INDIAN RIVER LAGOON
Spoil islands in the Indian River Lagoon come in many sizes, from no more than a sandbar to several acres. The spoil islands are favorite stops for kayakers.
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TREASURE COAST BOATING
Island
Gems
Tropical Kayak Tours PHOTOS
Unless you’ve paddled out to one of those exoticlooking,
green clumps of trees between the
mainland and a barrier island, the name “spoil
island” might not sound like an appealing destination
for an adventure. When they’re in the
Indian River Lagoon, however, the depositories for dredged
matter form a chain of more than 100 natural gems among
the jewels of the Treasure Coast. Some provide picnic tables
and campsites. Others act as bird rookeries and are off-limits
to humans. Some are set aside for conservation and education.
Online aerial photos make it easy to learn which are
right for your recreation plans.
In the decade between 1951 and 1961, the dredging of
navigational channels in the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway
created dozens of small islands along both shores of the
Indian River Lagoon, from Brevard County to Martin County.
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BY WILLI MILLER
Many of the spoil banks in the
Indian River Lagoon have public access