The St. Lucie County Environmental Resources Department has announced the reopening the Richard E. Becker Preserve.
The Preserve is located at 3398 Selvitz Road in Fort Pierce. It was closed for a massive restoration project that reestablished the natural flow of water along the Ten Mile Creek. The project involved dredging muck and debris from the historic riverbed and floodplain within the preserve to restore river flow, which was blocked during the early 1900s.
The project cost nearly $1 million and it was 100 percent grant funded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection,
The final phase of the project involves planting native vegetation around the preserve and the newly resorted oxbow is planned for this year. However, all of the heavy equipment has been removed and the preserve is open for the public to explore.
Some of the preserve’s trails feature limited access, since there is no bridge to connect the main preserve to some of the historic islands after the restoration. St. Lucie County’s Environmental Resources staff is currently seeking grants to reconnect all of the site’s trails.
The Becker Preserve is a 13-acre, natural area purchased using voter-approved Environmentally Significant Lands program funds matched with a Florida Community Trust grant. The site features picnic tables, a primitive camping area, hiking trails and a kayak/canoe launch.
St. Lucie County’s Environmental Resources Department manages this site and more than two dozen other preserves that encompass 42 miles of trails on roughly 11,000 acres that are open to the public for passive recreation.
A list of all St. Lucie County preserves can be found online at www.stluciepreserves.com.