Lake Worth Lagoon Management Plan Revision

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Lake Worth Lagoon Management Plan Revision LAKE WORTH LAGOON MANAGEMENT PLAN REVISION March 2008 Prepared by: Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management 2300 North Jog Road, 4th Floor West Palm Beach, FL 33411-2743 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………… II LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………………….. II INDEX OF ACTION PLANS FOR LAKE WORTH LAGOON…………………… IV EXECUTIVE SUMMARY…………………………………………………………….. V PROJECT PRIORITY LIST FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS…………………….. IX 1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………… 1 WHAT IS NEW ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT PLAN REVISION…………. 2 MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CHALLENGES……………………….. 2 PROBLEMS AND ISSUES AFFECTING THE LAKE WORTH LAGOON….. 4 2. STATE OF THE LAKE WORTH LAGOON………………………………… 6 DESCRIPTION…………………………………………………………………… 6 MANAGEMENT UNITS………………………………………………………… 6 HISTORY………………………………………………………………………… 9 HABITAT CHARACTERIZATION…………………………………………….. 9 Seagrass Background and Current Status……………………………………. 10 Fixed Transect Seagrass Surveys……………………………………………… 17 Oyster Reefs………………………………………………………………………. 17 Mangrove Communities and Shoreline Characteristics……………………. 20 Sea Turtles………………………………………………………………………… 24 Manatees………………………………………………………………………….. 26 Water Quality…………………………………………………………………….. 27 General Bathymetry……………………………………………………………… 35 LWL Dredge Hole Assessment Study………………………………………….. 37 Sediment Characteristics………………………………………………………… 38 Chemical Analysis of Sediments………………………………………………… 41 Sediment Transport Study……………………………………………………….. 43 Salinity Distribution and Flow Management Studies for LWL…………….. 44 3. GOALS FOR THE LAGOON………………………………………………….. 46 MISSION AND GOALS………………………………………………………….. 46 INTRODUCTION TO ACTION PLANS………………………………………… 47 4. WATER AND SEDIMENT QUALITY………………………………………… 48 OVERVIEW……………………………………………………………………….. 48 WATER AND SEDIMENT QUALITY GOALS…………………………………. 48 ACTION PLAN WATER & SEDIMENT QUALITY…………………………….. 49 5. HABITAT RESTORATION ENHANCEMENT AND MONITORING……... 82 OVERVIEW……………………………………………………………………….. 82 ACTION PLAN HABITAT RESTORATION ENHANCEMENT AND MONITORING………………………………………………………............ 83 6. PUBLIC USE AND OUTREACH……………………………………………….. 104 OVERVIEW……………………………………………………………………….. 104 ACTION PLAN PUBLIC USE AND OUTREACH………………………………. 106 7. INTERAGENCY PLANNING AND COORDINATION……………………… 116 i PARTICIPATING AGENCIES AND THEIR ROLE…………………………….. 116 ADDITIONAL INTEGRATED PROGRAMS……………………………………. 126 8. FUNDING…………………………………………………………………………. 129 LAKE WORTH LAGOON PARTNERSHIP GRANT PROGRAM……………… 129 ACTION PLAN FUNDING……………………………………………………….. 133 OTHER FUNDING SOURCES…………………………………………………… 136 CONCLUSIONS…………………………………………………........................... 140 GLOSSARY………………………………………………………………………. 141 ACRONYMS……………………………………………………………………… 146 REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………. 149 APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………….. 153 Appendix A – Water and Sediment Quality Data Appendix B – Lake Worth Lagoon Habitat Restoration and Stormwater Projects Appendix C – Proposed Projects C.1 – Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Project Prioritization C.2 – Studies and Monitoring C.3 – Water and Sediment Quality LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Historical Seagrass Coverage in Lake Worth Lagoon…………………………………….. 11 Table 2. Current Seagrass in Lake Worth Lagoon………………………………………………….. 13 Table 3. Frequency and Parameters Analyzed for LWL Surface Water Samples…………………. 30 Table 4. Basic Statistics of Water Quality Constituents Significantly Correlated to C-51 canal………………………………………………………………………………. 33 Table 5. Comparison between LWL and IRI………………………………………........................ 42 Table 6. Lake Worth Lagoon IWR Verified List…………………………………………………… 122 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Location of Lake Worth Lagoon, Palm Beach County, Florida…………………………... 1 Figure 2. Lake Worth Lagoon Segments…………………………………………………………….. 8 Figure 3. Seagrass coverage from 2001 seagrass mapping project…………………………………. 12 Figure 4. Intersection of Bathymetry Transect Data and Seagrass Data for Determination of Seagrass distribution by Depth…………………………………………. 13 Figure 5. Distribution of Existing Seagrass by Depth in Lake Worth Lagoon North Based on Analysis of Aerial Photographs and Bathymetry………………………………. 14 Figure 6. Distribution of Existing Seagrass by Depth in Lake Worth Lagoon Central Based on Analysis of Aerial Photographs and Bathymetry………………………………. 14 Figure 7. Distribution of Existing Seagrass by Depth in Lake Worth Lagoon Based On Analysis of Aerial Photographs and Bathymetry……………………………………… 15 Figure 8. Digitized Substrate Characteristics from Sediment Cores and Muck Survey (A) and Substrate Contour Map (B)....................................................................................... 15 Figure 9. Lake Worth Lagoon Modeled Substrate Characteristics Distribution................................... 16 Figure 10. Lake Worth Lagoon Seagrass Distribution by Modeled Substrate Characteristics....................................................................................................................... 16 Figure 11. Currently mapped natural Oyster Reefs in Lake Worth Lagoon.......................................... 19 Figure 12. Map of Shoreline Habitat in 1985......................................................................................... 22 ii Figure 13. Map of Shoreline Habitat in 2001.............................................................................. 23 Figure 14. FP Rate in Sea Turtles Captured from 2005 to 2006................................................. 25 Figure 15. LWL sampling Sites Locations and Future Monitoring Sites.................................... 31 Figure 16. Lake Worth Lagoon Bathymetry Map........................................................................ 36 Figure 17. Dredge Hole Study site locations in Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida............................ 37 Figure 18. Muck Distribution Map from Central and Southern Portion of LWL........................ 40 Figure 19. Measured suspended-sediment concentrations and mean daily suspended-as sediment concentrations estimated using turbidity, turbidity and discharge, and discharge explanatory variables for the 2004 water year.................................... 44 iii INDEX OF ACTION PLANS FOR LAKE WORTH LAGOON WATER AND SEDIMENT QUALITY Page WQ-1 Implement Water Quality Monitoring Goals.......................................…………………...... 49 WQ-2 Reduce the Occurrence of Municipal Sewer Overflows ....................................................... 51 WQ-3 Install Additional Sewage Pump-out Facilities for Recreational Boaters and Live- aboard Vessels ....................................................................................... ..................... 55 WQ-4 Improve Fueling and Bilge-Pumping Practices among Recreational Boaters……………. 58 WQ-5 Provide a Pump-out service to Live-aboard Vessels and Other Boat Owners……………. 60 WW-1 Identify Septic and Municipal Wastewater Loading to Lake Worth Lagoon and Associated Watershed ................................................................................................... 63 WW-2 Provide Additional Sanitary Sewer Connections to Priority Areas of Lake Worth Lagoon....................................................................................................................... 65 SW-1 Reduce Discharge of Freshwater and Total Suspended Solids............................................ 68 SW-2 Implemen Best Management Practices on Golf Courses near the Lake Worth Lagoon................................................................................................................................... 71 SW-3 Identify and Increase Stormwater Retrofit Projects............................................................... 74 SE -1 Substrate Characterization..................................................................................................... 76 SE -2 C-51 Basin and Lake Worth Lagoon Sediment Sourcing Study........................................... 78 SE -3 Manage Sediments in Lake Worth Lagoon.......................................................................... 80 HABITAT RESTORATION ENHANCEMENT AND MONITORING HE - 1 Expand Oyster Habitat.......................................................................................................... 83 HE - 2 Restore, Create and Protect Mangrove and Spartina Habitats.............................................. 85 HE - 3 Implement Palm Beach County Manatee Protection Plan.................................................... 87 HE - 4 Develop Seagrass Restoration Target .................................................................................. 90 HE - 5 Expand Reef Habitats........................................................................................................... 92 HE - 6 Acquisition of Submerged Lands in Lake Worth Lagoon.................................................... 94 EM - 1 Implement Sea Turtle Monitoring ....................................................................................... 96 EM - 2 Develop a Fishery Monitoring Program............................................................................... 98 EM - 3 Develop a Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Monitoring Program.............................. 100 EM - 4 Monitor Oyster Reef Habitats............................................................................................... 102 PUBLIC USE AND OUTREACH PO - 1 Develop the Lake Worth Lagoon Initiative......................................................................... 106 PO - 2 Promote Public Outreach in Lagoon Restoration and Protection.......................................
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