A cooperative project between the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Pinellas County will improve water quality within tidal portions of Walls Springs Park and help restore small wetland areas.
Located in western Palm Harbor, the well-known park experiences high use and is named after a small surficial spring in the park that discharges water into a small pond that flows into Boggy Bayou. The spring discharges about 3.5 million gallons of water per day during the rainy season.
The project will undergo design and permitting prior to construction and restoration activities. The project has two components. The first component involves restoring the flow and circulation between two backwater bays. The bays are currently blocked by a narrow land bridge formed by an access road to one of the park’s upland islands. Restoring circulation will facilitate better flushing during tidal cycles, which will improve water quality conditions in these important fish nursery areas.
These restoration efforts may also allow visitors who use the nearby canoe/kayak trail access into these areas.
The second restoration component includes replanting the one-acre pond immediately downstream of the spring. The pond became overgrown with invasive vegetation, including cattails, and had extensive algae growth. Some of the invasive vegetation has already been removed. As part of the project, the remaining invasive vegetation will be cleared and the pond will be replanted with native wetland plants. This component will provide wildlife habitat and provide bank stabilization.
The project is estimated to cost $700,000, which is being funded equally between the District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board and the county. The project is expected to be complete by December 2011.