Florida may soon have a new 5,000-acre state park in the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve in Polk County.
On April 24 the Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board will consider a joint acquisition of the property known as the Overstreet parcel with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and Polk County.
As the lead agency, District staff negotiated a price of approximately $53,700,000 for the 5,118-acre property. Under the agreement, Polk County would contribute $5 million, with the FDEP and District splitting the remaining costs. Polk County commissioners will consider its participation on April 19. The states contribution is pending approval by the Governor and Cabinet.
This can be a premier state park, said state Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, who has been a strong proponent of public land acquisition programs. This is a great example of using local, regional and state resources not only to protect and conserve, but also to provide public access for recreation.
The property is within an area commonly referred to as the Green Swamp. The Green Swamp region consists of 870 square miles (560,000 acres), of which more than 260,000 acres have been protected through public ownership and conservation easements. This includes nearly 118,000 acres acquired by the District. Due to its large size, relatively undisturbed nature and diversity of natural habitats, the public lands within the Green Swamp are recognized as one of the most significant natural areas remaining in the state of Florida, second only to the Everglades in terms of native wildlife and public outdoor recreational opportunities.
The Overstreet parcel is one of the Districts highest remaining priority parcels for public ownership based on its location within the Preserve and potential contributions in natural flood control, water quality, natural systems, archaeological resources, wildlife habitat, conservation management and land use, and public recreation. The parcel contains two major tributaries to the Withlacoochee River: Gator Creek and Colt Creek. The District has identified both of those creeks as hydrologic restoration opportunities.
Green Swamp Background
The Green Swamp is a unique and critical natural resource asset with statewide significance. It is an 870-square mile expanse of wetlands and flatlands, with occasional low ridges, located in the center of the Florida peninsula. Topographically, it lies at a high elevation relative to surrounding lowlands, and resembles a plateau surrounded on the east, south and west by sandy ridgelines.
The water and natural resources of the Green Swamp have made it a high priority for protection through public acquisition by the District, State and Polk County. The Green Swamp contains the headwaters of four major rivers: the Withlacoochee, Hillsborough, Peace and Oklawaha. Its vast expanse of riverine floodplain swamp, combined with equally vast areas of cypress swamp, marsh and wet prairie systems make the Green Swamp region a critical natural surface water retention area. The protection of these important floodplains serves to protect urbanized areas such the Tampa Bay area from flooding during major storm events.
The four major headwater river channels and tributaries of the Green Swamp play a vital role in conveying water to significant downstream natural systems. The public ownership of the Green Swamp serves to protect these important upstream reaches of the Withlacoochee and Hillsborough Rivers and the volumes of freshwater which they contribute to Tampa Bay, Withlacoochee Bay, Tsala Apopka Lake and many other offsite natural systems and habitats.
Wetland vegetation has a natural ability to filter pollution from water. Thus, the vast expanses of riverine floodplain and associated wetland systems of the Green Swamp play a vital role in protecting the quality of the surface water that finds its way to important downstream natural systems.
The Green Swamp also plays a key role with groundwater, the major source of the Districts water supply. As the location of the potentiometric high of the Floridan aquifer, the Green Swamp causes groundwater to flow outward to surrounding areas where these waters are withdrawn for public use.