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Project Summary

Cockroach Bay

Regional Map


1. Project Identification

Name Cockroach Bay
Region Gulf of Mexico
State FL
Location  
Date of this update  

2. Problem(s) addressed (check one or more)

Habitat Restoration/Protection   X
Wetlands
River systems
Beaches/Dunes
Offshore areas
Mangroves
Assisting Species at Risk
Pollution Mitigation
Non-Point Source Pollution X
Other (describe)  

3. Project Description (100 words or less. Please include qualitative information, e.g. acres of habitat restored, miles of steam reopened to migration, and legislative authorization, e.g. WRDA, ISTEA, CWA/NEP, CZMA, etc.)

Tampa Bay, on Florida's west coast, has been significantly disturbed by development within its watershed during the past 50 years. Mineral extraction, agricultural activities, and rapid urban growth have all contributed to the loss of approximately 80% of the seagrasses and 45% of the intertidal wetlands historically present in Tampa Bay. Cockroach Bay, located along the southeastern portion of Tampa Bay, is a smaller but unfortunate example of this historical abuse and ecological decline.

Fortunately, this downward ecological trend does not have to continue, a 651-acre publicly owned site (Hillsborough County, FL) offers a unique opportunity to redress large portions of the site that have been mined, farmed, channelized, and/or invaded by exotic plant species. The ability to utilize this publicly owned land parcel that is of obvious limited ecological value, in a restoration project has proven beneficial to the involved local government because it provides an opportunity to use the collective talents of federal, state and local agencies to improve the parcel=s ecological value at a cost the county would probably have been unable to underwrite on its own.

Water and sediment sampling of Cockroach Bay has revealed pollutant loadings that appear to originate from the predominantly upstream agricultural watershed. Currently, stormwater treatment of agricultural runoff is by Best Management Practices. A 16 member alliance made up of representatives of federal, state, and local government agencies and private entities led by the South West Florida Water Management District=s Surface Water Improvement and Management Program has developed a cooperative, interdisciplinary approach to solve the pollution problems on this site. The approach is comprised of three strategies, each proposing a specific habitat and/or pollution control feature (i.e., brackish and freshwater wetlands, uplands, and stormwater treatment). The restoration project has three main goals: (1) to provide habitat mosaics (differing habitat types) typical of estuarine/coastal areas, (2) to improve water quality via stormwater treatment of agricultural runoff, and (3) to restore sheetflow across the Florida peninsula into the Cockroach/Tampa Bay Estuary.

The project will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will involve developing approximately 200-acres of habitat mosaics through the modification of three mining pits and adjacent agricultural lands and the construction of specialized stormwater treatment ponds. Volunteer activities have already led to the clearing of large portions of the tract that have been invaded by exotic plants. Phase two will involve restoring approximately 300 acres of upland and freshwater transitional and high marsh habitats. The specialized stormwater treatment involves two approaches: (1) stormwater treatment or "polishing" via sediments traps and marsh filters and, (2) a highly engineered stormwater treatment pond to capture and treat runoff from a 210-acre agricultural basin which will ultimately discharge into a downstream intertidal salt marsh complex. A three-year investigation into the effectiveness of the specialized stormwater treatment will be undertaken in anticipation of modifying local/state stormwater treatment codes and field testing this innovative method of pollution treatment.

It is estimated that the total project will cost between $2.6-3.2 million and will result in the restructuring and replanting of 500 acres of a 651-acre site with habitat mosaics typical of coastal wetlands and uplands and will innovatively use wetlands to filter nonpoint source pollution. The project represents a combination of federal (Clean Water Act, Section 319h grant via EPA), state (Florida Department of Environmental Protection) and local (Southwest Florida Water Management District) funding.

4. Goals/Benefits (quantify where possible using measures of success list) Was a cost-benefit study conducted for this project? yes/no If yes, provide a summary of findings.

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5. Partners (include each participant's responsibilities - funding, permitting, etc.)

6. Funding/Contributions (organization and amount)

7. Legislative authorities used by each participant

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8. Value added by Coastal America Partnership including Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals achieved through this collaboration (500 words or less)

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9. Project Status

Initiation date  
Completion date  
Current stage  

10. Contacts

11. Any additional information/comments

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This page was last updated on Saturday, 24-Jun-2000 11:48:47 EDT
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