The State tells us:

Recognizing the value of estuarine resources, Florida moved to protect coastal and inland waters through the establishment of the Aquatic Preserves Act in 1975, which designates exceptional areas of state-owned submerged lands as Aquatic Preserves to be preserved "in an essentially natural or existing condition Aquatic Preserves include the following: Lemon Bay (7,667 acres), Gasparilla Sound/Charlotte Harbor (79,168 acres), and Cape Haze (11,284 acres) located to the north of Bokeelia. Estero Bay (9,834 acres), a lagoon located to the south, borders the east side of Fort Myers Beach. Pine Island is almost completely surrounded by Aquatic Preserves. Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserve (54,176 acres) is inclusive of virtually all waters of the Sound, running 23 miles from San Carlos Bay at the southern end of Pine Island north to Charlotte Harbor. Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve (12,511 acres) lies between the Pine Island area on the west and Cape Coral to the east.

The Charlotte Harbor State Buffer Preserve is comprised of several Management Areas located in Lee and Charlotte Counties. The total acreage of these public lands is approximately 45,000 acres. The waters of Matlacha Pass are protected by the Cape Coral Management Area (9,185 acres), which includes lands form Burnt Store Marina south to, and inclusive of, the North and South Spreader Waterways. This system filters storm water pollutants from freshwater Cape Coral canals before they read the Pass. The North Spreader is sealed with a boat lift and runs form Caloosa Parkway south to Pine Island Road. The South Spreader runs west of Chiquita Boulevard form Miracle Parkway south to the Caloosahatchee River. The Pine Island Management Area (6,772 acres) also contributes to the protection of Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound.