New River Live Cam

Geological Origins of the New River

The New River traces its roots to ancient Pleistocene limestone formations and a network of subterranean aquifers that have shaped South Florida’s unique karst topography. Over millennia, slow erosion and sea‑level fluctuations carved a shallow channel through porous limestone bedrock, creating a meandering “river” that collects freshwater spring flow before feeding into the Atlantic Ocean. Geologists studying Florida rivers often reference the New River as an exemplar of a “primeval watercourse” that predates modern urban development, offering invaluable insight into groundwater recharge and coastal water tables.

Formation and Early Waterways

Originally, the New River system consisted of several freshwater sloughs and marsh channels extending westward beyond present‑day Davie and Fort Lauderdale. Seasonal rainfall patterns fed these wetlands, generating braided streams that converged near the site of today’s Las Olas Boulevard Bridge. Early surveyors dubbed it the “New River” because it represented a newly charted waterway distinct from the larger Miami and St. Lucie Rivers. By the mid‑19th century, the river’s course was well established as a shallow ribbon of tannin‑darkened water threading through hardwood hammocks and cypress strand swamps.