Conservationists buy Florida lake with Gulf oil spill funds

The Nature Conservancy acquired Lake Wimico, a 20,161 acre piece of land in the Florida Panhandle calling it one of the largest conservation wins in over a decade.

In a press release Wednesday, the organization said safeguarding Lake Wimico will help preserve and protect the water quality of Apalachicola River, Apalachicola Bay and Gulf of Mexico. It also creates a protected refuge for resident and migratory wildlife, including many federally and state listed imperiled species.

Conservationists had repeatedly identified the freshwater wetland habitat as an area of critical conservation significance for preservation. The land was identified as a priority parcel with the state’s Florida Forever Program.

The acquisition was paid with funds from Deepwater Horizon criminal penalties designated for the benefit of natural resources.