Project name: #2005 Tarpon Bay Hydrologic Restoration
Project status: Complete
Grant Administrator: Gulf of Mexico Foundation (for NOAA)
Grantee: Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Project location: Isles of Capri, Naples, Florida,
Grant period: Jan 1, 2021 - Dec 31, 2020 (extended to Aug 31, 2021)
Grant amount: $70,000
Land Ownership: Land that culverts and bridge will be built on is owned by Collier County Government.
Restoration area is publicly owned.
Lat/Long: (central point) 28.74'583" N, 42.86'58" E
Types of Habitat: bays, seagrass, algal beds, mangroves, oyster bars
Project leader:
Judy Haner, Cheryl Metzger and Amber Castillo
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
300 Tower Road
Naples, FL 34113
(239) 417-6310 phone
(239) 417-6315 fax
First culvert nearly complete in December 2003.
PHOTO: Rookery Bay staff
Species Benefiting From Restoration:
- West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
- Cobia (Rachycentrtron canadum)
- Snook (Centropomus undecimalis)
- snapper
- pink shrimp
- stone crab
red mangrove
shoal grass, turtle grass, manatee grass, algae
Building the culvert wall (left). Staff members Pam Keyes and Cheryl Metzger stand inside the new culvert (right).
Project Goals:
Install two culverts and one bridge to improve water quality and essential habitats by reestablishing the natural flushing between
Tarpon and Johnson bays. This grant helped to fund installation of first culver, completed in April 2004.
Acres of Habitat Restored:
The entire scope of this large-scale restoration project involved about 360 acres of
submerged lands populated by aquatic flora and
mangrove plants which are primary habitat for juvenile
fish species.
Description of Project:
Tarpon Bay Hydrologic Restoration Project was funded by the Gulf of Mexico
Foundation in both 2003 and 2004. The overall project consists of two phases: Phase
One is the hydrologic restoration of Tarpon Bay, which
encompasses the construction of two large culverts and
one small bridge. Phase Two is the construction of a public access site on land adjacent to Tarpon Bay.
The two Gulf of Mexico Foundation grants (#2005 last
year and #3003 this year) were awarded to Phase One,
the hydrologic restoration component. Grant #2005
($70,000) helped fund construction of the first culvert, which was completed in
April 2004. Grant #3003 ($51,000) will be combined with
other funds (not yet obtained) to construct the second
culvert.
The first culvert, which was constructed under a roadway
with an interior measurement of 8-by-8 foot, allows water to flow between Tarpon Bay and Johnson Bay, which lie on either
side of the Isle of Capri. As a result, this restoration of tidal flow
is now helping to restore water quality.
History of Project:
The declining health of Tarpon Bay is due to the discontinuation of natural flushing between Tarpon Bay and Johnson Bay when four
historically unabridged islands located west of SR 951 and north of Marco Island were connected. Filling in the gaps between the
islands cut off direct routes between the bays and caused water quality to deteriorate.
Objective of Project:
The objective of the hydrologic restoration component (both culverts and the bridge) is to improve water quality within Tarpon Bay (360 acres
submerged habitat). With just one culvert installed so far, it can be reasoned that there has been some improvement in water quality,
although it is too soon to have conclusive data. To improve the water quality even further and eventually to the point of optimal water quality
(within today's parameters), the construction of both culverts and the bridge is required.
For information on the continuation of this project
in Year 2004, click here:
CRP Project #3003.
