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Pinellas County, water management to restore Mobbly Bayou

 
The project for Mobbly Bayou in Oldsmar is expected to take about 18 months and will include filling of mosquito ditches.
The project for Mobbly Bayou in Oldsmar is expected to take about 18 months and will include filling of mosquito ditches.
Published Oct. 16, 2014

OLDSMAR — County and water management officials expect construction to start soon on restoring Mobbly Bayou, a project that has been in the works since 2006.

"Tampa Bay is one of the premier estuaries and bays in the state," said Philip Rhinesmith, a Southwest Florida Water Management District senior environmental scientist. "This project really shows the initiative within Pinellas County to restore areas for not only habitat protection but also for recreational use."

The County Commission approved an agreement Sept. 23 with the agency, commonly known as Swiftmud, which will foot the $1.1 million bill. It's part of the state Department of Transportation's spending on wetlands designed to compensate for land damaged by roadway paving.

Before work on the preserve can begin, the county must update a few permits to clear procedural hurdles.

The 18-month restoration and enhancement is limited to about 100 acres, or about a quarter of the preserve. Workers will fill in mosquito ditches and remove invasive species, said Steven Harper, an environmental division manager in the county's parks and recreation department.

The ditches were dug decades ago to control mosquito populations. Filling them in will change the tidal flow. In turn, that should prevent exotics like Brazilian pepper from pushing out native plants, Rhinesmith said.

At a glance, the changes might be tough for visitors to spot. Those in kayaks will have the best shot.

"I'm very happy," Lynn Rives, Oldsmar's leisure services director, said. "I think it's going to improve the environment and the water flow that goes through the preserve."

Contact Julie Kliegman at jkliegman@tampabay.com or (727) 445-4159. Follow @jmkliegman.