Just the Facts
- 56 acres
- Permanently protected as of June 29, 2018
- Located within Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park Park near Placida, Charlotte County
- 1 mile of shoreline along East and West Coral Creeks with mangrove forests and salt marshes that rise to a plateau of pine forests with an understory of scrub oaks and saw palmetto
- Public access will be available
Why It Matters
Conservation Foundation worked with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to purchase the 56-acre Coral Creek Peninsula near Placida in Charlotte County as an addition to Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park (CHPSP). Its protection has local and regional benefits. The Coral Creek Peninsula parcel contains natural wetlands and pine forests that are in good, natural, condition, with elevations of 9-10 feet above sea level. Protecting Coral Creek from development and ensuring appropriate future stewardship enhances the 43,000-acre Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park (CHPSP) which provides a 100+ miles natural buffer of wetlands, mangroves, mudflats, salt marshes and forested uplands along the Charlotte Harbor estuary and helps protect water quality.
The Peninsula is located at the convergence of East and West Coral Creeks which flow into the Gasparilla Sound and Aquatic Preserve. Saving this peninsula prevents the risk of development which would disturb important fish and wildlife within the state park and surrounding creeks and bays. It will also allow for the removal of the rampantly invasive Melaleuca which is spreading onto the adjoining public lands.
The peninsula has over a mile of creek frontage along designated Charlotte County blueway trails. The shoreline is surrounded by high-quality, unaltered mangrove forests and salt marshes. Many listed shorebirds and waterbirds use these coastal wetlands extensively. The "scrubby flatwoods" comprising the majority of the property are uncommon in coastal areas due to development and provide excellent habitat for Florida wildlife, such as gopher tortoise and eastern indigo snake. In addition, nearby archeological sites from maritime prehistoric humans along Coral Creek and around nearby Lemon Bay are indicators that this property could also contain such sites. Protecting Coral Creek Peninsula benefits Charlotte Harbor which is a national treasure and designated an "Outstanding Florida Water"
Need to Know
Charlotte Harbor is one of the largest and most productive bays in Florida and now we can keep it that way. Conservation Foundation continues to be strategic in identifying the properties with the highest conservation value. With your gift, you join our conservation community and help save critical natural lands, forever.
