2000-139A - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

The Atlantic shore of Indian River County is the frequent scene of the arrival of undocumented aliens, usually Haitian or Cuban. The county has both the history and the potential for the unannounced arrival of a large number of aliens. Until relieved of the responsibility by the state and federal governments, Indian River County must be capable of providing mass refugee care to include shelter, food, water, transportation, medical, police protection, and other social services. B. GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION Indian River County is located on the Atlantic along the south-central Coast of Florida. The County occupies a total land area of 525 square miles (336,418 acres) of which 36.4 square miles (23,000 acres) are water, and 489 square miles (313,118 acres) are land area. Included in the land area are five (5) municipalities. Indian River County is about 33 miles wide from east to west and 22 miles long from north to south. In addition to the Atlantic Ocean on the east, the County is bounded by Brevard County on the north, St. Lucie County on the south and Okeechobee and Osceola Counties on the west. The mainland topography of Indian River County is generally low in elevation, without significant deviation. However, two ridges parallel the coast, one about 1 mile inland from the Indian River with elevations up to 30 feet, the other about 10 miles inland with similar elevations. The coastal barrier islands have typical dune topography with dune elevations of about 15 feet. In Indian River County, the average rainfall is approximately 55 inches per year. This rainfall is unevenly distributed, much of it occurring during the summer and early fall months. The drainage area of Indian River County is generally divided by the two geographic ridges that parallel the coast. Areas west of the inland ridge are relatively flat and drain westward to the St. John's Marsh, aided by extensive canals which have been constructed for agricultural use. The basin area between the ridges is generally low and felatively flat. drainage of the northern portion of this basin area is provided by the South Prong of the St. Sebastian River and a network of manmade canals. The central and southern portions have essentially no natural watercourses. This area is drained by an extensive network of manmade canals and ditches that are interconnected and joined with Main Relief, North Relief, and South Relief Canals and that discharge into the Indian River. Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Basic Page 38