A volunteer cools off and escapes mosquitoes in the newly formed creek.
On a hot and oppressively humid day, on the banks of a new creek they helped form, Tampa Electric volunteers added soil to areas eroded by recent heavy rains.
With mosquitoes buzzing and no breeze blowing, they steadily pushed wheelbarrows full of dirt back and forth to the bank, tamping down the soil to fill the erosion.
Tampa Electric volunteers haul dirt collected from the newly dredged creek to fill in eroded areas.
It was a labor of love and the final touches to a project that had begun years before.
On October 23, the Newman Branch Creek Living Shoreline/Tidal Creek Restoration project was honored as an Outstanding Contribution to the Community at the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission’s 43rd Annual Planning & Design Awards.
Beyond the award recognition, the project in Apollo Beach is a big environmental win. It’s on acreage owned by Tampa Electric, adjacent to our Florida Conservation and Technology Center (FCTC). The project literally “shored up” 575 linear feet of steep banks to prevent additional erosion and created a new tidal creek system to provide habitat for fish and oyster colonization. With partners Ecosphere Restoration and with grant money from the Tampa Bay Environmental Restoration Fund, the years-long effort is now complete.
“The creek and the adjacent land provide cover and foraging areas for oysters, many species of wading birds, fish, invertebrates and mammals,” said Stanley Kroh, senior manager of land and stewardship programs for Tampa Electric. “The new creek is also open to kayakers, who’ll get a new and unique perspective.”
The meandering creek, dotted with new plantings, will create a variety of habitats for wildlife and a new path for paddlers.
Newman Branch Creek was dredged in the 1940s. Now, thanks to the award-winning project, visitors can get a glimpse of what Florida was like before humans altered the landscape. Through the Ecosphere and Tampa Electric partnership, exotic vegetation was removed, and freshwater and estuarine wetlands were restored. The result: more than 70 acres of land along Newman Branch Creek have been successfully restored and are now protected under a 100-acre conservation easement.
For the final phase of the project – the new creek system – more than 120 Tampa Electric volunteers installed 4,400 native plants and 300 35-pound oyster bags made from recycled oyster shells from local restaurants.
The newly planted marsh grasses filter pollutants from water and absorb wave energy, reducing erosion. The oyster shell bags break down over time, and oysters attach to the surfaces. An adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day, resulting in cleaner and clearer water.
Educational Wins
Thomas Ries, president of Largo’s Ecosphere Restoration, says the new tidal creek system provides a stable shoreline to prevent erosion into the waterways – and much more.
“For the adjacent landowners, it’s a firsthand example of the benefits of living shorelines. The tidal creek means more flood protection for nearby communities,” he says. “I’m so grateful that Tampa Electric recognizes the importance of these environmental projects.”
In addition, staff of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Youth Conservation Center, just across the street at FCTC, will lead regular student field trips to the site. The students will learn that living shorelines use natural habitat elements such as oyster reefs, marsh grasses and mangroves to protect a shoreline by stabilizing the area and preventing erosion.
Congratulations to all involved on this well-deserved recognition. The award spotlights the power of innovative environmental solutions and partnerships that make a tangible difference!
