
Habitat Restoration Update: Wetland Plantings, Bridge Completion, and
Construction Punch List
For the last two weeks, professional planters have been at work in and around the edges of the enhanced freshwater wetlands at LBC’s Lemon Creek Wildflower Preserve. It’s a big project! By the time they finish, they will have installed over 60,000 freshwater wetland plants. Species include white flag water lily, sawgrass, softstem bulrush, arrowhead, alligator flag, pickerel weed, coastal spikerush, seashore paspalum, yellow canna, maidencane, blue flag iris, softrush, sand cordgrass, and muhly grass.
After completing the freshwater work, the planters will move to the estuarine wetland edges, where thousands of additional plants will be added.
Final inspection has been completed on the pedestrian bridge in the estuarine area and members participating in our “sneak peek” walks have had a chance to marvel at the beautiful views of the wetlands that the new bridge provides.
This past Friday, representatives from the general contractor, the project design team, the Southwest Florida Water Management District and LBC were onsite for a construction walk-through. Remaining “punch list” items include the previously discussed plantings, final “as-built” surveying, hydroseeding on the mounds, finish grading, and debris removal. The contractor expects to complete these items by late December or early January.
We are on track to open the preserve for daily LBC member access by mid to late January! We’ll be announcing opening plans soon, along with additional walk options.