second (cfs) to protect the river against “significant harm”. In the past, river flows typically fell to near zero during extended drought periods which allowed saltwater to migrate into the upper portions of the river impacting the remaining cypress floodplain swamp community. Implementation of approximately $40 million in water connections and water conveyance improvements should allow this minimum flow target to be reached by 2006. The SFWMD has also committed approximately $150 million to obtain the rights to a unique in-ground surface water storage reservoir which will provide additional flows to the River, especially during extended drought periods.

The SFWMD in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the USACE are currently working on a restoration plan to determine the appropriate flow regime for the Loxahatchee River. This restoration plan will assist with determining how the CERP improvements will be operated to provide restorative benefits to the River.