Habitat restoration project underway at Rookery Bay Reserve
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is partnering with Collier County and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to complete a hydrologic project on Shell Island Road in order to restore tidal flushing in the Research Reserve’s mangrove forest.
Shell Island Road is located about 2.5 miles south of U.S. 41 off Collier Boulevard and was built in the 1960’s. While being built, the dredge-and-fill construction method disrupted the natural tidal exchange between Henderson Creek and the mangrove forest, degrading surrounding habitat and depriving plant communities of necessary nutrients.
The Research Reserve was awarded $500,000 in grant funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Program to complete the project and restore water quality on both sides of the road reconnecting critical estuarine waters and significantly improving habitat value for all wildlife in the area. Contractors under the supervision of Collier County have been hired to install 13 culverts under the road and fill in the existing roadside ditch to restore tidal exchange and freshwater flow.
“We anticipate this project will significantly improve habitat for both aquatic and terrestrial wildlife in adjacent areas,” said the reserve’s assistant manager Randy McCormick. Work is now underway with the scheduled date for completion being June 30, 2009.
Travel on Shell Island Road during this time period may be affected and those traveling on the road should be prepared for delays. Portions of this dead-end road may briefly be reduced down to one lane with a flagman, but any public delays will be minimal.
Rookery Bay Reserve was established in 1978 as a partnership between the state of Florida and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The reserve is one of 27 research reserves operating across the nation. DEP’s Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas (CAMA) manages Rookery Bay Reserve along with aquatic preserves, two other National Estuarine Research Reserves and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. CAMA’s programs and activities are designed to help Floridians better understand and conserve the state’s resources through research, education and conservation.
For more information about the reserve, please visit www.rookerybay.org .
Source: Florida Department of Environmental Protection