📷 Kissimmee River Restoration | South Florida Water Management District
The state of Florida has just conserved more than 3,068 acres of rural ranchland along the Kissimmee River in Highlands County. The conservation easement was secured by the Florida Conservation Group, partnering with the National Wildlife Refuge Association and the Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Florida Cabinet unanimously approved the purchase on May 23, 2023. The National Wildlife Refuge Association is proud to be a part of this land conservation victory.
A keystone of the conservation project is the protection of the Kissimmee River— a once-meandering river with floodplains and seasonal wetlands that teemed with life before they were diverted into a straight canal half a century ago to alleviate flooding in the area. This river system also forms the Northern Everglades, as much of the water within the famous “river of grass” originates in central Florida and flows south via the Kissimmee River. A primary goal for the Refuge Association is to potentially create a conservation corridor from the Kissimmee Lakes down the now mostly restored Kissimmee River to Everglades National Park.
The conservation easement over the “River Property” will protect over one mile of frontage along the Kissimmee River and help buffer nearby conserved areas from future development along this segment of the river. Protecting the river also protects downstream water quality and flows into Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades.
Juvenile Crested Caracara perched on a fence post at Kissimmee Bend unit of Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge, Florida | David Brady/USFWS
The property lies within the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge (EHNWR), a region with an essential role in protecting and restoring water resources while serving as one of the nation’s most important biodiversity hotspots with many endemic (found only in this region) and listed species. This area supplies most of the water needed for Everglades restoration as well as drinking water for one-third of all Floridians and supports iconic species such as the Florida panther, Everglade snail kite, crested caracara, Florida grasshopper sparrow, Florida scrub-jay, and large populations of wading birds.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association and our partner, The Florida Conservation Group, work at the watershed scale in the Greater Everglades Region to protect and restore wildlife habitat, wetlands, and floodplains.
Cattle ranches are the primary rural land use in these watersheds, and their protection means they will continue to provide important habitat, wildlife corridors, and the best opportunities for wetland restoration and water storage today and for generations to come.
For more information, please contact Julie Morris, Florida and Gulf Coast Programs Manager, National Wildlife Refuge Association.