The City of Fort Lauderdale has marked the completion of the River Oaks Stormwater Preserve project with a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony. Mayor Dean J. Trantalis and District IV Commissioner Ben Sorensen spoke about the significance of the project moments before cutting the ribbon and inviting attendees to join them on a walk through the site.
The River Oaks Stormwater Preserve is a major component of the City of Fort Lauderdale’s larger master plan to address flooding in the River Oaks and Edgewood neighborhoods. It includes a gazebo, a boardwalk, and a historic CSX bridge over 9.1 acres of wetland areas filled with native plantings and drainage features such as grass berms, culverts, catch basins, pipes, and control structures.
“There is nowhere else like this in our city,” Mayor Trantalis proclaimed before listing the unique components of the site. “One feature that can’t be missed is the CSX bascule bridge,” added Trantalis, who expressed appreciation to the Florida Department of Transportation for generously donating the historic bridge to the City for use as part of the boardwalk that winds through the Preserve.
In addition to being attractive, the River Oaks Stormwater Preserve serves an important role as it is an area where stormwater run-off can be collected, retained, and pretreated prior to discharge into the South Fork of the New River.
District IV Commissioner Ben Sorensen highlighted how this project came to be through efforts by City staff and our partners combined with support from the River Oaks community to bring together history, nature, and function. “This is a stormwater preserve to help protect our homes – our neighborhoods – well into the future,” said Sorensen.
The River Oaks Stormwater Preserve is located at 2117 SW 19 Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315. It is open daily between sunrise and sunset. Parking is limited so carpooling, walking, or biking is encouraged. As this is a wetland area, visitors should exercise caution, dispose of trash properly, and never feed wildlife.
