Florida is home to a diverse assortment of water bodies such as lakes, sloughs, swamps, springs, estuaries and rivers. While they are less common in comparison to other Florida aquatic systems, Florida houses some of the most unique, biodiverse river ecosystems in North America.

Two such rivers, cutting their way through Florida, are the Wekiva and Loxahatchee.

Florida's Wekiva and Loxahatchee rivers are protected under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers act of 1968. This designation is the strongest form of protection for U.S. lentic (free-flowing) systems.

Today, we're taking you on a tour to explore every step along the flow. From cypress swamps to oceans and everything in between:

Cypress Swamps

Like many Florida aquatic systems, we begin our journey, upstream, within a cypress swamp. These ecosystems are characterized by cypress, floating vegetation, aquatic grasses, ferns, and dense epiphytic (which means plants growing on other plants) canopies full of air plants and Spanish moss.

Floodplains

Surrounding the main river bodies are floodplains full of saw grass, marsh and marl vegetation which hold water during the wet season and dry out during the dry season. The seasonality of these habitats drive natural cycling of different types of plants and animals which keep the interior of Florida biodiverse and healthy.

Oysters and Mangroves

As we float downstream toward our brackish estuaries, mangroves become the dominant vegetation. Their roots and the surrounding rocky structures provide the perfect substrate for developing oyster beds. These beds provide food and shelter for a multitude of species, above and below the water, with the added bonus of filtration power.

Seagrass

Moving further into more saline brackish waters that are characterized by silty and sandy substrates, we begin to see seagrasses thriving in shallow, well lit areas completely surrounded by mangroves on all banks. Here is where true freshwater plants and animals end their journey and where we can find more salt tolerant species of fish, reptiles, and invertebrates like starfish and sea urchins.

Oceans

At last we reach the end of our journey; our river delta. All of the water that flows through our river feeds into our coastal estuaries and the Atlantic Ocean through manmade inlets and natural deltas. These areas provide perfect breeding grounds for inshore fishes like snook as natural tide cycles can push their eggs upstream, into the safety and abundance of the oysters, mangroves, and seagrass habitats.

Through our Buy One, Plant One® initiative we're working to replant and restore mangrove ecosystems not just here in Florida but across the globe. Learn more about our planting efforts as we work to change the world, by heading over to Our Mission page.