Where Two Rivers Converge: Robert Thomas

By Mary Kelley Hoppe

Robert Thomas likes to ride under the radar. The cattle-rancher, whose Two Rivers Ranch is the largest privately owned undeveloped property in Hillsborough County, shuns the spotlight. Gun-shy of publicity he says more often than not runs against him, Thomas is a reluctant interview. But his stories beg telling.

Photo courtesy Carlton Ward Jr/CarltonWard.com Robert Thomas, Johny McCarthy, Wayne Thomas, Sam Thomas, Justin Moffett,from left to right, drive a herd across the fertile pastures of Two Rivers Ranch in Hillsborough County. Their historic Thomas family property includes several undeveloped miles along the Hillsborough River north of Tampa.

Named for the Hillsborough River and Blackwater Creek that converge on the property, Two Rivers Ranch stretches more than 17,000 acres across Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties. The cow/calf and timber operation is made up of improved pasture and planted pines, the result of a long-term reforestation effort that began more than 75 years ago.

When Robert’s grandfather, Wayne Thomas, first began purchasing the property in 1932, the land was far different. Ancient pine flatwoods that once blanketed the horizon were clear-cut at the turn of the century, leaving behind a barren landscape. To restore the land, Wayne Thomas planted pine trees as an agricultural crop as a way to generate revenue and cover expenses. Over time, his pioneering conservation efforts helped replenish the soil and reduce stormwater runoff. Wildlife, long missing from the property, slowly returned to the ranch.

Nearly 80 years later, the ranch is still reaping the rewards of planting for the future.

Still waters run deep
Continuing the family tradition of innovation, Wayne Thomas’s son, Bob, experimented with “contour pine planting” around wetlands, a technique that allowed the trees to utilize nutrients in the surface water and helped earn him the prestigious Tree Farmer of the Year Award in 1976.

Known for his largesse, Bob Thomas founded Joshua House, a shelter for abused and abandoned children in Hillsborough County. He gave generously to Jesuit High School, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Metropolitan Ministries and Divine Providence Food Bank, and also raised money to bring an equestrian center to the Florida State Fairgrounds.

Stricken with polio at age 30, the rancher friends describe as hard-charging and gutsy never did succumb to his condition, opting instead to walk with crutches.

Among his varied business interests, Bob Thomas was president of Port Sutton, which his father owned. “Dad was a dredge-and-fill kind of guy,” says Robert, of his dad’s role in port development. In 2007, Bob Thomas died at home in his sleep, as gracefully as he led his life, say family and friends.

The Thomas family is perhaps best known for the cool water bubbling up from its land – Crystal Springs – which yields about 40 million gallons of water a day, providing significant flow to the Hillsborough River. In the late 1980s, Crystal Springs Recreational Preserve, also owned by the Thomas family, forged a lucrative partnership with Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water Company, now the official bottled water supplier of theme parks such as Disney World and Epcot.

The water that flows from this fourth-generation ranch is sizeable. “We have over 100 mgd coming on or off or through our property,” says Thomas.Typically, the flow of the Hillsborough River is about 19 mgd; Crystal Springs provides another 40 mgd, and Blackwater Creek another 30 mgd.

“…and then the city drinks the river dry,” quips Thomas.

“The city leaks more water per day than we use on all our operations,” he adds. “And the part that doesn’t get leaked, about half gets used on lawns.” And that’s before factoring in the perfectly good drinking water that goes down the drain.

“To take precious water and foul it and flush it is probably one of the most inefficient uses (of water) possible.”