State of the North Fork of the St. Lucie River

Arial Tour of North Fork & Tributaries                Final Presentation Deck (expand to view)
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In 2019, Dr. Gary Goforth, a veteran scientist who has been studying and restoring local waterways for more than 35 years, gave a presentation on the State of the North Fork of the St. Lucie River. The North Fork was designated a Florida Aquatic Preserve in 1972 with the goal of protecting its "aesthetic, biological, and scientific values." It’s also part of Everglades Restoration and the "Save Our Rivers" Program.​
Goforth shared the current state of the St. Lucie River, the creeks and canals that feed it, and led participants in a discussion on how current processes could be modified to restore its health.

The North Fork of the St. Lucie River is unique in Florida because of its geographic location and geologic features that allow for a high mixing of both tropical and temperate species. It is one of the last habitats for several threatened, endangered, and rare fish species. In fact, the St. Lucie River North Fork has more species of fish than any other river in the state, providing critical habitat for commercially important species, including juvenile snook, snapper, drum, blue crab and shrimp.