Paynes Prairie Ecopassage Project

Paynes Prairie is a large freshwater marsh located in southern Alachua County, Florida.  Most of the marsh lies within Paynes Prairie State Preserve. The Prairie supports a great diversity of wildlife including wading birds, alligators, snakes, frogs, and small mammals. There are even wild horses and bison within the Preserve´s boundaries.

Today, the Prairie is transected by two major north-south highways, U.S. 441 and Interstate 75.  U.S. 441 was built in the 1920's and has become a major thoroughfare for commuters. More than 10,000 cars use the road each day. Wildlife mortality is especially high on the 2 mile stretch of U.S. 441 across the Prairie.   Snakes and frogs frequently fall victim to the automobile. Birds, small mammals, and alligators are also killed in significant numbers. Due to the location of the road and the high volume of daily traffic, U.S. 441 has been considered by many to be one of Florida's deadliest roads.

The Project

In 1998, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) convened a multidisciplinary working group to discuss methods of reducing wildlife mortality on U.S. 441 across Paynes Prairie. With input from the working group, FDOT engineers designed a system of barrier walls and underpasses (called an Ecopassage) to be placed along the two mile section of U.S. 441 across the Prairie. The Ecopassage was designed specifically to reduce road mortality of reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals. See the Federal Department of Transportation US 441 Project and the Federal Department of Transportation Critter Crossings for details on the design of the Ecopassage.

In addition to the construction of the barrier/underpass system, FDOT is funding a study that will evaluate the effectiveness of the Ecopassage. The two-part study is being conducted by biologists with the U.S. Geological Survey-FISC. The pre-construction study (SIS doc. 3203), which took place from August 1998 through August 1999 allowed researchers to document pre-construction wildlife mortality levels (Phase I Final Report). Once the Ecopassage is in place, U.S. Geological Survey biologists will conduct a post-construction survey to determine whether the Ecopassage is effective in reducing wildlife mortality. In addition to documenting wildlife mortality levels, researchers also are monitoring use of the culverts by wildlife (Culvert photos). Twenty-eight species were documented using the existing culverts during the pre-construction study. The post-construction phase of the study, to evaluate the effectiveness of the Ecopassage, is scheduled to begin before the end of the year.

The Paynes Prairie Ecopassage is the prototype of a system designed to reduce wildlife mortality and to allow small vertebrates safe passage under the roadway. If the design proves effective, this project may guide future highway design in critical wildlife areas nationwide.

Phase II Post-Construction Final Report - July 2002 (2.4mg PDF)

Related Links

Lake Jackson Ecopassage Project - FSU project saving turtles in Tallahassee
Federal Department of Transportation - Environmental Programs
Federal Department of Transportation - Critter Crossings
Federal Department of Transportation - US 441 Project
Paynes Prairie State Preserve
Florida State Parks - Paynes Prairie State Preserve

For more Information on the Paynes Prairie Ecopassage Project email Jamie Barichivich at the USGS Florida Integrated Science Center (352-264-3491).