For the first time in decades, Everglades National Park officials have opened Joe Bay to non-motorized boating and catch-and-release fishing.

The bay, next to Snag Bay, was proposed to be open under the park's 2015 General Management Plan. The management strategy implemented provides the needed resource protection while providing new wilderness experiences for visitors, the park said. A monitoring program has been initiated to evaluate the effectiveness of these new management strategies over time.

“Joe Bay's decades-long closure was an important piece in our efforts to help the American crocodile recover from the brink of extinction," Everglades Superintendent Pedro Ramos said in a release. "The status of the species has improved significantly, and we are pleased to open Joe Bay to sustainable public access in accordance with our recently completed General Management Plan.”

There are four creeks that provide access from Trout Lake to Joe Bay and adjacent Snag Bay. Visitors will be required to use a paddle or push pole to enter the area, and boats with a combustion engine and/or trolling motor must remove them from the transom and/or bow before entering the area.

Access to the two bays is through Trout Cove and Trout Creek, and boaters should be aware of the new markers and follow all rules on signs installed to protect shallow-water resources and ensure public enjoyment. Particular attention should focus on the Trout Creek speed restriction, designation of Trout Lake as a pole/troll zone, and Trout Lake mooring area (six-boat capacity). The mooring area allows motor boats to travel to the area, carrying a canoe or kayak to explore further.

Joe Bay and Snag Bay were part of the “Crocodile Sanctuary” closed to public entry in 1980 for the protection of the American crocodile and other endangered species. Other areas of the sanctuary, such as Little Madeira Bay and all other creeks and ponds, will remain closed to the public.

In the coming year, the park will implement additional high-priority GMP projects. These include launching the park’s boater education and permit program, enhancing protection and access in Florida Bay, establishing the Everglades Paddling Trail, and providing enhanced maps and electronic navigational tools to the public that reflect the changes identified in the plan.