Sweetwater Wetlands Park

Sweetwater Wetlands Park offers a unique way to experience nature in Gainesville, FL, but is also important to the health of Florida’s water and other ecosystems.

The park was created in 2015 to improve the water quality of wetlands in Paynes Prairie and the Floridan Aquifer. It consists of more than 125 acres of wetlands and ponds and 3.5 miles of crushed gravel hiking paths and boardwalks.

This man-made ecosystem is now abundant with native Florida plants and animals, including birds, butterflies, alligators and even Florida cracker horses.

The main thing to do in this park is walk around the trails and admire the wildlife. Most of the trails are out in the open without shade. Be sure to wear sunscreen and bring a hat, sunglasses, and plenty of water.

The crushed gravel paths can be bumpy and a little rough on feet so be sure to wear sturdy shoes. The gravel is also very dusty, so make sure to wear shoes that you don’t mind getting dusty!

There are three sections or loops around the park. Currently (as of December 2021), sections 2 and 3 (center and right loop) are closed for construction. Even so, you can get in about a mile and a half walk just in cell 1. And you can go around more than once for a longer walk.

You can take in the lush landscape from the trails, boardwalks and viewing platforms and learn about the habitat through educational signs and tours. You can also write down any animals you see throughout the day on the Wildlife Sightings board at the park entrance.

The purpose of the park is to filter out pollution and excess nutrients from Sweetwater Branch Creek before it empties into Paynes Prairie and the aquifer. Three major environmental benefits are:

1. Restoring the natural water flow to more than 1,300 acres of formerly drained wetlands in Paynes Prairie.
2. Protecting and improving water quality in the Alachua Sink and the Floridan aquifer.
3. Increasing the amount of conservation lands within Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park.
S weetwater Wetlands Park About

History of Sweetwater Wetlands Park and Paynes Prairie

In the late 1600s Paynes Prairie was the home of La Chua, the largest cattle ranch in Spanish Florida. Two hundred years later, Seminole Indians occupied the area. The prairie was named after Chief King Payne.
After defeat in the Second Seminole War, the Seminoles left the prairie.
In the late 1800s, heavy rain flooded the prairie. The prairie became known as Alachua Lake. Steam-powered boats traveled across it to transport lumber, goods and passengers. The lake drained in the 1890s and once again became a marsh.
Ranchers in the 1930s created a ditch to drain part of Paynes Prairie to expand grazing areas. This connected Sweetwater Branch directly to Alachua Sink, a small lake in the prairie, which connects to the Floridan Aquifer. This caused dehydration of more than 1,300 acres of prairie wetlands.
In the following decades, urban runoff and wastewater harmed the Alachua Sink. It became filled with an excess of nitrogen and was put on a list of impaired bodies of water.
In 2009, the Paynes Prairie Sheetflow Restoration Project began as a way to reduce pollution to Alachua Sink by restoring the prairie’s natural sheetflow and creating a wetland habitat. The final goal was to create an environmentally friendly park, filled with plants and animals, that allows people to connect with and learn about nature. Gainesville Regional Utilities and the City of Gainesville Department of Public Works completed the wetlands in 2015.
Sweetwater Wetlands Park History