Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary feels the impact of dry conditions in Collier County

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. (WINK)—Visitors and staff at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary say dry conditions are becoming impossible to ignore.

Claire and Richard Kamp, Florida snowbirds, have visited the sanctuary for years. "We've come here other years, and it's like their beautiful wildlife here, and we like to see the birds, and it's a perfect place, and just get a dose of summer before the winter ends," Claire Kamp said.

The sanctuary is typically home to wading birds, gators basking, and cypress trees stretching to the sky. Camille Baier, another Florida snowbird, described it as "absolute beauty."

"Perfectly peaceful, even if you don't see birds, it's still a great place to take a walk because of the peace and quiet and the trees," Baier said.

But this year, that beauty comes with a warning sign. Baier noticed fewer birds and fewer areas with water.

"Fewer birds. Yes, fewer areas with water, which is sad, because the water is what draws the birds," Baier said.

The Kamps also noticed the change. "This is a place where there's a lot of water. And we noticed coming in, there were a lot of places that were dry," Claire Kamp said.

As the swamp continues to dry out, the water is receding toward the lowest areas. The deepest part of the swamp is pushing fish, birds, and even gators all into the same space.

Keith Laakkonen, director of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, said the situation is serious. "Water is everything in Florida. Water is life, and without water, we're going to be in a whole lot of trouble in the state of Florida," Laakkonen said.

Laakkonen said things are drying up. "This is where we're concentrating, all our fish, all our birds, the alligators, the frogs, you name it, they're all in here. And as this gets drier and drier, it's going to cause stress on all those animals," he said.

"Wood storks haven't nested here in several years, and that's a big part of it because the conditions are abnormally dry," Laakkonen said.

Laakkonen said the conditions are not just dry—they're early. The sanctuary is at 75% of its normal rainfall, which sounds good but isn't.

"There should be at least a little bit of water in here. So this is very unusual for it to be this dry," Laakkonen said.

Bare roots, crisp leaves, and dry ground now cover areas where water should still be sticking around. For the people who love this place, there's little to do but wait.

"All we can do right now is hope that the rains come soon," Laakkonen said.