The Cockroach Bay Ecosystem Restoration Project represents one of the largest, most complex coastal ecosystem restoration projects ever developed for the Tampa Bay estuarine ecosystem.

In the past, this tract of land suffered from a number of environmental problems including habitat degradation, invasive plant infestation and exposure to runoff from an upstream agricultural watershed. Hillsborough County purchased 651 acres of the Cockroach Bay property in 1991. Over the years, 425 acres of wetlands, uplands and coastal habitats have been restored, with 75 acres of restoration pending. Stormwater treatment of agricultural runoff is also a component of the restoration.

This District property lies just outside the Alafia River watershed boundary, but still provides a great view of the connectedness of Tampa Bay’s water.