National designation a boon for stretch of Loxahatchee River
The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, signed into law 50 years ago today, protects fewer than 13,000 miles of the U.S.’s 3.6 million miles of streams.
The act designates that “certain selected rivers of the Nation which, with their immediate environments, possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural or other similar values, shall be preserved in free-flowing condition, and that they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.”
A 10-mile stretch of the Loxahatchee River’s Northwest Fork became Florida’s first National Wild and Scenic River in 1985.
Rivers with this designation can be classified as wild, scenic or recreational. Wild areas are accessible only by trail and its shorelines are primitive. Scenic areas are accessible by roads but the shorelines are widely undeveloped. Recreational areas are accessed by roads or rails, and were possibly affected by diversion or damming. The 10-mile portion of the Loxahatchee River Northwest Fork is all three, in addition to designations of Outstanding Florida Waters and an Aquatic Preserve.
A century of human influence had altered the natural functions of the Loxahatchee River. The Jupiter Inlet continues to push saltwater up the river’s stream, killing cypress trees and inviting salt-tolerant mangroves. The C-18 Canal, built in 1958, had choked the freshwater flow to the Northwest Fork.
“We still have to worry about global warming and sea-level rise and how we’re going to manage flows in this kind of changing environment,” said Richard Roberts, the first park biologist for the Loxahatchee National Wild and Scenic River who is now retired.
Had the river not gained this designation, it might have missed out on state or federal support. Had Trapper Nelson not lived on the banks of the Loxahatchee, it could have very well been turned into a cluster of condos.
“This river has been a part of the history of Jupiter forever,” Roberts said. “There was always a strong bond that the community had for the river.”
Roberts will be presenting the history of how the Loxahatchee River became designated as a Wild and Scenic River from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Jupiter Branch of the Palm Beach County Library System, 705 Military Trail.
It was a lot of luck and community support that led to Loxahatchee’s federal protection, Roberts said.
“We’re fortunate that we had people look around and say, ‘We don’t want to become another Miami River. We don’t want to become another St. Johns River,’ ” he said.