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The 2,299-acre site includes Gum Slough and upstream portions of Cow Pen Slough. The site contains high quality mesic hammock, dry prairie, pine flatwoods, wet prairie, slough and forested wetlands. The habitat provides foraging areas for a large variety of wading bird species, including Wood Stork and Glossy Ibis.

Importance
This area is part of the only large expanse of native habitat still existing in the northern part of the county. Gum and Cow Pen Sloughs form a corridor from the Manatee County line to Shakett Creek and Dona Bay, just north of Venice. Protecting this waterway will provide significant wildlife habitat and help safeguard its water quality.

Status
A conservation easement that stipulates no future development on a 1,984-acre parcel in this site was acquired from the Schroeder-Manatee Ranch in 2004. Another 200-acre conservation easement was donated to The Nature Conservancy in 2000. This property includes high-quality forested wetland.

No public access at Gum slough