C:\WINDOWS\...\Withcwm.Wp
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER WATERSHED PLAN 2001 Prepared by: Southwest Florida Water Management District The District does not discriminate upon the basis of any individual’s disability status. Anyone requiring reasonable accommodation under the ADA should contact the Planning Department at 352-796-7211 or 1-800-423-1476 (Florida only), extension 4400; TDD ONLY 1-800-231-6103 (Florida only); FAX 352-754-6749/SUNCOM 663-6749. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY............................................... iii Introduction ......................................................... 1 Benefits ...................................................... 6 CHAPTER I WATERSHED DESCRIPTION................................ 8 1 Surface Waters............................................. 8 2 Hydrology................................................. 9 3 Climate................................................... 9 4 Land Use / Land Cover ...................................... 10 CHAPTER II WATER SUPPLY ........................................ 11 1 Physical Setting ........................................... 11 2 Geological Structure........................................ 11 3 Stratigraphy .............................................. 12 4 Hydrogeology ............................................. 15 4.1 Surficial Aquifer System.................................... 15 4.2 Confining Unit ........................................... 16 4.3 Upper Floridan Aquifer System .............................. 16 5 Recharge and Discharge .................................... 16 6 Groundwater Quality ........................................ 17 7 Water Use ............................................... 18 8 Alternative Sources ........................................ 18 8.1 Reuse ................................................. 18 8.2 Conservation............................................ 19 8.3 Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) ......................... 21 8.4 Desalination............................................. 21 9 Local Sources First......................................... 22 WATER SUPPLY ACTION PLAN................................. 22 ISSUE #1: Prevent Impacts to the Water Resources of the Area........ 23 CHAPTER III FLOOD PROTECTION ................................... 30 1 The Green Swamp .......................................... 31 2 Duck Lake Watershed....................................... 32 3 The Little Withlacoochee River ................................ 32 4 Jumper Creek Watershed.................................... 33 5 Big Prairie................................................ 33 6 Lake Panasoffkee .......................................... 34 7 Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes ................................. 34 8 Lake Rousseau............................................ 34 9 Bystre Lake Watershed...................................... 35 10 Blue Sink Watershed ....................................... 36 FLOOD PROTECTION ACTION PLAN ............................. 37 ISSUE #1: Flood Protection Coordination .......................... 37 ISSUE #2: Watershed Flood Management Programs ................. 38 ISSUE #3: Flood Management And Protection Awareness ............. 39 ISSUE #4: Funding Mechanisms For Flood Protection Management ..... 40 ISSUE #5: Maintenance And Operation of Flood Management Systems . 42 ISSUE #6: Link Land Use With Watershed Management .............. 43 ISSUE #7: Adequacy And Effectiveness of Design Storm Specifications . 44 CHAPTER IV WATER QUALITY....................................... 46 1 Groundwater Quality ........................................ 46 2 Water Quality of Withlacoochee River, Tributaries & Spring Runs ..... 48 3 Lake Panasoffkee .......................................... 49 4 Rainbow River ............................................ 52 5 Lake Rousseau............................................ 53 6 Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes ................................. 55 WATER QUALITY ACTION PLAN................................. 57 ISSUE #1: Increasing Nitrate Loading from Groundwater .............. 58 ISSUE #2: Water Quality Monitoring Program....................... 60 ISSUE #3: Public Information and Education Opportunity .............. 63 ISSUE #4: Septic Leachate ..................................... 64 ISSUE #5: Karst Geology ...................................... 66 ISSUE #6: Agricultural Runoff ................................... 68 ISSUE #7: Septage and Sludge Disposal in Green Swamp ............. 70 CHAPTER V NATURAL SYSTEMS ..................................... 72 Geographic Information System Database ........................... 75 1 District Land Acquisition .................................... 76 2 Cross Florida Greenway .................................... 77 3 Aquatic Plants ............................................ 77 4 Terrestrial Exotic Plants ..................................... 78 NATURAL SYSTEMS ACTION PLAN .............................. 79 ISSUE #1: Restoration Initiatives On District Owned Lands ............. 79 ISSUE #2: Habitat Loss, Alteration and Fragmentation ................ 81 ISSUE #3: Evaluation of Modifications to Water Control Structures Associated with the Lake Rousseau/Lower Withlacoochee River/Cross Florida Greenways System ....................................... 86 ISSUE #4: Aquatic Plant Management ............................ 88 CHAPTER VI ACRONYMS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................... 90 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1 Relation of Stratigraphic and Hydrologic Units .............. 14 Table 2 Water Use Estimates for the WithCWM for 1996 ............ 21 Figure 1 CWM Watersheds in the SWFWMD ...................... 2 Figure 2 CWM Sustainability Through Science ..................... 3 Figure 3 Estimated Funding by Activity and Source .................. 4 Figure 4 Withlacoochee CWM Active Projects and Initiatives .......... 5 Figure 5 Physiographic Map of the Northern West-Central FL Groundwater Basin............................................. 13 Figure 6 Estimated Surface Water Withdrawals ................... 19 Figure 7 Estimated Surface Groundwater Withdrawals .............. 20 Figure 8 Increasing Nitrate Concentrations at Weekiwachee Springs . 59 This Plan is part of a continuing process. Over the past few years the participants listed below have met, reviewed information, distilled issues, discussed and negotiated a variety of potential actions and have generally benefitted from the process of discussion and sharing information. The efforts outlined in this Plan will continue with the support and energy of this team. A special thanks is necessary for those team members who authored parts of this document and provided comments on the various drafts. Withlacoochee River Comprehensive Watershed Management Team Name Organization Gene Altman SWFWMD Mary Barnwell SWFWMD Ken Barrett SWFWMD Len Bartos SWFWMD Vivian Bielski SWFWMD Barry Billets SWFWMD Karen Blount Friends of the Greenways Garry Breeden Sumter County James Brooks SWFWMD John Burnett Hernando County Kyle Champion SWFWMD Ron Cohen SWFWMD Lori Collins FDEP Douglas Courrier City of Dade City Tom Dick Citrus County Sylvia Durell SWFWMD Don Ellison SWFWMD Lizanne Garcia SWFWMD Emilio Gonzalez U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Ken Huntington FDEP Bruce Kennedy Pasco County Gary Maidhoff Citrus County Linda McGrail SJRWMD JoEllyn Miller Pasco County Lisann Morris SWFWMD Brian Nelson SWFWMD Lou Phemister Citrus County Joe Quinn SWFWMD Marvin Raulston SRWMD Mikel Renner SWFWMD Philip Rhinesmith SWFWMD John Rickerson SWFWMD Allan Row Marion County Robbie Roe Sumter County Virginia Watson Sumter County Carl Wright SWFWMD Quincy Wylupek SWFWMD Avera Wynne TBRPC THE WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER WATERSHED EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District or SWFWMD) has developed the Comprehensive Watershed Management (CWM) program to conduct water resource assessment and planning on a watershed basis. The CWM was designed to allow for careful evaluation of the regional status of water resources, with emphasis on the District’s (Mission) Areas of Responsibility (AORs): Water Supply; Flood Protection; Water Quality; and Natural Systems. Multi-disciplinary and multi- agency teams were convened to develop and implement watershed management activities within each of the District’s eleven watersheds. This document represents the final draft of the CWM effort focusing on the Withlacoochee River watershed. The watershed, as discussed here, includes portions of the Oklawaha and Waccasassa watersheds. The majority of these two watersheds occur within other water management districts. The small sections within the SWFWMD have been included in the Withlacoochee River watershed. The Withlacoochee River watershed encompasses parts of Marion, Levy, Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, and Polk counties and all of Sumter County. In addition to the river, numerous lakes and wetlands, there is a strong connection to the Floridan aquifer system. This watershed is largely undeveloped, but considerable population growth in this watershed will continue to create numerous issues between land and water resource use and planning. The Withlacoochee River, as well as the lakes and other aquatic resources in this watershed, provide high quality recreational opportunities for area residents and tourists. Maintaining good water quality and conditions, which also promotes the biological health of these aquatic resources, will ensure the maximum benefit for the resource now and in the future. This Plan seeks to integrate and coordinate Florida