The history of the Ron Sapp Egans Creek Greenway — the pride of Amelia Island

The city of Fernandina Beach can be proud of the history of the Ron Sapp Egans Creek Greenway. City officials and residents in the 1990s had a grand vision. They worked hard to achieve a noble goal of blending conservation with recreation. Because of their efforts to restore 50 acres of salt marsh and purchase the surrounding land, we now enjoy over 300 acres of wetlands that make up the Greenway. Their hard work created the city’s largest park, where people can enjoy wildlife, endless green vistas, fresh air, and sunshine. The Greenway has become an intimate part of many people’s lives on Amelia Island. These conservation wetlands bisect our amazing barrier island and join us to the greater Florida Greenways and Trails System. 

Our local wildlife, residents, and visitors all benefit from so many acres of undeveloped land. In the 19th century, the conservationist Frederick Law Olmsted described Central Park in New York City as the “lung of the city,” which is a great way to think about the Egans Creek Greenway. He believed that exercise and relaxation in the great outdoors were restorative, and had positive effects on mental and physical wellness. Dennis Drabelle writes about Olmsted and the origin of the National Parks in his book “The Power of Scenery.” In addition, “This Land Was Saved for You and Me” by Jeffrey H. Ryan explores Olmsted’s early role in forest conservation and protecting public lands. These are both great reads and very relevant to today’s society. 

The history of the Greenway starts thousands of years ago, when a large productive tidal salt marsh stretched into the interior of Amelia Island, not yet changed by human hands. The salt marsh presumably spanned as far south as the city golf course! Modifications began sometime after 1950, when a flapper gate was installed under Atlantic Avenue. This flapper gate was designed to stop water from Egans Creek from flowing south under Atlantic Avenue. For the first time in our island’s history, rich waters from the Amelia River and the ocean were blocked, drying out and destroying acres of ancient salt marsh.

From that point on, a freshwater ecosystem was created between Atlantic Avenue and Jasmine Street. Around the same time, mosquito ditches were dug in this area, creating long linear canals stretching north and south. The purpose of the water control gate and the ditches was to drain the “swamp,” in theory allowing management of mosquito larvae within the canals for the benefit of local residents. Trails were created along the canals for mosquito-control vehicles, using spoil material from canal construction. We use these trails as we walk through the greenway today.

In the 1990s, city officials, city residents, and Florida Communities Trust all came together with a plan to create Egans Creek Greenway, paving the way for the conservation and public designation of hundreds of acres. Much of the area that makes up Egans Creek Greenway was owned by multiple private landowners. The city of Fernandina Beach, with funding from the Florida Communities Trust, began to purchase parcels of land with the vision of a far-reaching conservation project. Additionally, city residents voted to pass a bond measure, funding the acquisition of the final sections of land that make up the Greenway today. 

The Florida Department of Transportation also played a major role in the creation of the Greenway, enabling the restoration of the original salt marsh. When building roads, the FDOT sometimes disrupts natural salt marshes. To compensate for the adverse effects and environmental impacts resulting from their projects, this agency conducts mitigation projects that restore beneficial salt marshes at a different location. The north Greenway became an FDOT salt marsh mitigation site. With the help of the Corps of Engineers and the state of Florida, a new tidal control gate system was designed to once again allow nutrient-rich water to flow south under Atlantic Avenue, restoring the original salt marsh. A plan was in place and the funding had been acquired; the dream was coming to fruition. 

To be continued …