Initiated during an extreme drawdown on Osceola County's Lake Jackson in 1994, the wildlife island concept now has been amplified to include projects at five other lakes throughout central Florida.

During the next decade, dozens of wildlife islands are expected to be created in the Sunshine State as cost-effective alternatives to upland muck disposal.

According to Commission Biologist Jon Buntz, previous drawdown and lake habitat enhancement projects centered on organic material being removed by scraping a lake's dewatered bottom with bulldozers and loading the matter onto trucks for transport to dumping sites a mile or more away.

"Due to an increasing reluctance of upland landowners to store muck, along with the potential of reduced hauling costs, we investigated the possibility of stockpiling organic material in the lake itself," said Buntz.

"As part of the permitting conditions set by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Commission was required to investigate the effect these spoil islands have on water quality, vegetation and wildlife."

A study conducted by Biological Scientist Mikel Hulon concluded that the original pair of one to two-acre vegetated wildlife islands did not produce a nutrient pollution source nor a turbidity problem as first feared.

Instead, biologists were ecstatic after cataloging the benefits derived by the additions.

From an economic standpoint, in-lake storage halves the cost of transporting and stockpiling organic material onto land areas.

Our figures show that we spend $1.20 per cubic yard to deposit scraped vegetation and bottom sediments in-lake, compared to $2.50 or more per cubic yard for hauling it away," said Buntz.

For anglers, wildlife island construction opens vast areas of fishable water that was previously choked off by hydrilla, cattails and other undesirable vegetation.

The reestablishment of such covetable native plants as bulrush, maidencane, pickerelweed and spatterdock provides quality fish, aquatic invertebrate, insect and waterfowl habitat.

"Also," Buntz emphasized, "the islands open up additional shorelines for fishermen and bedding areas for various species of fish including bass and bream."

Continual monitoring by biologists document exceptional utilization by amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles, along with a varied plant growth.

At least 10 species of toads and frogs call these oasis areas home. More than two dozen bird varieties, including kestrels, anhingas, kingfishers, ibis, herons, egrets, limpkins, gallinule, hawks, stork and wild turkey either roost, nest or regularly visit the islands.

Sightings, tracks, diggings and/or scat of bobcats, fox, marsh rabbits, raccoons, otters, skunks, muskrat, deer and wild hogs are but a few of the mammals regularly noted, while more than a dozen kinds of snakes and turtles are known to be active.

During an island's construction, a delta, shelf or plateau is factored into the equation, which mammal and reptile access. Except during the coldest months, it's rare to approach a wildlife island without seeing anywhere from two to a half-dozen or more alligators on or near its banks.

Since Lake Jackson's original pair of islands, four more have been added. Twenty-one wildlife islands were erected during Lake Kissimmee's most recent drawdown.

Orange Lake, currently undergoing a major renovation effort, now has two islands with, perhaps, more to come. Lake Cypress has a brand new wildlife island while others are under construction on Lake Istokpoga and the tiny 200-acre Piney Z.

Because of strategic locations, it will be relatively simple to add organic material to existing windrows should the need arise and if, at a future date, it is deemed an island should be removed entirely, the project can be done quickly and economically. Due to current Commission budget restraints, creation of wildlife islands during its ambitious lake renovation efforts throughout the state appear to be of great benefit to the fishery while saving substantial amounts of money, thus giving anglers and nature lovers more bang for their buck.

NOTE: Photos are by Herb Allen. Newpaper-quality photos can be downloaded directly from the higher resolution image by clicking the small photo and then saving the larger photo. For enlarged magazine-quality photos please email Bob Wattendorf.