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 biodiversity than places like Lower Green Swamp just to the east.”

Originally purchased in the 1940's for low-intensity cattle grazing and silviculture, this preserve was spared from the clearing, grading, and pasture plantings that many other properties sustained during previous ownership. Because of that, the ground still carries its native seed bank. The diversity of plants is intact in an uncommon and subtle manner.

 

Management of Blackwater Creek is unique as well, with the property seeing frequent burns every two years to maintain a strict fire return interval. Stephen Raymond further explains that the fires are typically done during the growing season - 

"The systems respond better to burns during the spring and summer. We have vegetation here like  Wiregrass, which will bloom in October, but only after a burn. If there's no burn, you won't see any seedheads."

Given that the property was not "improved" pastureland, not much restoration work is needed to maintain a healthy system. Little replanting has been done on site, and most of the efforts from the land management crew has been to support the existing plants and to control invasive populations when found. Under the right conditions, aided by consistent management, the land has been able to thrive. 

At the northern edge of the preserve, Blackwater Creek winds south toward the Hillsborough River.  The resting spot overlooking the creek is a peaceful reward offered after a more than 2-mile trek on the red trail. This reach of the river system is designated an "Outstanding Florida Water", which serves as a reminder of the ecosystem services these properties provide, and the responsibility that comes with it.

The floodplain forests here hold remarkable diversity: bald cypress, cabbage palm, and red maple over ferns, wild coffee, and buttonbush. You can also survey over large swaths of vegetation a few weeks after a burn and admire the green growth pushing through the scorched earth.  At the preserve entrance, there is an impressive bunch of bushy Pond Cypresses that greet visitors, and the elusive Fox Squirrel can even be found at the forest edges. There is no shortage of "real" Florida that can be admired here. 

Blackwater Creek shows what is possible when land has been spared the heaviest hand of disturbance and then given steady, attentive care. It is not free of challenges, as fire must be applied, invasives must be checked, and a number of regular maintenance activities must be satisfied, but the land carries much of its original character forward.

For visitors, Blackwater Creek offers more than a hike. It offers a glimpse of Florida as it might have been, given a more forgiving history: open prairies dotted with longleaf pine, cypress domes gathered in low places, and a dark creek running through it all, carrying the memory of the land downstream.