Estero Bay (Florida)
Encyclopedia
Estero Bay, Florida
, is an estuary
located on the west coast of the state southeast of Fort Myers Beach. The bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico
, is long and very shallow, and covers about 15 square miles (39 km²). Estero Bay is bordered on the west by a chain of barrier islands: Estero Island, Long Key, Lovers Key
, Black Island, Big Hickory Island, and Little Hickory Island. Four outlets give access to the Gulf of Mexico: (from north to south) Matanzas Pass, Big Carlos Pass, New Pass, and Big Hickory Pass. Incorporated places on the bay include Bonita Springs
and Fort Myers Beach and the unincorporated area
of Estero
. Two rivers, the Imperial River
and the Estero River
bring freshwater
into the estuary.
In December 1966, the northern half of Estero Bay was designated as the state's first aquatic
preserve
, the Estero Bay Preserve State Park
. The southern half of the bay was added to the preserve during the 1983 Florida Legislature
session.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, is an estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
located on the west coast of the state southeast of Fort Myers Beach. The bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, is long and very shallow, and covers about 15 square miles (39 km²). Estero Bay is bordered on the west by a chain of barrier islands: Estero Island, Long Key, Lovers Key
Lovers Key / Carl E. Johnson State Park
Lovers Key / Carl E. Johnson State Park is a Florida State Park located on Lover's Key and three other barrier islands—Black Island, Inner and Long Key. It is at 8700 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach, between Big Carlos Pass and New Pass and west of Interstate 75 on exit 116. The park lies within...
, Black Island, Big Hickory Island, and Little Hickory Island. Four outlets give access to the Gulf of Mexico: (from north to south) Matanzas Pass, Big Carlos Pass, New Pass, and Big Hickory Pass. Incorporated places on the bay include Bonita Springs
Bonita Springs, Florida
Bonita Springs is a city in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 43,914 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is located on the southwest coast of the state....
and Fort Myers Beach and the unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of Estero
Estero, Florida
Estero is a census-designated place in Lee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 18,176. It is the home of Germain Arena, which hosts the home games for the Florida Everblades ECHL hockey team and the Florida Firecats af2 arena football team...
. Two rivers, the Imperial River
Imperial River (Florida)
The Imperial River is a river in southwest Florida in the United States. It is fed by the Kehl Canal and marshland at , just east of the city limits of Bonita Springs in unincorporated southwest Lee County...
and the Estero River
Estero River (Florida)
The Estero River is a waterway in south Lee County, Florida, near the census-designated place of Estero. It flows from east to west, emptying into Estero Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico.-General Information:Topography:...
bring freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
into the estuary.
In December 1966, the northern half of Estero Bay was designated as the state's first aquatic
Aquatic ecosystem
An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem in a body of water. Communities of organisms that are dependent on each other and on their environment live in aquatic ecosystems. The two main types of aquatic ecosystems are marine ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems....
preserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
, the Estero Bay Preserve State Park
Estero Bay Preserve State Park
Estero Bay Preserve State Park, the first aquatic nature preserve established in Florida, is a Florida State Park located near Estero, between Fort Myers and Naples. It consists of the water, inlets, and islands along of Estero Bay. Activities include fishing, and boating, bicycling, canoeing, ...
. The southern half of the bay was added to the preserve during the 1983 Florida Legislature
Florida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
session.