Our Myakka Island Conservation Corridor initiative aims to preserve and protect natural lands along the Myakka River and within its watershed. Conserving and restoring these crucial lands creates a resilient and interconnected landscape that positively impacts the health of both the Myakka River and the broader ecosystem.
Our Myakka Island Conservation Corridor initiative aims to preserve and protect natural lands along the Myakka River and within its watershed. This landscape-scale conservation initiative already consists of over 130,000 acres of protected lands! Conserving and restoring these crucial lands creates a resilient and interconnected landscape that positively impacts the health of both the Myakka River and the broader ecosystem.
The northern reaches of the Myakka River watershed in Manatee County are irreplaceable natural and ranching lands. Protecting these large tracts of private property is critical to the quality of the water that flows from them into the Myakka River and through the 40+ miles of protected lands that buffer the river before it flows into the Charlotte Harbor estuary. Charlotte Harbor is an estuary of national significance and one of Florida’s most productive estuaries, providing a safe space for fish such as tarpon, snook, and redfish to breed and grow.
In the Flatford Swamp near Wauchula Road in Manatee County, we are restoring wetlands on our 363-acre Myakka Headwaters Preserve. Thanks to Gulf Coast Community Foundation funding a pilot project, we are improving the soil so that it will better purify the water, naturally. And thanks to funding from the Coastal and Heartland National Estuary Partnership (CHNEP) and the Southwest Florida Water Management District, we are planting native plants – ferns, grasses, and trees – to combat invasions by non-native plants. The survival of native plant species is important for water quality protection because of the important role they play in maintaining the balance and functionality of wetland ecosystems.
Southward, we’ve protected roughly 650 acres of the 1,640 acres protected in the Tatum Sawgrass Marsh – located on the Manatee/Sarasota County line between Singletary Road to the north and Clay Gully Road to the south. At almost 2,500 acres, the Tatum Sawgrass Marsh is three times the size of Upper Myakka Lake and an invaluable asset to the Myakka River’s water quality and wildlife. Landowners, such as the Murphy Marsh Hunt Club and MAG Properties, Inc., chose to work with us to conserve their land within this critical region. We’ve had success with our restoration projects and are hopeful we’ll continue to find funding so that the marsh can be fully restored.
Our 2016 preservation of the 1,143-acre Triangle Ranch was integral to protecting Myakka wetlands and the Myakka River’s water quality and biodiversity. More than three miles of the Myakka River wind through Triangle Ranch, and protecting this vital land was a vast undertaking. Over a three-year period, we elevated the ranch to the Florida Forever list and searched high and low for funding, ultimately finding success in a partnership with The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, The Morton and Spapperi Family Foundation, Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), and private philanthropist Elizabeth Moore.
Adjacent to Triangle Ranch is the 191-acre Crowley Museum & Nature Center. Protected in 2022, we worked with museum leadership and Sarasota County to facilitate the County’s conservation easement purchase utilizing funds from the Sarasota County Environmentally Sensitive Land Protection Program. Crowley’s half-mile boardwalk ends with a two-story observation tower overlooking the Myakka River and Tatum Sawgrass Marsh, spectacularly showcasing the beauty of these critical lands.
The Myakka River flows into Myakka River State Park through our 66-acre Upper Myakka Preserve. A project we’ve nicknamed ‘Gateway to Myakka River State Park’ aims to restore marsh and swampland along this one-mile stretch of the Myakka River before it enters the park. With funding from CHNEP and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), we’re removing exotic invasive plants and planting native species with the intention of reducing the amount of exotic invasive seeds washing into the Upper Myakka Lake.
Through combined efforts with multiple partners across numerous properties, we are propelling the Myakka into a new era. An era in which we can expect exciting wildlife increases, better water quality, and improved experiences fishing, boating, and dining along this wild and scenic river.
We’re also working to expand our impact through new partnerships on the Manatee River and Peace River, where landowners have stewarded the surrounding landscape for generations. Our hope is to continue partnering with agricultural producers, hunt clubs, and other private landowners to support their continued stewardship of our most valuable asset – water.
