This is one of my favorite places to visit. OK, I might be a little bit biased as it’s only a 20-minute drive from my home, but it is still up there on my list😊
Here is the largest water treatment facility of its kind in the US, & it’s purpose is to distribute reclaimed water among different cells (large pools) of water and flow into the St John’s River.
The water is first treated in Orlando and then flushed through a 4 ft diameter pipe, over 17 miles to these wetlands. The land was originally mostly cow pastures with a 100-acre lake in the middle and once the facility was put into action in July 1987 with 17 cells, the area flooded, and the wetlands were born.
The first water to come to the park hits the deep marsh habitat, mostly filled with cattails or giant bulrush. It then flows through mixed marsh and wet prairie cells filled with aquatic plant life. This is where you find tons of wading birds (this fluctuates according to the season), and plenty of alligators and turtles too😊. The water then flows through hardwood swamp, but because of the high-water level it has stunted the growth of a lot of these trees and it more resembles the deep marsh areas. You’ll also see that many palm trees have lost their leaves – this is because they don’t need as much water as they are standing in. The trunks make wonderful perching posts and homes for the birds though!
The reason the water (35 million gallons a day!) takes this 40-day journey is because the City needed to expand its sewer and disposal capability. The way the water is treated here removes the residual amounts of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), and once treated remains lower than the water found in the St Johns River.
Because of the wetlands, a vast amount of birdlife is attracted to the area. I once saw 2 pairs of bald eagles on a visit (I’m normally lucky if I get to see one!) and I love the herons and my favorite, the roseate spoonbill – bright pink & often mistaken for a flamingo at first glance😊
There are always plenty of footprints of critters that have paid a visit – racoons, white-tailed deer, bobcats and river otters, among the paths and hiking trails. There are spacious restrooms here and a large pavilion, together with an information center. Sometimes school groups visit and so these amenities may be used.
On Fridays and Saturdays, the “Friends of Orlando Wetlands” have small tours on the extended golf carts and they last around an hour. I’ve used them on several occasions when my mother or a friend have been visiting. These are great for those less able to walk any distance but still get to see some wildlife (donations are appreciated, and these are volunteer positions so every $ goes back to the park). You can find out more about them here
My most favorite time to visit is sunrise - to me it’s like Jurassic Park as you leave the parking area and start on the trails. The noise as the bird’s wake can be amazing, and then as it warms up you hear the alligators making their grunting noises. You can’t get much closer to heaven…
Orlando Wetlands can be found at 25155 Wheeler Road, Christmas, FL 32709