North Fork of the St. Lucie River

North Fork of the St. Lucie River                            

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Several thousand acres of land have been acquired by the State, County and City to preserve the environmental integrity of the river.  Several preserves are located along the river and are accessible by canoe or kayak.   

Size: 130 acres
Habitat: Primarily Floodplain Forest and floodplain swamp with scattered hydric hammock.
Location: Brochures are available at public access points along Ten Mile Creek and the North Fork identifying the location of the sites.
Management: Managed by St. Lucie County Environmental Resources, the sites were acquired with several funding sources including Florida Communities Trust's Florida Forever Program, South Florida Water Management Districts and the Save Our Rivers program.
Historical Interest: First named Halapatiokee (meaning alligator water) by early native people, the North Fork was straightened and deepened in the early 1900's to reduce the risk of flooding and to make the river more navigable.  Evidence of the dredging persists.   

 

  • Captain Hammonds Hammock
    Location:  Lat. 80 degrees 20' 44.6" W., Long. 27 degrees 21' 44.0" N.
    Improvements:  Nature trail, canoe dock and picnic table.
    Historic:  Named after a New England sea captain that owned the hammock and built a home nearby in 1902. Captain Hammonds Hammock Brochure
  • Citrus Hammock
    Location:  Lat. 80 degrees 20' 38.8" W., Long. 27 degrees 21' 09.7" N. Long.
    Improvements:  Canoe dock and picnic table.
  • Goat Island
    Location:  Lat. 80 degrees 20' 36.1 " W., Long. 27 degrees 21' 20.1" N.
    Improvements:  Canoe dock
    Proposed Improvements:  Primitive camping (fall 2008).

 

 

Preserves