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Tenoroc Fish Management Area

Management

Since 1995, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Mine Reclamation, has been working to restore the Upper Saddle Creek Basin at Tenoroc. Funding for the project comes from the Florida Department of Transportation’s wetlands mitigation fund and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s mine reclamation fund. 

Tenoroc’s Saddle Creek Tract surrounds a portion of Saddle Creek, a tributary of the Peace River. Saddle Creek was once a major water source for the Peace River. The natural drainage patterns of the watershed were disrupted by mining operations in the 1960s. Unreclaimed ponds, overgrown with vegetation and filled with clay sediments, now retain rainwater that once flowed through Saddle Creek and into Lake Hancock. Rain not captured in Tenoroc’s lakes and ponds flows into and through old mining ditches, bypassing land once cleansed by wetlands.

Biologists and engineers are working to convert 400 to 600 acres of mined areas into functional wetlands. These wetlands will provide ideal habitat for waterfowl and wading birds and will substantially increase the discharge of clean water into Saddle Creek, thereby helping to remedy the water shortage in the Upper Peace River basin. The enhanced habitat conditions will also increase the recreational opportunities for both bird watchers and anglers. During restoration, invasive exotic plant species will be removed and replaced with native vegetation.

Tenoroc’s 967-acre Bridgewater Tract was opened in 2006. Located within the city limits of Lakeland, the newest tract is the site of an ambitious project to reclaim a significant portion of its wetlands and upland habitats. The project is a cooperative venture with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Two mitigation wetlands, totaling 39.9 acres, provide important water quality treatment to Lake Parker. Wetland construction activity was designed with public access in mind. A new road system, boat launching facilities, and other habitat restoration efforts add to the available recreational opportunities.