On May 9, 2024, the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board officially declared this area as a Stormwater Treatment Area (STA).
Future recreational activities at the C-44 Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) will include hiking, bicycling, wildlife viewing, photography and limited entry waterfowl and alligator hunts.
Audubon of Martin County also leads birding tours at the STA. Birdwatchers can spot sandhill cranes, snail kites, great blue herons, great egrets, mottled ducks, along with roseate spoonbills, white pelicans, wood storks and migratory shorebirds. Please visit audubonofmartincounty.org for more information on birding tours.
Hunting is managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Visit myfwc.com for hunting dates, regulations and detailed license information.
For more information, please call the District Recreation Hotline at 866-433-6312 or email recreation@sfwmd.gov.
Information about Stormwater Treatment Areas
STAs are large constructed wetlands with emergent and aquatic plants. The plants remove and store nutrients such as phosphorus that are found in stormwater runoff before it is moved out of the STA and into the Everglades. The South Florida Water Management District has built over 60,000 acres of STAs to restore water quality in the Everglades. Everglades STA’s have treated approximately 26.7 million acre-feet of water or 8.7 trillion gallons. They have also retained over 3,400 metric tons of total phosphorus and there has been a 77.4% total phosphorus load reduction. STAs are continually monitored and maintained to maximize water treatment capacity.
Directions
- C-44 STA: Located in western Martin County approximately 2 miles east of SR 710 on SW Citrus Boulevard.
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