North Fork Saint Lucie River Aquatic Preserve

The SLR provides relatively contiguous habitat for fish and wildlife. The wide salinity range (fresh upper reaches and saline lower reaches) and associated habitats in the North Fork are unique to the region and serve as a productive nursery and spawning ground for recreationally and commercially important species of fish and wildlife. Several rare fish species that rely on a tidal system with wide salinity ranges for one or more phases of their lifecycle are limited to the tributaries of the IRL, such as the SLR. Adjacent state and county-owned public lands with natural shorelines provide a wildlife corridor which connects a variety of natural communities and facilitates a wilderness experience that is easily accessible to the residents of White City, Port St. Lucie, and Stuart.