Gissy Springs and Rainbow River Ranch added to growing list of Conservation Florida land protection priorities
Conservation Florida is urging the State to act quickly to protect these missing pieces of a land protection puzzle that will form an unbroken corridor of conservation lands from Rainbow Springs State Park to Withlacoochee State Forest.
Photo of Rainbow River by James Steele.
Public access is not permitted. Please respect private property rights. This land is privately owned, and trespassing may interfere with protection efforts.
Dunnellon, Fla. (May 12, 2021) - Conservation Florida, a dynamic driver of statewide land conservation and partner in the protection of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, is working on an exciting new land and springs protection project – Gissy Springs and Rainbow River Ranch.
Located within the Rainbow River Corridor, which is a high priority Florida Forever project, these two properties, totaling 300 acres, span the last 4,620 feet of undeveloped shoreline and contain at least 13 springs that flow into the Rainbow River.
The Rainbow River is one of the longest spring runs in the world and is a state-designated Aquatic Preserve and Outstanding Florida Water as well as a Surface Water Improvement and Management Act priority water body. These designations speak to the critical significance of protecting this Florida jewel.
“Swift action to acquire conservation easements on these lands will provide added protection to the Rainbow River and the ecosystem that it supports,” said Traci Deen, CEO at Conservation Florida.
Overuse, septic waste, and pollution pose serious threats to the health of the river. When the landowner, Jim Gissy, explored the idea of building an eco-friendly resort on his riverfront property, he was initially thinking it would be a boon to the community and create jobs. However, his proposal was met with opposition from environmental advocacy groups who feared increased use would further degrade the river's habitat.
Mr. Gissy withdrew his application to develop because he didn’t want to build something the community did not want. Instead, he met with Conservation Florida to discuss options for selling conservation easements on the property.
“I think there needs to be a balance between keeping nature “nature” and supporting the local economy,” said Gissy. “There’s no other place like it in Florida and the timing is good to protect it,” he said referring to the Rainbow River spring run.
This would not be the first time Gissy has protected land on the Rainbow River. He previously sold land holdings along the river to the state for conservation purposes. He also worked with state and federal authorities to restore a dazzling second magnitude spring to its original glory by removing years of debris that had clogged it.
Long sought-after for protection, the parcels would provide the missing pieces in a chain of connected conservation lands, including the Rainbow Springs State Park and Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, which surround the properties.
Sandwiched between Rainbow Springs State Park and State Campground, Gissy Springs is a critical missing piece of the Rainbow River Corridor that would connect the current northern and southern parcels of the park. The Rainbow River Ranch is located along the park’s southern boundary.
As stated in the Florida Forever Five-Year Plan, “the proposed acquisitions would provide a more contiguous system of natural areas by creating an intact corridor between conservation lands. It would also provide added protection for the river by safeguarding the remaining undeveloped lands in the already significantly altered waterway.” Gissy Springs, with 13 spring vents, flows into the Rainbow River, which feeds the larger Withlacoochee River.
The Withlacoochee River and its basin encompass a wide range of ecosystems including floodplain forests, cypress domes, pine flatwoods, sandhills, lake systems, and marshes that provide habitat for important wildlife populations.
Dr. Burt Eno, president of Rainbow River Conservation (RRC), has been advocating for the protection of this land since 2006, when the group submitted the Rainbow River Corridor Project application to Florida Forever. The project sought to protect the Rainbow River by conserving large parcels of land along the river. Among those parcels were the Gissy Springs property and the portion of the Rainbow River Ranch now owned by Gissy.
"RRC vigorously opposed development on those properties and we are now very pleased that Mr. Gissy has chosen to protect those properties, and the Rainbow River, through conservation easements. We wish him well in this endeavor," said Eno.
Rainbow River Ranch and Gissy Springs contain several natural communities including hydric hammock, sandhill, scrubby/mesic flatwoods, and upland mixed forest/mesic hammock. Acquisition of these lands will help preserve habitat for numerous species including several turtle species and state-listed wading birds, according to the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection.
Adam Bass, director of conservation at Conservation Florida said that this project checks a lot of boxes. “It meets several of the state's highest protection goals, making it an excellent candidate for funding through Florida Forever this year.”
In addition to protecting a spring run and agricultural lands, it protects biodiversity by conserving rare species habitat, preserves landscape linkages and completes a conservation corridor, protects surface waters, contributes to aquifer recharge, and enhances natural resource-based recreation opportunities by filling several land gaps between sections of the Rainbow River State Park. Rainbow Springs is a first magnitude spring and currently has the highest average flow of any spring in Florida.
This is a rare opportunity to complete a corridor of protected lands to prevent further development and conflicting land uses that could harm the ecological value of the beautiful Rainbow River. Further, the project will provide potential restoration of altered habitats along the riverbank to help restore and maintain water quality.
Help Conservation Florida save more land like Gissy Springs by making a donation today!
About Conservation Florida
Conservation Florida is a statewide accredited land trust with a mission to save Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations. Our conservation projects support Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, conservation corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy and nature-based recreation. Since our founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has led the way in strategic and evidence-based land protection and has saved over 30,000 acres of critical habitat through acquisition, facilitation and incubation of conservation projects.
We save land by developing conservation strategies, exploring funding sources and purchasing or accepting donations of land and conservation easements. Our other services include providing expertise to guide landowners through the land protection process, serving as a trusted community partner to support statewide land conservation and promoting land conservation through effective education and advocacy. Our vision is large-scale, and we are 100% committed to conservation in the state of Florida – for nature, for people, forever!
