ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Some trails at George Lestrange Preserve will close for several months as St. Lucie County begins a restoration project along Ten Mile Creek in partnership with Ducks Unlimited.
The project will restore a historic oxbow floodplain connection within the preserve to improve hydrologic connectivity and increase seasonal water levels in surrounding wetlands. Officials said the effort will also restore wetland habitats that support wildlife and provide natural floodplain protection.
Designed and permitted under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the project also received construction funding through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Wetland Restoration and Protection Grant. Additional work includes streambank erosion control using native plants to help reduce downstream nutrient and sediment transport, with the goal of improving water quality and lowering Total Maximum Daily Load inputs outlined in the county’s Basin Management Action Plan…