Robert V. Sobczak
Restoration of the Turner River has been an amazing environmental success story in south Florida. Road and canal building decades ago caused the river to dry up and virtually disappear until the NPS modified the road and canal network in the late 1980s and mid 1990s to re-direct water back into Turner River. Kayakers and canoeists were soon to follow, making this not only an ecological success story, but also a premier example of how scenic, recreational, and educational benefits can flow quickly behind the water; and how restoration success can be achieved with relatively minor re-plumbing actions.
The attached figure shows river flow relative to flows in the adjacent canal, updated through Summer 2007. The original phase of restoration work was completed in 1989, but canal flows still spiked out of system until follow-up restoration work was completed in 1996. River flows have equalled or exceeded flows in the adjacent canal for the past 10 years. Additional restoration work is needed to replenish additional waters into the river's headwater wetlands, to complement restoration flows directed directly into the river's headwater pools.
