The Estero River is a
[U.S. Geological Survey.] waterway in south
Lee County,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, United States, near the
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...
of
Estero. It flows from east to west, emptying into
Estero Bay, an inlet of the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...
.
Topography
Access to the river can be gained at .
The river is bounded on the west by Estero Bay. The eastern boundary is three miles east of
I-75
Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...
.
The northern and southern river banks are surrounded by developing housing communities towards the eastern part of the river, with greater biodiversity along the western banks.
Description
The Estero River, in
Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida is the region along the southwest Gulf coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is known for its beaches, subtropical landscape, and winter resort economy.
Definitions of the region vary, though its boundaries are generally ...
, is 6.52 miles long. It flows west and spills into Estero Bay estuary. The Estero River has abundant wildlife and is an important habitat for endangered species such as the
American alligator
The American alligator (''Alligator mississippiensis''), sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two extant species in the gen ...
(''Alligator mississippiensis''),
Key Largo woodrat
The Key Largo woodrat (''Neotoma floridana smalli''), a subspecies of the eastern woodrat (''Neotoma floridana''), is a medium-sized rat found on less than 2,000 acres (~8.09 square kilometers) of the northern area of Key Largo, Florida, in the ...
(''Neotoma floridana smalli''),
gray bat (''Myotis grisescens''), and the
whooping crane
The whooping crane (''Grus americana'') is the tallest North American bird, named for its whooping sound. It is an endangered crane species. Along with the sandhill crane (''Antigone canadensis''), it is one of only two crane species native to ...
(''Grus americana'') among others.
Wildlife
The mangroves on the banks of Estero River support a variety of wildlife and play a vital role in supporting the large biodiversity of the river. The majority of mangroves can be found at where the Estero River merges into Estero Bay.
![Estero river plant life](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Estero_river_plant_life.jpg)
The
great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') inhabits and breeds in both salt and fresh water habitats, making the Estero River perfect for this heron. It nests from "5 to 20 m above ground", and the trees surrounding the river make for a great nesting habitat. These herons feed mostly on aquatic and terrestrial insects that can be found along the river. The
great egret
The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and ...
(''Ardea alba'') does not directly compete with the great blue heron; instead it consumes small mammals, amphibians, and sometimes insects.
![Heron-Everglades-20070401](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Heron-Everglades-20070401.jpg)
The
tricolored heron
The tricolored heron (''Egretta tricolor''), formerly known as the Louisiana heron, is a small species of heron native to coastal parts of the Americas; in the Atlantic region, it ranges from the northeastern United States, south along the coast ...
(''Egretta tricolor'') is similar in diet and habitat to the great egret and can be spotted at the Estero River and estuary in the early morning. This heron nests closer to the ground and can coexist with the great blue heron. Its diet consists of insects and small amphibians.
American alligator
The American alligator (''Alligator mississippiensis''), sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two extant species in the gen ...
s (''Alligator mississippiensis'') can be found along the Estero River, though the numbers are relatively small. This animal plays a crucial role in maintaining the biodiversity of the river by keeping the raccoon population in balance. Reported sightings happen along the western part of the river with isolated sightings in the eastern region. Their diet consists of small mammals, birds, and larger amphibians.
Raccoon
The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...
s (''Procyon lotor'') are one of the most common nocturnal mammals inhabiting the area. Their diet is omnivorous, consisting of berries, plants, smaller vertebrates, and invertebrates. It is not uncommon to see one during the day. This mammal has grown used to human presence.
The Estero River is a rich habitat for
insect
Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three ...
s. An abundance of
mosquito
Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...
species can be found near the river, which is a perfect habitat for them. Females consume blood for the vital proteins required for egg development. Both males and females are pollinators and consume plant nectar for sustenance. The
orb-weaver spider
Orb-weaver spiders are members of the spider family (biology), family Araneidae. They are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped spider web, webs often found in gardens, fields, and forests. The English word "orb" can mean "circ ...
is found in abundance along the river banks. This spider is easily identified by the shape of its web. It eats small insects. Also
bees can be found nesting on overhanging trees.
Human impact on the ecosystem
The water quality in the eastern part of the river is lower compared to the western part; this is attributed to the increasing human development in the Estero area and the subsequent waste.
The water quality increases dramatically with the distance from the drainage outlets and surrounding houses.
Since the majority of development occurs on the banks of the eastern parts of the river the water quality decreases inland.
History
The first inhabitants known to occupy the Estero River were the
Calusa Indians around 7000 years ago. They used the river for transportation and food; they were heavily dependent on
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
. Even though they lived on the Estero, much of their history is located around the
Caloosahatchee River
The Caloosahatchee River is a river on the southwest Gulf Coast of Florida in the United States, approximately long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 18, 2011 It dr ...
, where they first encountered
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
an settlers. Artifacts are still being discovered in the area.
The Calusa's first contact with Europeans was with Spaniard,
Juan Ponce de León around 1513. After that they began to diminish. Even though they used the Estero River they also stayed centrally around the
Caloosahatchee River
The Caloosahatchee River is a river on the southwest Gulf Coast of Florida in the United States, approximately long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 18, 2011 It dr ...
, which was a much more sophisticated and reliable river.
![Estero River drainage - June 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Estero_River_drainage_-_June_2011.jpg)
The river's recorded history started with Gustave Damkohler, who found the river in 1882 and lived alongside it in a small shack with his family. In 1894 traveled to his hometown in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
where he met
Cyrus Teed
Cyrus Reed Teed (October 18, 1839 – December 22, 1908) was a U.S. eclectic physician and alchemist turned pseudoscientific religious leader and self-proclaimed messiah. In 1869, claiming divine inspiration, Teed took on the name Koresh and pr ...
, the leader of
Koreshanity
Koreshanity is the set of religious pseudoscientific beliefs put forth by Cyrus Teed (also known as Koresh). Followers of this belief were called "Koreshans", and most of them formed a utopian communal society called the Koreshan Unity.
Main bel ...
(a new religious movement). Damkohler offered Teed 300 acres of the land in Estero, including access to the river. Cyrus and a small group of followers moved to Florida, arrived at Estero Bay, and made their way up the Estero River to what is now the
Koreshan State Park. They gradually started to build a community and called more and more believers to come down from Chicago. The Koreshans had a major ecological impact on the river when they were living there. They traveled it every day, going in and out of Estero Bay. They hunted and gathered foods from
Mound Key, an island just west of the Estero River inlet and used canoes, which were the fastest way of traveling at the time. They also fished the river. The Koreshans believed the earth was like a cell, and they were living on the inside looking at the center of the cell as the atmosphere of the
earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
. They lived in Estero alongside the river until 1961 when their land was given over to the state of Florida. The Koreshan cult, being believers in immortality and celibacy, had been in decline since 1908 when Cyrus Teed died. All that exists of the Koreshans is the state historic site where people may visit the land and observe the history of the Koreshan people. Canoeing, kayaking, boating, and fishing are still available at the local dock of the Estero River Outfitter store.
[Rea, Sara Weber.]
The Estero River has an ongoing connection to the
history of Florida
The history of Florida can be traced to when the first Native Americans began to inhabit the peninsula as early as 14,000 years ago. They left behind artifacts and archeological evidence. Florida's written history begins with the arrival of Euro ...
. During modern times, new developments have been built by the river and it has become more of a landmark than it was in the past. The river is still accessible from about 6.4 miles inland to the outlet at the Estero Bay. Many boaters who live on the river visit the island of Mound Key and do a little exploring as the Calusa did. The river is now used for mainly sport fishing and sightseeing. Although the river was hit hard by hurricanes
Wilma and
Charley in the past couple of years it has been available to boating.
See also
*
List of Florida rivers
This is a list of streams and rivers in the U.S. state of Florida. With one exception, the streams and rivers of Florida all originate on the Coastal plain. That exception is the Apalachicola River, which is formed by the merger of the Chattahooch ...
Notes
References
* U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map accessed April 18, 2011
* Milanich, Jerald T. (1994). Archaeology of Precolumbian Florida. University Press of Florida.
* Milanich, Jerald T. (1998). Florida's Indians From Ancient Time to the Present. University Press of Florida.
* Fuson, Robert H. (2000). Juan Ponce de León and the Discovery of Puerto Rico and Florida. McDonald & Woodward Publishing Co.
* Rea, Sara Weber. The Koreshan Story. Estero, FL: Guiding Star Publishing House, 1994.
* Biodiversity: towards a unifying theme for river ecology
Concepts in river ecology: implications for indicator developmentEstero estuary habitat information* Tolley, S., Volety, A., Savarese, M., Linardich, C., Walls, L., & Everham, E.,III. (2006). Multi-variate analysis of spatial variability of oyster-reef communities: The influence of salinity. Journal of Shellfish Research, 25(2), 784.
* Estero River. Wikipedia:The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
{{Coord, 26, 25, 53.8, N, 81, 51, 25.7, W, region:US-FL_type:waterbody, display=title
Rivers of Lee County, Florida
Rivers of Florida