Weekiwachee Preserve

The Weekiwachee Preserve is part of a regional system of conservation lands that extend up to Crystal River Buffer Preserve, preserving the southernmost coastal hardwood hammock in western Florida. The preserve provides a rich mosaic of habitats including several miles of Weeki Wachee River frontage, portions of the Mud River, dense hardwood swamps, freshwater and saltwater marshes, and pine-covered sandhills. The preserve is best known for its Florida black bear population. The bears are shy, elusive and pose no threat to people, spending most of their time deep in the forest.

In 2001, the District purchased the property surrounding the first-magnitude Weeki Wachee Spring from the city of St. Petersburg. The acquisition was in support of former Governor Bush’s “springs Initiative,” under which strategies were established for the protection and restoration of Florida’s springs, including placing them in public ownership. On November 1, 2008, the District entered into a lease agreement with the Florida Parks Service for their management of the property as a state park.

Public ownership protects the wetlands’ natural functions of conveying spring water to the gulf, cleansing surface water and providing flood protection, as well as buffering nearby residential communities from tropical storms.