By Lee Ann Leonard
Panama City Beach is known for its beautiful beaches, but the destination is also home to a rare coastal dune lake. Lake Powell, which straddles Bay and Walton County on the beach’s west end, is one of only a few coastal dune lakes in the world. As FloridaStateParks.org boasts, Lake Powell is one of the largest in Florida. Visitors can spot everything from bald eagles to North American river otters. Fishermen, boaters, kayakers and paddleboarders frequently explore the brackish waters where saltwater and freshwater species co-exist.
To help protect this area asset, Pier Park supports the Lake Powell Community Alliance’s annual Lake Powell Cleanup—part of the International Coastal Cleanup. The center provides cleanup volunteers, a prize package for the event raffle drawing plus social media exposure for the cause and organization. During the 2023 cleanup, 140 volunteers removed more than 2,000 pounds of trash from this beautiful body of water. Organizers shared that while volunteer numbers were up, the amount of trash collected was about 1,000 pounds down, proving that the annual effort is impactful.
The goal for the 2024 cleanup—slated for September 21 from 8 a.m. to noon—is to top last year’s volunteer numbers. Residents and tourists interested in helping with that goal can call (850) 818-2262 or visit the Lake Powell Community Alliance’s Facebook page.
Located just ten minutes from Pier Park, Lake Powell remains a somewhat hidden gem. To learn more about these treasures, read VisitSouthWalton.com’s blog, www.visitsouthwalton.com/blog/coastal-dune-lakes/, covering coastal dune lakes.
