Prepare to ford the creek! Depending upon the time of year,
your adventure may continue over a dry creek bed, a trickling
stream, or a deceptively deep rushing ow. Rainstorms and
periodical droughts inuence the level of water here at the
creek. Conditions at Duette Preserve can be highly variable due
to changes in weather and precipitation. Because of this, we
recommend visitors check our website and/or Facebook pages
for current updates on accessibility.
This water body is one of many feeder creeks that supports the
Manatee River, adding to its ow as it travels westward toward
Tampa Bay. A tributary to the East Fork of the River, the inclusion
of this creek within Duette Preserve’s borders means that it too is
protected from direct source pollution.
As the water ows by, the color may be surprising. Does it
appear blue or a darker color? The water here, and at the East
Fork, will usually appear to have a dark brown or yellow hue.
This is not due to pollution, but rather to a natural phenomenon.
The tannins from decaying vegetation such as leaves and acorns
leach into the water dying it a dark color, staining it almost like
a tea or coffee. Streams that have this type of coloration are
known as blackwater streams.
In the late spring, this area explodes with color. A large and
showy native wildower, the Southern blue ag iris, is a wetland
plant and prefers growing along the creek in the damp nutrientrich
soil. This area often features many of the purple-blue blooms
signifying the start of warmer summer weather.
Crossing the River’s feeder creek
Poison Ivy
Photo by Melissa Nell
Buttonbush
Photo by Melissa Nell
Photo by Aedan Stockdale
Dixie Iris
Photo by Damon Moore