Broward Urban River Trail

Under a plan developed by the Broward Urban River Trails (BURT) task force, the trail will be managed as an open-space corridor, connecting parks and conservation areas with downtown parks, recreation areas, marinas and nature centers and offering unlimited opportunities for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, picnicing, boating and canoeing. The trail will also be part of a larger system of Florida blueways and greenways enhanced and preserved for generations to come. Conservation efforts focus on restoring some polluted areas along the river and identifying critical habitats and ecosystems that need to be preserved. The task force also is working to open up more areas along the trail to bicyclists, hikers, picnickers and boaters.

Who We Are
The BURT Coordinating Council is a coalition of public, private, environmental, not-for-profit, and corporate organizations formed to pursue and effect programs for the protection of the natural resources of the New River system and the economic revitalization of the area. The council is composed of roughly equal representation from stakeholder groups including government, homeowners, businesses, environmental interests, landowners, educators, historians and recreational interests.

Greenways for Florida
The Broward County Urban Trails (BURT) concept had its beginnings in Florida’s statewide effort to preserve greenways. Greenways are usually defined as corridors of protected open space managed for conservation and recreation. In Broward County, many of the greenways are actually “blueways” that follow rivers, canals, wetlands and lakes.

Greenways and blueways can be as wide as a watershed or as narrow as a footpath. They link forests, parks, cultural and historic sites with each other and, in some cases, with populated areas. They not only protect environmentally sensitive lands and wildlife, but also give people the chance to enjoy the outdoors close to home.

A Regional System of Greenways
Created in 1991 as a joint project of 1000 Friends of Florida and The Conservation Fund, the Florida Greenways program looked for ways to link existing urban and rural “green” areas like state and national parks and forests, rivers and wetland systems to create a statewide “green infrastructure.” The program has since evolved into the Florida Greenways Coordinating Council within the Department of Environmental Protection.

Restoring the River
Looking at the New River as a system of interlocking pieces gives a new perspective on the county’s efforts to clean and restore it. What happens in one part of the river affects the whole system, so river restoration is a central focus of the work being done by BURT.

Protecting Wildlife
Many of our open spaces center around lakes, rivers, canals and wetlands. People hike, bike, picnic, fish and sail along these waterways. Wildlife depends on these natural areas for shelter and food.

What You Can Do
Everyone who lives, works, or plays along the New River Loop can help protect and restore it. Here are some things you can do:

• Get involved in a river cleanup group.
• If you’re a teacher, take your students out on the river and show them its wonderful variety of plants and animals.
• If you’re a homeowner, plant a vegetative buffer along the waterfront side of property. Promote neighborhood beautification along the river.
• Reduce your use of fertilizers and pesticides. Remove exotic plants that are growing along the river bank and replace them with appropriate native plants. Never throw grass clippings or palm fronds in the water.
• Report any illegal activities to the Department of Natural Resource Protection at (954) 519-1499.

Planning Growth
Our cities and towns depend on a vast network of rivers, canals and wetland systems that provide a drainage system protecting and maintaining the flow of water needed for flood control, aquifer for recharge and Everglades restoration. Protecting the New River system means carefully planning development along its banks. We need to ensure that communities and businesses along the river are good neighbors, concerned about protecting the river, and aware of how their actions affect the river.

Here are a few of the many exciting recreational, cultural, and historic destinations to be found on the Broward Urban River Trail:

Click here to look at the map

Riverwalk (#12 on the map)
Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk is a mile-long waterfront park with shops, restaurants, cultural and arts attractions. It’s the home of the Museum of Discovery and Science/Blockbuster/IMAX Theater. The Esplanade, a newly planted area of native plants and trees just east of the Broward County Center for the Performing Arts, provides much-needed food and shelter for wildlife, and is an excellent example of xeriscaping, a landscaping technique that uses drought-tolerant native plants. Just to the east is the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society’s historic village, “Old Fort Lauderdale.” This complex includes the Society’s research center and library, the circa 1905 Philemon Bryan House, the circa 1907 King-Cromartie House, the 1899 replica schoolhouse, the circa 1905 New River Inn, the Society’s “Museum of History” and the first property in Broward County to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Stranahan House (#14 on the map)
The historic Stranahan House was the home of Fort Lauderdale’s first family, Frank and Ivy Stranahan, who operated a ferry and trading post here beginning in 1893. The house as it appears today was built in 1901.

First Fort Lauderdale (#5 on the map)
The first Fort Lauderdale was constructed during the second Seminole Indian War by men from the Tennessee Volunteers and Company D, Third US Artillery. Named for the expedition’s commander, Major William Lauderdale, the fort was located on the north bank of the New River at what is today SW 9th Avenue and 4th Court. The fort served as a base for soldiers pursuing Seminoles into the Everglades in 1838.

North Fork of the New River (#1 and #2 on the map)
A remnant natural shoreline along the North Fork of the New River provides habitat for waterfowl such as osprey, ibis, and herons. Two early Seminole camps were located here, one near what is now Northwest 27th Avenue, and the other near Broward Boulevard. Miami’s first African American millionaire, D. A. Dorsey, platted land on the Fork’s east bank in the 1920s. The Sweeting Estate, former home of philanthropist the Reverend Dr. Harry Sweeting, is located at Northwest 4th Court.

Needham House/Sperry House (#15 and #17 on the map)
Much of Fort Lauderdale’s charm lies in its historic architecture. Two fine examples of the work of Francis Luis Abreu, the city’s premier architect in the 1920s, are located on the New River at SE 9th Avenue. The Needham House on the north bank was built for John Needham, first manager of the Hotel Broward. On the south bank is the Sperry House, designed for E. N. Sperry, one of the founders of the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce. Both are designed in the then-fashionable Mediterranean Revival style.

West Lake Park (see the lower right portion of the map)
West Lake Park’s 1500 acres of coastal mangrove wilderness provide a protected nursery for crabs and shellfish, juvenile mullet, snapper, tarpon and snook. In fact, most of the fish and shellfish we like to catch and eat spend part of their lives in mangrove forests like this one. Learn more about this important ecosystem at the Anne Kolb Nature Center in the park, or rent a canoe for a first-hand look. The park offers biking/jogging trails, boat and canoe rentals, fishing, picnicking, and a playground.

John U. Lloyd Beach State Recreation Area
(see middle right side of map)
Much of Florida’s east coast is protected by a chain of barrier islands, narrow strips of sand that act as buffers for storm waves. John U. Lloyd Beach State Recreation Area preserves 251 acres of barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. The park’s beachfront is one of the most productive sea turtle nesting areas in the county, producing some 10,000 hatchlings each year. The park is also a good starting point for canoeing scenic Whiskey Creek.

Find Out More For more information about river cleanup and restoration programs, contact the Department of Natural Resource Protection at (954) 519-1400.