ST. LUCIE COUNTY – In partnership with Ducks Unlimited, St. Lucie County Environmental Resources Department will begin restoration of the historic oxbow floodplain connection along Ten Mile Creek within the George Lestrange Preserve, causing some of the trails inside the preserve to be closed for several months.

Designed and permitted under American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 with additional funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Wetland Restoration and Protection Grant for construction, this restoration project aims to improve hydrologic connectivity of the historic remnant oxbows in order to increase seasonal water levels within the preserve’s wetlands, while restoring a mosaic of wetland habitats which serve as essential wildlife habitat and natural floodplain attenuation. The project also includes components of streambank erosion control, using native plantings to reduce downstream nutrient and sediment transport, thereby improving water quality and reducing Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) inputs as set out in the county's Basin Management Action Plan.

Construction is scheduled to begin in late February and will require a partial trail closure within the preserve. The preserve will remain open during normal hours of sunrise to sunset; however, the trailhead will be relocated to the south entrance. The northern entrance and trail will be closed for the duration of construction. Visitors will be directed to turn around and loop back along the southern trail portion during the project timeline. Construction is scheduled for completion in August 2026, at which time the full trail will reopen.  

Located at 4911 Ralls Road in Fort Pierce, George Lestrange Preserve is a 94-acre preserve, featuring a one-mile loop trail around a 37-acre catch-and-release lake. Additional side trails meander through diverse habitats, including pine flatwoods, scrubby flatwoods, and palm hammocks, offering opportunities to observe local wildlife and native plant species.

St. Lucie County’s Environmental Resources Department manages roughly 11,000 acres that are open to the public for passive recreation. These preserves were purchased thanks to a voter-approved referendum in 1994, which provided the county with a $20 million bond that was matched with private and public grants, allowing the county to purchase $76 million worth of land for preservation.

For more information about the county's preserves, please contact the St. Lucie County Environmental Resources Department at 772-462-2526 or visit the Preserves of St. Lucie County site.