Lower Charlotte Harbor Reconnaissance Report South
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Lower Charlotte Harbor Reconnaissance Report Prepared for the: South Florida Water Management District Stormwater Management Division 2301 McGregor Boulevard Fort Myers, FL 33901 (239) 338-2929 www.sfwmd.gov By: Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program 1926 Victoria Avenue Fort Myers, FL 33901 (239) 338-2556 www.charlotteharbornep.org May 23, 2006 Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program Policy Committee Mr. Tom Welborn, Co-Chair Mr. Jon Iglehart, Co-Chair Branch Chief, Wetlands, Coastal, & Water Quality South District Director U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 Florida Department of Environmental Protection CITIES COUNTIES AGENCIES Hon. Rue Berryman Mr. Lex Albritton Hon. John Albion City of North Port Hardee County Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council Hon. Yvonne Brookes Hon. Adam Cummings Mr. Jim Beever City of Winter Haven Charlotte County Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Mr. Martin Black Hon. Patricia Glass Brig. Gen. Rufus C. Lazzell (U.S. Army, ret.) City of Venice Manatee County Southwest Florida Water Management District Hon. Richard Ferreira Hon. Ray Judah Mr. T. M. Gurr City of Bonita Springs Lee County Central Florida Regional Planning Council Ms. Connie Jarvis Mr. Jeffrey Spence Ms. Carla Palmer City of Cape Coral Polk County South Florida Water Management District Hon. Andy Laurent Hon. Jon Thaxton City of Bartow Sarasota County Hon. Don Massucco Vacant Town of Fort Myers Beach Desoto County Mr. Joe Ortolona City of Fort Myers Hon. Dr. David Phelen City of Punta Gorda Hon. Tom Rothman City of Sanibel Management Committee Co-Chairs Mr. Bo Crum, Co-Chair Mr. Ken Heatherington, Co-Chair Section Chief, Wetlands, Coastal, & Water Quality Planning Director U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council Technical Advisory Committee Co-Chairs Citizens Advisory Committee Officers Ms. Judy Ott, Co-Chair Mr. Stuart Stauss, Co-Chair Mr. Mike Gurr, Co-Chair Mr. Kayton Nedza, Co-Chair Staff Dr. Lisa B. Beever, Director Ms. Catherine Corbett, Senior Scientist Ms. Elizabeth S. Donley, Esq., Grants and Contracts Manager Ms. Maran Brainard Hilgendorf, Communications Manager ii Calusa Restoration Team/ Lower Charlotte Harbor SWIM Advisory Committee Liz Abbott, PMP, Lead Project Manager Organization Member Alternate Audubon of Florida Jason Lauritsen Brad Cornell BC- RCT Bob Sobczak Brenda Brooks-Solveson CHEC Alton Cheatham Jason Hale CHNEP Lisa Beever Liz Donley Charlotte County Dan Quick Bill Byle Charlotte Harbor Sea Grant Betty Staugler City of Bonita Springs Daryl Walk City of Cape Coral Connie Jarvis Susan Scott City of Clewiston Tommy Perry City of Fort Myers Joe Ortolona Richard White City of LaBelle Michael A. Boyle City of Moore Haven Mike Jones City of Sanibel Rob Loflin Conservancy of SW Florida Dave Ceilley CREW Ellen Lindblad Estero Bay - ABM Ellen Lindblad Environmental Consultant Rae Ann Wessel FDEP - South District Karen Bickford Jennifer Nelson/Jon Iglehart FDEP - CHAP Judith Ott Gary Lytton FDEP - EBAP Heather Stafford Sherry Furnari FDEP – Park and Recreations John Aspiolea Florida Division of Forestry Hank Graham Sonja Durrwachte FFWCC Jim Beever Joe Bozzo FFWCC, FWRI Phil Stevens Jill Trubey Florida Guides Association Pete Quasius FGCU Mike Savarese Win Everham Friends of 6-Mile Cypress Sharon Kuchinskas GICIA Misty Nabers Glades County Jim Smith Hendry County Ron Zimmerly Lee Co. Dept of Nat Res Roland Ottolini Tony Pellicer LCHCD John Cassani Lemon Bay Conservancy N. Perry Cook SCCF Marine Lab Steve Bortone SF Ecosys Rest Task Force Carrie Beeler SF Eco Rest Working Group Wayne Daltry SFWMD Liz Abbott Carla Palmer, Tomma Barnes SWFRPC David Burr Ken Heatherington Town of Fort Myers Beach Matt Feeney Damon Grant UF IFAS Ed Hanlon US Army COE Harry “Skip” Bergman Deb Wegman USDA Tim Eckert US EPA Veronica Fasselt US FWS Joyce Mazourek Daryl Thomas, Rob Jess USGS Eduardo Patino WERC Sharon Arnold iii Table of Contents 1. Introduction................................................................................................................................. 1 Purpose........................................................................................................................................ 1 Project Description...................................................................................................................... 2 2. Lower Charlotte Harbor Water Body System............................................................................. 3 General Overview ....................................................................................................................... 3 Physiographic Areas ................................................................................................................... 6 Geologic and Human History of Lower Charlotte Harbor ......................................................... 9 Population and Urbanized Area Growth................................................................................... 18 Conditions that Have Led to the Need for Restoration............................................................. 20 Agricultural and Urban Water Supplies.................................................................................... 23 Governmental Units with Jurisdiction ...................................................................................... 24 3. Programmatic Context .............................................................................................................. 30 Programs with Federal Involvement......................................................................................... 30 State Initiated Programs............................................................................................................ 34 District Plans and Programs...................................................................................................... 37 Local Plans and Programs......................................................................................................... 39 Non-Profit Programs................................................................................................................. 40 4. Geographic Analysis................................................................................................................. 41 Soils........................................................................................................................................... 41 Pre-Development and 2003 Land Cover................................................................................... 45 Existing and Future Land Use................................................................................................... 47 Public Conservation Lands ....................................................................................................... 52 5. Water Quality Status and Trends .............................................................................................. 57 Water Quality Monitoring......................................................................................................... 57 Impaired Waters........................................................................................................................ 62 Caloosahatchee Basin Nutrient Loads ...................................................................................... 74 Trends ....................................................................................................................................... 80 Identified Sources of Pollution ................................................................................................. 83 6. Existing Hydrology and Hydraulics Plans................................................................................ 88 7. Existing Management Actions................................................................................................ 102 Everglades Restoration ........................................................................................................... 102 Lower Charlotte Harbor, Caloosahatchee and Estero Bay Initiatives .................................... 103 County Capital Improvements Programs (CIP)...................................................................... 103 City Capital Improvements Programs (CIP)........................................................................... 106 2004 Restoration Projects ....................................................................................................... 111 8. Water Resource Management Issues of Concern ................................................................... 114 Research.................................................................................................................................. 114 Restoration .............................................................................................................................. 116 References............................................................................................................................... 119 Linked Bibliography ............................................................................................................... 123 Glossary .................................................................................................................................. 127 Appendix A- Verified Lists for LCH Area............................................................................. 130 Appendix B- Petroleum Storage Tanks and Hazardous Waste Handlers..............................