Orlando adds sprawling boardwalk over ‘jewel’ Wetlands Park

Far from city hall, a new boardwalk juts out from a berm toward a cypress dome, home to thousands of native birds in the springtime, spanning over acres of shallow, filtered water at Orlando Wetlands Park.

The wetland near Fort Christmas in east Orange County is owned by Orlando, though it sits closer to Titusville than Lake Eola. It covers 1,650 acres of natural landscape and filters reclaimed water before it flows into the St. John’s River.

The 2,200-foot boardwalk brings hikers, birdwatchers and other visitors out over the water and closer to the adored coots, egrets, herons and wood storks who nest near the cypress dome. Come back in a few months and thousands will be nested, volunteers say.

“You can see more things in here in a short period of time than you can at most other places,” said Randy Snyder, a volunteer from Orlando who enjoys photographing the wildlife. “It’s going to allow me at least to photograph some things on the floating vegetation that I otherwise wouldn’t.”

The city built the wetlands in the late 1980s, soon after the opening of the Iron Bridge Water Regional Water Reclamation Facility in 1982. According to a pamphlet, the plant was designed to treat sewage from about 400,000 people in Orlando and nearby Orange and Seminole cities like Winter Park, Maitland and Casselberry and send treated reclaimed water into the Little Econlockhatchee River. But even after treatment, nitrogen readings registered over levels allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Now the wastewater flows through the 1,650-acre marsh and the plants consume the nutrients before the cleaned water is eventually deposited in the St. John’s River.

“The plants clean the water,” said Andy Kwiatkowski, a volunteer from Avalon Park. “They absorb the nitrogen and phosphorus, and when it leaves here it’s cleaner than the river water.”

The water appeared clean Monday, with observers able to see fish swimming, as city officials cut the ribbon on the boardwalk. Onlookers observed vultures and coots and spoke of past sightings of eagles and other species. The wetland is home to hundreds of species of birds and more than 60 kinds of butterflies.

Also frequently spotted in the wetlands are alligators, bobcats, hogs, otters, raccoons and other wildlife. Snyder, the volunteer, said spotting rarer birds like the Peregrine falcon or varieties of duck that aren’t around annually is thrilling.

The boardwalk was built with grants from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Federal Highway Administration, Mayor Buddy Dyer said.

“I think it opens it up because you can walk on these trails but not over the water,” Dyer said. “It gives you access to that cypress dome and they say they have thousands of spoonbills out there.”

It complements about 20 miles of trails for walking, biking and horseback riding and is frequented by birdwatchers from across the world, he said.

The park is open every day from sunrise to sunset and volunteers lead free tram tours on Fridays and Saturdays, which last about an hour. The annual Orlando Wetlands Festival is planned for Feb. 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., which includes guided hikes, tours and exhibits.

“It’s really not as well known as it ought to be, Dyer said. “You see it, and it’s a jewel.”

rygillespie@orlandosentinel.com