The Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves (IRLAP) has been a proud partner with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics since 2016. The partnership was inspired by a need to address the human impacts on the spoil islands, with a particular focus on human waste. IRLAP was also named a 2017 & 2018 Leave No Trace Hot Spot.
To learn more about the Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves as a Leave No Trace Hotspot, check out the IRLAP Hot Spot page.
How do you Leave No Trace on the Spoil Islands and in the Lagoon?
You can help protect our beautiful Indian River Lagoon and the spoil islands through the Leave No Trace Seven Principles!
- 1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
- 2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces.
- 3. Dispose of Waste Properly.
- 4. Leave What You Find.
- 5. Minimize Campfire Impacts.
- 6. Respect Wildlife.
- 7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors
- Check out the Spoil Island Project website or FOSI Facebook for the latest information or updates when planning your trip.
- Prepare for your trip with proper equipment and clothing for the weather, terrain, environmental conditions, and emergencies. Do you have a rain fly for your tent? What about a first aid kit, backup water, cell phone, extra bags for trash?
- What about human waste? Don’t forget your portable toilets or approved landfill-friendly human waste bags to pack out ALL human waste and pet waste.
- Be safe. Let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return.
- Concentrate use on existing trails, campsites, and boat launches.
- Much of the vegetation in the lagoon (seagrass) and on the islands, is incredibly sensitive. Avoid trampling or damaging while on land or in the water, whether swimming, wading, or boating.
- Good campsites are found, not made. Tent trenching and building campsite “furniture” is unnecessary and causes lasting impacts.
- Pack in, Pack out. Inspect your site for trash or spilled foods, and pack out all trash, including food scraps like orange peels, banana peels, and eggshells.
- Monofilament fishing line can take up to 600 years and sometimes longer to breakdown, all the while posing a threat of injury or death to wildlife. Please be sure no fishing line is left behind.
- When washing hands, dishes, or bathing, do so at least 200 ft. from shore and use small amounts of biodegradable soap.
- Strain food scraps from dishwater and pack out with all other trash, then broadcast strained dishwater, so animals do not become attracted to sites as sources for food or water.
- PLEASE PACK OUT ALL HUMAN WASTE with landfill approved human waste bags or any other safety device like portable toilets and heads. Leaving human waste, constructing toilets, or using catholes on the spoil islands is a threat to human health and the environment. If you do not have the means to pack out your human waste, there are dispensers with RESTOP2 bags on the following islands: Brevard County (BC46 & BC48) Indian River County (IR13 ) St. Lucie County (SL3, SL6 & SL8). These bags and dispensers are provided by the hard work of volunteers and sponsors. If you find the dispenser empty, would like to donate bags or would like to sponsor a dispenser, please send us a message using our Contact page, with “bags” in the subject. These types of bags are also available online from numerous retailers and manufacturers, and some marinas throughout the region have also started to sell them. To learn why we shouldn’t leave human waste on the islands, please check out the bottom of this page.
- Pack out all pet waste.
- Keep the water clean. Do not put soap, food, trash, human waste, or pet waste in any bodies of water.
- Leave all plants, rocks, shells, and other natural resources for others to enjoy. Take pictures to share instead.
- Inspect and clean equipment before transporting that equipment to a new location in order to help stop the spread of invasive species.
- Do not harass or remove animals beyond permitted activities (e.g. fishing).
- Use a camp stove or pedestal grill (where provided) for cooking. Stoves are easier, safer, and create fewer impacts than campfires.
- Where a fire is permitted (check out our Camping page to learn more about when and where campfires are permitted), use established fire rings, do not build new fire pits.
- Do not cut or collect firewood on the islands, firewood must be packed in. The cutting or damaging of mangroves is illegal in Florida and is detrimental to the environment.
- Keep fires small and burn all wood and charcoal to ash. Ensure your fire is completely out and pack out your ashes.
- A campfire is not a trash can; do not burn food scraps or garbage.
- Never feed wild animals. Feeding wildlife can damage their health, alters their natural behaviors, and can expose them to predators and other dangers.
- Protect wildlife and your supplies by storing food, trash, and scented items (deodorant, toothpaste, lip balm, etc.) securely.
- Many spoil islands and sand spits are critical habitats for birds (some threatened). Please avoid disturbing or flushing birds, by keeping a safe distance and avoiding areas where birds may be nesting. Do not allow pets to chase or harass any wildlife.
- Observe wildlife from a distance, both on land and on the water. Do not purposely boat near, “corral,” or harass lagoon life including manatees, dolphins, and sea turtles. Never give them food or water.
- Be considerate of other people on the water or using the islands. Keep noise and music to a minimum.
- Exercise proper boating practices, follow all applicable regulations and be courteous of kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, and other boats.
- Keep pets under control and don’t let them run free, bother other users, other pets, or other wildlife.
- Be sure the fun you have in the outdoors does not encroach on others’ experiences.