Viera Wetlands Closed to Pedestrian and Vehicle Traffic Until Further Notice

By  //  June 10, 2023

closure will allow a series of environmental projects to take place

The Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands in Viera has been closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic until further notice, Brevard County Utility Services announced on Friday.

BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA, FLORIDA – The Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands in Viera has been closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic until further notice, Brevard County Utility Services announced on Friday.

The closure will allow a series of environmental projects to take place on the area, which is popular among birders, photographers and eco-tourists, and is also part of the County’s South Central Regional Water Reclamation treatment wetlands.

Due to a state consent order on nutrient discharge to the 4-Mile Canal, which feeds into the St. Johns River, the County was required to submit a plan to reduce nutrient discharges.

The report also identified the wetlands as being the source due to decades of decomposing vegetation and invasive species of vegetation causing nutrient spikes.

As a result, a plan was developed and approved by the state to perform the following tasks at the wetlands:

➜Demucking of all the wetland cells to remove all decomposed vegetation
➜Removal of invasive species of vegetation
➜Planting of vegetation conducive for wetlands
➜Replacement of seven pond weirs to improve storm water hydraulics
➜Replacement of reuse lines within the wetlands to improve the ability to replenish the wetlands.
➜A pre-construction meeting is scheduled for June 19, but in the interim equipment is being moved on site and will hopefully expedite the start-up of the work, which is anticipated to take roughly 26 weeks.

Construction is targeted to begin the week of June 19.

Once the project is completed, public pedestrian and bike traffic will be reopened, but public vehicle traffic will no longer be permitted.