Confluence of River Styx and Orange Lake Conserved
July 31, 2024
Click on the map to enlarge.
Gainesville, Florida – 263 acres containing tributaries to Orange Lake are now protected as conservation land by Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT). ACT purchased the River Styx property from the Richardson and Waldorff families with support from the River Branch Foundation.
The property, which is part of the shoreline and marshland located along Orange Lake in the southern reaches of Alachua County, is part of a larger system of protected wetlands known as the Lochloosa Wildlife Corridor Project. Adjacent to existing conservation lands, the River Styx property expands conservation efforts by ACT and its partners in this region. Protection of this property will prevent future development along the lake as well as safeguard habitat for waterfowl, wading birds, and other aquatic species.
A generous gift from the River Branch Foundation was utilized by ACT to protect the property immediately. The Partnership for Gulf Coast Land Conservation Project Assistance Fund also provided support for due diligence costs. ACT will later receive grant funds awarded through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) for this property, allowing it to shift existing acquisition funds for the protection of additional conservation lands in North Central Florida.
“We are grateful to the River Branch Foundation for their support of our conservation efforts as well as the Richardson and Waldorff families for their stewardship over this land and their interest in seeing it conserved. Not only will this property expand habitat within the Lochloosa Wildlife Corridor, it will also provide a future opportunity for public access to Orange Lake for passive recreation. Conserving this land has been a high priority of ACT and its partners for decades.”
Photos by Alison Blakeslee and Kim Davidson.
The River Branch Foundation is a private charitable foundation based in Florida that focuses its giving primarily for environmental issues, including the permanent protection of of land.
NAWCA is a federal program that provides matching funds for public-private partnership projects that protect wetlands and associated uplands habitats for the benefit of migratory birds. This NAWCA project is in partnership with Alachua County.
For additional information about this project or to support efforts to protect Florida’s natural lands, waterways, and springs, please contact ACT at info@AlachuaConservationTrust.org or (352) 373-1078.
Banner image by Alison Blakeslee.
