Project Type Details

Summary

The Environmental Restoration projects consist of the Stacy R. White Nature Preserve Hydrologic Stream Restoration Project and the Kracker Avenue Coastal Habitat Restoration Project, two complementary initiatives designed to restore natural systems impacted by flooding during the 2024 storm season. Together, these projects restore critical environmental resources while advancing the County's long-term recovery and resiliency strategy. The Stacy R. White project will restore and enhance 93-acres of freshwater streams and ephemeral wetlands habitat and 131-acres of adjacent upland habitat within the Little Bullfrog Creek watershed to improve hydrologic function and ecosystem health. The Kracker Avenue project will restore a degraded 25-acre coastal site by removing invasive vegetation, converting abandoned fishponds to native habitat, and reestablishing estuarine and coastal ecosystems that enhance natural stormwater storage and coastal resilience.

Community Benefit

The Environmental Restoration projects will improve water quality, restore natural floodplain functions, and enhance the long-term health of the County's coastal and watershed ecosystems. By reconnecting and restoring wetlands, streams, and native habitats, the projects will help reduce downstream flooding, improve stormwater management, support wildlife movement and habitat connectivity, and decrease nutrient loading to local waterways and the Tampa Bay. In addition to reducing environmental impacts of future storm events, these projects will create healthier, more resilient natural systems that provide lasting benefits for surrounding communities, native wildlife, and the region's water resources.