Indian River

The Indian River is a 121 mile long brackish lagoon spanning 6 counties on Florida's East Coast. The Indian River is the largest of 3 water bodies in the Indian River Lagoon Estuary system and is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

It was originally named Rio de Ais after the Ais Indian tribe, who lived along the river, but was later given its current name. The Indian River extends southward from the Ponce de Leon Inlet in New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County southward and across the Haulover Canal and along the western shore of Merritt Island. The Banana River connects to the Indian River on Merritt Island's south end. During the summer months the earthen berm causeways tend to impede the flow of [[algae) and rotting seagrass, resulting in an odor of hydrogen sulfide in some areas along the river.

Tributaries and estuaries

Tributaries of the Indian River include the Merritt Island Barge Canal (man-made), the C-54 Canal (man-made), Crane Creek, the Eau Gallie River, Horse Creek, Mullet Creek, St. Sebastian River, St. Lucie River, Sykes Creek, and Turkey Creek. An estuary of the Indian River is Palm Bay. The St. Johns-Indian River Barge Canal was proposed in the 1960s to provide a water link to the St. Johns River, but was cancelled in the early 1970s.

External links

• An early 20th Century description of the Indian River
• Hernandez Trail History