Restoring a Lost Landscape: The Picayune Strand Restoration Project

From one of the biggest real estate scams in U.S. history, to thousands of acres of revived wetlands, the story of the Picayune Strand is one of profound transformation. Learn how the Picayune Strand Restoration Project is reviving wildlife habitat, improving water flow, and proving that with good science and a lot of persistence – restoration works.

What is the Picayune Strand Restoration Project?

Once considered a “land lost,” the Picayune Strand in Southwest Florida is now part of the world’s largest ecological restoration efforts. Located near Naples, this project aims to restore more than 55,000 acres of wetlands to their natural, pre-development conditions.

An element of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), the Picayune Strand Restoration Project is reversing decades of damage caused by failed development and drainage. By plugging canals, removing roads, and operating three massive pump stations  – Merritt, Faka Union, and Miller – the project is restoring natural water flow and sending clean water south to protected areas like the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

What is the history of the Picayune Strand?

The story of the Picayune Strand is one of transformation – from environmental loss to ecological renewal.

In the 1940s and 1950s, the area was logged for cypress and pine, leaving behind a scarred landscape. Then, in the 1960s, developers launched one of the largest real estate scams in U.S. history. The Gulf American Land Corporation purchased the land and began to develop what was marketed as Golden Gate Estates: a sprawling community that promised paradise living, with miles of roads and canals. But it was a mirage.

In the dry season, the drained land burned; in the wet season, it flooded. In a practice that has been dubbed “swamp peddling,” parcels of land were sold to unsuspecting buyers, even though the area was uninhabitable. What remained was a damaged ecosystem with drained wetlands, frequent wildfires, spreading invasive species, and collapsing wildlife habitat.

By the 1980s and 1990s, the state began buying back thousands of individual parcels, consolidating the land into what became Picayune Strand State Forest – now the fourth largest State Forest in Florida. The site was later designated as its own stand-alone restoration project under CERP due to its size, ecological value, and potential to improve areas downstream of it.

What are the benefits of the Picayune Strand Restoration Project?

Restoring natural water flow to this region is producing widespread environmental and hydrological benefits like:

• Rehydrating wetlands and improving water quality throughout the Everglades system.

• Restoring estuarine balance in nearby parks and coastal areas such as the Ten Thousand Islands.

• Enhancing wildlife habitat, including habitat for the endangered Florida panther and other native species.

• Protecting groundwater and reducing the risk of saltwater intrusion in nearby communities.

Picayune Strand demonstrates that with science, persistence, and vision, even land once written off as lost can thrive again.

When will the Picayune Strand Restoration Project be done?

Officially kicking off in 2007, significant progress has already been made on the Picayune Strand Restoration Project, including plugging canals and removing 99% of roads (285 miles) with ongoing work in the Southwest Protection Feature levee and culverts.  As infrastructure continues to come fully online, the area is steadily returning to a healthy, functioning ecosystem.

Want to learn more?

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