Indian River Lagoon Restoration Starts Soon

A partnership project to restore six acres of wetlands and enhance 30 more at Indian River Lagoon Preserve State Park is set to kick off in late July.

“It’s through projects like this we can continue addressing issues throughout the Indian River Lagoon and see long-term recovery begin,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “Removing dikes from this property will allow for a more natural upward migration of wetlands improving overall water quality in the area.”

Work will include removing approximately a mile of interior dike and upland grove berm at the park, which is partly owned by the district and managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

In addition to enhancing connectivity between the lagoon and the wetlands, invasive plants will be replaced with native species.

The project is one of several wetland restoration success stories in Brevard and Volusia counties funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.