How a Partnership with Ducks Unlimited is Helping to Restore 11,000-acres of Floodplain in the Kissi

Did you know that Gardner-Cobb Marsh is the largest District property near the Kissimmee Upper Chain of Lakes? The Gardner-Cobb Marsh consists of 11,000-acres of land nestled in the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes watershed between Cypress Lake, Lake Hatchineha and Lake Kissimmee. Gentle slopes in elevation of mere inches results in a rolling landscape that produces a contrast in natural communities. Swamps, pine flatwoods and wet prairie are the dominant habitats found here, and in the fall and spring they burst with an array of wildflowers.

The goals of the Gardner-Cobb Marsh Restoration Project are to:

• Enhance existing wetlands by reducing drainage and extending the hydroperiod (number of days per year that an area of land is wet).
• Restore about 6,371 acres of over-drained marsh and natural wet prairie floodplain.
• Provide habitat for native wildlife.
• Improve water quality in the Okeechobee watershed.