The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is making some big changes on Gandy Boulevard. FDOT is adding posts on Gandy to protect mangroves which will prevent people from parking near the water. Previously, people could drive their cars right up to the water. This resulted in damage and even destruction of these plants, which are vital to preserving Florida’s beaches.
Gandy Bridge
Once you cross from Hillsborough to Pinellas on Gandy Bridge, you will see what is colloquially called Gandy Beach. There are mangroves alongside the causeway and between these mangroves, people are allowed to park their cars. On weekends, the place is packed with kayakers, beachgoers, partiers, and dogs. In fact, Gandy Beach is one of the few beaches in Tampa where you can take your dog.
“You can see where people have trimmed them down to drive their cars in there. People also are chopping the mangroves down for firewood.”
Peter Clark, director of Tampa Baywatch in 2005
The above quote is from an article in the Tampa Bay Times lamenting the damage done to the mangroves. It talks about the damage done to the plants and how FDOT is planning to do something about it in the future. The article was written over 15 years ago.
Now FDOT is installing wood posts alongside Gandy Beach to prevent people from parking. According to the FDOT, drivers can park at Gandy Boulevard on the other side of the posts and gate and walk to the water. There is still a parking lot available for cars. The only difference is now cars and trucks can not park right up to the water.
Related: Two Florida Beaches Make Top 10 Beaches of 2022
FDOT and many residents hope this will help preserve the mangroves and cut down on trash. However, not everyone is excited about these changes.
The importance of mangroves
Mangrove forests are important because they provide a habitat for adult fish and act as nursery habitat for juveniles. They stabilize the shoreline and help prevent damages from storm surge or erosion. Mangroves also help maintain water quality and clarity by trapping sediments, absorbing nutrients, and removing pollutants from land that would otherwise end up in estuaries and the coastal ocean.
Human activities are responsible for destroying more mangrove forests worldwide than any other type of coastal habitat. While large extents of mangrove forest in Florida have been lost to coastal development, mangroves are now protected by law in Florida to prevent future losses of these important coastal habitats.
