The Upper Manatee River Focus Area encompasses the Corbit Branch and Gilley Creek sub-watersheds in Manatee County. These sub-watersheds form critical headwaters to the Lake Manatee Reservoir – a key freshwater system that provides drinking water to the surrounding region – and support diverse aquatic and riparian ecosystems downstream.
Our Strategic Focus
This focus area is notable for its extensive agricultural lands, which form a mosaic of pastures and citrus groves surrounding natural wetlands, scrub, and upland forests. Conservation in the Upper Manatee River Focus Area is crucial for protecting clean drinking water, and preservation and land management strategies may reduce nutrient runoff and maintain hydrologic balance. Intact wetlands within this area provide essential flood protection and groundwater recharge, helping to sustain the flow of the Manatee River and downstream estuarine systems.
The area is also notable as an undeveloped (at time of publication) corridor connecting Edward Chance Preserve and Duette Preserve. Within this corridor are critical scrub habitats, essential to preserving the M4 sub-population of Florida scrub jay, located in eastern Manatee County. Modeling shows that this population is at-risk of extirpation over the 100-year time frame unless additional scrub habitats are preserved and managed appropriately. Furthermore, of all the scrub jay populations within our service area, the M4 sub-population is the largest and has the greatest chance of long-term survival.
The Upper Manatee River Focus Area also faces a high risk of development, with increasing pressure to intensify natural areas into agriculture, and to convert agricultural and natural lands to residential and urban uses. This risk underscores the urgency of conservation efforts to promote sustainable agriculture and protect habitat connectivity, water resources, and the region’s rural character.
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Upper Manatee River Focus Area Map
