This section documents the historical context of the North Fork, community efforts, and official water quality monitoring and documentation.
Historical progression of the Intracoastal Waterway, state canal land grants, and early maritime development shaping South Florida's river network.
Florida is officially admitted to the Union as a state.
The State Legislature creates the "Trustees of the Internal Improvement Fund" to manage public lands. They pass an act to encourage a "Liberal System of Internal Improvements," explicitly contemplating the construction of a network of canals.
The Legislature grants vast tracts of state lands to railroad and canal companies. Upon completing every 6 miles of canal, the state conveys alternate sections of swamp and overflowed lands to the companies to fund further dredging.
Under a charter granted on August 3, 1881, the Florida Coast Line and Transportation Company plans a massive canal connecting Matanzas River with the Halifax River, cutting through the historic spot known as "The Haulover." The grand vision: navigate from St. Augustine to Jupiter Inlet—a continuous distance of 234 miles—using 22 miles of artificial channels to connect natural rivers. To fund this, the company is authorized to charge vessel tolls.
The Canal Company's charter is amended to push the channel further south into Biscayne Bay, creating an artificial cut connecting the Tolomato River with Pablo Creek to grant vital maritime access to Jacksonville.
The Canal Company takes possession of channels in the Indian River south to Jupiter Inlet, actively collecting tolls. In compliance with Federal and State statutes, the company delivers its rights to the U.S. government for the waters stretching from Jupiter Inlet north to Goat Creek.
The Canal Company completes its continuous line down to Miami, opening up South Florida to unprecedented maritime traffic.
Organized in Philadelphia, this group aggressively promotes an inland waterway stretching all the way from Boston, Massachusetts, down through Florida. Their efforts successfully establish a dependable channel 12 feet deep from Trenton, New Jersey, down to Jacksonville.
Charles F. Burgman and local advocates meet in New Smyrna, solidifying a 20-year local effort to ensure East Coast commercial interests actively back the Intracoastal vision.
An act of Congress convenes a special board of U.S. Engineer officers to survey a continuous waterway from Beaufort, North Carolina, down to Key West. They recommend utilizing the St. Johns River down to Sanford, cutting across the divide to the Indian River near Titusville. However, economic conditions cause the project to be temporarily shelved.
The River and Harbor Act of June 5, 1920, orders a massive preliminary examination for a continuous channel from Jacksonville down to Miami. On December 14, 1926, the Chief of Engineers officially recommends that Congress authorize a federal waterway 8 feet deep by 75 feet wide at the bottom.
Amidst the historic Florida land boom, local railroads and motor trucks are entirely overwhelmed by freight demands, placing embargoes on building supplies. Mr. Kelsey, founder of Kelsey City (now Lake Park), steps in and acquires the local canal system specifically to bypass land transit and ferry building materials directly down to his projects in West Palm Beach.
Explore key historical profiles, military origins, tribal legacies, and architectural footprints along the North Fork corridor.
Historical Event: On March 6, 1838, during the Second Seminole War, Major William Lauderdale, Lieutenant Fredrick Searles (Tennessee Volunteers), and Lieutenant Robert Anderson (Company D, U.S. Third Artillery Regiment) select a strategic point of land on the north bank of the New River where the North Fork begins.
The Structure: A force of 223 men construct a 30-foot square, two-tiered wooden blockhouse, completing it on March 10, 1838. General Thomas S. Jesup decrees the post be officially named "Fort Lauderdale."
Modern Reference: While no physical markers indicate the exact spot of the old fort today, its historic footprint sits right where SW 9th Avenue reaches the north side of the North Fork. Local legend Everett West recalled old "ferry pilings" here dating back to Frank Stranahan's 1893 river ferry operations, pointing to a long history of military and civilian transit at this narrow intersection.
Historical Profile: In 1924, Ivy Stranahan persuades influential Seminole leader Annie Tommie to lead her family and community onto the newly created Dania Reservation (located on modern-day State Road 7).
The Impact: This crucial move protects the local Seminoles from rapidly losing their remaining ancestral lands along the New River. Annie’s descendants heavily shape Florida history: her son Sam Tommie becomes a prominent tribal spokesman, her grandson Howard Tommie serves as Chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida in the 1970s, and her adopted son Cory Osceola leads the Traditionalist Seminoles to maintain their fiercely independent, unconquered status.
Historical Profile: Located at 409 SW 9th Avenue, this site was home to Commodore A.H. Brook, a retired New York advertising man turned premier 1920s Florida Land Boom booster.
The Legend: Brook famously made national headlines in 1921 when he "kidnapped" President-elect Warren G. Harding by blocking his yacht's southward passage on the Intracoastal, "rescuing" him to stay overnight in Fort Lauderdale to meet enthusiastic local supporters. His personal vessel, the Kylo, was a permanent fixture tied to the dock here for decades.
The Pink House: Located just to the west and highly visible from the river channel, this historic home sits directly atop an ancient Tequesta Indian mound, marking a human presence on the North Fork dating back to the time of Christ.
Historical Profile: Located on the east bank of the river's northwest turn, just west of the School Board's properties, sits the historic Daniel McSwiney property.
The Structure: The three-bedroom house is constructed of historic, stuccoed Dade County Pine, originally floated to the site via barge from the Bryner Estate on the South Fork in 1926.
The Jungle: McSwiney, a manufacturing chemist and passionate amateur horticulturist, spends decades swapping rare seeds with plant collectors worldwide. His dedicated planting turns the estate into a dense, sprawling jungle of exotic trees and foliage so thick that the historic home is completely hidden from view from both the river channel and 14th Avenue.
Historical Profile: The low, fixed twin bridges crossing Broward Boulevard mark the strict northern boundary of the historic New River boating community.
Maritime Impact: The eastbound span was built in 1949, and the westbound span followed in 1980. Because of their low clearance, they act as a permanent physical barrier to sailboats, cabin cruisers, and sportfishing yachts.
The Canoe Legacy: The optimal vessel for navigating past these bridges and exploring deep into the upper forks remains the canoe. This directly mirrors the first recorded reference to the North Fork: an April 10, 1842 diary entry by George Henry Preble (later a USN Rear Admiral) chronicling a historic 60-day canoe expedition into the Everglades during the Second Seminole War.
These are the official government classifications, monitoring standards, and environmental indices for the North Fork of the New River.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection officially lists the North Fork under WBID 3276A as an impaired waterbody for fecal coliform and low dissolved oxygen.
FDEP Water Quality RestorationWeekly bacterial testing by Miami Waterkeeper detects Enterococci. Results regularly exceed the EPA safety limit of 70 CFU/100mL, particularly after rainstorms.
Weekly Swim Guide DataEPA screening provides environmental indicators, including wastewater discharge and air/water metrics, to assist in local restoration planning.
EPA Environmental Indicators PortalFormally submitted to Mayor Dean Trantalis and the Fort Lauderdale City Commission during the Commission Conference meeting on October 6, 2026, requesting immediate action, inter-agency mobilization, and federal/state grant funding for North Fork dredging and restoration.
Mobilize EPA Clean Water Act Section 319 grants, FDEP Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) financing, and SFWMD programs to fund sediment dredging and nonpoint source remediation.
Direct City Staff to coordinate a unified multi-agency response with SFWMD, Broward County Public Works & Environmental Services (BCPWES), USACE, and FWC, including upstream municipal borders.
Post water test findings physically on-site along public waterways, expanding active testing to Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park, North Fork Riverfront Park, and Lafayette Hart Park.
Dear Mayor and Honorable City Commissioners:
On behalf of the Marine Advisory Board, we respectfully request that the City of Fort Lauderdale explore options to pursue available federal and State of Florida funding opportunities for the cleaning, restoration, and dredging of the North Fork of the New River (Water body identification number WBID 3267A).
The residents in the area and those downstream have made it clear that they want and deserve a clean waterway. Over many years, excessive sediment accumulation has significantly reduced the depth and hydraulic capacity of this important waterway. The resulting restriction of natural water circulation has contributed to stagnant conditions, diminished dissolved oxygen, increased nutrient loading, excessive algae growth, and declining overall water quality. Additionally, contaminants have polluted the waters and bottom strata, creating an unhealthy environment. These conditions adversely affect aquatic habitat, public recreation, navigation, public safety, and the quality of life not only for residents and businesses throughout District 3 but also for downstream communities in both Districts 2 and 4.
The North Fork of the New River has been identified as an impaired water body under the Federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Section 1251-1388) and the Florida Watershed Restoration Act (Section 403.067, Florida Statutes). The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has developed water quality restoration strategies, including total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for impaired waters throughout the state. The sediment accumulation and documented nonpoint source pollution affecting this waterway are consistent with the types of impairments eligible for restoration assistance.
Given the New River's historic nature and the long-documented contamination entering it, we urge the Commission to take the following steps to help restore the health and vitality of the New River's North Fork:
Published by Broward County, this baseline technical study analyzed the health of the North Fork canal beds, focusing on benthic macroinvertebrate recruitment and the long-term impact of organic sludge deposits on the riverbed.
Access Broward County PublicationsThis study evaluated the diversion of freshwater from the C-13 Canal into the North Fork to increase water flow, resulting in reduced phosphorus levels and improved dissolved oxygen parameters.
Download OPFLOW Technical StudiesComputer simulations using the EPA's Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) modeled the stagnation in the North Fork's upper channels, verifying that low tidal flushing speeds contribute directly to bacterial retention and oxygen depletion.
Learn About WASP Modeling ProgramAn ongoing partnership between the City of Fort Lauderdale and Miami Waterkeeper. By utilizing DNA tracking on water samples taken at Sweeting Park on the North Fork, researchers trace Enterococci bacteria back to human wastewater infrastructure runoff, animal inputs, and stormwater collection systems.
Visit Miami Waterkeeper Portal