Cockroach Bay July 24, 2004
This was our first real exploration of Cockroach Bay for the Tampa-Hillsborough Blueways Project. On Saturday, July 17th, we were to start. But there was a storm brewing over the bay and it was moving our direction. Our trip leader, Richard Sullivan gave us the nickel tour of the Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve before the storm hit. One of the areas he showed us was a mitigation area where they filled in an old phosphate pit and created a marshy area. Mangroves and spartina grass bordered the area. It didn’t look at all like an old hole in the ground.
After we visited the mitigation project, Richard took two gents who showed for the paddle, (Rik and Jimmy), and myself to the highest spot in Ruskin. The spot is a mound of dirt almost 60ft high that was left by way of a developers agreement to build on some property. One condition of his permitting was that he provide fill for future restoration projects. However, funding for the restorations was not available so the mound will sit until more becomes available.
Anyway, Jimmy is riding in Richards’s truck, and Rik in mine. You needed four-wheel drive to get to the top. Richard and I both have 4x4’s By the way; Richard is the caretaker of the Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve. He says he has the best job in the world.
Richard, Jimmy, Rik and I are standing in the bed of Richards’s truck admiring the view. To the west, you can see the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, north is the Apollo Beach power plant, east is- well nothing really, just a bunch of land, and south you see the Mulberry Corp, Piney Point phosphate plant.
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/07/06/Tampa ... mess.shtml
Richard pointed out different areas if past mitigation and areas of future restoration. He also showed us a large phosphate pit that they tried to purchase. But the landowner decided against selling because he could sell ¼ acre “waterfrontâ€Â
This was our first real exploration of Cockroach Bay for the Tampa-Hillsborough Blueways Project. On Saturday, July 17th, we were to start. But there was a storm brewing over the bay and it was moving our direction. Our trip leader, Richard Sullivan gave us the nickel tour of the Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve before the storm hit. One of the areas he showed us was a mitigation area where they filled in an old phosphate pit and created a marshy area. Mangroves and spartina grass bordered the area. It didn’t look at all like an old hole in the ground.
After we visited the mitigation project, Richard took two gents who showed for the paddle, (Rik and Jimmy), and myself to the highest spot in Ruskin. The spot is a mound of dirt almost 60ft high that was left by way of a developers agreement to build on some property. One condition of his permitting was that he provide fill for future restoration projects. However, funding for the restorations was not available so the mound will sit until more becomes available.
Anyway, Jimmy is riding in Richards’s truck, and Rik in mine. You needed four-wheel drive to get to the top. Richard and I both have 4x4’s By the way; Richard is the caretaker of the Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve. He says he has the best job in the world.
Richard, Jimmy, Rik and I are standing in the bed of Richards’s truck admiring the view. To the west, you can see the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, north is the Apollo Beach power plant, east is- well nothing really, just a bunch of land, and south you see the Mulberry Corp, Piney Point phosphate plant.
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/07/06/Tampa ... mess.shtml
Richard pointed out different areas if past mitigation and areas of future restoration. He also showed us a large phosphate pit that they tried to purchase. But the landowner decided against selling because he could sell ¼ acre “waterfrontâ€Â