The Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) recently purchased 54 acres of land from the Rimes Family along the Santa Fe River near Worthington Springs in Union County.

The purchase, approximately three-quarters of a mile, will become part of ACT’s Santa Fe River Preserve system of protected lands. The River Branch Foundation and private donors provided funding for the project and ACT also received donations from the public during the Amazing Give campaign in April.

“These 54 acres will join an existing network of protected lands along the Santa Fe and Suwannee rivers,” said Tom Kay, the executive director of ACT, in a press release. “The area includes ACT preserves, nearby county-owned conservation lands, as well as conservation easements. This purchase will also strengthen watershed protection efforts for the region’s rivers and springs.”

The land includes large, intact bottomland forest along the upper reaches of the Santa Fe River, which is one of the largest rivers in North Florida and home to many freshwater springs. The Santa Fe River is also the largest tributary to the Suwannee River. Protection of the property safeguards habitat for imperiled species, including the threatened snapping turtle, alligator and various rare species of mussels.

“We’ve seen firsthand how special and ecologically important this part of the river is,” said landowner Lessie Rimes in the press release. “Protecting it felt like the right thing to do, not just for us, but for the health of the river and the species that depend on it.”

For additional information about this or related projects, contact ACT at info@alachuaconservationtrust.org or 352-373-1078.