One gallon container grown mangroves were hand planted during a low tide in July 2008. Red mangroves (Rhizophora  mangle) were planted on the water ward edge and white mangroves (Laguncularia racemosa) were planted on the land ward edge of the restoration area. Then black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) were intermixed at the interface between the red and white mangroves. A ten foot wide area bisecting the restoration area was left unplanted to allow for a footpath for the EBTC residents to be able to walk through to reach the beach on the other side of the lagoon.

It wasn’t long after the planting was completed that the condominium manager notified KECE that there were a lot of wading birds frequenting the restoration area. White ibis, snowy egrets, spoonbill roseates, great egrets, little blue herons, and reddis egrets have been seen regularly. The birds attracted the photographers who inadvertently created a new path in the restoration area not realizing the sensitivity of coastal plants, especially the ground cover. The condominium manager spoke with photographers to ask them to enjoy the birds and mangroves without entering the restoration area and showed them the signs that mark the edge of the “No Mowing or Trimming” restoration area.

The annual monitoring conducted by KECE in May 2011, confirmed that the mangrove restoration is well on the way to success. All of the planted white mangroves have survived with many in bloom this year, and only a few of the red and black died. There were numerous naturally recruited seedlings of all three types of mangroves and buttonwood. Other native plants have grown in forming a carpet of salt grass (Distichlis spicata) and glasswort (Salicornia sp.) with an edge of sea oxeye daisies (Borichia sp.), native rushes (Fimbristylis sp.), and railroad vine (Ipomoea pescoprae).

Photo Gallery

The majority of the cypress slough is now owned by Lee County or the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).  Much of the remainder of the watershed including native uplands and wetlands, its source and quality of water, is controlled by others. The consequences and management implications in regard to land ownership within the SMCS watershed are poorly understood.

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve is ecologically impaired and the current hydropattern in the slough will not allow cypress communities or swamp forest communities to be sustained. The future ecological condition of the slough is unclear.

The SFWMD determined that a more thorough evaluation of the slough and its watershed was appropriate including a long term ecological monitoring effort with the capability to address present and future management activities throughout the SMCS system. The nature and timing of this effort is critical in light of the continued pressure for future land use changes in the entire watershed. At the District’s request KLECE developed a Long Term Ecological Monitoring Plan (LTEMP) that will:

• construct a detailed ecological history of the Slough and its watershed;
• provide an accurate predictive hydrological model;
• provide a conceptual ecological model;
• provide data for determining long term ecological and hydrological trends
• identify targets and processes for ecological restoration, resource management and sustainability.

The monitoring plan focuses on hydrology (groundwater and surface water), vegetation (native and exotic), water quality, biological integrity, soils, fish and wildlife. Monitoring these parameters will allow a real time assessment of the condition of ecological resources and functional capacity of the natural and man-made systems within the study area.

It is anticipated that information such as that gathered from a LTEMP will assist environmental managers and decision-makers in understanding ecological function within SMCS in relation to human influence. Additionally, we expect that LTEM data can be used to develop biological measures or indicators for ecological health and, if measured over time, could be incorporated into large-scale trend assessments elsewhere to determine the changing conditions of southwest Florida’s environment.

For additional information on Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve:

• History of Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve
• Friends of Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve
• What is the slough?