Banana River at Dragon's Point
Banana River is the smallest of four brackish water lagoons in the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary. The 31-mile-long, 30,000 acre bar-built lagoon is bounded by Kennedy Space Center to the north, Merritt Island to the west, a barrier island to the east and Indian River to the south.
Banana River north of SR528 is well preserved as it lies on federal property where public access is not allowed. Northern Banana River is an important spring habitat (300-500 individuals/survey day) for the West Indian manatee and resident manatees live in the lagoon year-round. Banana River also supports the largest pelican rookery on the Atlantic Coast.
South Banana River is in a densely urbanized area that has heavily impacted the lagoon's water quality.
Banana River Water Body
Banana Creek connects Banana River to the Indian River south of Max Brewer Bridge (SR404) in Titusville, Florida. Banana River lagoon ranges through Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station property to the Beachline (SR528) causeway.
In Port Canaveral, the lagoon connects to the Atlantic Ocean via Canaveral Locks and to the Indian River via the Canaveral Barge Canal. Sykes Creek connects to the Banana River south of SR520 in Cocoa Beach.
Banana River lagoon ends at Dragon's Point, the southern tip of Merritt Island, where it joins the Indian River lagoon at Indian Harbour Beach.
Banana River Tributary List
Tributaries are listed from North to South.
Banana River Map
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(SR404) in Titusville, Florida."}},{"name":"Banana River","title":"Banana River","lat":28.44857999999999975671016727574169635772705078125,"lon":-80.625439999999997553459252230823040008544921875,"otherValues":{"Image":"\u003Cdiv class=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"floatnone\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"\/guide\/index.php\/File:Banana_River_001.jpg\" class=\"image\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Banana River\" src=\"\/guide\/images\/thumb\/0\/0b\/Banana_River_001.jpg\/269px-Banana_River_001.jpg\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"269\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"\/guide\/images\/thumb\/0\/0b\/Banana_River_001.jpg\/403px-Banana_River_001.jpg 1.5x, \/guide\/images\/thumb\/0\/0b\/Banana_River_001.jpg\/538px-Banana_River_001.jpg 2x\" data-file-width=\"639\" data-file-height=\"428\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","Type":"Lagoon","Basin":"Banana River","County":"Brevard","Description":"Lying entirely within Brevard County, 31 mile long, 30,000 acre Banana River is the smallest lagoon basin in the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary.","Article":"\u003Ca href=\"\/guide\/index.php\/Banana_River\" title=\"Banana River\"\u003EBanana River\u003C\/a\u003E"}},{"name":"Canaveral Barge Canal East","title":"Canaveral Barge Canal East","lat":28.409420000000000783302311901934444904327392578125,"lon":-80.6897699999999957753971102647483348846435546875,"otherValues":{"Image":"\u003Cdiv class=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"floatnone\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"\/guide\/index.php\/File:Merritt_Island_FL_barge_canal01.jpg\" class=\"image\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Canaveral Barge Canal East\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/d\/d4\/Merritt_Island_FL_barge_canal01.jpg\/240px-Merritt_Island_FL_barge_canal01.jpg\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/d\/d4\/Merritt_Island_FL_barge_canal01.jpg\/360px-Merritt_Island_FL_barge_canal01.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/d\/d4\/Merritt_Island_FL_barge_canal01.jpg\/480px-Merritt_Island_FL_barge_canal01.jpg 2x\" data-file-width=\"3264\" data-file-height=\"2448\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","Type":"Canal","Basin":"Banana River","County":"Brevard","Description":"Canaveral Barge Canal cuts thru Merritt Island, Florida to connect the Banana River and Indian River lagoons.","Article":"\u003Ca href=\"\/guide\/index.php\/Canaveral_Barge_Canal\" title=\"Canaveral Barge Canal\"\u003ECanaveral Barge Canal\u003C\/a\u003E"}},{"name":"Canaveral Lock","title":"Canaveral Lock","lat":28.409259999999999735109668108634650707244873046875,"lon":-80.640579999999999927240423858165740966796875,"otherValues":{"Image":"\u003Cdiv class=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"floatnone\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"\/guide\/index.php\/File:Canaveral_lock.jpg\" class=\"image\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Canaveral Lock\" src=\"\/guide\/images\/thumb\/2\/29\/Canaveral_lock.jpg\/135px-Canaveral_lock.jpg\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"135\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"\/guide\/images\/thumb\/2\/29\/Canaveral_lock.jpg\/202px-Canaveral_lock.jpg 1.5x, \/guide\/images\/thumb\/2\/29\/Canaveral_lock.jpg\/270px-Canaveral_lock.jpg 2x\" data-file-width=\"720\" data-file-height=\"960\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","Type":"Canal","Basin":"Banana River","County":"Brevard","Description":"Located between Port Canaveral's West turning basin and the Banana River, Canaveral Lock was constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1965 to secure safe passage of vessels from the Banana River to Port Canaveral and the Atlantic Ocean.","Article":"\u003Ca href=\"\/guide\/index.php\/Canaveral_Lock\" title=\"Canaveral Lock\"\u003ECanaveral Lock\u003C\/a\u003E"}},{"name":"Grand Canal","title":"Grand Canal","lat":28.1799800000000004729372449219226837158203125,"lon":-80.6100699999999932288119453005492687225341796875,"otherValues":{"Image":"\u003Cdiv class=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"floatnone\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"\/guide\/index.php\/File:Waterbody_grand_canal.jpg\" class=\"image\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Grand Canal\" src=\"\/guide\/images\/thumb\/8\/8a\/Waterbody_grand_canal.jpg\/271px-Waterbody_grand_canal.jpg\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"271\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"\/guide\/images\/thumb\/8\/8a\/Waterbody_grand_canal.jpg\/406px-Waterbody_grand_canal.jpg 1.5x, \/guide\/images\/thumb\/8\/8a\/Waterbody_grand_canal.jpg\/541px-Waterbody_grand_canal.jpg 2x\" data-file-width=\"640\" data-file-height=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","Type":"Canal","Basin":"Banana River","County":"Brevard","Description":"The Grand Canal is a 4 mile long residential canal along the eastern shore of the Banana River lagoon in Satellite Beach, Florida."}},{"name":"Sykes Creek","title":"Sykes Creek","lat":28.38495999999999952478901832364499568939208984375,"lon":-80.689449999999993679011822678148746490478515625,"otherValues":{"Image":"\u003Cdiv class=\"center\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"floatnone\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"\/guide\/index.php\/File:Waterbody_sykes_creek.jpg\" class=\"image\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Sykes Creek\" src=\"\/guide\/images\/thumb\/e\/e9\/Waterbody_sykes_creek.jpg\/270px-Waterbody_sykes_creek.jpg\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"270\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"\/guide\/images\/thumb\/e\/e9\/Waterbody_sykes_creek.jpg\/405px-Waterbody_sykes_creek.jpg 1.5x, \/guide\/images\/thumb\/e\/e9\/Waterbody_sykes_creek.jpg\/540px-Waterbody_sykes_creek.jpg 2x\" data-file-width=\"800\" data-file-height=\"534\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","Type":"Creek","Basin":"Banana River","County":"Brevard","Description":"Sykes Creek drains southward down the middle of Merritt Island, Florida to the Banana River lagoon."}}]
Banana River Tributaries
This "Info" table links to infobox pages that display limited data about the subject. Some "Info" pages also contain additional text, images, or videos when available.
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Coordinates | Name | Article | Type | Basin | County | Coordinates |
|---|
| Name | Article | Type | Basin | County | Coordinates |
|---|
| Banana Creek (info) | | Creek | Banana River | Brevard | 28.60073,-80.66184 |
| Banana River (info) | Banana River | Lagoon | Banana River | Brevard | 28.44858,-80.62544 |
| Canaveral Barge Canal East (info) | Canaveral Barge Canal | Canal | Banana River | Brevard | 28.40942,-80.68977 |
| Canaveral Lock (info) | Canaveral Lock | Canal | Banana River | Brevard | 28.40926,-80.64058 |
| Sykes Creek (info) | | Creek | Banana River | Brevard | 28.38496,-80.68945 |
| Grand Canal (info) | | Canal | Banana River | Brevard | 28.17998,-80.61007 |
Banana River Aquatic Preserve
Banana River, Merritt Island, Brevard County
The Banana River Aquatic Preserve begins at State Road 528 (Bennett Causeway), extends almost to the southern tip of Merritt Island, and includes Newfound Harbor and Sykes Creek as far north as Hall Road. The incorporated cities bordering the aquatic preserve are Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach and Indian Harbor Beach, north to south respectively. In addition, Patrick Space Force Base lies along the east shore between Cocoa Beach and Satellite Beach. The Banana River Aquatic Preserve is accessible from the east by U.S. Highway A1A and from the west by State Road 3.
Brevard County Conservation Areas
Brevard's Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program preserves 600 acres in Sykes Creek as the Ulumay Sanctuary and 330 acres in Cocoa Beach as the Thousand Islands Conservation Area.
Banana River No Motor Zone
Most of the Banana River north of Port Canaveral and the Beach Line Highway (SR 528) has been closed to motor boats for the protection for manatees since 1990. This area has one of the highest concentrations of manatees in Florida. Boaters generally refer to this area as the “No Motor Zone” as motorized vessels including any vessel having an attached or non-attached internal combustion or electric trolling motor capable of use are prohibited. The boundary of the No Motor Zone is delineated with signs.
This 10,600 acre open water area is one of the few places in Florida free from motor boats and has become a popular destination for paddlers and fishermen. The shoreline on the north, east, and west side of the lagoon is within the “Security Area” of the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, therefore access to the No Motor Zone is very limited.
See Also
Web Links
Documents
Site Note:
*Normally a river's course is described in the direction of it's current flow. The Indian River Estuary doesn't have a directional flow, so this website will always describe it's Water Bodies in a north to south direction.
*Lagoons do not have a directional current and some water bodies (tidal marshes, canals and inlets) flow in both directions, so these water bodies are not technically tributaries. However, for this website's purposes, all connecting water bodies regardless of current, may be referred to as tributaries.
