Banana River
The Banana River is the smallest of 3 lagoons in the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program
About
The Banana River is a 31 mile long, 30,000 acre brackish water lagoon that lies between Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida.
Banana River lagoon is bounded by Merritt Island on the west shore and the barrier island on the east shore. The northern end lies within Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and the southern end merges with the Indian River at Indian Harbour Beach. Patrick Air Force Base lies along the eastern shore between Cocoa Beach and Satellite Beach.
Northern Banana River is jointly administered by KSC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as part of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. FWS maintains a No-Motor Zone on the lagoon between the KSC property line and the Beachline Expressway (SR528).[1]. There is no public access allowed on KSC property.
Providing habitats for many marine species, the waist deep brackish water lagoon includes salt marshes, mangrove swamps, seagrass beds, oyster bars, mud flats, and spoil islands. The northern Banana River is an important spring habitat (300-500 individuals/survey day)[2] for the West Indian manatee, with many habitating the Banana River year-round. The Banana River lagoon also supports the largest pelican rookery on the Atlantic Coast[2] and a significant population of Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin.
The Banana River lagoon is part of the EPA's Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Aquatic Preserve Program. The northern end of Sykes Creek, a Banana River tributary, is preserved as Brevard County's 436 acre Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary.[3]
Commercial and recreational activities in the Banana River lagoon are estimated to generate more than US$ 800 million annually for the local economy.
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Banana River Aquatic Preserve
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's (FDEP) 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 FDEP's Banana River Aquatic Preserve is accessible from the east by U.S. Highway A1A and from the west by State Road 3.
Location
Coordinates (28°27'30.5"N 80°37'27.7"W) (28.458480, -80.624358)
Water Body
Banana Creek in Titusville is the northern most tributary of the Banana River lagoon. Midway down, at Port Canaveral, the lagoon connects to the Atlantic Ocean via the Canaveral Locks and to the Indian River via the Canaveral Barge Canal. The Canaveral Barge Canal lies at the head of Sykes Creek, a major tributary feeding the southern Banana River lagoon.
Template:IRL Banana River TributariesHistory
Historically, the Banana River was a continuous waterway that completely separated Merritt Island from Cape Canaveral. In 1964, the Crawlerway was built at Kennedy Space Center, connecting Merritt Island to Cape Canaveral and dividing the Banana River into northern and southern lagoons.
Banana River Air Station
Construction of the Banana River Naval Air Station began in December 1939 and the station was commissioned on 1 October 1940. The station supported seaplane patrol operations during World War II, a blimp squadron which conducted search and rescue along Florida's east coast, a PBM seaplane pilot training program, and an advanced navigation school. In 1944 the station consisted of 391 officers, 2492 enlisted and 587 civilians. The number of aircraft present on the base, including F6 Hellcats and O52U Kingfishers, reached a high of 228.
The station continued to operate as a Navy support base for two years after the war, but the installation was deactivated on 1 August 1947.[4]
Patrick Air Force Base
The Navy transferred the station to the Air Force on 1 September 1948 and it was renamed the Joint Long Range Proving Ground (JLRPG). On 1 August 1950, it was renamed Patrick Air Force Base in honor of Major General Mason Patrick. Patrick Air Force Base is now the headquarters of the 45th Space Wing, the parent organization responsible for operations at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.[4]
