Osborn tells the past and present of the waterway, showing how humans have impacted the region as well as how the lagoon has influenced the human cultures along its shores, to provide much-needed context as debates continue regarding how best to restore this natural resource.

"In 1985, the Indian River Lagoon, which includes the Indian River, Banana River and Mosquito Lagoon, was in jeopardy of environmental collapse and was designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as an Estuary of National Significance." "More than ten years later, efforts have been successful in reducing some threats to the estuary, but uncertainty about its prolonged viability and healthy existence still remains." In this book, the author and the artist "have attempted to replicate the beauty of the Indian River Lagoon and document its fragile state so that future generations may appreciate it even more." -- Introduction.

Florida Historical Society Stetson Kennedy Book Award Stretching along 156 miles of Florida's East Coast, the Indian River Lagoon contains the St. Lucie estuary, the Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River Lagoon, and the Indian River. It is a delicate ecosystem of shifting barrier islands and varying salinity levels due to its many inlets that open and close onto the ocean. The long, ribbon-like lagoon spans both temperate and subtropical climates, resulting in the most biologically diverse estuarine system in the United States. Nineteen canals and five man-made inlets have dramatically reshaped the region in the past two centuries, intensifying its natural instability and challenging its diversity. Indian River Lagoon traces the winding story of the waterway, showing how humans have altered the area to fit their needs and also how the lagoon has influenced the cultures along its shores. Now stuck in transition between a place of labor and a place of recreation, the lagoon has become a chief focus of public concern. This book provides a much-needed bigger picture as debates continue over how best to restore this natural resource.

Wade Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon and North Indian River Lagoon (Florida) from Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Situated mid-way along the East Coast of Florida, Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River Lagoon system in general are renowned fishing destinations and are featured in books, articles, videos, and TV shows. Quality guiding services are widely available. And fly-fishing is gaining in popularity. Why another guide book? Firstly, not much literature exists on foot access to the lagoons, and this is one gap that this book is filling. Secondly, hunting the fish of the lagoons while wading is a different experience than fishing from a boat. It must be learned and this book will do this. Finally, in keeping with the ways of each book of the series, this guide book focuses on very precise fishing spots. Contrary to most others this guide book shows the precise location of these fishing spots on large-scale, detailed maps. Parking Lot 5 of the North District of Canaveral National Seashore should be the starting point of your exploration of the lagoons, on foot. The area accessible on foot from Parking Lot 5 is described in minute details. This book also covers all the wading areas of Mosquito Lagoon and North Indian River Lagoon accessible from Park and Refuge land. You will pursue mostly Red Drum, but also Spotted Seatrout, Black Drum, and other game fish, over miles of shallow flats. Precise directions will take you to areas of the lagoons that hold fish and to specific spots where those fish tend to gather. This guiding book also tells you what you need and how to catch those big fish with a fly rod. If you are an experienced salt fly-fisher you will skip years of exploration time. If you are an experienced fly-fisher who is new to saltwater and flats fishing you will shorten your learning curve immensely. If you have been sitting on the sidelines of wade fly-fishing this book will hopefully be the spark that will ignite a passion. Go ahead, let our lagoons work their magic. Full-size, full-color paperback, 206 pages, with index. This book is available in Kindle eBook with full functionality at a popular price. The purchase of this book in print gives you the opportunity to buy the Kindle eBook for $2.99 and carry it with you in your phone or tablet to the precise fishing spots shown in the large-scale detailed maps of the book. "Wade Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon and North Indian River Lagoon (Florida) from Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge" is the second of a series of four similar guide books covering in detail a precise geographic area and focusing on wade fly fishing. The first was published in December 2014. It covers the upper St. Johns River basin in East Central Florida for American Shad. It is available on Amazon in both print and eBook formats. The last two books are in preparation and cover the streams of Northern Vermont and the streams of the Eastern Townships of Quebec, sector Green Mountains of the Appalachians and Mounteregians. This last book will be published in French and English."

On December 1, 2013, five paddlers launched their vessels at JB's Fish Camp in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Their destination?Jupiter, Florida, 160 miles distant. During their nineteen day voyage they meet birds, snails, manatees, and mangroves, dolphins, scientists, restaurateurs, and seagrasses, mosquitoes, other paddlers, the ghost of Henry Flagler, and much more.Into their passage is woven the history of the people who lived along the lagoon's banks- Indians, soldiers, settlers, agriculturalists, dredgers, fishermen, treasure hunters, entrepreneurs, and many others.Join their journey between the covers of this book!

Florida's rivers comprise a tapestry of natural wonders. They support rich ecosystems. They define the landscape and lend character to the regions through which they pass. The first half of this book provides an overview of Florida's waterways, while the second half provides detailed information on 60 of Florida's rivers, covering each one from source to end. From the Blackwater River in the western Panhandle to the Ichetucknee and Kissimmee Rivers in central Florida to the Miami River in south Florida, it traces the flow of these streams as they weave through cypress swamps, pine-studded hills, and hardwood hammocks. It introduces plants and animals endemic to each. This book also takes the reader on a journey through time. It tracks the history of Florida's rivers, from the dawn of the Paleoindians through the Spanish conquest to the present. It traces human efforts to confine and harness these waters. Finally, it looks at conservation and examines efforts to preserve Florida's rivers and return them to their natural states.