Polk County state park expands to touch Lake Pierce, add amenities
One of Polk County's state parks is growing.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced plans to add 74 acres to Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park. With the expansion, the Florida State Parks system intends to offer more recreational options, including camping, fishing, hiking and expanded environmental education programs, DEP said in a news release.
The expansion results from the state's purchase of the Florida Future Farmers of America property. The Florida Cabinet approved that purchase of 113 acres for $7.45 million in December 2024. The cabinet consists of Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner of Agriculture.
Catfish Creek covers more than 8,000 acres east of Lake Pierce, with the entrance about six miles northeast of Lake Wales. The property lying along the Lake Wales Ridge encompasses scrub, sandhill and flatwood habitat, containing six miles of hiking trails, and it includes 65 acres of submerged land. Catfish Creek was established as a state park in 1991.
The newly acquired property has more than 6,000 feet of shoreline on Lake Pierce. It contains buildings left over from the FFA ownership, including The Ridge Environmental Education and Event Center, which will allow the park to enhance visitor access and resource-based recreation, the release said.
"Through Florida Forever, we focus on acquiring properties that deliver the greatest conservation benefit for our state," DEP Secretary Alexis A. Lambert said in a news release. "This addition to Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park is exactly the kind of strategic investment that strengthens the Florida Wildlife Corridor and gives residents and visitors the opportunity to experience what makes Florida's natural landscapes so special."
It was not immediately clear why the addition to the park is not the entire 113 acres purchased by the state through the Florida Forever program.
Site protects rare species
Catfish Creek lies within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a wide swath of land identified as crucial for the movements of large animals. The acquisition of the former FFA property bolsters long-term conservation of habitat for species such as the bald eagle, Florida scrub jay and gopher tortoise, DEP said.
The Lake Wales Ridge harbors plant species found nowhere else on earth. The former FFA tract also helps preserve water quality within the Upper Kissimmee Basin, an important headwaters area for the Kissimmee River, Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades, DEP said.
"Every Florida State Park offers something unique, and this new addition makes Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park even more remarkable," Florida State Parks Director Chuck Hatcher said in the news release. "The natural lakefront and existing facilities will help us expand recreation and education opportunities while protecting one of Florida's rarest ecosystems for the millions of people who enjoy our parks each year."
The announcement came two weeks after an annual DEP report said the state needs to spend nearly $760 million on needed repairs, maintenance and upgrades at state parks. The agency listed desired construction and development projects at four sites in Polk County, including Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve.
Broussard was a wildlife ecologist who died at age 29 of complications from Hodgkin's disease.
Florida State Parks welcomed more than 28 million visitors, generating more than $82 million in revenue and contributing an estimated $3.6 billion in statewide economic impact in the past fiscal year, the release said.
Gary White can be reached at [email protected] or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk County state park expands to touch Lake Pierce, add amenities