Lake Mary Jane is located in southern Orange County, southeast of downtown Orlando. The community is located on the east shore of the lake of the same name. The CDP was newly defined for the 2010 census. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of, all land.
The Lake
Lake Mary Jane is the namesake of the census-dedicated area. It is large body of water that is part of the Lake Hart watershed, which includes nearby Lake Hart, Lake Whippoorwill, and Lake Nona. There are 3 notable parks and nature reserves bordering the lake. Isle of Pine reserve on the south-eastern portion, Moss Park on the western portion, and Split Oak Forest on the south-western. These lakes are interconnected through a series of canals. Two islands exist within the northwest portion of the lake near Moss Park. The northern smaller island, Yoshi Island, and the southern larger island, Bird Island. They are composed of various floating aquatic plants, mud, and peat. Some notable local wildlife endemic to the area includes but is not limited to animals such as the american alligator, Florida softshell turtle, Florida sand hill cranes, and Florida scrub jays.
History
In 2010 a 35-year old man is bitten by an alligator. As early as 2013, reports of the invasive apple snail occurred. The species is now established itself within the greater Lake Hart watershed. In September, 2017, Hurricane Irma's category 5 winds swept over Florida causing major disruption to Lake Mary Jane. As a result, the island in the northwestern portion of lake known colloquially as Bird Island had the northern-most portion split by winds. The split portion moved northwards and is now a small separate floating island, known by locals as Yoshi Island. In addition, nearby houses, and recreation institutions such as SORA Rowing suffered heavy damage to their facilities. In 2020, the developer Tavistock and the local governing bodies of Orange County and Osceola county, approved to destroy a significant portion of the nearby protected forest land, Split Oak Forest, for new roads and housing communities. This protected forest land is home to threatened and endemic species such as the Gopher Tortoise and Florida scrub jay.
Recreation
Lake Mary Jane is lined with private homes alongside its banks often with docks leading out into 3-12ft water. Popular activities in the Florida lake include fishing, watersports like wakeboarding or tubing, jetskiing, rowing, kayaking, and swimming. Moss Park is a popular area for nature hikes, picnics, swimming, or as an entry point for watercraft. The SORA Rowing team is an established rowing organization of middle school, high school, and adult rowers who compete in a variety of local, state, and national events. Their facilities located within Moss Park include a boathouse, docks, and equipment for the rowers.
