The WBMA lies in Indian River County beginning 4.5 miles south of the Sebastian Inlet and extends south for approx. 9 miles. This management area include marshes on both the eastern and western shores of the Indian River lagoon (IRL) and islands within it. There are 17 impoundments in the WBMA, with all of the impoundments (except #22), and much of the open marsh being privately owned.

NOTABLE FEATURES WITHIN WBMA. The fact that most of the MLMA marshes are privately owned has limited optimal management opportunities for this area. Development along the southern portion of the WBMA is considerable. Most of the marsh property is impounded with several of the impoundments under RIM management. Located near this management area's northern end is the Wabasso (CR 510) Causeway which to some extent restricts water movement. The WBMA includes the area of the IRL commonly referred to as the "Narrows" which is roughly equidistant from the Sebastian and Ft. Pierce Inlets and receives little or no oceanic flushing. The Main Relief Canal (at the southern end of WBMA) and the North Relief Canal (also near the southern end of WBMA and just north of the Grand Harbor Development) is within this management area which provides periodic pulses of freshwater from upland runoff.

Vegetation in impoundments within WBMA differ considerably among marshes. In some impoundments, Avicennia germinans (black mangrove), Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove), Laguncularia racemosa (white mangrove), or a combination of these dominate, while in others Batis maritima, Salicornia spp., or Distichlis spicata dominate. Distichlis spicata occurs significantly only in a few mainland impoundments in the "Narrows". The Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge (with an associated rookery) is nearby the northern end of the WBMA. Bird utilization of WBMA marshes is undoubtedly influenced by this close proximity to Pelican Island.

IMPOUNDMENTS. The 17 WBMA impoundments total 1452 acres and are currently managed in a variety of ways including: 1) Rotational Impoundment Management (RIM), 2) open through culverts, 3) breached, 4) Open Marsh Water Management (OMWM) with rotary ditches, 5) and flooded year-round.

UNIMPOUNDED MARSHES. The unimpounded marshes within WBMA include mostly previously ditched marshes along the IRL fringe and islands within the lagoon. These marshes total approx. 250 acres which greatly contribute to the salt marsh diversity of this Management Area. The largest of these unimpounded marshes are at the southern end of IRC Impoundment #6 (Pine Island) and a marsh just south of Quay Dock Rd. in Winter Beach proper.

North Winter Beach Marsh. This 79 acre mainland unimpounded marsh located just south of Impoundment #27S (Timinsky), has been heavily ditched and only on occasion produces mosquitoes. No change in management suggested.

Indian River Shores Islands. A number of islands (approx marsh acreage = 200 acres) at the south end of the Winter Beach Management Area and located just north of the Merrill Barber Bridge. The area regularly produces mosquitoes which require aerial treatment. These islands are a combination of spoil material (with dominant vegetation being Australian Pine and Brazilian pepper) along with a mangrove fringe. On some of these islands, marsh sloughs extend into their interiors. Many of them are densely vegetated with Brazilian Pepper making thorough inspection difficult.

South End of Pine Island. At the south end of Pine Island Impoundment an unimpounded marsh (approximately 88 acres). The area is heavily ditched and requires only infrequent treatment. There are also approx. 20 acres of upland spoil within this area.

Johns Island Marsh. This 39 acre marsh which is nearby Water Tower Impoundment, at one time was an impoundment the western dike was removed as part of a canal construction project. This marsh is now totally intertidal and requires occasional treatment.