• Restoration Fact Sheet
• Oyster Reef Fact Sheet
• Photo Album

• Lake Worth Lagoon Projects
  • Ibis Isle
  • John's Island
  • Lantana Mangrove Planter
  • Munyon Island
  • Ocean Ridge
  • Peanut Island
  • Snook Islands
  • South Cove

• Estuaries
  • Lake Worth Lagoon
• Estuarine Projects
• Intracoastal Waterway
• Ecology
• Freshwater
  • The Chain of Lakes

• About ERM
• Calendar of Events
• Contact Us
• Jobs
• Links
• Publications/Reports
• Quick Index
• Volunteer at ERM

Project Location
In the central area of the lagoon at the mouth of the West Palm Beach (C-51) Canal.

The Problem
Historically, John’s Island was a small intertidal and submerged shallow water habitat. Over time the island grew to approximately 6.4 acres from the placement of fill dredged out of the Intracoastal Waterway and was taken over by exotic non-native vegetation.

The Solution
Remove exotic plants, return the island to it’s original elevation, and restore native habitats.

Project Overview

• Removed approximately 6 acres of exotic vegetation including seaside mahoe, Australian pine, and Brazilian pepper.
• Excavated and transported 17,000 cubic yards of dredge spoil to Snook Islands to create mangrove islands and seagrass habitat.
• Restored 1.7 acres of existing mangroves through the creation of a series of tidal channels to provide flushing to the mangrove community.
• Created 1.4 acres of tropical maritime hammock.
• Planted 3 acres of red mangroves and planted cordgrass along 1,190 feet of tidal channels.
• Mangrove seedlings used in this project were collected and planted by many volunteer groups including Forest Hill High School and Jupiter High School Environmental Academies and the West Palm Beach Fishing Club.
• Completed in June 2004.

Benefits

• Recreates a variety of intertidal habitats for fish, manatee, birds, and invertebrates.
• Creates increasingly scarce maritime hammock habitat.
• Provides excavated spoil to create seagrass recruitment at Snook Islands Natural Area.

Project Partners
Palm Beach County, Audubon Society, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Town of Palm Beach

For More Information

• John's Island Fact Sheet
• John's Island Oyster Reef Project Fact Sheet

• Sign up for the next Young Photographers Event on May 24th! [PDF]
• Read the latest edition of Environmental Times, Spring 2013 [PDF]
• Read the latest edition of Lake Worth Lagoon E-News, Spring 2013 [PDF]
• Download a FREE 2013 Palm Beach County Natural Areas Calendar! [PDF]
• Stay up to date with the Department's Monthly Status Reports.