Planning and Zoning Department:
Camp Chowenwaw

 

        
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On March 14 2006, Clay County took possession of historic Camp Chowenwaw, a 153-acre site located at the mouth of Black Creek, at its confluence with the St. Johns River.  The Girl Scouts operated the camp for over 70 years, which began with a gift of one of the parcels from the Prime Osborne family of Jacksonville.  By the time of the County’s purchase it had become a regional center for environmental and outdoor recreational learning for the Girl Scouts with remarkably intact floodplain ecosystems.  When the Girl Scouts decided to relocate to another, larger property approximately 5 miles upstream and offered the camp on the open market, the County moved swiftly to acquire the site due to its historical and environmental importance.  The County obtained a Florida Communities Trust grant which paid for more than half of the acquisition costs.  This relatively unblemished site, with its striking viewsheds and 1.5 miles of water frontage, is rare in an area of rapid growth brought on by the encroaching urban development of Jacksonville. 

The park site contains predominately undisturbed upland and wetland natural communities that will be protected and enhanced.  The site has 3,000 feet of frontage along Black Creek and 4,800 feet of frontage along Peters Creek.  While much of the shoreline is in wetlands, approximately half of the site consists of interior uplands.  The entirety of the site is forested.  There is a distinct and abrupt transition between the uplands and the wetlands.  Shoreline wetland communities provide habitat for many listed wading birds known to occur in coastal Clay County and submerged grass-beds adjacent to the shoreline provide high potential for use as foraging grounds for the St. Johns River manatee population.  The site provides habitat to many known species, including fox squirrels, river otters, gopher tortoises, white-tailed deer, alligators, and many varieties of snakes. 

Clay County will conserve the site by preserving the uplands and maintaining the faunal ecosystem.  Another goal is to preserve several historic structures, including the rustic “Big Cabin,” a rustic 1930s log structure constructed by the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps.  The County desires to make this oasis of natural resources available to the public in a way that continues the legacy of stewardship partly reflected in the Girl Scouts ethic of “leaving a place cleaner than one finds it.”   

The County will manage the Camp Chowenwaw project as a mostly passive outdoor recreation area providing public access to Black Creek while ensuring protection of the site’s unique natural features.  Tent and cabin camping will be continued on the site, although some camping areas will be eliminated to allow for habitat restoration.  The trail system will continue and be supplemented, along with the addition of interpretive signs and kiosks.  The unique combination of the camp’s natural and cultural features will offer outstanding environmental education opportunities to residents and visitors.  There are some rustic cabins and pavilions that will be used for environmental education purposes and some are in need of rehabilitation, which the County will undertake.  Proposed future improvements include an area for canoe and kayak launching and a fishing boardwalk.  The County also will loop some of the trails and add creek overlooks for wildlife observation at appropriate points.  Further, the County will add some picnic facilities to accommodate an expected increase in day use of the site and will install playground equipment in the more active use areas.  Overall, the County will operate the camp as a retreat centered on the natural environment.