FORT PIERCE — The Indrio Savannahs Preserve has reopened following an 18-month restoration project designed to reconnect its historic marsh system, improve stormwater management and restore freshwater marsh habitat.
The 297-acre preserve at 5275 Tozour Road includes three miles of trails and a 35-acre lake. The project was funded through the American Rescue Plan.
Jennifer McGee, a senior environmental planner with St. Lucie County, said the restoration addressed changes made to the property decades ago.
"There was a historic sand mine that had operated on that site for about 30 years. As part of that sand mine operation, they basically dug out that large 35 acre lake you see and they piled up a berm all the way around that lake that isolated it from the marsh system to the north and to the south. So what this project did is evaluate and reconnect that historic mining operation to the wetlands to the north as well as create three additional acres of wetland which also connects to the marsh to the south," she said.
The newly connected system is intended to give stormwater more room to collect before it continues south toward Taylor Creek.
Jim Lappert, the county's director of water quality, said the project changes both the amount of water the area can hold and the way that water moves through the preserve.
"What this project did was two things," he said. "It created increased capacity because now rather than the northern drainage running right by this lake and heading down by Taylor Creek, the water now goes into the lake and that lake has to fill up first before it discharges. So we can hold a lot more which means people downstream will not suffer as much flooding as they did in years past."
The water then moves through the newly created wetland before continuing south.
"The other thing we did was we created the wetlands. So the way it flows now is the lake has to fill up and then the wetland has to fill up. And once the wetland fills through a certain level, what happens is we call sheet flow. It'll slowly trickle over a small berm into another wetland and then flow south," Lappert said.
The project also added native plants to the new wetland. Over time, those plants are expected to help remove nutrients from the water while providing habitat for wildlife.
"Cleaner water and more habitat for the local wildlife. So by creating that additional three acres of native wetland plants that can allow additional absorption of nitrogen and phosphorus which will result in cleaner water being discharged out," McGee said.
Before construction could begin, county staff had to determine how the new connections and wetland would be shaped to control the movement of water through the preserve.
"We had to make sure that whatever connections we made were dug at the right elevation to make sure the water flows the way we wanted to. So that takes a lot of engineering. And then as far as construction goes, we basically took dry sand area and dug out three acres of wetland which took quite an effort in regards to just moving material," Lappert said.
The work required both careful design and extensive excavation.
"Design was important. We had to get the elevations right. The effort to remove all that dirt and fill to make wetland was quite the effort. And so that was one of the two big hurdles we got across to set it up for Jen and her team to make it the pristine area it is now," he said.
Along with the environmental restoration, the county added boardwalks that allow visitors to cross the newly connected wetland and reach trails on the western side of the preserve.
Lappert, who said he has visited the preserve for about 30 years, said the additions give visitors a different way to experience the property.
"I'm a very experienced person at this preserve. I've been going here like 30 years. And what these new boardwalks have done to this preserve is just incredible," he said. "It has changed everything where people can now like walk over the top of a wetland and really get a better appreciation of what Florida is about and what our natural environment is about. So the engineering side was really important and I'm glad we got the wetland built. But the aesthetics and the bridges and boardwalks that were put up in conjunction with that are just as important because it gives the public access to everything and gives them a better view of how Florida is supposed to work."
The county plans to add educational signs explaining the restoration and its environmental benefits.
"Coming soon will be additional improvements, not just the boardwalk, but we're working on some educational signage to put out there too that explains how this project came to be and what the benefits were. I think it just gives people a really unique perspective to look at it from that angle and to be able to see it from right in the middle of this giant project," McGee said.
The preserve is part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. It also connects to the adjacent Lake Indrio Preserve, which opened in fall 2024 and includes a kayak and canoe launch, fishing pier and covered pavilion.
The restoration reconnects the preserve's northern drainage basin with the formerly isolated lake and three acres of newly created wetland. The waterway ultimately leads toward Taylor Creek and the Indian River Lagoon.
The county's Environmental Resources Department manages nearly 12,000 acres of land open to the public for passive recreation.