| Hydrologic Restoration on Shell Island Road Now Complete |
 Work Began in April 2009In a precedent setting cooperative partnership, Rookery Bay Reserve has teamed with Collier County and the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service to complete a hydrologic restoration project on Shell Island Road, an unimproved road leading into the Reserve about 2.5 miles south of US 41 off Collier Boulevard. When the road was built in the 1960’s the dredge-and-fill construction method disrupted the natural tidal exchange between Henderson Creek and the mangrove forest, degrading surrounding habitat and depriving plant communities of necessary nutrients.  Restore Tidal Exchange and Freshwater FlowIn an effort to restore the natural integrity of this wetland environment, the Reserve was awarded grant funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Program. Contractors under the supervision of Collier County have been hired to install thirteen culverts under the road and fill in the existing roadside ditch to restore tidal exchange and freshwater flow. The project has been carefully reviewed and permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District. Work is now complete. Contractors are trimmed roadside mangroves in order to complete the restoration work; all of this work is under careful monitoring by Rookery Bay staff and is within the scope of the planned restoration. The anticipated outcomes of this important restoration project include restored water quality on both sides of the road and the reconnection of critical estuarine waters, significantly improving habitat value for all wildlife in the area. For more information, please contact the Rookery Bay Reserve at 239-417-6310. |
