Blackwater Creek Nature Preserve: A Small Yet Mighty Wonder
The northeast corner of the county, where Hillsborough brushes past the Pasco line, Blackwater Creek Nature Preserve is a quietly impressive property that stands steady through a landscape that has changed less than most. At more than 2,000 acres, the preserve is not the largest property in the ELAPP system, in fact it is dwarfed by its 12,000+ acre neighbor Lower Green Swamp, but it holds a distinction of being one of the least disturbed preserves in our vast county. I was privileged enough to be given a tour of the property by Land Management Specialist Rebecca Winch, and Land Management Coordinator Stephen Raymond, during one of their many prescribed burns on the property. They explained to me the unique history of the site: “It is one of the least, if not the least, disturbed nature preserves in Hillsborough County... they didn't clear cut everything, grade it out, and then plant everything over with Bahia grass” explains Rebecca. “That means it still has a lot more plant b...