Featuring 300 acres of protected land and 5.6 miles of trails, the Egans Creek Greenway is a natural jewel right in the middle of Fernandina Beach.

The southern Greenway

The southern part of Egans Creek Greenway features a freshwater ecosystem, including a red maple forest and other wooded areas. When the FDOT reconnected Egans Creek to the Amelia River in 2003, the tidal flow pushed saltwater into the southern creek, affecting the freshwater habitat. In 2009, FDOT installed a water control device that keeps saltwater from being pushed south while still allowing freshwater to drain north.

The southern Greenway is an especially good spot to see wildlife. Some of manmade ditches used to control flooding and mosquitos still remain; the city uses giant duckweed to help remove pollution from the water.

The northern Greenway

*This water control device prevents saltwater from flowing south while allowing the southern part of the creek to drain freshwater to the north.

The north part of Egans Creek Greenway is a tidal saltmarsh environment, supporting a different variety of plants and animals than the freshwater part of the creek. Here, bridges connect the main trail to nearby neighborhoods.

The northern Greenway is wider and subject to tidal flows, creating a fertile saltmarsh environment.

Article by Bill Delaney. Contact Bill at wdelaney@moderncities.com.