In the heart of urban Fort Lauderdale, Florida, lies a little-known gem of a paddling destination. It's a river dear to the hearts of WRT members: the North Fork of the New River, a 3.5 mile tributary of the New River itself. The North Fork has all a paddler could want out of a paddling destination.

First, it's wonderfully convenient; second, it's historic and unique; third, lack of powerboat traffic = safer paddling; fourth, there's a wide variety of sights to see—everything from wildlife to urban life. The trees and understory foliage along the shoreline provide precious habitat to wildlife, while the spaces beneath the bridges provide shelter to the homeless. You might see a train or a manatee: true urban canoeing in a section of what's also known as Broward's Blueways Trail.

 
NOTE: Numbers on map (which was created by FAU VPT Lab) correspond to photographs in this essay.

Please visit mynorthfork.org for a full description of this river's fascinating history. WRT is proud to be a Keeper of the River as part of a longstanding Adopt-A-Waterway program. Ever since our late founder, Dr. Tom Kazo, fell in love with it about ten years ago, our black canoes have led many cleanups of its troubled waters. He loved its remnant Everglades habitat. He loved the challenge of restoring the wounded river to health after decades of abuse. Over the years, we've made many great friends and created strong partnerships with other caring organizations and individuals. When you check out mynorthfork.org, you'll learn about Broward Urban River Trails, Florida Atlantic University's Florida Atlantic Planning Society, Broward County's Environmental Protection Department, South Florida Water Management District, Kids Ecology Corps, and the historic African-American communities, among others. Now we want you to know about our river, and fall in love with it too!

There are no marinas along the stretch of the river north of Broward Boulevard, which is why the agencies mentioned above worked together to create a canoe launch at Delevoe Park. The park remains the only official launch site. The helpful staff asks that you call them in advance when you are planning to paddle, so that they can open a gate and you will be able to drive right to the launch area. They also request that you plan your trip to be back at the park by about five pm, as the park closes at six pm. Having them watch out for you adds a safety factor to your excursion, just like a pilot filing a flight plan. How many paddlers forget to tell someone where they are going?

Across from the launch site, you'll see huge pond apple trees and some cypress, with leather ferns at their base. There was once a pond apple forest which began on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee and extended all the way to the New River. It's now all sugar cane, farms, and suburban/urban development. The North Fork pond apples are magnificent relics. The undeveloped stretches of shoreline provide homes to wildlife such as raccoons, opossums, foxes, snakes, all sorts of herons and other birds, to include osprey. In the river itself, you may see manatee, mullet, tarpon, snook, and turtles. Folks from the community often fish from the riverbanks, despite the health warnings of toxic metals to be found in the fish they catch.

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