About Friends of County Parks
The Friends of the County Parks, established in 1988, is a group of concerned citizens joining together to promote financial and community support to the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department. They develop public awareness of recreation as an important part of day-to-day life.
Funds provided by The Friends of the County Parks are used as a supplement to the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department budget and does not replace allocated tax dollars. These additional funds helps maintain, improve, and enhance services provided by the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department. The Friends of the County Parks enjoys a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit exemption status.
Lettuce Lake Park’s Design
and Construction
By Joel Jackson 5/19/2021
Lettuce Lake Park was one of six nature parks
in Hillsborough County’s $10 Million Bond
Program (1977 to 1983)
.
“Fletcher Ave” was not a good park name. “Cypress
Stump Park” was considered because their stumps
were so common in the park, but we knew that in
time the stumps would decay. Maps labeled the “ox
bow lake” in the park “Lettuce Lake”
so that was the name selected.
All of the bond parks were developed
with the following three objectives:
• Inviting: For park visitors to enjoy nature.
• Educational: To promote environmental appreciation
and stewardship.
• Conservation: Preserve lands for wildlife and future
generations before they are lost forever.
Lettuce Lake Park is located in the middle of the
largest continuous conservation area in
Hillsborough County.
Lettuce Lake Park is central to over 20,241 acres of the
combined conservation areas in Hillsborough County.
2,537
acres
App. 1,000
acres
USF
app. 500 acres
SWFWMD Lower Hillsborough Flood
Retention Area (includes “Wilderness
Park”) 15,964 acres
Lettuce Lake Park is also located near highly
populated areas making it easily
accessible to visitors.
Yet an early map of the park’s natural habitats and
property boundaries totaled only 127 acres.
Too small for the expected visitation.
After attempts to purchase another 113 acres
broke down, County Commissioners agreed to
condemn and purchase the additional land,
increasing the park’s total acreage to 240.
Original 127 acres Additional 113 acres
Ground breaking in 1981– Attended by:
•The City of Tampa
•Hillsborough Board of County Commission and
•County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
The start of construction in late 1981.
We applied and received the following
federal grants:
• Two “Land and Water Conservation Fund” grants.
• A transportation grant (based on saving fuel by
building parks close to a populated areas.)
All roads, paved paths and side walks
were designed to flow naturally.
Rubber hoses were used to help design
flow into the sidewalks.
Parking lots were carefully designed
to preserve existing trees.
Porous pavers were used to reduce
stormwater run off.
Carefully graded earthwork was also used to
control stormwater without need of
traditional retention ponds.
For example, this area was designed to retain
stormwater by using the paved nature trail to
retain run off from the parking area flowing
directly into the river.
The visitor center with its classroom and
display area were important for
environmental education.
There were no ADA guidelines at the time
but making park facilities accessible was a
design priority.
Energy efficiency was another important
design objective.
When the park was constructed in 1982
the land was mostly a Pine Flatwoods.
Over time, hardwood trees have taken over.
This is mostly due to the lack of
controlled burns.
All restroom buildings were designed
to be naturally and brightly
lighted and well ventilated.
The entire length of the boardwalk was
carefully planned to enable park visitors to
experience the wonders of the park’s
wetlands.
Making the boardwalk durable and
long lasting was a priority.
The boardwalk was routed through
various natural habitats and views.
Parking areas were designed to be within
easy walking distance of picnic areas.
The picnic shelters were designed to be close
to parking while blending into the
wilderness background.
Seventy-foot-long wooden poles for the
observation tower were floated in from
the Fletcher Ave bridge.
Each pole needed to be driven down
through 5’ of muck and 13’ of sand
to support the tower.
To ensure that the park would be efficiently
maintained, a well-equipped maintenance
facility and manager’s house was provided.
The maintenance area was placed out
of view by using a curved road and
vegetative screening.
All park roads were paved using
“soil-cement” road base. It is far more
durable than traditional lime rock or shell.
In addition, concrete flush curbing was
added to keep the road well defined and
its edges more durable.
The park’s entry road was carefully designed
with gentle curves to slow traffic but more
importantly, to signal to visitors that they
were entering a wilderness park.
Designated parking for vehicles was a new
design feature at the time. This was
important to keep vehicles from intruding
into and degrading park grounds.
The 1.25-mile loop paved trail
was designed to be multi-functional.
We wanted loop trail to be multipurpose.
A cobble stone paving pattern was added
as a extra warning at path crossings for
bikers and roller skaters.
A children’s play area was located in a shady
area within the group picnic area.
Benches were provided to encourage adult
supervision of children.
In placing of fencing, earthen berms were used
help keep balls from rolling off the play field onto
the adjacent roadway. Playfield spectators can also
use them as a place to sit.
A second boardwalk was built into one of the
park’s cypress domes. This enables visitors to view
a vary different type of wetland; one that is not
influenced by the river’s ebbs and flows.
To keep the park as authentically natural as possible
only native plants that occur naturally in the park
were use for landscaping. Native plants are also
critical for the support of native wildlife.
We wanted to add a canoe launch but at the time,
USF had one just across the river. Unfortunately, it
was later closed to the public.
More recently, the county added canoe renting.
A news story printed just before the park
opened in October 1982, stressed the
“environmental nature” of the park.
The park was opened to the public in October
1982. Within a week, all parking spaces were
filled. Another 40 spaces were added
bringing the total spaces to 240.
Lettuce Lake Park has been rated the 29th
most popular park in the country.
Others that helped to create
Lettuce Lake Park.
• Ed Radice – Director of the Hillsborough County Parks and
Recreation Department
• Sullins Steward – Assistant Park Bond Program Manager
• Rob Heath – Staff Naturalist (responsible for boardwalks, and
other environmental features)
• “Joint Venture” of surveyors, engineers, architects, etc.
• Key volunteer advisors:
– Mike Mullins - elementary coordinator for Hillsborough Schools
– Fred Webb – Environmental Education at HCC
– Dr. Richard Wunderlin, Professor of Botany at USF
– Anita Sharif with Tampa Audubon Society
– And about 100 others (way too many to name!)
In the Spring of 2011, the front of the visitor center was
re-landscaped using native plants with the help of
two “Mater Gardener volunteers.”
In the fall of 2011, a native plant education garden was planted with
the help of volunteers with the Suncoast Chapter of the Native Plant
Society.
Funding for the plants was provided by Tampa Audubon,
Native Plant Society and the help of the park’s Coke fund.
To help visitors learn about native plants, information sign
were made and placed near each plant in the garden.
In 2013 the Suncoast Native Plant Society and
Tampa Audubon jointly installed new signs on
the value of native plants to wildlife.
Since 1998 Tampa Audubon Club volunteers
provide information on weekends along and
monthly beginner birding tours.
In 2016 Hillsborough County’s chapter of
the Florida Native Plant Society started
monthly native plant tours at the park.
Unfortunately, Invasive non-native plants have become a
serious problem to the park’s future as a conservation land.
HART Line
We have been encouraging volunteers to help remove
these invasive non-native plants that displace the natives.
Volunteer students from the University of Tampa.
Volunteers with Johnson & Johnson
and Construction
By Joel Jackson 5/19/2021
Lettuce Lake Park was one of six nature parks
in Hillsborough County’s $10 Million Bond
Program (1977 to 1983)
.
“Fletcher Ave” was not a good park name. “Cypress
Stump Park” was considered because their stumps
were so common in the park, but we knew that in
time the stumps would decay. Maps labeled the “ox
bow lake” in the park “Lettuce Lake”
so that was the name selected.
All of the bond parks were developed
with the following three objectives:
• Inviting: For park visitors to enjoy nature.
• Educational: To promote environmental appreciation
and stewardship.
• Conservation: Preserve lands for wildlife and future
generations before they are lost forever.
Lettuce Lake Park is located in the middle of the
largest continuous conservation area in
Hillsborough County.
Lettuce Lake Park is central to over 20,241 acres of the
combined conservation areas in Hillsborough County.
2,537
acres
App. 1,000
acres
USF
app. 500 acres
SWFWMD Lower Hillsborough Flood
Retention Area (includes “Wilderness
Park”) 15,964 acres
Lettuce Lake Park is also located near highly
populated areas making it easily
accessible to visitors.
Yet an early map of the park’s natural habitats and
property boundaries totaled only 127 acres.
Too small for the expected visitation.
After attempts to purchase another 113 acres
broke down, County Commissioners agreed to
condemn and purchase the additional land,
increasing the park’s total acreage to 240.
Original 127 acres Additional 113 acres
Ground breaking in 1981– Attended by:
•The City of Tampa
•Hillsborough Board of County Commission and
•County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
The start of construction in late 1981.
We applied and received the following
federal grants:
• Two “Land and Water Conservation Fund” grants.
• A transportation grant (based on saving fuel by
building parks close to a populated areas.)
All roads, paved paths and side walks
were designed to flow naturally.
Rubber hoses were used to help design
flow into the sidewalks.
Parking lots were carefully designed
to preserve existing trees.
Porous pavers were used to reduce
stormwater run off.
Carefully graded earthwork was also used to
control stormwater without need of
traditional retention ponds.
For example, this area was designed to retain
stormwater by using the paved nature trail to
retain run off from the parking area flowing
directly into the river.
The visitor center with its classroom and
display area were important for
environmental education.
There were no ADA guidelines at the time
but making park facilities accessible was a
design priority.
Energy efficiency was another important
design objective.
When the park was constructed in 1982
the land was mostly a Pine Flatwoods.
Over time, hardwood trees have taken over.
This is mostly due to the lack of
controlled burns.
All restroom buildings were designed
to be naturally and brightly
lighted and well ventilated.
The entire length of the boardwalk was
carefully planned to enable park visitors to
experience the wonders of the park’s
wetlands.
Making the boardwalk durable and
long lasting was a priority.
The boardwalk was routed through
various natural habitats and views.
Parking areas were designed to be within
easy walking distance of picnic areas.
The picnic shelters were designed to be close
to parking while blending into the
wilderness background.
Seventy-foot-long wooden poles for the
observation tower were floated in from
the Fletcher Ave bridge.
Each pole needed to be driven down
through 5’ of muck and 13’ of sand
to support the tower.
To ensure that the park would be efficiently
maintained, a well-equipped maintenance
facility and manager’s house was provided.
The maintenance area was placed out
of view by using a curved road and
vegetative screening.
All park roads were paved using
“soil-cement” road base. It is far more
durable than traditional lime rock or shell.
In addition, concrete flush curbing was
added to keep the road well defined and
its edges more durable.
The park’s entry road was carefully designed
with gentle curves to slow traffic but more
importantly, to signal to visitors that they
were entering a wilderness park.
Designated parking for vehicles was a new
design feature at the time. This was
important to keep vehicles from intruding
into and degrading park grounds.
The 1.25-mile loop paved trail
was designed to be multi-functional.
We wanted loop trail to be multipurpose.
A cobble stone paving pattern was added
as a extra warning at path crossings for
bikers and roller skaters.
A children’s play area was located in a shady
area within the group picnic area.
Benches were provided to encourage adult
supervision of children.
In placing of fencing, earthen berms were used
help keep balls from rolling off the play field onto
the adjacent roadway. Playfield spectators can also
use them as a place to sit.
A second boardwalk was built into one of the
park’s cypress domes. This enables visitors to view
a vary different type of wetland; one that is not
influenced by the river’s ebbs and flows.
To keep the park as authentically natural as possible
only native plants that occur naturally in the park
were use for landscaping. Native plants are also
critical for the support of native wildlife.
We wanted to add a canoe launch but at the time,
USF had one just across the river. Unfortunately, it
was later closed to the public.
More recently, the county added canoe renting.
A news story printed just before the park
opened in October 1982, stressed the
“environmental nature” of the park.
The park was opened to the public in October
1982. Within a week, all parking spaces were
filled. Another 40 spaces were added
bringing the total spaces to 240.
Lettuce Lake Park has been rated the 29th
most popular park in the country.
Others that helped to create
Lettuce Lake Park.
• Ed Radice – Director of the Hillsborough County Parks and
Recreation Department
• Sullins Steward – Assistant Park Bond Program Manager
• Rob Heath – Staff Naturalist (responsible for boardwalks, and
other environmental features)
• “Joint Venture” of surveyors, engineers, architects, etc.
• Key volunteer advisors:
– Mike Mullins - elementary coordinator for Hillsborough Schools
– Fred Webb – Environmental Education at HCC
– Dr. Richard Wunderlin, Professor of Botany at USF
– Anita Sharif with Tampa Audubon Society
– And about 100 others (way too many to name!)
In the Spring of 2011, the front of the visitor center was
re-landscaped using native plants with the help of
two “Mater Gardener volunteers.”
In the fall of 2011, a native plant education garden was planted with
the help of volunteers with the Suncoast Chapter of the Native Plant
Society.
Funding for the plants was provided by Tampa Audubon,
Native Plant Society and the help of the park’s Coke fund.
To help visitors learn about native plants, information sign
were made and placed near each plant in the garden.
In 2013 the Suncoast Native Plant Society and
Tampa Audubon jointly installed new signs on
the value of native plants to wildlife.
Since 1998 Tampa Audubon Club volunteers
provide information on weekends along and
monthly beginner birding tours.
In 2016 Hillsborough County’s chapter of
the Florida Native Plant Society started
monthly native plant tours at the park.
Unfortunately, Invasive non-native plants have become a
serious problem to the park’s future as a conservation land.
HART Line
We have been encouraging volunteers to help remove
these invasive non-native plants that displace the natives.
Volunteer students from the University of Tampa.
Volunteers with Johnson & Johnson