Cockroach Bay
The Cockroach Bay Ecosystem Restoration Project represents one of the largest, most complex coastal ecosystem restoration projects ever completed for the Tampa Bay estuarine ecosystem.
The land suffered from a number of environmental problems including habitat degradation, invasive plant infestation and poor water quality. The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District), Hillsborough County, the Tampa Port Authority and many other agencies and volunteer groups spent more than 20 years restoring the 500 acres.
The Cockroach Bay Nature Preserve is managed by Hillsborough County.
Ekker Preserve
Ekker Preserve (also called the Jeanie and Pete Johnson Nature Preserve) is 85 acres of restored uplands and wetlands located near the community of Gibsonton. The project improves water quality flowing into Bullfrog Creek and eventually, Tampa Bay. The preserve was a former tropical fish nursery once dominated by nonnative plants and mosquitoes. This cooperative project between the District and Hillsborough County removed 23 acres of invasive Brazilian pepper and replaced it with freshwater wetland habitat, low-salinity tidal creeks, marshes and uplands. The preserve provides habitat for many plant and animal species.
Schultz Preserve
The 134-acre Fred and Idah Schultz Preserve was formerly used to deposit dredge material. It was restored to mangrove forest, coastal and freshwater marsh, coastal dunes and uplands. It provides important habitat for fisheries, shorebirds, mangrove species and upland wildlife, including bobcats and migrating neotropical songbirds. The District and Hillsborough County purchased the land in 1995 and restoration was completed in August 2004.