Its present mouth is about one mile north of Four Mile Creek. The New River area remains an important ecosystem as well as a curiosity. The river runs through an area of rich biological diversity. The combination of wetland, dune, riparian, and estuarine habitats on this low coastal terrace provides a productive base for a dense population of plants and animals, some of which are special status species. Scarce and globally significant plant communities are found at New River.
Human activities continue to play a role in the ever-changing system.
Adjacent land-use practices range from grazing to cranberry growing. The focus of the Bureau of Land Management's stewardship of the New River ACEC will be on preserving this unique ecosystem. The New River ACEC, now 1168 acres, stretches between Floras Lake in the south and Lost Lake in the north. ACEC stands for Area of Critical Environmental Concern.