Rocky Bayou Aquatic Preserve

Project Spotlight

"Rocky Bayou Aquatic Preserve provides the visitors and residents of northwest Florida an exceptional water resource for recreational fishing and boating, in addition to hiking along its forested coastline."

Shelley Alexander, Former Aquatic Preserve Manager

Hiking trail along the forested shoreline

Management activities at Northwest Florida Aquatic Preserves have been discontinued as of July 1, 2011.

Although the aquatic preserves will remain designated, all coastal education and resource monitoring programs at closed locations have been eliminated. The Northwest Florida Aquatic Preserves office serves four aquatic preserves: Fort Pickens Aquatic Preserve, Rocky Bayou Aquatic Preserve, St. Andrews Aquatic Preserve and Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve. These areas are no longer actively managed and the resource management, research and monitoring, and outreach and education programs at these aquatic preserves has ended. Permit review by DEP regulatory offices will still be active through the Northwest District office.

Although seven aquatic preserve offices remain open, it is not possible for the remaining staff to absorb the closed programs into the organizational structure.

This page describes former management programs which will be restarted should revenue streams improve.

Stormwater pond

Nonpoint Source Pollution Reduction

A partnership led by the Northwest Florida Coastal Aquatic Managed Area office using Project NEMO (Nonpoint Source Education for Municipal Officials) was providing to stakeholders of Rocky Bayou resources to address water quality. The strategy of Project NEMO was used to focus on the cumulative effects that stormwater, septic tanks, lawn maintenance, recreational motor boat activities and bayou circulation patterns have on the Rocky Bayou Aquatic Preserve. Partners included the City of Niceville, Okaloosa County Health Department, Northwest Florida District DEP watershed office, Jackson Guard of Eglin AFB, Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park, Northwest Florida National Estuarine Research Center, Northwest Florida Water Management District and Florida Sea Grant.

Quick Facts about Rocky Bayou Aquatic Preserve

Location:

Okaloosa County

Acreage

367 acres of sovereign submerged lands

Contact:

Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas
3900 Commonwealth Blvd., MS 235
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000
(850) 245-2094
FloridaCoasts@dep.state.fl.us

Rocky Bayou shoreline

Osprey along forested shoreline of the preserve

Rocky Bayou State Park abuts the preserve

Rocky Bayou is a fresh to brackish water system supporting a large variety of fish and shellfish, including the federally endangered Okaloosa darter.
Rocky Bayou receives freshwater input from two creeks - Rocky Creek and Turkey Creek - and several smaller steephead streams.
Steepheads are seasonally influenced streams that only occur in locations with specific underground conditions.
Several designated species such as the osprey and bald eagles are known to nest within the preserve. Osprey in particular are often sighted by campers, kayakers and locals.

Fishing off of a dock in Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park

Fishing in Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park

Last updated: July 07, 2011