Two Rivers Ranch is a privately held cow/calf ranch business on 14,000 acres in Florida. The property crosses into Hillsborough County, Pasco County and Hernando County and is named for the two rivers converging on the property, the Hillsborough River and Blackwater Creek. The land includes pasture, planted pines and wetland habitats. [1] [2]
It was acquired in 1932 by Wayne Thomas as relatively barren land following clearcuts that occurred around the start of the 20th century. [1] [2] It is now owned by Robert Thomas [3] and is a supplier of spring water. [4] [5] A plan to sell off and develop 3,500 acres with residential and commercial construction was proposed in 2005. [6] In 2007 the plan was dropped over road construction while zoning changes continued to be pursued. [7]
The area provides habitat for fox squirrel, gopher tortoise, turkey, deer, and quail. It is the largest privately owned undeveloped property in Hillsborough County and is about 20 miles (30 minutes) [8] away is the city of Tampa with approximately 3 million people living within a 50-mile radius. The ranch is home to Crystal Springs (Hillsborough County), producing about 40 million gallons a day for the Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water Company. The property is part of land holdings that included Hillsborough State Park, donated in 1936, and another 115 acres donated for the restoration of Fort Foster. Canoe access to the Hillsborough River is available on the property. [1] Habitats on the property include upland ridges, oak hammocks, sloughs, herbaceous wetlands, pasture, native range, plantation pines, cypress domes, flatwoods, and flood plain forest. [2]
Hernando County is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 172,778. Its county seat is Brooksville, and its largest community is Spring Hill.
Pasco County is located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. According to the 2010 census, the population was 464,697. Its county seat is Dade City, and its largest city is New Port Richey. The county is named after Samuel Pasco.
Pinellas County is located on the west central coast of the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 959,107. The county is part of the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Clearwater is the county seat. St. Petersburg is the largest city as well as the largest city in Florida that is not a county seat.
Spring Hill is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hernando County, Florida, United States. The population was 98,621 at the 2010 census, up from 69,078 at the 2000 census. The American Community Survey estimated the population in 2017 to be 113,508. Spring Hill belongs to Florida's Nature Coast region and is in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area. It is east of Hernando Beach, southwest of Brooksville, and north of Tampa.
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater inflow into the bay is the Hillsborough River, which flows into Hillsborough Bay in downtown Tampa. Many other smaller rivers and streams also flow into Tampa Bay, resulting in a large watershed area.
The Hillsborough River is a river located in the state of Florida in the United States. It arises in the Green Swamp near the juncture of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties, and flows 60 miles (97 km) through Pasco and Hillsborough Counties to an outlet in the city of Tampa on Tampa Bay. It includes 4 nature trails extending for over 7 miles (11 km), making it perfect for hikers. The name Hillsborough River first appeared on a British map in 1769. At the time, the Earl of Hillsborough was the British Secretary of State for the Colonies, and thus controlled the pensions of the surveyors working in the American colonies, which included East Florida.
The Tampa Bay area is a major populated area surrounding Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the United States, with a population of 3,175,275 as of the 2020 U.S. Census.
Central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, including the Tampa Bay area and the Greater Orlando area, though in recent times the Tampa Bay area has often been described as its own region, with "Central Florida" becoming more synonymous with the Orlando area.
The Bone Valley is a region of central Florida, encompassing portions of present-day Hardee, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Polk counties, in which phosphate is mined for use in the production of agricultural fertilizer. Florida currently contains the largest known deposits of phosphate in the United States.
The Alafia River is 25 miles (40 km) long, with a watershed of 335 square miles (870 km2) in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States, flowing into Tampa Bay. The watershed contains ten named lakes and ponds, and 29 named rivers, streams and canals. During the rainy season, excess water is pumped to the new C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir, which opened in 2005. The river is formed by two prongs. The north prong starts south of Mulberry and runs for 23.9 miles until it meets the south prong in Lithia. The south prong begins south of Bradley Junction and continues for 28.7 miles. The combined river then flows 24.7 miles west into Tampa Bay.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District, is one of five regional agencies directed by Florida state law to protect and preserve water resources. Established in 1961 the agency operates and maintains several large properties and flood protection projects, sometimes with other agencies. The District's responsibilities have expanded to include managing water supply and protecting water quality and the natural systems — rivers, lakes, wetlands and associated uplands.The District's stated mission is to protect water resources, minimize flood risks and ensure the public’s water needs are met.
Temple Crest is a neighborhood and district located on the NorthEast of Tampa, Florida. The population was 8,621 at the 2000 census.
Brooksville–Tampa Bay Regional Airport, formerly known as Hernando County Airport, is a joint civil-military public airport located 6 nautical miles (11 km) southwest of the central business district of Brooksville, a city in Hernando County, Florida, United States. It is owned by Hernando County and is 45 miles (72 km) north of Tampa. While having consistent growth in its traffic rate, it does not yet serve the public through commercial airlines, but it does have charter and executive service.
The C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir is a 15.5 billion US gallons (59,000,000 m3) reservoir which collects water from the Alafia and Hillsborough Rivers in central Florida. It is named for C.W. Bill Young, the U.S. Congressman from Florida's 10th congressional district. Tampa Bay Water, the regional water authority for Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties, worked for nearly a decade in constructing the reservoir, which was completed in June 2005, and officially opened on 15 October 2005.
The Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA) in Florida which extends from Marco Island on the south, to Brooksville on the north, and inland to Plant City, Arcadia and LaBelle on the east. As part of the ECUSA, the diocese is a constituent member of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Lykes Brothers Inc, is a corporation founded by the Lykes Family of Tampa, Florida, in 1910. This family would become the largest landowners in Florida, the ninth largest landowners in the United States and the wealthiest in Tampa Bay.
The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to the U.S. state of Florida.
Tampa Bay Reforestation and Environmental Effort, Inc. more commonly known as "T.R.E.E. Inc.", is a grassroots nonprofit environmental organization based out of the Tampa Bay Area. It was instrumental in implementing the practice of volunteers raising and then planting trees along the interstates, roadways, and in parks of the greater Tampa Bay Area to beautify and preserve the environment. To date, T.R.E.E. Inc. has planted over 29,426 trees and palms.
The Balm-Boyette Scrub Nature Preserve is a 5,723-acre (2,316 ha) preserve located in Hillsborough County, Florida. It was purchased through joint funding from the County's Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP) and the State of Florida's Conservation and Recreation Lands (CARL) Program. While it consists largely of abandoned phosphate pits, it has a large area of undisturbed scrub habitat. Natural habitats within the site include sand pine scrub, xeric oak scrub, pine flatwoods, hardwood hammock, wet prairie, freshwater marsh, cypress swamp, and hardwood swamp. During the 1960s the land was pitted with phosphate mines. The natural waterflow had been altered from its original state into a series of stagnant pools. In 2016, a project was undertaken under the umbrella of Swiftmud's Surface Water Improvement and Management, or SWIM, program. The project will create a "habitat mosaic" with habitat for wading birds as well as upland creatures.
Greater Tampa Bay Area Council serves Scouts in West-Central Florida with the council headquarters in Tampa, Florida. Youth are served in the following nine counties: Citrus, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sumter. Greater Tampa Bay Area Council was formed on May 1, 2016 by the merger of Gulf Ridge Council with West Central Florida Council.