1004401.0003.05
Draft
Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization
December 2016
Prepared by:
Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
This document was developed in support of the Surface Water Improvement and Management Program with funding assistance from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund.
ii Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Version History
Location(s) in Date Version Summary of Revision(s) Document
6/29/2016 1 All Initial draft Watershed Characterization (Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6) submitted to NWFWMD.
7/29/2016 2 Throughout Numerous edits and comments from District staff
11/21/2016 3 Throughout Numerous revisions to address District comments.
11/28/2016 4 Throughout Numerous edits and comments from District staff
12/8/2016 5 Throughout Numerous revisions to address District comments.
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Table of Contents Section Page 1.0 Introduction ...... 1 1.1 SWIM Program Background, Goals, and Objectives...... 1 1.2 Purpose and Scope of 2017 SWIM Plan ...... 2 2.0 Watershed Description ...... 5 2.1 Introduction ...... 5 2.2 Geographic Characteristics...... 6 2.2.1 Geography ...... 6 2.2.2 Land Use and Population ...... 10 2.3 Physical Setting ...... 14 2.3.1 Physiographic Region ...... 14 2.3.2 Ecoregions ...... 14 2.3.3 Climate ...... 19 2.3.4 Geology ...... 20 2.3.5 Soils ...... 20 2.4 Hydrologic Characteristics ...... 23 2.4.1 Major Rivers, Tributaries, and Coastal Waterbodies ...... 23 2.4.2 Coastal Waterbodies ...... 26 2.4.3 Lakes ...... 26 2.4.4 Springs ...... 28 2.4.5 Groundwater Systems ...... 30 2.5 Ecosystem Services ...... 30 2.5.1 Hydrologic Functions ...... 31 2.5.2 Nutrient Cycling ...... 31 2.5.3 Sediment Stabilization ...... 31 2.5.4 Commercially and Recreationally Important Fish and Wildlife ...... 33 2.5.5 Recreation and Aesthetic Value ...... 35 2.6 Ecological Resources ...... 36 2.6.1 Seagrass Beds ...... 37 2.6.2 Palustrine, Riparian, and Floodplain Habitats ...... 39 2.6.3 Emergent Marsh ...... 39 2.6.4 Steepheads ...... 40 2.6.5 Terrestrial Communities ...... 40 2.6.6 Migratory Bird Flyways ...... 41 3.0 Current Watershed Conditions and Water Resource Issues ...... 43 3.1 Introduction ...... 43
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3.2 Water Quality ...... 43 3.2.1 Impaired Waters ...... 43 3.2.2 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) ...... 46 3.2.3 Point Source Pollution ...... 48 3.2.4 Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution ...... 55 3.2.5 Ecological Indicators of Water Quality ...... 64 3.3 Habitat Quality in Receiving Waters ...... 67 3.3.1 Subtidal Communities ...... 67 3.3.2 Intertidal Communities ...... 68 3.3.3 Freshwater Systems ...... 68 3.4 Floodplains ...... 70 3.4.1 Flood Prone Areas ...... 71 3.4.2 Recent Flood Events ...... 71 3.4.3 Floodplain Management ...... 72 3.5 Unique Features and Special Resource Management Designations ...... 72 3.5.1 Conservation Lands ...... 72 3.5.2 Critical Habitat and Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas (SHCAs) ...... 75 3.5.3 Aquatic Preserves ...... 76 3.5.4 Outstanding Florida Waters (OFWs) ...... 76 3.5.5 Gulf Ecological Management Sites (GEMS) ...... 78 4.0 Implementation and Achievements of the Previous SWIM Plan ...... 79 4.1 Previous SWIM Plan Issues and Priorities ...... 79 4.2 Progress toward Meeting Plan Goals and Objectives ...... 81 5.0 Related Resource Management Activities ...... 84 5.1 Deepwater Horizon: RESTORE Act, Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), and NFWF Projects ...... 84 5.1.1 RESTORE ...... 84 5.1.2 Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) ...... 85 5.1.3 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) ...... 85 5.1.4 The Nature Conservancy (TNC): Watershed Management Planning ...... 86 5.2 Water Quality Monitoring ...... 87 5.2.1 FDEP/NWFWMD ...... 87 5.2.2 FDEP Northwest District ...... 88 5.2.3 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) ...... 88
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5.2.4 Florida Department of Health (FDOH) ...... 88 5.2.5 LakeWatch ...... 89 5.3 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Monitoring ...... 89 5.4 Water Quality Restoration and Protection...... 89 5.4.1 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) ...... 90 5.4.2 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permitting ...... 90 5.4.3 Domestic and Industrial Wastewater Permits ...... 91 5.4.4 Best Management Practices (BMPs) ...... 91 5.4.5 Environmental Resource Permitting (ERP) ...... 91 5.4.6 Regional Mitigation for State Transportation Projects...... 92 5.4.7 Florida Forever Work Plan ...... 92 5.4.8 Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs) ...... 93 5.4.9 Lake Management ...... 94 5.4.10 University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension (UF-IFAS) ...... 95 5.4.11 City and County Initiatives ...... 95 5.4.12 Other Programs and Actions ...... 97 6.0 References ...... 99
Appendices
Appendx A Geology and Soils in the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed ...... …………A-1 Appendix B Threatened and Endangered Species within the Watershed ...... …B-1 Appendix C Habitats and Natural Communities………………………… ...... ….....C-1 Appendix D 2014 FDEP Verified Impaired Waterbody Segments in the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed ...... …………………………………………D-1 Appendix E Conservation Lands within the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed ...... E-1 Appendix F Projects Funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed ...... …………………….F-1
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List of Tables
Table Page
Table 2-1 2012-2013 Land Use within the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed ...... 10
Table 2-2 Population in the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed (Based on Census Blocks) ...... 11
Table 2-3 Hierarchy of USGS Physiographic Regions and EPA Level 3 and 4 Ecoregions in the Watershed ...... 15
Table 3-1 TMDLs Adopted by the FDEP ...... 46
Table 3-2 Florida Solid Waste Facilities in the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed...... 51
Table 4-1 2012 Draft SWIM Plan Objectives, Watershed Issues, Management Strategies, and Potential Activities ...... 80
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List of Figures
Figure Page Figure 2-1 Proportion of the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed by State and County ...... 6 Figure 2-2 Greater Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed ...... 8 Figure 2-3 Features of the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed (Florida Portion) ...... 9 Figure 2-4 General Land Use of Greater Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed (including Alabama) ...... 10 Figure 2-5 Population Trends of Florida Counties in the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Counties ...... 11 Figure 2-6 2012-2013 Land Use and Land Cover ...... 12 Figure 2-7 Level 3 and 4 Ecoregions ...... 16 Figure 2-8 Hydric Soils ...... 22 Figure 2-9 Topography and Major Waterbodies ...... 25 Figure 2-10 Major Springs in the Watershed ...... 29 Figure 2-11 Special Flood Hazard Areas...... 32 Figure 2-12 Shellfish Harvesting Areas ...... 34 Figure 2-13 Seagrass Coverage ...... 38 Figure 3-1 Currently Listed Impaired Waterbody Segments, Excepting Mercury ...... 45 Figure 3-2 Non-mercury TMDLs in the Watershed ...... 47 Figure 3-3 Permitted Wastewater Facilities within the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed ...... 50 Figure 3-4 Mines Located in the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed ...... 53 Figure 3-5 New Septic System Installations by Year ...... 60 Figure 3-6 Septic Tank Locations within the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed ...... 61 Figure 3-7 Bioaccumulation of Methyl-Mercury ...... 63 Figure 3-8 Eutrophication Process...... 65 Figure 3-9 Conservation Lands within the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed ...... 77
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Abbreviations and Acronyms List
AMI Active Minerals International, LLC ARPC Apalachee Regional Planning Council AWT Advanced Wastewater Treatment BMAP Basin Management Action Plan BMP best management practice CWA Clean Water Act DO dissolved oxygen EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPD Georgia Environmental Protection Department ERP Florida - Environmental Resource Permitting °F Fahrenheit F.A.C. Florida Administrative Code FDACS Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services FDEC Florida Demographic Estimating Conference FDEP Florida Department of Environmental Protection FDOH Florida Department of Health FDOT Florida Department of Transportation FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FGS Florida Geological Survey FNAI Florida Natural Areas Inventory F.S. Florida Statutes FWC Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission FWRI Fish and Wildlife Research Institute GEBF Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund GEMS Gulf Ecological Management Site GIS Geographic Information Systems HAB harmful algal blooms I-10 Interstate 10 IWR Impaired Surface Waters Rule MFLs minimum flows and levels mgd million gallons per day MS4s municipal separate storm sewer systems
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NFWF National Fish and Wildlife Foundation NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NPL National Priority List NPS nonpoint source NRC National Research Council NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service NRDA Natural Resource Damage Assessment NWFWMD Northwest Florida Water Management District OFWs Outstanding Florida Waters OSTDS onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems RESTORE Act Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act RWSP Regional Water Supply Plan SAV submerged aquatic vegetation SEAS Shellfish Environmental Assessment Section SHCA Strategic Habitat Conservation Area SIMM Seagrass Integrated Mapping and Monitoring START Solutions To Avoid Red Tide STCM Storage Tank and Petroleum Contamination Monitoring SWIM Surface Water Improvement and Management SWTV Surface Water Temporal Variability TEEB The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity TMDL total maximum daily load TNC The Nature Conservancy UF-IFAS University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture USDOC U.S. Department of Commerce USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service USGS U.S. Geological Survey WBID waterbody identification number WWTF wastewater treatment facility
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1.0 Introduction
1 This watershed characterization has been prepared in support of a Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) plan for the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed. The SWIM plan is intended to provide a framework for 1.1 SWIM Program resource management, protection, and restoration using a watershed approach. Background, The SWIM Program is administered by the Northwest Florida Water Goals, and Management District (NWFWMD or District) and includes management actions Objectives to address water quality, natural systems, and watershed functions and benefits. This plan incorporates and supersedes the Lake Jackson Management Plan, 1.2 Purpose and which was last updated in 1997. It also builds upon and supersedes the draft Scope of 2017 Ochlockonee River and Bay SWIM plan, which was completed by the District SWIM Plan in 2012.
The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed begins in southern Georgia and includes the Ochlockonee River and Bay and their tributaries, which are located primarily in Gadsden, Liberty, Leon and Wakulla counties, and portions of coastal Franklin County (Figure 2-1). Although a significant portion of the watershed is located in Georgia, the scope of this plan, for implementation purposes, is limited to the Florida portion.
1.1 SWIM Program Background, Goals, and Objectives
SWIM Plans have been developed pursuant to the SWIM Act, which was enacted by the Florida Legislature in 1987 and amended in 1989 through sections 373.451-373.459, Florida Statutes (F.S.). Through this act, the Legislature recognized threats to the quality and function of the state's surface water resources. The SWIM Act authorized the state’s five water management districts to:
Develop programs improve management of surface waters and associated resources; Develop plans identifying current conditions and processes affecting the quality of surface waters; Identify strategies and management actions to restore and protect waterbodies; and Conduct research improve scientific understanding of the causes and effects of the degradation of surface waters and associated natural systems.
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The SWIM program addresses overarching goals and priorities through the identification In addition to the SWIM Act of 1987, the following and implementation of projects, which are Florida Statutes and administrative codes support and complement the SWIM program: vetted and prioritized by the District and local stakeholders, with public input. Projects may Chapter 259, F.S.: Florida Forever Act: Land Acquisitions and Capital Improvements for include stormwater retrofits and floodplain Conservation or Recreation restoration for water quality improvement, Chapter 375, F.S.: Land Acquisition Trust wetland and aquatic habitat restoration, Fund resource assessments, and public outreach and Section 403.067(7)(A)4, F.S.: Total Maximum awareness initiatives, among others. Daily Loads (TMDLs)
Section 373.042, F.S.: Minimum Flows and Surface Water Improvement Management Minimum Water Levels Plans integrate complementary programs and Chapter 62-302, Florida Administrative Code activities to protect and restore watershed (F.A.C.): Surface Water Quality Standards resources and functions. They are also designed Chapter 62-303, F.A.C.: Identification of to address water quality and natural systems Impaired Surface Waters challenges that are more broadly outlined in the Chapter 62-304, F.A.C.: TMDLs District’s strategic plan. 1.2 Purpose and Scope of 2017 SWIM Plan
Development of the 2017 Ochlockonee River and Bay SWIM Plan update (hereafter called the 2017 SWIM Plan) is funded by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (GEBF), with the intent to further the purpose of the GEBF to remedy harm and eliminate or reduce the risk to Gulf resources affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
In 2012, the District completed a draft Ochlockonee River and Bay SWIM plan that recognized three priority objectives, which also addressed three of the NWFWMD’s statutory areas of responsibility relating to watershed management:
1. Water quality protection and improvement, focusing on prevention and abatement of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution in the upper reaches of the basin; 2. Natural systems protection, enhancement, and restoration, including stream, wetland, aquatic, and riparian habitat restoration on lands purchased for conservation in the lower basin; and 3. Protection and, if necessary, restoration of floodplain functions.
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The Lake Jackson Management Plan (1990, 1994, and 1997) additionally In the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, major stakeholders include: included a project plan with four The NWFWMD programs: water quality, preservation U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and restoration, watershed management, and public education and awareness. Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) This 2017 SWIM Plan assesses progress Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission made toward implementation of priorities (FWC) identified in the earlier planning efforts, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer while also addressing new issues, Services (FDACS) ongoing challenges, and opportunities for Florida Department of Economic Opportunity achieving watershed protection and Apalachee Regional Planning Council (ARPC) restoration. Further, the 2017 SWIM Plan The Nature Conservancy (TNC) describes the watershed’s physical The NFWF characteristics and natural resources, The Trust for Public Lands provides an assessment of the Apalachee Audubon watershed’s current condition, and identifies priority challenges affecting Gadsden, Liberty, Leon, Wakulla, and Franklin counties watershed resources and functions. The 2017 SWIM Plan also prescribes a set of Municipalities, including Tallahassee, Sopchoppy, Bristol, Quincy, Gretna, and Midway management actions to meet those Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge challenges and needs. Management actions are generally limited to those Friends of the Apalachicola National Forest within the mission and scope of the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land NWFWMD SWIM program and the Conservancy NFWF GEBF, recognizing the ongoing Various unincorporated communities, including Greensboro and Panacea initiatives and needs of local communities and other agencies. Florida Lake Watch And many others For the purposes of SWIM, watersheds are the logical ecological and geographical units for planning and managing restoration efforts along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Successful watershed management requires coordination and implementation of complementary programs and projects under the purview of all jurisdictions and agencies involved in the watershed. Among these are local, state, and federal regulatory and management agencies; conservation lands acquisition and management organizations; and other interested stakeholders.
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The 2017 SWIM Plan identifies projects and opportunities to leverage funding from many sources; integrating the efforts of local governments, state and federal agencies, and private entities to pool resources and achieve mutual objectives and goals; and to present innovative, sustainable solutions to watershed issues.
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2.0 Watershed Description 2 2.1 Introduction The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed covers approximately 1,585,000 acres and 2.1 Introduction extends from the clay hills of southern Ochlockonee River and Bay 2.2 Geographic Georgia through the Big Bend of Florida. watershed attributes: Characteristics Approximatley 53 percent of the watershed Two states: Georgia and (832,000 acres) is in Florida, while 47 percent Florida; 2.3 Physical Setting falls within Georgia. The basin includes seven Five Florida counties; 2.4 Hydrologic U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Seven EPA Level 4 Characteristics Level 4 ecoregions and encompasses 30 ecoregions; unique habitat types recognized by the Florida 30 unique natural 2.5 Ecosystem Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI). Major communities; Services habitats include streams, rivers, freshwater 216 miles of the Ochlockonee River (116 lakes, bays, and estuaries. The Ochlockonee 2.6 Ecological miles within Florida); and Resources River, which drains to the Gulf of Mexico via 2,476 square miles. Ochlockonee Bay and adjacent Apalachee Bay, is approximately 216 miles long, of which 116 miles of the river (including Lake Talquin) flows through the state of Florida. The Ochlockonee Bay estuary covers approximately nine square miles bordering southern Wakulla and Franklin counties and is fed primarily by the Ochlockonee and Sopchoppy rivers (NWFWMD 2012).
The ecosystems comprising the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed fall under the jurisdiction of multiple local and county governments and state and federal agencies. These entities manage natural resources, establish conservation lands, implement land use and land management plans and regulations, and establish best management practices (BMPs) that directly influence water quality and habitat integrity..
This section provides an overview of the physical, hydrological, and ecological characteristics, as well as the land use and population dynamics of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed.
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2.2 Geographic Characteristics
2.2.1 Geography
The greater Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed spans portions of Georgia and Florida and ultimately drains into the Gulf of Mexico. It covers approximately 1.6 million acres, with 53 percent of the watershed located within the eastern Florida Panhandle, and the remaining 47 percent in Georgia (see Figure 2-1) (NWFWMD 2012). Within Georgia, the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed spans portions of Worth, Mitchell, Colquitt, Decatur, Grady, and Thomas counties. Within Florida, the watershed spans portions of Gadsden, Leon, and Liberty counties in its upland reaches, as well as coastal Wakulla and Franklin counties (see Figures 2-2 and 2-3).
Source: NWFWMD 2012 Figure 2-1 Proportion of the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed by State and County
The Ochlockonee River enters Florida from Grady County, Georgia, and forms the natural boundary between Leon and Gadsden counties. The river flows south to the Gulf of Mexico, along the length of Gadsden and Liberty counties until it empties into Ochlockonee Bay along the Franklin County and Wakulla County border.
Southwestern Leon County and northwestern Wakulla County includes the headwaters of the Sopchoppy River, which also discharges into Ochlockonee Bay. The Crooked River enters the
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Ochlockonee River from southeastern Franklin County close to its discharge at Ochlockonee Bay.
Unlike many other watersheds in northwest Florida, most of the intensive development is in the inland areas of the watershed. Such areas include the northwestern portion of Tallahassee, the state’s capitol and seventh largest city. Smaller towns and cities, such as Havana, Quincy, Midway, Bristol, Greensboro, and Gretna are all located in the northern half of the watershed. The City of Sopchoppy in southern Wakulla County is the only municipality in the southern portion of the watershed. Significant coastal portions of the watershed are designated conservation lands, including Bald Point State Park, Mashes Sands, and portions of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. Almost 40 percent of the Apalachicola National Forest is within the watershed. Coastal development is limited to the vicinity of the unincorporated community of Panacea and residential development near the mouth of the river adjacent to Ochlockonee Bay.
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Source: Federal Highway Administration ([FHWA] 2014; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 2015a; U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 2015 Figure 2-2 Greater Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed
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Source: FHWA 2014 NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015. Figure 2-3 Features of the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed (Florida Portion)
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2.2.2 Land Use and Population
Land uses in the northernmost portions of the watershed consist primarily of a mixture of silviculture, agriculture, and residential uses (low- and high-density) (Figures 2-4 and 2-5 and Table 2- 1). Upland forests, many of which are managed for silviculture, occur throughout the northern watershed. Agriculture is prominent within Gadsden County, particularly along the fertile floodplains that border tributaries of Telogia Creek (FDEP 2015a). Sources: FDEP 2015a; USGS 2011. Wetlands are concentrated within the floodplains of Figure 2-4 General Land Use of the Ochlockonee River, Telogia Creek, Little River, Greater Ochlockonee River and Bay the Sopchoppy River, and their tributaries; around Watershed (including Alabama) large lakes, including Jackson, Iamonia, and Talquin; and within the Bradwell Bay Wilderness Area of the Apalachicola National Forest in western Wakulla County (FDEP 2015a). The southeastern portion of the watershed consists substantially of silviculture and conservation lands, with the exception of areas in the vicinity of Sopchoppy and Panacea (FDEP 2015a).
Table 2-1 2012-2013 Land Use within the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed
General Land Use Estimated Square Percent of Basin (Florida Portion) Category Miles Agriculture 76 5.8 Developed 86 6.6 Open Land 11 0.9 Upland Forests 629 48.3 Water 30 2.3 Wetlands 469 36.1 Source: FDEP 2015a. The watershed includes significant holdings of conservation land and protected natural areas such as the Apalachicola National Forest, Tate’s Hell State Forest, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Joe Budd Wildlife Management Area, Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park; and Lake Talquin, Ochlockonee River, and Bald Point state parks. Conservation lands within the watershed provide a buffer system that helps to protect water quality, provide flood protection, and sustain
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Population growth and development in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed have been concentrated primarily within Leon County (Figures 2-4 and 2-5; Table 2-1 and 2-2). This has transformed significant areas from rural and agricultural to urban/suburban in character. The University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research projects the largest percentage increases in population to occur in Leon and Liberty counties. From 2015 to 2040, these counties are projected to increase in population by 22 percent and 26 percent, respectively (Florida Demographic Estimating Conference [FDEC] 2015). Along with this population growth, Source: FDEC 2015. Figure 2-5 Population Trends of increases in development, waste production, Florida Counties in the Ochlockonee use of recreational areas, as well as land use River and Bay Watershed Counties changes are anticipated.
Table 2-2 Population in the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed (Based on Census Blocks)
Florida County Population 2010 Gadsden 39,263 Leon 47,187 Liberty 5,694 Franklin 101 Wakulla 2,568 Total 94,813 Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2010.
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Sources: FDEP 2015a; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a, 2016b. Figure 2-6 2012-2013 Land Use and Land Cover
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Gadsden County occupies the largest proportion (approximately 32 percent) of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed relative to the other counties within Florida. Gadsden County has a year-round population of 48,360 people and projected growth rates for 2015 – 2025 showing an increase of 3.45 percent and 7.38 percent for 2025 – 2040 (FDEC 2015).
Liberty County is the second largest county within the watershed, occupying approximately 24 percent (198,943 acres) of the basin. Projected growth rates for Liberty County show an increase in population of 11.08 percent from 2015 – 2025 and a 25.89 percent increase from 2015 – 2040 (FDEC 2015). While the projected percentage increases in population are significant, the overall county population remains low relative to some of the other counties in the watershed. Within Liberty County, the City of Bristol occurs on the western-most boundary of the watershed. Most of Liberty County is rural supporting agriculture and silviculture.
The third and fourth largest counties in the watershed are Wakulla and Leon counties, respectively. Wakulla County accounts for approximately 20 percent of the watershed while Leon County accounts for approximately 19 percent of the watershed’s land area. Wakulla County makes up the southeastern portion of the basin, with the Ochlockonee River forming the boundary between Wakulla and Liberty counties. Wakulla County’s portion of the watershed is comprised primarily of conservation lands and managed forests, including the Apalachicola National Forest, Ochlockonee River State Park, and the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, which abuts the Ochlockonee Bay. The City of Sopchoppy, located on the Sopchoppy River, is the largest developed area and only municipality within the county’s portion of the watershed.
Although Leon County’s portion of the watershed is the second smallest in terms of land area, it contains the watershed’s largest city, Tallahassee, as well as the watershed’s largest population. Projected growth reflects a 9.56 percent increase from 2015 – 2025 and a 21.93 percent increase from 2015 – 2040 (FDEC 2015). Land use change has continued in the Tallahassee metropolitan area since the 2012 SWIM Update, including the recent 2014 – 2015 airport expansion, development and expansion of suburbs, and the expansion of pedestrian routes within the city.
Franklin County occupies approximately five percent of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, including the western shoreline of Ochlockonee Bay. Several unincorporated communities occur within the county. Much like Wakulla County, most of Franklin County’s portion of the watershed is comprised of conservation lands and managed forests, including Tate’s Hell State Forest and Bald Point State Park.
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2.3 Physical Setting
The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed can be characterized geographically by its physiographic regions and ecoregions. First introduced by Nevin Fenneman and extensively mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), physiographic regions are based on landforms and the geologic formations responsible for their expression across the landscape. Defined by the EPA, ecoregions are geographic areas with similar ecosystems that are used for research, management, monitoring, and assessment. Ecoregions can be similar in extent to physiographic regions due to the interactions between geology, hydrology, and ecology; but unlike physiographic regions, ecoregions are defined by both their biotic and abiotic characteristics. Ecoregions are identified by analyzing patterns in soils, vegetation, climate, land use, wildlife, and hydrology, as well as geology and landforms (EPA 2016a).
2.3.1 Physiographic Region
Gulf Coastal Plain
The greater Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, including Georgia’s portion, lies within the Gulf Coastal Plain physiographic region, which is characterized by gently rolling hills, sharp ridges, wet prairies, and alluvial floodplains underlain by sand, gravel, porous limestone, chalk, marl, and clay (NWFWMD 2012). Within this greater physiographic region, the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed encompasses two localized physiographic regions in Florida separated distinctly by the Cody Scarp: the Tallahassee Hills subdivision of the Northern Highlands and the Gulf Coastal Lowlands. The Northern Highlands and the Tallahassee Hills subdivision are characterized by greater topographic relief (five to 12 percent slopes) and extensive sand and clay deposits overlying limestone bedrock. South of the Cody Scarp, the Gulf Coastal Lowlands form an expansive, gently sloping plain dominated by karst features, which extends to the Gulf of Mexico (USGS 2013). More details on the geology and soils of these regions follow this section.
2.3.2 Ecoregions
Southeastern Plains and Southern Coastal Plain
Two EPA Level 3 ecoregions occur in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed: the Southeastern Plains and Southern Coastal Plain. Within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, the Southeastern Plains ecoregion includes three Level 4 sub-regions and the Southern Coastal Plain includes four Level 4 sub-regions (Table 2-3 and Figure 2-6) (EPA
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2013a, 2013b, 2013c; Griffith et al. n.d.). Level 4 ecoregions are smaller divisions of level 3 ecoregions with more detailed descriptions. Divisions at this scale allow for the identification of locally defining characteristics, and the formulation of specific, locally oriented management strategies (Omernik 1995).
Table 2-3 Hierarchy of USGS Physiographic Regions and EPA Level 3 and 4 Ecoregions in the Watershed
USGS Physiographic Region Sub-Regions
Northern Highlands Tallahassee Hills Gulf Coastal Plains Gulf Coastal Lowlands
EPA Level 3 Ecoregion Level 4 Ecoregion Southern Pine Plains and Hills Southeastern Plains Tallahassee Hills/Valdosta Limesink Tifton Upland Gulf Coast Flatwoods Big Bend Coastal Marsh Southern Coastal Plain Gulf Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes Floodplains and Low Terraces Sources: EPA 2013a, 2013b.
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Sources: EPA 2013a, 2013b, NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a, 2016b. Figure 2-7 Level 3 and 4 Ecoregions
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Southeastern Plains and Sub-regions
The Southeastern Plains Level 3 ecoregion makes up the northern portion of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed. As the largest Level 3 ecoregion in the eastern U.S., the Southeastern Plains extend from near the Gulf of Mexico in the south to Maryland in the north. This expansive ecoregion is covered by a mosaic of cropland, pasture, forest, and wetland. Prone to abundant rainfall and a long growing season, relatively poor sandy soils found in much of the ecoregion limit agricultural competitiveness with many other regions. Natural forests of pine, hickory, and oak once covered most of the ecoregion, but much of the natural forest cover has been replaced by heavily-managed timberlands. The following Level 4 subcategories of the Southeastern Plains ecoregion are found within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed:
. Tifton Upland. The Tifton Upland has rolling, hilly topography with a mosaic of agriculture, pasture, and some mixed pine/hardwood forests. Soils are well-drained, brownish, and loamy, often with iron-rich or plinthic layers. They support crops of cotton, peanuts, soybeans, and corn. On the west side of the region, the Pelham Escarpment has bluffs and deep ravines with cool microclimates that support several rare plants and animals, as well as species with more northern affinities. Within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, the Tifton Upland is located in northern Gadsden County (north of the Cody Scarp). Land-cover is primarily cropland, pastureland, and managed forest. Significant sand mining also occurs in the Tifton Upland. . Southern Pine Plains and Hills. The Southern Pine Plains and Hills sub-region can be found in Bay County near Youngstown and the western portion of Calhoun County that falls within the watershed. Once described as almost all southern mixed forest and longleaf pine forests, this ecoregion has since been replaced mostly by slash and loblolly pine plantations. Soils are well-to-moderately-drained ultisols and alfisols with fine sandy loam or silt loam surface texture. Many rare or endangered species inhabit these historic longleaf pine forests. Southern Pine Plains and Hills can be found in southern Gadsden County and northern Liberty County in the Telogia Creek region.
. Tallahassee Hills/Valdosta Limesink. The Tallahassee Hills/Valdosta Limesink ecoregion combines two slightly different areas, both influenced by underlying limestone. The Floridan aquifer is thinly confined in this region, and streams are often intermittent. In the west, the Tallahassee Hills portion has rolling, hilly topography that is more forested. Clayey sands weathered to a thick red residual soil are typical. Relief decreases towards the east, and the Valdosta Limesink area has more solution basins with ponds and lakes, and more cropland. The Tallahassee Hills/Valdosta Limesink region begins
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east of the Ochlockonee River and encompasses the Tallahassee region and the northeastern portion of the watershed. The region extends approximately 18 miles from the Georgia state line and is characterized by hills that average 120 feet high (Torak et al. 2010; USDA 1981), although in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, the hilltops often exceed 200 feet.
Southern Coastal Plain and Sub-regions
The Southern Coastal Plain Level 3 ecoregion makes up the southern portion of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, from just south of Tallahassee and the Cody Scarp to the coast. This ecoregion is generally lower in elevation, with less relief and wetter soils than the Southeastern Plains. Though predominantly flat plains including coastal lagoons, marshes, and swampy lowlands, this ecoregion also contains barrier islands. In the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, much of the Southern Coastal Plain region is conservation land, including the Apalachicola National Forest, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Bald Point State Park, Ochlockonee River State Park, and Tate’s Hell State Forest. The following Level 4 subcategories of the Southern Coastal Plain ecoregion are found within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed:
. Gulf Coast Flatwoods. The Gulf Coast Flatwoods make up the majority of the Southeastern Coastal Plains including much of the southern Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed. This ecoregion occurs extensively in Wakulla and Franklin counties, adjacent to western Ochlockonee Bay, as well as in Leon County south of the Cody Scarp. The Gulf Coast Flatwoods ecoregion is a narrow region of nearly level terraces and alluvial and deltaic deposits composed of Quaternary sands and clays. The wet sandy flats and broad depressions of this ecoregion are typically poorly drained and swampy in nature. Many of the more well-drained areas in the ecoregion have been cleared for use as pasture or cropland. . Floodplains and Low Terraces. Floodplains and Low Terraces occur along the floodplain of the lower Ochlockonee River, south of the Cody Scarp. This ecoregion is a continuation of the Southeastern Floodplains and Low Terraces (the floodplain ecoregion located in the Southeastern Plains) and is primarily composed of stream alluvium and terrace deposits of sand, silt, clay, and gravel, along with some organic muck and swamp deposits. . Big Bend Coastal Marsh. The Big Bend is a marsh-dominated coast extending from the vicinity of Panacea in Wakulla County to Anclote Keys in Pasco County. The entire Big Bend region is recognized as a distinctive, tide-dominated, open marsh coast. The Big
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Bend’s intertidal zone is comprised of approximately 160,618 acres of tidal wetlands dominated by black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus). Thin sediments overlie a karst limestone shelf of the St. Marks Formation, the Suwanee Limestone, and the Ocala Limestone. Coastal forest thrives inland on the tidal marsh and scattered tree islands, or hammocks, and dot the intertidal zone at elevated locations. In some places, the adjacent upland consists of land development, pine plantation, or hydric hammock. Common characteristics in the Big Bend include a broad low-gradient offshore shelf, an open coast, low sediment supply, a one-meter tide range, low wave energy, near-surface limestone, and flow from the Floridan aquifer (Raabe et al. 2004). Within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, the Big Bend Coastal Marsh ecoregion can be found at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.
. Gulf Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes. The Gulf Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes Region makes up a relatively small portion of coastline in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed adjacent to the Ochlockonee Bay at Bald Point. The Gulf Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes region contains salt and brackish marshes, dunes, beaches, and barrier islands. Cordgrass (Spartina spp.) and saltgrass (Distichlis spp.) are common in protected intertidal zones, while xeric coastal strand and pine scrub vegetation occurs on parts of the dunes, spits, and barrier islands. The Gulf Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes ecoregion differs from the Big Bend Coastal marsh based on dominant vegetation in the tidal zone (needle rush vs. cordgrass and saltgrass), as well as the landforms that influence the distribution of flora (thin low-gradient sediments overlying a karst plain vs. dunes, spits, and protected intertidal zones).
2.3.3 Climate
The climate of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed is largely determined by its subtropical latitude (29.9°-30.7°N) and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. Daily temperature variations tend to be less along the coast relative to areas of the watershed further inland, which are less moderated by the Gulf. Summers are often hot and humid and winters cool and dry. For the Tallahassee region from 1981 – 2010, the mean minimum temperature was 39.7 Fahrenheit (°F) in January and mean maximum was 92.0°F in July (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] 2011; NWFWMD 2012). Mean annual precipitation is 63 inches with July being the rainiest (mean maximum 8 inches) and September being the driest (mean 3 inches) (NWFWMD 2012). The average annual precipitation for 2002 – 2014 was approximately 60 inches, with the northern-most reaches of the watershed receiving 2-4 inches less than the coastal and middle portions of the watershed (Southeast Regional Climate Center 2007).
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Wind conditions are typically northerly through the winter and southerly during the summer months, but vary with the passage of major air masses and thermal convection (sea breezes). Hurricanes and tropical storms occasionally influence the summer and fall weather of the watershed, bringing extremes in wind, rainfall, and tides (USDA 1991, 2009).
2.3.4 Geology
Geological formations in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed follow much of the general stratigraphy of the western Florida Panhandle. Much of the watershed’s geologic features are a product of prehistoric marine deposition during periods when sea level was higher than the present. The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed encompasses two main physiographic regions in Florida separated distinctly by the Cody Scarp: the Tallahassee Hills subdivision of the Northern Highlands and the Gulf Coastal Lowlands. The Tallahassee Hills are immediately underlain by the Miccosukee Formation and the Hawthorn Group (Torak et al. 2010). The Miccosukee Formation caps topographically high areas on the Tifton Upland and lies unconformably on the Miocene Hawthorn Group–Torreya Formation (representing a break in the sedimentary record). Sediments of the Miccosukee Formation extend eastward from Gadsden County. In the absence of Holocene and Pleistocene deposits, sediments of the Citronelle Formation exist at land surface, capping many of the hills in Gadsden County. Near-surface formations include dolomitic limestones, sandy clayey limestones; and finally, shell beds, clayey sands, and sands. Unconsolidated Holocene siliciclastic sediments (nearly pure quartz sands with minor heavy mineral sands) can be found adjacent to Ochlockonee Bay at Bald Point. Due to the geography of the watershed’s shoreline, these sediments, which comprise the Panhandle’s well- known white sandy beaches, are relatively sparse in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed compared to other watersheds in the region.
Most of the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed is within the Apalachicola Embayment and Gulf Trough (Torak et al. 2010). Within the Apalachicola Embayment and Gulf Trough, the aquifer is well-confined, recharge rates are low, and aquifer yields are relatively low. However, in northwest Leon County near Lake Jackson and in Wakulla County, the aquifer is semi- confined or unconfined and aquifer yields can be higher. In this area, karst features such as sinkhole lakes may provide hydrologic connectivity to the Floridan aquifer. More details on the geology of the watershed may be found in Appendix A.
2.3.5 Soils
Upland soils within the northern Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed have formed on beds of clayey and sandy parent materials and are typically well developed, with distinct horizons that
20 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT exhibit the vertical movement of iron and organic materials. (Collins 2010, USDA 2014). In heavily developed areas near Tallahassee and in places where extensive mining has occurred, these deep, well-weathered soils have been removed, eroded, and heavily altered. The central portion of the watershed, which consists largely of the Apalachicola National Forest is characterized by forest soils, hydric (wetland) soils, and young, poorly developed soils that occur along stream banks. Hydric soils are extensive in the Bradwell Bay Wilderness and adjacent to the south bank of Lake Talquin (Collins 2010). Younger poorly developed soils can also be found on St. James Island where coastal erosional and depositional processes are still active. Detailed information about soils within the watershed is provided in Appendix A.
Soils within the watershed have been used for crop production, silviculture, and pastureland since the state’s settlement. Historically, corn, peanuts, soybeans, watermelons, and a few vegetables were farmed across Leon County (NWFWMD 2013; USDA 1981, 2009). In Gadsden County, predominant crops include vegetables, nurseries, and sod (NFWFWMD 2013). Sediment loads have been increasing in the Ochlockonee River drainage since the 1950s as timberlands were converted to agricultural lands and mining operations.
Hydric soils, which are common throughout the watershed, are defined as soils “formed under conditions of saturation, flooding, or ponding long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part” (Figure 2-7). Soils that exhibit hydric properties are important indicators of wetlands and floodplains. Hydric soil, in conjunction with hydrophytic vegetation and hydrologic properties, are used to define the jurisdictional boundaries of wetlands in the National Food Security Act Manual (Soil Conservation Service 1994) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Wetlands Delineation Manual (USACE Environmental Laboratory 1987). Understanding the distribution of hydric soils is useful for agricultural purposes, land-use planning, conservation planning, and assessment of potential wildlife habitat (USDA 2016a). Within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, hydric soils occur predominantly along the floodplains of the watershed’s major rivers and tributaries, as well as in the far western portion of the watershed in the Apalachicola National Forest (particularly the Bradwell Bay Wilderness) and Tate’s Hell State Forest (predominantly Franklin County).
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Sources: NOAA 2015a; USDA 2013; USGS 2015, 2016a, 2016b. Figure 2-8 Hydric Soils
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In addition to serving a critical role in forest production and management, soil intercepts and absorbs surface water runoff, thereby, preventing erosion and water quality impairments when properly managed. Clay rich-soils in the Red Hills contribute to water level and flow variability within the watershed, as they tend to absorb rainwater slowly. Qualities of the soil, such as erodibility and permeability, greatly influence factors such as runoff or groundwater recharge and the potential for groundwater contamination. The pH and clay content of the soil also influences soil cation exchange capacity and potential to retain certain contaminants. Additionally, storing carbon in soil is one strategy to decrease the concentration of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. At a global scale, soil can store four times more carbon than living biomass (trees, grasses, etc.) (Vasques and Grunwald 2007).
According to Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) data, many of the soils in the watershed are classified as “highly erodible”. When soils erode from the landscape, they contribute sediment to surface waters, which changes hydrology of streams and impacts habitat and water quality. The effects of sedimentation and erosion on water quality are further discussed in Section 3.2. However, well managed soils can contribute to improved water quality. Soils store rainwater, runoff, and stormwater in pore spaces, which regulates groundwater recharge, helps mitigate flooding, and increases the duration that water is available for plant uptake. Soils can be amended with organic material to create agricultural benefits, but unlike the vegetation they support, mature soils are not generally considered to be renewable resources on human time scales. The formation of soils that can support ecologically distinct communities can take anywhere from hundreds to thousands of years, depending on the environment.
2.4 Hydrologic Characteristics
The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed contains surface waters including freshwater lakes, streams, salt marshes, and freshwater wetlands occupying approximately 319,309 acres (or 38 percent) of the total watershed area (FDEP Land Use data).
2.4.1 Major Rivers, Tributaries, and Coastal Waterbodies
Receiving a majority of its water from surface runoff, the Ochlockonee River begins in Worth County, Georgia, crosses into Florida, where it is interrupted by the impounded Lake Talquin and ultimately discharges into the Ochlockonee Bay (216 miles total, 116 miles within Florida). Baseflow for the river and its tributaries originates from the water table and surficial aquifer, recharged by rainfall. The river flows predominantly southwest until it meets Telogia Creek, at which point its curves toward the southeast and ends in the brackish waters of Ochlockonee Bay (Figure 2-8 and Figure 2-9). Downstream of Lake Talquin, the Ochlockonee River is controlled
23 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT hydraulically through the retention and release of water by Jackson Bluff Dam, operated by the City of Tallahassee. South of the dam, the river flows through mostly undeveloped conservation land, including the Apalachicola National Forest and Tate’s Hell State Forest, before reaching the bay. The Ochlockonee River’s main tributaries include the Little River, which enters Lake Talquin from the north; Telogia Creek, which joins the river south of Lake Talquin; and the Crooked River, which joins the Ochlockonee approximately 1.5 miles west of the U.S. Highway 319 Bridge.
Beginning as a blackwater stream in the Apalachicola National Forest, the Sopchoppy River drains approximately 102 square miles of flat sandy terrain, receives water from the Floridan aquifer downstream where the river has eroded through limestone, and is roughly 50 miles in length within Wakulla County (Florida Department of Environmental Regulation 1987; Pascale and Wagner 1982). The Sopchoppy River discharges into Ochlockonee Bay north of the mouth of the Ochlockonee River.
The Crooked River flows through coastal Franklin County and discharges into the Ochlockonee River near its confluence with Ochlockonee Bay. On the west, the Crooked River meets the New River near the City of Carrabelle (Apalachicola watershed) and forms the Carrabelle River which empties into St. George Sound. Together, the Crooked and Carrabelle rivers form St. James Island northwest of Alligator Point. Like the lower Ochlockonee River and the lower Sopchoppy River, the Crooked River is tidally influenced up to 12 miles upstream from the mouth of the Ochlockonee River (NWFWMD 2012).
In 2010, Grady County, Georgia, secured a permit from the USACE to construct a 960-acre recreational fishing lake at the confluence of three creeks which combine to form Tired Creek (Grady County 2016a). Construction of the impoundment began in the summer of 2016 (Grady County 2016b; Thomasville Times-Enterprise 2016).
Little River, fed by Hurricane Creek, Quincy Creek, Willacoochee Creek, Attapulous Creek, and Swamp Creek, discharges into the northern side of Lake Talquin. Bear Creek also discharges into Lake Talquin, west of Little River. Other notable creeks enter the Ochlockonee River north of the Florida border and include Bridge Creek, Little Ochlockonee River, Tired Creek, Barnett’s Creek, and Tide Creek.
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Sources: FGS 2015; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a, 2016b. Figure 2-9 Topography and Major Waterbodies
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2.4.2 Coastal Waterbodies
Located in the western extent of Florida’s Big Bend coastline, Apalachee Bay is in direct contact with the Gulf of Mexico and includes the smaller, more isolated embayments including the Ochlockonee, Dickson, and Oyster Bays. The Ochlockonee Bay is tucked between Mashes Island and Bald Point. Because both the Ochlockonee and Sopchoppy rivers discharge a significant amount of freshwater into the western portion of the Ochlockonee Bay, salinity within the bay tends to be variable and stratified (Ichiye et al. 1961).
Located in Franklin and Wakulla counties, Ochlockonee Bay is a narrow bay spanning approximately nine square miles that feeds into the larger Apalachee Bay and the Gulf of Mexico (Figure 2-8). Ochlockonee Bay represents a drowned river valley that was cut during lower stands of sea level in the Pleistocene. Apalachee Bay includes thousands of acres of seagrass beds and many miles of coastline consisting of nearshore marshes. These natural communities serve as a nursery and foraging grounds for sea turtles, birds, mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus), amberjack (Seriola spp.), and other important commercial and recreational fish and shellfish species.
2.4.3 Lakes
According to the National Hydrography Dataset, there are 67 lakes in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, including numerous sinkhole lakes and man-made impoundments. Noteworthy lakes include karst lakes in the watershed’s northern reaches such as Lake Jackson, Lake Iamonia, Lake Hall, and Lake Overstreet, as well as the Talquin Reservoir on the Ochlockonee River and Tucker Lake located in the coastal portion of the watershed at Bald Point State Park.
Lake Iamonia and Lake Jackson are located north of Tallahassee and east of the Ochlockonee River. These lakes were formed by dissolution and collapse of limestone, which caused sinkholes to coalesce and form lakes in the karst topography. Both lakes exhibit limited connectivity to the Floridan aquifer through sinkholes in their lake beds. They have been known to drain completely following extended dry spells when the aquifer has dropped several feet. When groundwater is no longer supporting the overlying limestone and sediments, sinkholes can open, causing the remaining lake water to drain to the aquifer over a period of days or weeks. The lakes refill when the water table returns to normal levels, and the sinkholes eventually fill with new sediments (Wolfe et al. 1988). These “disappearing” lakes are particularly sensitive to nutrient pollution and can transfer these pollutants to the groundwater. It has been estimated that approximately 40 percent of the annual water loss in karst lakes occurs through seepage to the underlying aquifer (McGlynn 2006a, 2006b).
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Lake Iamonia (5,700 acres), located approximately two miles south of the Florida-Georgia border, was once a tributary of the Ochlockonee River. The lake has been heavily altered throughout its history. Along with a connection to the underlying Floridan aquifer, Lake Iamonia maintains an intermittent connection to the river during periods of high river flow or lake level (Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Conservancy 2016). Lake Iamonia is also hydrologically connected to Foshalee Lake, a 1,400 acre waterbody to the east of the lake that has historically been dominated by marshland (Lake Iamonia Task Force 1991). The lake experienced complete drawdowns in 1931, 1981, and 2000 (McGlynn 2006a; Wolf et al. 1988). In 1910, a dam was built to isolate Lake Iamonia from the Ochlockonee River and create a more well drained basin for agriculture downstream. Sloughs that once connected the two waterbodies were restricted to flowing beneath two small bridges separated by fill. As the region continued to develop, use of the basin shifted from agricultural to recreational use and a dike was built around Lake Iamonia’s sinkhole to keep water in the lake. Lake Iamonia is hydrologically connected to the Killearn Lakes Plantation development through a series of impoundments that ultimately discharge into the lake via Lester Creek. In the vicinity of the lake and sloughs, stormwater runoff and failing septic systems have contributed pollutants to Lake Iamonia (McGlynn 2006a).
Lake Jackson, a 4,000-acre lake located just north of Tallahassee, is also considered a shallow, prairie lake with two major sinkholes (Porter Sink and Lime Sink). The lake drained in 1956, 1982, and 1999-2000 (Penson 2002; Wolf et al. 1988). Lake Jackson is influenced by the Megginnis Arm and Fords Arm drainages, which receive stormwater runoff from the Tallahassee area. Lake Jackson, inclusive of Lake Carr and Mallard Pond, was designated as Aquatic Preserves in 1974 to protect their recreational, biological, and aesthetic value to the area (discussed further in Section 2.5) (Leon County 2016a).
Located near Carrabelle, Tucker Lake is the largest lake in Bald Point State Park. Corn Landing Lake is located north of St. Teresa near the confluence of the Ochlockonee River and Ochlockonee Bay.
Lake Talquin, the largest impoundment in the watershed (approximately 8,800 acres), is 15 miles long and approximately one-mile-wide in some places, with a maximum depth of 40 feet (FWC 2016; McGlynn 2006c). Lake Talquin was formed when the Jackson Bluffs Hydroelectric Dam, presently C.H. Corn Hydroelectric Dam, was built across the Ochlockonee River in the 1920s (McGlynn 2006c). The land containing the high bluffs on the south side of the lake, and the property where the dam is located, was donated to the State of Florida by the Florida Power Corporation in 1970. Although the Florida Park Service originally operated the dam, the City of Tallahassee leases and operates the dam at Lake Talquin Reservoir to provide hydroelectrical
27 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT power to nearby residents and to control the lake for recreational purposes (Florida State Parks 2016). Most of the lake’s shoreline is public property and is, therefore, mostly undeveloped, with Lake Talquin State Forest encompassing much of the southern and southwestern shores. Lake Talquin and surrounding public lands provide many recreational uses including hunting, hiking, and boating. The reservoir also supports substantial recreational fishing and is nationally known for high quality black crappie (speckled perch) fishery (FWC 2016).
2.4.4 Springs
Springs in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed are predominantly onshore seeps that frequently head first-order streams (Copeland 2003). Two privately owned springs are located in the northern reaches of the watershed. The first, White Springs, east of Bristol (Liberty County), is a sand hill spring where water flows naturally to the surface through up to 200 feet of white sand (BottledWaterWeb 2014; NWFWMD 2007). The second, Indian Springs, located about 2.5 miles southwest of Greensboro (Gadsden County), is a seep spring at the head of a deep-sided valley. Neither of the springs is accessible to the public and both have experienced bottling operations (Georgia Conservancy et al. 2005; Rosenau et al. 1977). Indian Springs is currently a privately operated recreational facility, but was used as a source of bottled water from 1944 to 2003 (NWFWMD 2007; USDA 2009). White Springs has been used as a source of bottled water since 2000 (NWFWMD 2007). These operations have the potential to reduce flow and alter downstream communities.
Aside from onshore seeps, other documented springs in the watershed include vents in the tidally influenced terminus, Bear Creek Rise in Franklin County and Cray’s Rise in Wakulla County (Means 2010; Rosenau et al. 1977; Scott et al. 2004). While Bear Creek Rise is located on Bear Creek, a tributary of the Ochlockonee River, Cray’s Rise discharges directly into Ochlockonee Bay.
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Sources: NOAA 2015a; NWFWMD 2016a; USGS 2015, 2016a, 2016b. Figure 2-10 Major Springs in the Watershed
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2.4.5 Groundwater Systems
There are two major sources of groundwater in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed: the unconfined surficial aquifer system and the deeper lying Floridan aquifer system which is confined, except at its recharge area located in the sandhill region of Liberty County and throughout the Woodville Karst Plain in Liberty and Wakulla counties (USGS 1980). The surficial aquifer system is generally a thin, unconfined aquifer composed of discontinuous mixtures of Pleistocene and recent alluvium and terrace deposits. Water in the surficial aquifer system is recharged through direct infiltration of rainwater and, therefore, fluctuates in elevation due to droughts or seasonal differences in rainfall.
As described by the NWFWMD (2014), the Floridan aquifer system consists of a thick sequence of carbonate sediments of varying permeability, the top of which dips from the northeast to the southwest, with the elevation of the top of the system ranging from approximately 100 feet above sea level to more than 1,200 feet below sea level, where it discharges into the Gulf of Mexico. The Floridan aquifer is the primary source of drinking water in Florida’s portion of the watershed. Throughout much of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, the Floridan aquifer is well-confined and recharge rates are relatively low.
2.5 Ecosystem Services
The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed supports ecological resources and provides many benefits and services for people within the watershed. The ecological resources include the watershed’s associated rivers, streams, and bays, as well as upland forests and wetlands, which provide habitat for various plant and wildlife species, many of which are rare and protected. Human benefits include tourism, recreational opportunities, fisheries, and the economic benefits related to each.
Watersheds, and the unique ecosystems that comprise them, play an important part in the global hydrological cycle (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity [TEEB] 2016). Healthy watersheds provide services such as water purification, groundwater and surface flow regulation, erosion and flood control, and streambank stabilization. Healthy watersheds can be financially valuable when the cost of protecting ecosystems for improved water quality is compared with investment in major restoration efforts; oftentimes investing in the management of natural resources for improved water quality is less expensive and more efficient than infrastructure (U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] 2015). Healthy watersheds also provide significant value through their role in production of fish and wildlife resources.
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2.5.1 Hydrologic Functions
Wetlands and floodplains are important factors affecting hydrology in the watershed. In addition, hydrologic functions provided by wetlands include water storage, flood attenuation, and regulation of discharge to surface and groundwaters. Wetlands also provide water quality protection and improvement, and fish and wildlife habitat (Abbruzzese and Leibowitz 1997). Floodplains along the watershed’s rivers and other tributaries reduce runoff energy, which in turn reduces erosion and protects water quality downstream. Healthy riparian ecosystems within the watershed support vegetative communities that can aid in the absorption of potential flooding, and attenuate and reduce wave energy during storms (Conservation Tools 2016; TEEB 2016). Figure 2-10 shows the correlation of wetlands and floodplains. While floodplains have extensive ecological benefits, development within floodplains can be detrimental to both the hydrologic cycle of the watershed and to the buildings and structures within the floodplain.
2.5.2 Nutrient Cycling
Wetlands, floodplains, and riparian areas aid in distributing nutrients from their overstory vegetation litter to the wider ecosystem during flooding events. Wetland and riparian vegetation and associated root systems also aid in the attenuation of excess nutrients in stormwater runoff from upland areas, as well as reduce the amount of exposed soil, thus reducing the potential for erosion and downstream sedimentation.
2.5.3 Sediment Stabilization
Coastal features of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, including the extensive salt marshes within and proximate to the watershed (e.g., St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge), aid in the buffering of storm impacts, shoreline erosion, and sedimentation. During coastal storms, these features help to protect the mainland by acting as wind buffers and absorbing potential flooding (Conservation Tools 2016). Among the essential functions of natural coastal features is to ensure long-term resiliency, including adapting to coastal change and protecting human communities and natural systems from shoreline erosion.
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Sources: FEMA and USFWS 2016; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a, 2016b Figure 2-11 Special Flood Hazard Areas
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2.5.4 Commercially and Recreationally Important Fish and Wildlife
Waterbodies and wetlands within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed are critical to the health of economically important fisheries in the area. Freshwater lakes, streams, and some swamps within the watershed provide a variety of recreational fishing opportunities. The Ochlockonee River supports largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus), and redear sunfish (shellcracker) (Lepomis microlophus). Freshwater systems also provide habitat for many species of migratory waterfowl of interest to recreational hunters in the region including rails (Rallidae), common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), snipe, ducks, geese, coot (Fulica), and woodcock (Scolopax) (FWC 2015a, 2015b). In addition to the commercial shellfish (Figure 2-12) and seafood industries, recreational fishing generated $691,547 in total sales in West Florida, making it a major economic driver in the region (U.S. Department of Commerce [USDOC] 2012).
Waterbodies within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed also support local subsistence fisheries. Subsistence fishing refers to fishing carried out primarily for the purpose of obtaining food (or money for food), rather than participation in the commercial or strictly recreational fishing industry. Since the late 1970s, fishing-dependent communities appear to have experienced a population decline due to increases in shoreline development, overfishing, and permit requirements (Huang 2003). The health and public access of the waterbodies within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed (and other Florida watersheds) are essential for those utilizing fisheries for subsistence.
Surface waters within Ochlockonee River and Bay are classified by the State of Florida (FDEP) primarily as either Class II or III. Class II waters are designated as Shellfish Propagation or Harvest areas, and Class III waters are designated for fish consumption, recreation, and propagation and maintenance of a healthy, well-balanced population of fish and wildlife (Chapter 62-302, F.A.C.). Quincy Creek is designated as Class I (potable water supplies), although the City of Quincy now relies solely on groundwater for potable water.
The watershed contains significant areas that are approved or conditionally approved for shellfish harvesting (see Figure 2-12). Some commercially and recreationally important fish and shellfish of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed include shrimp (Penaeus spp.), eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus), red drum or redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus), blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), Gulf flounder (Paralichthys albigutta), striped mullet (Mugil cephalus), and white mullet (Mugil curema). Across the five counties within the Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reported harvests of
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3,686,776 pounds of fish and shellfish in 2009, with an estimated value of over six million dollars (FDEP 2014a).
Source: FDACS 2016a; USGS 2015, 2016a, 2016b. Figure 2-12 Shellfish Harvesting Areas
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In 2014 Franklin and Wakulla counties each reported over 50,000 pounds of commercially harvested blue crab (FWC 2015b). Blue crabs make up approximately 40 percent of Wakulla County’s total commercial seafood production (by dollar value) (Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission 2015). Grouper make up the majority of the offshore species, comprising about a third of the finfish catch. Stone crab (Menippe mercenaria) and shrimp harvests, although an order-of-magnitude smaller than blue crab, also contribute significantly to the area’s commercial fisheries. Sportfish catches of the rivers are dominated by spotted sunfish (Lepomis punctatus) and largemouth bass (Lewis et al. 2009).
2.5.5 Recreation and Aesthetic Value
The waterbodies and wetlands within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed offer other important recreational values besides fishing, as tourists are attracted to the Florida Panhandle for the mild climate, beaches, golfing, hunting, boating, and other water sports (FWC 2014). Increases in visitors utilizing water resources leads to economic growth of surrounding communities, as visitors will financially contribute not only to recreational activities associated with the water, but also to hotels, restaurants, and retail establishments.
As observed in many areas, ecotourism is an increasingly important component of the economic health of communities within the watershed. Resources such as state and national parks, preserves, conservation lands, and management areas (described in Section 3.5) attract tourists, leading to increased awareness and protection of valuable natural resources. The presence of diverse habitats, as well as rare, imperiled, endemic, and protected species, are additional drivers for people to visit and contribute to the watershed. A 2007 study on nature-based recreation in the Apalachicola River region estimated that the Apalachicola National Forest hosts approximately 393,000 visitors annually, while the Tate’s Hell State Forest attracts approximately 5,000 visitors annually. Together, these parks have an estimated economic value of between $1.77 million and $3.14 million. According to the Florida State Parks System Direct Economic Impact Assessment, the state parks within the watershed, including Alfred B. Maclay Gardens, Bald Point, Lake Jackson Mounds, Lake Talquin, Torreya, and Ochlockonee River State Park hosted a cumulative total of 330,246 visitors in the 2013/2014 FDEP fiscal year and generated total economic impacts of $25.6 million while directly supporting nearly 350 jobs (FDEP 2014b). Total direct economic impact for state parks in the watershed nearly doubled from approximately $14.5 million during the 2010/2011 fiscal year when 299,109 visitors patronized these parks. (FDEP 2011a, 2014b). Maclay Gardens State Park attracted the highest number of visitors and generated the highest total direct economic impact during both the 2010/2011 and 2013/2014 fiscal years, followed by the Ochlockonee River State Park and Bald
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Point State Park. These studies suggest that there is a high demand for pristine natural areas for recreation visits in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed (Shrestha et al. 2007).
The lakes of Leon County, including Lake Jackson and Lake Iamonia, as well as smaller lakes such as lakes Hall and Overstreet, have provided a recreational, aesthetic, cultural, and economic resource for generations. Lynch (2016) concluded that, if adequate environmental quality were maintained, the potential annual lake recreation-related impact on the Leon County economy for 2015 would be approximately $25.87 million.
The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed also provides visual aesthetics, thereby, facilitating local art and community-based activities. Nature has always played a role in creative expression, and Florida, in particular, has influenced countless artists (both local and visiting). By working to conserve natural areas, communities can nurture the artistic spirit and promote future generations to continue preserving and utilizing nature for artistic expression (TNC 2016a). Museums, fishing tournaments, and festivals revolving around local art, seafood, and other cultural affairs are important economic drivers, as well as opportunities to bring communities together around heritage and the unique natural environment found in the area. Some of these events include the Ochlockonee River State Park Stone Age and Primitive Arts Festival, the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge Wildlife Heritage & Outdoor Festival, the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival, Wild About Wakulla Week, and various fresh and saltwater fishing tournaments such as Rock the Dock Fishing Tournament and the Blue Crab Festival in Panacea (Ochlockonee River State Park 2015; Visit Wakulla 2016).
2.6 Ecological Resources
The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed supports a diversity of natural habitats including upland, coastal, transitional, wetland, aquatic, estuarine, and marine communities (FNAI 2010). Natural communities are characterized and defined by a combination of physiography, vegetation structure and composition, topography, land form, substrate, soil moisture condition, climate, and fire. They are named for their most characteristic biological or physical feature (FNAI 2010). Based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, there are 30 unique natural communities within 15 broader community categories recognized by the FNAI (FNAI 2010, 2016a, 2016b, 2016c).
The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed supports a wealth of biological diversity including a number of rare and/or endemic species, largely due to its rich, diverse mosaic of natural community types. Prominent habitats associated with Ochlockonee Bay include tidal marshes, creeks, and flats, and oyster beds, as well as expansive seagrass beds supporting and a multitude
36 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT of commercial and recreationally important fish and shellfish species (FNAI 2010; NWFWMD 2012). Approximately 69,557 acres, or 12 percent, of the watershed is comprised of freshwater and tidal wetlands (Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA], FDEP, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS] 2016).
This section provides a summary of habitats and natural communities found in the watershed, particularly those most-influenced by surface water management activities, as well as information about some of the more important biological resources associated with them. More detailed information on the habitats and natural communities observed in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, as well as the species those habitats support, are described in Appendices B and C (FNAI 2010, 2016a, 2016b, 2016c).
2.6.1 Seagrass Beds
Seagrass beds are considered extremely important as they provide crucial protective and foraging habitat for many marine species and are critical to the spawning cycle of many fish and invertebrate species, many of which are of great commercial and recreational significance to the area. Among these are shrimp, eastern oysters, spotted seatrout, Gulf menhaden, red drum or redfish, blue crab, Gulf flounder, striped mullet, white mullet, and bay scallop (Argopecten irradians).
Although seagrasses are sparse within Ochlockonee Bay itself, nearby areas support extensive seagrass beds, which are very important to the ecology and productivity of the wider coastal ecosystem (Figure 2-13). Shallow waters proximate to Ochlockonee Bay are dominated by shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) and turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum). In deeper waters, manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme) tends to dominate. Star grass (Halophila engelmanni) and widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima) can also be found.
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Source: FWC 2015c; USGS 2015, 2016a, 2016b. Figure 2-13 Seagrass Coverage
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2.6.2 Palustrine, Riparian, and Floodplain Habitats
The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed is rich in aquatic habitats including forested floodplains and floodplain swamps, alluvial streams, baygall, blackwater streams, clastic upland lakes, depression marshes, dome swamps, and many others. A 1989 study of the Ochlockonee River and floodplain documented 48 species from 15 different families in floodplain, backwater, and main channel habitats (Leitman et al. 1991). The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed is also home to a number of threatened and endangered freshwater mussels including the purple bankclimber (Elliptoideus sloatianus), shiny-rayed pocketbook (Hamiota subangulata), Gulf moccasinshell (Medionidus penicillatus), oval pigtoe (Pleurobema pyriforme), and the Ochlockonee moccasinshell (Medionidus simpsonianus) (Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Conservancy n.d.).
Riparian habitats include those areas along waterbodies that serve as an interface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Riparian areas are important fish and wildlife habitat and assist in mitigating or controlling NPS pollution. Riparian vegetation can be effective in removing excess nutrients and sediment from surface runoff and shallow groundwater and in shading streams to optimize light and temperature conditions for aquatic plants and animals. Riparian vegetation, especially trees, is also effective in stabilizing streambanks and slowing flood flows, resulting in reduced downstream flood peaks. Floodplain swamps, alluvial forest, and bottomland forest are the primary types of riparian habitat found in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed.
Floodplains and wetlands provide fish and wildlife habitat and promote ecological diversity. A 1987 – 1989 study of the hydrologic conditions, vegetation, and fishes of the Ochlockonee River and floodplains indicates that fluctuating hydrologic conditions of the river-floodplain system, along with the variety of alluvial features and tree communities, contribute to diversity in the fish community. During flood events, fish typically confined to permanently inundated areas, gain access to a larger floodplain area containing diverse foraging habitats. The highest terraces flooded on average two to three weeks per year, while low terraces were normally flooded for two to four months per year and depressions which trapped water long after floods receded were typically flooded for three to five months per year (Leitman et al. 1991).
2.6.3 Emergent Marsh
Marshland is abundant in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed. As evidenced by recent aerial photography, the undeveloped shorelines (southern and western sides) of Ochlockonee Bay are nearly continuous salt marsh, while freshwater marsh and brackish marsh line the
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Ochlockonee River. Marsh species composition is influenced by a combination of salinity tolerance and differences in soil type, elevations and competitive interactions. Salt marshes are similar to brackish marshes in that they serve as a transition between terrestrial and marine systems. Generally, salt marshes are intertidal and develop along relatively low energy shorelines. Unlike brackish marshes, they may be found under significantly more saline conditions. Salt marshes in the Florida Panhandle are usually characterized by large, fairly homogeneous expanses of dense black needlerush. Often, they are accompanied on the waterward side by smooth cordgrass. The Juncus and Spartina zones are very distinctive and can be separated easily by elevation. True salt marshes appear limited to the higher salinity regions of the Ochlockonee/Apalachee Bay complex with an expansive area noted all along the coastal region.
Salt marshes are among the most productive plant communities on Earth (Fernald and Purdum 1998). The most abundant and productive species found in salt marshes include mussels (Mytilidae), oysters, fiddler crabs (Uca sp.), marsh periwinkles (Littoraria irrorata), crown conchs (Melogena corona), mullet, and blue crabs. Emergent freshwater and brackish marshes are dominated by sawgrass, maidencane (Panicum hemitomon), giant cutgrass (Zizaniopsis miliacea), and cattails (Typha spp.). In contrast with more coastal salt marshes, these sites lack the extensive salt flats of salt grass (Distichlis spicata), glasswort (Salicornia spp.), and salt barrens.
2.6.4 Steepheads
Steepheads are relatively small springs which form when groundwater begins to collect underground and flow along a relatively impermeable layer. Where this layer intersects a sloping ground surface it can cause erosion of the slope base. This process can ultimately form the beginnings of a groundwater fed stream in the underside of a hill (FNAI 2010). Such streams usually have shallow channels containing little to no aquatic vegetation.. They often form the headwaters of alluvial and blackwater streams and are known for their biologically diversity. Steephead ravine communities can be found at throughout the Apalachicola National Forest and at the Lake Talquin State Forest (FNAI 2010, 2016a, 2016b).
2.6.5 Terrestrial Communities
Terrestrial habitats within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed include mesic flatwoods, sandhill and scrub communities, scrubby flatwoods, slope forests, upland hardwood forests, wet flatwoods, and xeric hammocks. The conditions of these habitats vary widely across the watershed, depending on land use, land management, and other factors.
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Upland forest communities support a number of threatened and endangered species including the gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus), frosted flatwoods salamanders (Ambystoma cingulatum), eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi), and red-cockaded woodpeckers (Leuconotopicus borealis); all of which have been documented in the Apalachicola National Forest, Ochlockonee River State Park, and other conservation lands.
Longleaf pine and associated wiregrass communities across the Apalachicola National Forest have been significantly altered by human activities in the last century. Since 1987, native longleaf pine forests across Florida have been reduced by 22 percent and have largely been replaced by slash pines (USDA 1999). Sand pine-scrub ecosystems, which make up portions of the Apalachicola National Forest, have historically been regenerated by stand replacing fires that have been suppressed in recent decades. Without regular disturbance, this community succeeds toward a xeric hardwood hammock community in which the scrub oaks eventually shade out endemic understory plants. There are significant opportunities to improve these ecosystems by implementing more frequent prescribed burning intervals that target larger tracts of forest (Mitchell et al. 2006; USDA 1999).
2.6.6 Migratory Bird Flyways
The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed is in the “Atlantic Flyway,” a migratory route for birds that generally follows the Atlantic Coast of North America and the Appalachian Mountains (Bird Nature 2001). Millions of individuals representing over 500 bird species use this route because there is little extreme mountainous terrain and it has good sources of water, food, and cover over its entire length. Forty percent of all species that use the Atlantic flyway are federally recognized species of conservation concern (Audubon 2011). Many of these species, including least terns (Sternula antillarum), piping plovers (Charadrius melodus), American oystercatchers (Haematopus palliates), and others, use portions of the watershed as a resting/feeding ground for summer or winter migrations.
One of the primary purposes of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, which is located in central Wakulla County and extends into the southwestern-most coastal portion of the watershed, is conservation of migratory birds. Over the years, the refuge has employed various management techniques to improve and maintain wintering waterfowl feeding habitat for migratory species in the Refuge’s series of managed impoundments and upland forests. St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge provides important breeding, wintering, and stopover habitat for neotropical migratory birds (e.g., songbirds, raptors, and shorebirds). Of the 278 avian species documented at the refuge, 142 are categorized as neotropical migratory birds including all, but three of the refuge’s
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48 listed warblers, tanagers (Thraupidae), vireos (Vireonidae), and new world finches (Emberizidae) (USFWS 2013a).
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3.0 Current Watershed Conditions 3 and Water Resource Issues
3.1 Introduction 3.1 Introduction Growth and development in northwest Florida are correlated with land use 3.2 Water Quality changes and a need for new infrastructure. The Ochlockonee River and Bay 3.3 Habitat Quality watershed experiences water quality challenges across both states. Agricultural in Receiving activities, mining, and urban land uses that generate point and NPS pollution are Waters concentrated in the upper watershed. Agricultural runoff and surface mining are particularly concentrated in Gadsden County, while urban runoff and associated 3.4 Floodplains NPS pollution are long-term challenges in the Tallahassee area. Without 3.5 Unique Features appropriate planning and management practices, human activities and and Special development have the potential to disrupt the interactions between the Resource biological community, natural systems, and physical environment, and can Management diminish the overall health of the ecosystem and its many benefits for the Designations people and communities that are found there.
The following summary of issues related to water quality, point and NPS pollution, eutrophication, harmful algal blooms (HABs), conserved and managed lands, and floodplains should inform future planning, development, preservation, and restoration efforts within the watershed. Further discussion on management programs for water quality protection and improvement, including monitoring, BMP development, and land use planning can be found in Section 6.0.
3.2 Water Quality
3.2.1 Impaired Waters
All states are required to submit lists of impaired waters (waters too polluted or degraded to meet state water quality standards, including applicable water quality criteria and designated uses, such as drinking water, recreation, and shellfish harvesting) to the EPA under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) (EPA 2016b). In Florida, the FDEP is responsible for fulfilling this purpose.
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The current (2013) FDEP list of impaired waterbodies has identified 25 of the watershed’s 252 segments as impaired with 34 total impairments, including 20 segments for bacteria (fecal coliforms, beach advisories, or shellfish harvesting classification), five segments for dissolved oxygen (DO), six segments for nutrients, and three segments for iron (FDEP 2014c). Since some of the segments are impaired for more than one pollutant, the number of impairments exceeds the total number of impaired segments (Figure 3-1, Appendix D). Waters with fish consumption advisories for mercury in fish tissue are shown in Figure 3-2 (discussed further in Section 6.4.1). The State is scheduled to adopt an updated list of impaired waters for the watershed in March 2019 (O’Donnell 2016).
Twenty-one of the 25 impaired segments are in the northern part of the basin which includes Lake Jackson and Lake Talquin and all of the tributaries north of Lake Talquin and the Ochlockonee River.
Authorities in Florida issue human fish consumption advisories for mercury in fish tissue. The advisories in Florida are issued by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) in cooperation with the FWC and the FDEP. Current fish consumption advisories within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed can be found at the FDOH website (www.floridahealth.gov). Health advisories prohibiting the harvesting of shellfish due to potential bacterial contamination are issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Shellfish advisories and seasonal closures within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed can be found on the FWC website (www.myfwc.com), and the FDACS website (http://www.freshfromflorida.com/ Divisions-Offices/Aquaculture/Shellfish-Harvesting-Area-Classification). County health departments in the state of Florida monitor beaches and other public swimming areas for bacterial contamination and issue health advisories closing beaches when bacterial counts are too high. Beaches that have more than 21 beach closures in a year are identified as impaired by FDEP. These advisories are discussed further in sections 6.2.3 (shellfish harvesting), 6.2.4 (beach advisories), and 6.4.1 (mercury in fish tissue).
To restore waterbodies with impaired water quality, protect public health, preserve valuable habitat, natural resources, and ecosystem services, and ensure long-term sustainability and resilience, it is important to identify sources of point and NPS pollution, causes of degradation, and the current status and health of natural systems and floodplains within the watershed. A comprehensive understanding of watershed conditions and resource issues will inform and facilitate management actions, including planning and permitting.
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Sources: FDEP 2014c; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a, 2016b. Figure 3-1 Currently Listed Impaired Waterbody Segments, Excepting Mercury
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3.2.2 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
A TMDL represents the maximum amount of a given pollutant a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards, including its applicable water quality criteria and designated uses (such as drinking water, recreation, and shellfish harvesting). Total maximum daily loads are developed for waterbodies that are verified as not meeting adopted water quality standards to support their designated use. They provide important water quality restoration goals to guide restoration activities. They also identify the reductions in pollutant loading required to restore water quality.
Table 3-1 and Figure 3-2 show FDEP’s adopted TMDLs for the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed (FDEP 2016a). The FDEP is scheduled to develop TMDLs for the remaining impairments over the next ten years (FDEP 2014a).
Table 3-1 TMDLs Adopted by the FDEP
Waterbody Name WBID(s) Fecal Coliform Black Creek 1024 Juniper Creek 682 Swamp Creek 427 Dissolved Oxygen Juniper Creek 682 Mercury Sopchoppy River (West Branch) 1038 Sopchoppy River (East Branch) 1038B Crooked River 1241 Ochlockonee Bay 1248A Ochlockonee River Mouth 1248B Sopchoppy River (Estuarine Portion) 1248C Chaires Creek 1255 Ochlockonee River 1297A Ochlockonee River 1297B Lake Talquin at Dam 1297C Lake Talquin 1297D Ochlockonee River 1297E Ochlockonee River 1297F Ochlockonee River 1297G Lake Iamonia 442 Gulf of Mexico (Franklin County; Ochlockonee Bay) 8025 Sopchoppy River 998 Source: FDEP 2014a.
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Sources: FDEP 2016b; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a, 2016b. Figure 3-2 Non-mercury TMDLs in the Watershed
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The FDEP has adopted a statewide TMDL for reducing the human health risks associated with consuming fish taken from waters impaired for mercury. Mercury impairments are based upon potential human health risks (fish consumption advisories), not exceedances of water quality criteria. There are no known relationships between environmental and ecological conditions in a watershed and mercury levels in fish in its waterbodies. The primary source of mercury is atmospheric deposition with 30 percent from natural sources and 70 percent from anthropogenic international sources outside of North America. It is estimated that approximately 0.5 percent of mercury from anthropogenic sources is from Florida (FDEP 2013). Only a very small part of mercury in the environment is in the form of methylated mercury, which is biologically available and able to enter the food chain. For these reasons, the statewide TMDL that the FDEP has adopted for mercury includes a reduction target for fish consumption by humans and by wildlife and an 86 percent reduction in mercury from mercury sources in Florida (FDEP 2013).
Total maximum daily loads are implemented through the development and adoption of Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) that identify the management actions necessary to reduce the pollutant loads. There are no pending or adopted BMAPs in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed (FDEP 2016c).
3.2.3 Point Source Pollution
The EPA defines point source pollution as any discernible, confined, and discrete conveyance from which pollutants are or may be discharged, including, but not limited to, any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, concentrated animal feeding operation, or vessel or other floating craft (EPA 2015a). Examples of point sources include industrial facilities, landfills, wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs), mines and borrow pits, military sites, and marinas, among others. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), administered by the EPA, is the permitting program authorized to regulate point source pollution. Within Florida, this permitting has been delegated to the FDEP.
There are currently 270 facilities permitted through the NPDES in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed including construction permits and other discharges. Together, these facilities hold a total of 286 permits, with some facilities holding multiple permits for multiple types of discharges. For example, a wastewater treatment facility may be registered in two different NPDES databases and hold a permit for both bio-solids and stormwater.
The majority of permitted facilities are concentrated in the northern reaches of the watershed, primarily in the incorporated area of Tallahassee, in the towns of Quincy, Midway, and Havana. Among the largest industrial discharges permitted in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed
48 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT are from the BASF Corporation’s mining related effluent at 12.8 million gallons per day (mgd) (discharged to surface water only during heavy rain events) and a Roberts Sand Company sand mine at 1.9 mgd (no direct discharge to surface water) (FDEP 2016d).
Although karst areas are present only in a small portion of the watershed, even beneficial re-use discharges must be well planned and regulated to protect water quality, due to the connections between groundwater and surface waters.
Wastewater Treatment Facilities
There are 14 permitted domestic Wastewater Treatment Facilities (WWTFs) and 14 industrial WWTFs within the watershed (FDEP 2015b) (Figure 3-3). Both the industrial and domestic facilities are located in more densely populated areas, with the highest concentration located in Gadsden County near Havana, Midway, and Quincy. (FDEP 2015b). These include the Quincy WWTF and Gretna Advanced Water Treatment Facility. The City of Sopchoppy and Panacea/Mashes Sands sewer systems now discharge into the Wakulla WWTF. Although several facilities discharge to drain fields or utilize spray irrigation, no facilities located in Leon County discharge wastewater into the Ochlockonee River (FDEP 2016d).
The City of Quincy's Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) Facility is permitted to discharge up to 1.5 million gallons per day to Quincy Creek, but is under an Administrative Order by the FDEP to address the copper effluent limit. The City of Gretna operates an AWT facility with a permitted capacity of 0.4 million gallons per day which discharges to rapid infiltration basins, an infiltration trench, and a restricted access reuse system.
An expansion of the wastewater treatment plant for Grady County was completed in 2011. Additionally, the Grady, Georgia, Comprehensive Plan Short Term Work Program 2012-2016 identified “Promoting Water Conservation and Water Quality Initiatives” as a priority project (Grady County 2011).
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Sources: FDEP 2015b; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a, 2016b. Figure 3-3 Permitted Wastewater Facilities within the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed
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The City of Cairo, Georgia now has a new WWTP that is expected to improve water quality in Tired Creek. In 2014, the City of Cairo received a $3,586,710 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan to finance the construction of a new WWTF, high service pump station, an arsenic removal system, a chemical injection system, and a 500,000-gallon storage tank (Georgia Municipal Association 2014).
Wastewater reclamation that supports beneficial reuse has the potential to further decrease pollution in surface waters, while also limiting or reducing potable water demand. The City of Quincy has expressed interest in implementing a reuse program if sufficient funding can be obtained. The City of Gretna provides some reclaimed water for nursery irrigation. The City of Tallahassee has invested significantly in water reclamation and reuse facilities, which currently provide reclaimed water in the St. Marks River watershed. Opportunities for developing new reuse systems may be identified for other municipal systems and utilities in Gadsden and Leon counties, and possibly elsewhere within the watershed.
Landfills and Solid Waste Disposal Facilities
Landfills and solid waste disposal facilities are a potential source of contamination to surface and ground waters through the percolation of rainwater into waste materials and the Table 3-2 Florida Solid Waste Facilities in the leaching of soluble toxins. In the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, there are a total of 44 landfills and solid Type of Landfill/Solid Waste Number of waste disposal facilities recognized by Facility Facilities the FDEP, including landfills, yard waste disposal facilities, and Active Sites 6 construction and debris disposal Not Permitted/Registered 4 landfills (Table 3-2). Many of these Inactive (Registered and Non- facilities are closed or inactive, but may 6 Registered) still pose a threat to water quality through the leaching of capped waste, if No-Further Action Facilities 1 not managed properly. Closed Facilities 26 Most landfills and solid waste disposal Registered (No Further 1 facilities are located in the upper Information) reaches of the watershed in close Source: FDEP 2016e. proximity to the major developed areas including Quincy, Havana, Tallahassee, and Midway, although several facilities are also located
51 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT near Sopchoppy in the southern reaches of the watershed. A comprehensive list of the solid waste facilities, their location, and status is maintained by the Solid Waste Section of the FDEP (FDEP 2016e).
Mines and Borrow Pits
A significant amount of intensive surface mining is ongoing in Gadsden County, Florida, and north of the state line. Materials mined in the watershed are sand and fill material, Fuller's earth, limestone, and crushed stone (FDEP 2014e; Georgia Environmental Protection Department [EPD] 2002). Fuller's earth, a type of clay, is removed through strip mining. Mining and extraction are estimated to cover approximately 10,379 acres of the watershed within Florida (NWFWMD 2012). The Gadsden County Future Land Use Map allows mining on approximately 11,779 acres (Gadsden County 2015). The USGS recognizes four major mining operations within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, all located in Gadsden County:
Crowder Sand Processing Plant (Sand and Gravel); Quincy Plant (Perlite); Engelhard Corporation (Fullers Earth); and McCall Pit (Fullers Earth).
In 2013, Active Minerals International, LLC (AMI) acquired a lease on the Fletcher Mine, a 137- acre site formerly leased by the Oil Dri Corporation. Active Minerals International expanded the facility and began mining Fuller’s Earth in 2014, making it one of the most recent mine developments in the watershed to date.
Additionally, 25 small-scale mines and borrow pits within the watershed have been identified by the FDEP (Figure 3-4), many of which are located near streams, creeks, tributaries, and other waterbodies (FDEP 2014e). Sand mines smaller than 20 acres are exempt from noticing to FDEP under Chapter 378.804, F.S., and are, therefore, not held to the same reclamation standards as larger mines.
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Sources: FDEP 2015c; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a, 2016b. Figure 3-4 Mines Located in the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed
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Discharge from clay mine operations and fertilizer production in Attapulgus, Georgia, has been affecting Attapulgus Creek just north of the state border in Georgia, the Little River in Florida, and ultimately Lake Talquin since the early 1990s and continues to this day. This discharge has been the second highest toxic release to surface water in Georgia since 2001, and it has been in the top three since 1994 (EPA 2009). BASF reported discharge of nearly 3.5 million pounds of ammonia and over 2 million pounds of nitrate compounds in 2014 (EPA 2014). In the same year, BASF also generated approximately 5.6 million pounds of production-related waste, of which zero percent was treated and only four percent was recycled (EPA 2014). Georgia EPD granted an indefinite NPDES permit extension in 2001 for the discharge to Little Attapulgus Creek. Monitoring and assessment conducted in 2006 on behalf of Leon County, Florida, concluded that 37 to 87 percent of the total nitrate-nitrite load in the Little River watershed and 12 to 68 percent of the load in upper Lake Talquin were attributable to industrial discharge at the Attapulgus plant (Applied Technology and Management 2008). Leon County requested that the Georgia EPD reopen the permit to consider new information and technology for protection of Lake Talquin. The Georgia EPD has done so, and a new permit application has been submitted by BASF (NWFWMD 2012).
Industrial Facilities and Superfund Sites
As of 2014, there were three Toxics Release Inventory sites in the watershed, two in Gadsden County (Teligentems, LLC, and Coastal Forest Resources Company) and one in Liberty County (Georgia-Pacific Wood Products, LLC).
In Florida’s portion of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, there is one hazardous waste facility located in Tallahassee that is registered as an EPA Biennial Reporter facility. Environmental Protection Agency Biennial Reporter facilities handle hazardous waste and are required to report to the EPA Administrator at least once every two years (EPA 2016c). An unregistered facility was reported in Gadsden County in 2009 near the Little River following a discharge of sodium hypochlorite. According to data provided by the Florida Division of Emergency Management, there were 322 toxic releases reported for the five watershed counties over the past five years. Most incidents appear to be associated with vehicle crashes, boat sinking, or buoy batteries. The FDEP responds to large or problematic spills and oversees clean- up (ARPC 2015).
Additionally, 157 closed, one abandoned, and 106 active petroleum contamination tracking sites within the watershed are registered with the Storage Tank and Petroleum Contamination Monitoring (STCM) database. There are three contaminated dry-cleaning sites eligible for the state-funded Dry-cleaning Solvent Cleanup Program. The majority of STCM and dry-cleaning
54 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT sites are located in historically developed areas in the northern portion of the watershed including Tallahassee, Quincy, and Havana. Several sites are also located in Gretna, Bristol, and Greensboro.
There are currently no EPA National Priority List (NPL) Superfund sites within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed. However, two non-NPL Superfund sites, Post & Lumber Preserving Company, Inc. and the Quincy Landfill in Gadsden County, are located within the watershed. Post & Lumber Preserving is also a state-funded cleanup site that is contaminated with wood preserving waste. A non-NPL site is a site that has not been placed on the NPL list through the EPA’s formal process for assessing hazardous waste sites, however, the EPA can take short-term cleanup actions on non-NPL sites under the emergency removal program.
Marinas
Due to the proximity of marinas to the water's edge, there is a potential for nearby waters to become contaminated with pollutants generated from the various activities that occur at marinas—such as boat cleaning, fueling, and marine head (sanitary sewage) discharge—or from the entry of stormwater runoff from parking lots and hull maintenance and repair areas into marina basins. Such facilities have the potential to release contaminants, including vessel wastewater, oil and grease, heavy metals, and other pollutants. Actual pollution from marinas can depend on the availability of pump-out facilities and the level and consistency of marina BMP implementation (FDEP 2015d, 2016e).
The Florida Clean Marina Program and Florida Clean Boatyard Program are voluntary designation programs for implementing environmental practices to protect Florida’s waterways. The program provides an incentive for implementing BMPs, such as using dustless sanders, recycling oil and solvents, and re-circulating pressure wash systems to recycle wastewater. There is currently one major marina located on Ochlockonee Bay in Panacea; however, there are currently no pump-out facilities or Clean Marina designations in the watershed (FDEP 2015e). There may be opportunity for improvement in smaller marinas and docking facilities, which can contribute to water quality issues, but which may go unaddressed because of their size and remote locations.
3.2.4 Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution
Nonpoint source pollution is generated when stormwater runoff collects pollutants from across the landscape (lawns, pavement, highways, dirt roads, buildings, farms, forestry operations, and construction sites, etc.) and carries them into receiving waters. Pollutants entering the water in
55 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT this way include nutrients, microbial pathogens, sediment, petroleum products, toxic metals, pesticides, and other contaminants. Pollutants entering the groundwater may also emerge in surface waters via seepage and spring discharges. Typical categories of NPS pollution include surface runoff of stormwater, leaching from agricultural areas, in urban lands through on-site sewage treatment and disposal systems (OSTDS) (e.g., septic tanks), as well as erosion and sedimentation from un-vegetated lands including construction sites and unpaved roads. Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen, sulfur, mercury, and other toxic substances via fossil fuel combustion may also contribute to NPS pollution.
In addition to causing current water quality challenges, NPS pollution is likely to be one of the most significant threats to future environmental quality in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed. Increases in population and land use changes from rural to urban or suburban, especially in areas located near waterbodies, has the potential to increase stormwater runoff and associated pollutants into the Ochlockonee River, associated tributaries, and many of the watershed’s upland lakes. Septic systems along the river and the Ochlockonee Bay, stormwater runoff, and increased residential development may also contribute to nutrient loading downstream.
Basins dominated by upland forest, wetland-cover, and low densities of impervious surface tend to be associated with good water and habitat quality (Allan et al. 1997; Wang et al. 1997). Vegetation provides habitat, regulates runoff, maintains surface and surficial groundwater flow, prevents erosion, and moderates effects of floods and droughts. Wetland functions include floodwater storage, sediment and shoreline stabilization, and fish and wildlife habitat. Riparian and in-stream vegetation contribute to nutrient cycling and primary production, which may remove nutrient pollutants transported by stormwater, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, from surface waterbodies. Urban areas typically have less vegetation and wetland areas that moderate flows and provide recharge, storage and treatment for runoff. Additionally, vegetated areas within urban zones tend to be heavily managed landscaped tracts where fertilizer use, watering and irrigation, as well as pesticide and herbicide, use pose additional concerns for NPS pollution and water quality (EPA 1993).
Urbanization and Stormwater
Typical effects of urbanization include increased NPS pollution, the generation of additional wastewater and stormwater, and habitat loss and fragmentation.
Stormwater is the main contributor to NPS pollution and is closely associated with land use. Urban land use, especially medium- to high-density residential, commercial, and industrial uses
56 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT have the highest NPS pollution per acre (EPA 2016d). In urban areas, lawns, roadways, buildings, commercial and institutional properties all contribute to NPS pollution (EPA 2016d). Hardened, outdated stormwater infrastructure moves pollutants directly from roads and impervious surfaces and transports them into surface waters with little to no treatment. Potential pollutants associated with stormwater include solids, oxygen-demanding substances, nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, pathogens, petroleum hydrocarbons, metals, and synthetic organics (EPA 2016d). Alternatively, vegetated buffers and softer stormwater management techniques slow and treat stormwater. Green infrastructure reduces stormwater discharge velocities and facilitates bioremediation and biological uptake/storage of pollutants.
In the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, two municipalities currently hold Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) NPDES Stormwater permits for stormwater conveyance (not combined with sewer) that discharges to waters of the state; including Leon County and the City of Tallahassee (FDEP 2016d). Very few developed areas generating stormwater runoff are in close proximity to Ochlockonee Bay. However, many tributaries and rivers that discharge to the bay are vulnerable to NPS pollution associated with stormwater. Major stormwater retrofit facilities have been completed as part of the ongoing effort to restore Lake Jackson, including regional facilities in the Meginniss Creek and Okeeheepkee basins (NWFWMD 2012).
Urbanization causes the most severe environmental impacts associated with NPS pollution, including degraded water and sediment quality and physical degradation of benthic and littoral communities (Booth and Jackson 1997; Ferguson and Suckling 1990). Urbanization leads to the channeling of surface water, increased erosion, and habitat loss. Resulting hydrologic effects include increased peak discharge volume and velocity, decreased time for runoff to reach receiving waters, increased frequency and severity of flooding. Increased runoff rates result in less infiltration into the ground, which can result in a lowered water table, and reduced dry weather stream flow, which is dependent on groundwater discharge (EPA 1993). Lowering of the water table in urban streams causes disconnection between the stream channel and adjacent riparian vegetation and floodplains. This ultimately leads to reduced hydrologic function and reduced ecosystem services such as denitrification and flood control (Walsh et al. 2005).
Intensive land use in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed is concentrated around the Tallahassee metropolitan area, with additional development occurring around Quincy, Greensboro, Havana, Bristol, Sopchoppy, and unincorporated communities, particularly in the northern reaches of the basin. While these areas contribute significantly to NPS pollution, the expansive urban-rural fringe, which hosts new development and construction sites, introduces new NPS and expands the extent of impervious surfaces in the watershed.
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In 2010, Grady County, Georgia, secured a permit from the USACE to construct a 960-acre recreational fishing lake at the confluence of three tributaries that combine to form Tired Creek (Grady County 2016a, 2016b). This project was met with some opposition form the Florida portion of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed as it directly impacts Tired Creek and Little Tired Creek, which have both already been identified as impaired for fecal coliform during Georgia’s TMDL process (McGlynn 2006d).
Silviculture and Agriculture
In northwest Florida, all forest products and services have been valued at approximately $1.21 billion (FDACS 2014). These forests also support recreational opportunities for residents and millions of visitors to the state, bolstering the tourism and ecotourism industries. Managed forests also provide important environmental services such as biodiversity, hydrologic function, and mitigation of global climate change by sequestering 5.8 million tons of atmospheric carbon per year statewide (FDACS 2014; Hodges et al. 2015).
Silviculture and related industries have been major economic drivers in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed for over a century. For example, the City of Sopchoppy was the center of the turpentine industry until the late 1920s (USDA 1991). Today, in both Gadsden and Liberty counties, the industry category “Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting” was identified as one of the top five growing industries of the county. In 2014, within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, Coastal Plywood Company outside of Havana, Florida (Gadsden County), and Georgia Pacific Lumber Company outside of Hosford, Florida (Liberty County), were recognized as one of the top five private-sector employers in their respective counties (FDOT 2013a, 2013b). Northeastern Leon County has historically hosted expansive private silviculture plantations, many of which ranged in size from 5,000 to 25,000 acres. Southeastern Leon County has historically hosted extensive pulpwood production operations of farmed slash pine (USDA 1979). Today, Leon County’s economy has shifted away from silviculture; however, lumber and wood products are still one of the county’s top five exports (Florida Department of Transportation [FDOT] 2013c). Similarly, Wakulla County exports approximately 52,000 tons of lumber annually, and the “Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting” industry category was identified as one of the county’s top five growing industries in 2013 (FDOT 2013d).
Approximately 13 major crops, not including forest products, are reportedly grown to produce income across the region encompassing the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed ARPC 2015). Agricultural uses are particularly concentrated in the upper Telogia Creek basin. In 1989, the NWFWMD designated the northern Telogia Creek watershed as a Water Resource Caution Area due to limited availability of surface and groundwater. The natural stream flow regime along the
58 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT upper reach of the Telogia Creek has been significantly affected by historical withdrawals and impoundments.
Silvicultural practices such as ditching, landscape alteration, road construction, fertilizer application, and harvesting can result in effects such as habitat fragmentation, stream channelization, erosion, sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, discharge of untreated runoff, as well as effects on water temperature, DO, and pH (EPA 2016e; Stanhope et al. 2008). Where appropriate, BMPs such as those developed and coordinated by FDACS are employed and silviculture has been found to be consistent with the maintenance of excellent water quality (FDEP 1997; NWFWMD 1998). Silvicultural BMPs establish Special Management Zones (SMZs) that consist of specific areas associated with waterbodies within which certain activities are limited. Implementation of SMZs and other BMPs protect water quality by reducing discharges of sediments, nutrients, logging debris, and chemicals, as well as by reducing water temperature fluctuations and riparian habitat disturbance.
On-Site Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems (OSTDS)
On-site sewage treatment and disposal systems (OSTDS) are potential widespread sources of nutrients and other pollutants. Significant concentrations of OSTDS can result in degraded water quality in groundwater and proximate surface waters. A well-designed and maintained septic system is effective for containing pathogens, surfactants, metals, and phosphorus. However, greater mobility of nitrogen in soils prevents complete treatment and removal of nitrogen. Dissolved nitrogen is frequently exported from drainfields through the groundwater (NRC 2000). Additionally, OSTDS in areas with high water tables or soil limitations may not effectively treat other pollutants, including microbial pathogens. These pollutants can enter surface waters as seepage into drainage ditches, streams, lakes, and estuaries (NRC 2000; EPA 2015d).
By the mid-1990s, Leon County began to see a significant decline in new septic installations, while septic installations in Franklin and Liberty counties declined more gradually (FDOH 2015a). Wakulla and Gadsden counties saw a peak of new septic installations in 2005 (Figure 3- 5) (FDOH 2015a). However, Wakulla County also added 8,200 linear feet of sewer lines in the same year, as well as 5,700 linear feet of sewer in 2004, which likely contributed to the decrease in new installations in years to follow (Wakulla County 2005). A Leon County ordinance, passed in 2010, requires systems that fail and need to be repaired are required to upgrade to a performance-based system, unless the property owner qualifies for an exemption (Leon County 2016b). Wakulla County currently has a policy that requires performance-based treatment systems for parcels within 150 feet of karst features, within 300 feet of a first or second
59 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT magnitude spring, or on parcels less than 0.229 acres (Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute 2014).
In 2012, FDOH permitting data indicated that there were at least 10,526 septic tanks in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed (FDOH 2012); however, that year, at least 298 permits had been issued to abandon septic tanks, presumably due to connection to a centralized sewer collection system. Figure 3-6 shows the approximate locations of Source: FDOH 2015a. septic tanks as of 2015 Figure 3-5 New Septic System Installations by Year (FDOH 2015b).
In the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, most rural and unincorporated communities, and a number of suburban communities and subdivisions near Tallahassee rely on OSTDS systems for wastewater treatment. Affected areas include the northern reaches of the watershed, where most development has occurred, particularly near Lake Talquin, Havana, Midway, Quincy, and throughout western Gadsden County. Concentrations of septic systems are also in the western portion of the Lake Jackson basin and within the Lester Creek drainage to Lake Iamonia.
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Sources: FDOH 2015b; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a, 2016b. Figure 3-6 Septic Tank Locations within the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed
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Erosion and Sedimentation
Erosion and sedimentation are natural phenomena that can be significantly accelerated by human activities, with resulting undesirable water quality consequences. Natural factors such as highly- erodible soils, steep unstable slopes, and high rainfall intensities, are important factors in erosion and sedimentation (Reckendorf 1995). While natural erosion is typically a slow process, human- induced erosion can cause rapid increases in sediment inputs to surface waters. Construction activities, unpaved roads, abandoned clay pits, and agricultural and silvicultural practices lacking proper BMPs are common sources of sedimentation. Accelerated stream bank erosion, caused by increased runoff associated with impervious surfaces, can also be a significant and increasing source of sedimentation into receiving waters.
The NRCS has calculated rates of erosion for various land use types including cropland (8.3 tons/acre/year), pasture/hayland (0.5 tons/acre/year), and forest land (0.8 tons/acre/year). However, the NRCS recognizes gullies and cropland as the largest erosion sources, followed by dirt roads, forest land, other uses, pasture, and streambanks (USDA and U.S. Forest Service 1993).
Adverse impacts associated with sedimentation include smothering of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and other benthic habitats, degraded shellfish beds, accumulation of sediment in riffle pools, and increased levels of turbidity and nutrients in the water column. Additionally, increased sediment accumulation in surface waters changes the hydrology and holding capacity of waterbodies by reducing channel depth and accommodation space, thus, altering channel morphology, and exacerbating flooding issues. Sediment accumulation in channels and waterways also impedes navigation and increases the need for costly dredging activities (Reckendorf 1995).
Since the 1950s, sediment loads have been increasing in the Ochlockonee River drainage, due to the widespread conversion of timberlands to agricultural lands and mining operations (FDEP 2008). As of 2008, an estimated 1.5 million metric tons of soil was eroding into the Ochlockonee basin from croplands in Georgia and 160,000 metric tons was eroding from croplands in Florida (FDEP 2008).
Although the removal of sediments from lakes and ponds is a well-established management practice, a study of five Leon County lakes and ponds found that on average, mechanical excavation of sediment also removed an average of 177 reptiles and amphibians per site. Researchers collected a total of 883 individuals of 31 species from the five lakes during sediment removal, suggesting that mortality from such excavations could be detrimental to local reptile
62 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT and amphibian populations (Aresco and Gunzburger 2004). Implementation of practices that decrease excessive sedimentation also should reduce the need for mechanical excavation, thus, providing a financially and ecologically sound alternative.
Atmospheric Deposition
While many impacts to water quality result from direct input to surface waters, either as point source or NPS, some pollutants such as nitrogen and mercury can also enter surface waters through atmospheric deposition.
Florida is particularly susceptible to mercury contamination of fish, due in part to the state’s latitude, geographical setting, and meteorology, which allows a high rate of mercury deposition from the atmosphere onto its lands and surface waters. Additionally, biochemical conditions in Florida waterbodies and sediment are conducive to the conversion of mercury from atmospheric deposition, to the more toxic and bio-accumulative methyl-mercury form (EPA 1997).
Source: Adapted from EPA South Florida Science Program by Ecology and Environment, Inc. Figure 3-7 Bioaccumulation of Methyl-Mercury Methyl-mercury is a toxic mercury compound that biomagnifies (Figure 3-7) as it moves up the aquatic food chain (EPA 1997). While agricultural, urban, and residential stormwater NPS are all potential sources of contaminants, atmospheric deposition due to fossil fuel combustion is the
63 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT most significant source of mercury. Four waterbody segments were removed from the impaired list for mercury in fish in 2014 due to the adoption of TMDLs for mercury (FDEP 2014d). To protect human health, fish consumption should be limited from segments with mercury TMDLs, according to guidance from the FDOH.
Nitrogen inputs from industry, sewage and wastewater treatment discharges, and agriculture are most likely the primary point source discharges of nutrients to waterways in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed. However, atmospheric deposition of nitrogen from fossil fuel combustion may also be a source within the watershed. Most oxidized-nitrogen emissions are deposited close to the emission source and can especially impact surface water in urban areas within the watershed (Howarth et al. 2002a, 2002b, 2002c; NRC 2000).
3.2.5 Ecological Indicators of Water Quality
Eutrophication
Eutrophication is defined as an increase in the rate of supply of organic matter to an ecosystem, characterized by excessive plant and algal growth due to the increased availability of one or more limiting growth factors needed for photosynthesis (Nixon 1995; Schindler 2006). Both point and NPS pollution have accelerated the rate and extent of eutrophication through increased loadings of limiting nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, into aquatic ecosystems (Chislock et al. 2013). Although nutrients are necessary for the function of all ecosystems, in excess they can cause damage to aquatic systems by inducing eutrophication as described in the next subsection below. Nutrient loading over-stimulates the production of planktonic algae (floating), epiphytic algae (those attached to surfaces), and macrophytes (large plants) and leads to dense nuisance and toxic blooms.
Eutrophication is also associated with major changes in aquatic community structure as a result of changes in ratios of key plant nutrients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus). These changes result in food webs that are less efficient in supporting key fisheries and favor algal blooms, including those toxic to fish, marine mammals, birds, and people. Increased algal blooms result in low DO levels, loss of beneficial SAV, fish kills, and habitat degradation. These symptoms of eutrophication impact public health and the use of coastal ecosystems for recreation, tourism, and commercially important fisheries (Bricker et al. 1999). The estimated cost of damage caused by eutrophication in the U.S. alone is approximately $2.2 billion annually (Dodds et al. 2009). Figure 3-8 illustrates how the eutrophication process can occur.
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Source: Adapted from EPA South Florida Science Program by Ecology and Environment, Inc. Figure 3-8 Eutrophication Process In freshwater systems, excessive aquatic vegetation can be a problem, particularly in closed basins. Lakes in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed are at risk for eutrophication due to their limited circulation and proximity to development. Lake Hall has some of the best water quality and clarity in Leon County. However, other lakes such as Lake Iamonia and Lake Jackson have historically experienced high nutrient concentrations and associated eutrophication (McGlynn 2006a). Most recent water quality monitoring data for Lake Iamonia show that the lake met nutrient thresholds for the East Panhandle region (Leon County 2016c) However, the lake failed to meet the state criteria for DO during multiple sampling events from 2004 – 2015. Low DO may be a naturally occurring condition in this and other lakes.
Lake Jackson is a closed basin lake that does not contribute to river flow within the watershed, but is considered part of the surface water basin (NWFWMD 2012). Significant water quality and ecological impacts have been described since the 1990s including blue-green algae blooms, and an extensive growth of invasive exotic plants (Macmillan 1997). The water quality of Lake Jackson is largely dependent upon the water quality in Megginnis Arm and Fords Arm, which receive stormwater from the City of Tallahassee and ultimately drain westward to the lake. Megginnis Arm has historically exhibited high chlorophyll-a and bacteria concentrations, while Fords Arm has historically experienced algal blooms and other indicators of eutrophication (McGlynn 2006b). Lake Iamonia has also experienced water quality problems, attributable to
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NPS pollution from urban stormwater, runoff, and septic systems. Effects of surface runoff appear compounded by the prevalence of septic systems in portions of the lake’s basin (NWFWMD 2012). Most recent water quality monitoring data for Lake Jackson indicate that chlorophyll-a, total phosphorus, and nitrogen levels were exceeded several times over the 2002 – 2015 sampling period. Additionally, percent DO saturation values did not always meet Class III water quality criteria (Leon County 2015a).
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and Aquatic Life Mortality Events
Harmful algal blooms occur when colonies of certain types of algae grow at increased rates within the water column, and produce toxins at concentrations that have harmful effects on marine life and humans (NOAA 2014). Red tide, caused by the microscopic algae, Karenia brevis (K. brevis), is one of the more common HABs in the bays and estuaries along the Gulf Coast of Florida (Solutions to Avoid Red Tide [START] 2016). K. brevis produces a neurotoxin that kills fish, shellfish, and marine mammals. This toxin is also harmful to humans. Airborne toxins cause respiratory irritation and skin irritation. Additionally, humans who eat contaminated seafood may become sick or die (NOAA 2015b; START 2016). Red tide is a natural occurrence; however, increased nutrient loading, pollution, food web alterations, introduced species, water flow changes, and climate change influence the frequency and duration of blooms (NOAA 2015b).
Scientists at NOAA monitor and study HABs to detect and forecast red tide blooms to warn communities in advance of possible environmental and health effects (NOAA 2014). The NOAA is authorized by the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act to assist in the control of possible HABs through research centers, labs, and funding (NOAA 2015b). Citizens can visit NOAA’s Harmful Algal Bloom Operational Forecast System Operational Conditions Reports for updates on any known HAB colonies from Southwest Florida to the Texas coastline (NOAA 2016a). The NOAA also posts HAB bulletins with conditions reports and analyses of HABs in the Gulf of Mexico.
A 2006 algal bloom in Lake Jackson fell just under the World Health Organization threshold for the cyanobacterial toxin microcystin, at 0.5 micrograms per liter, compared to the standard set at 1 microgram per liter. The waters of Lake Jackson are connected to the aquifer by sinks and could potentially impact drinking water.
High chlorophyll-a concentrations occur across the Florida Panhandle periodically in the summer and tend to be associated with the nuisance species Anacystis spp., Anabaena spp., and toxic K. brevis. No K. brevis HABs were documented in the Ochlockonee Bay and adjacent
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Apalachee Bay during satellite surveys by NOAA in the fall of 2015 or during surveys by the FWC in the summer of 2016. Detailed sample information and a summary of impacts can be found through the FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute at http://myfwc.com/redtidestatus (NOAA 2015c).
3.3 Habitat Quality in Receiving Waters
3.3.1 Subtidal Communities
Subtidal communities in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed predominantly include seagrass beds and unconsolidated sediment. Little data is available on the existing condition of the waters containing oyster beds in the coastal waters of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed. Across the Big Bend region, research has shown a 66 percent net loss of oyster reefs between 1982 and 2011 (Seavey, et al. 2011). Offshore oyster reefs have experienced the greatest declines, with approximately 88 percent loss. Nearshore and inshore reefs have declined by 61 percent and 50 percent, respectively (Seavey, et al. 2011). Long-term stressors on oyster beds in these waters include the direct and indirect effects of population growth, land use change, point source and NPS pollution, upstream riparian habitat loss and degradation (USFWS 2013b).
Seagrass coverage is indicative of water quality, due to the need of seagrasses for clear water to allow adequate sunlight. Eutrophication, or excessive plant and algal growth due to the nutrient availability, has been demonstrated to negatively impact aquatic habitats, including seagrass beds (Nixon 1995; Schindler 2006). A NOAA estuarine eutrophication survey found “medium” levels of chlorophyll-a, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations, and anoxia and hypoxia, and low coverage of SAV in the adjacent Apalachee Bay (Bricker et al. 1999). Additional information about seagrass monitoring efforts and the relationship between SAV and water quality can be found in Section 6.0. Human activities that can negatively impact SAV in coastal waters can include dredging and related sediment suspension and deposition, operation of recreational and commercial watercraft, and sedimentation from construction and other land-based activities (Livingston 1986).
Seagrass communities within the watershed have suffered considerable damage from propeller scarring and mooring. Seagrass distribution has been described as patchy south of the Ochlockonee River mouth, as well as at the mouth of the Ochlockonee Bay, both of which historically contained more complete coverage (FWC 2011, 2015d; Hulings 1958).
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3.3.2 Intertidal Communities
Because development is particularly sparse in the coastal lowland region of the watershed, most of the basin’s intertidal communities are in relatively good condition. Little research has been conducted on the status and quality of salt marsh habitat in Ochlockonee Bay itself. However, the effects of sea level rise on the adjacent Apalachee Bay and the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (14,748 acres in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed) have been assessed since the late 1990s. Impacts observed in the Apalachee Bay and the St. Marks River system are likely to be observed in Ochlockonee Bay as well, due to similarities in near-shore elevation, offshore gradient, and species composition.
These assessments provided estimates of salt marsh habitat in a section of Apalachee Bay (McNulty et al. 1972) which included the area from Alligator Harbor eastward to the Econfina River, including Bald Point. Within this area, approximately 137,600 acres of tidal marsh were mapped. Located on the interface between sea and land, saltmarsh and wetland habitats are affected by both sea level rise and hurricanes. Changes in the hydroperiod (seasonal pattern of water levels), due to regional climate shifts, may also affect salt marsh habitat (USGS 1997). U.S. Geological Survey coastal flooding models indicate that as sea level rises, a large land base throughout the Apalachee Bay area (and likely the Ochlockonee Bay area) will be converted from marsh to open water and from forest to marsh. According to model predictions, coastal marsh is likely to increase slightly in land cover as it migrates upslope and replaces existing forest habitat due to the gentle slope of the landform (USGS 1997). More recent investigations at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge by USFWS using the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) evaluated changes in community composition under five different scenarios ranging from 0.39 to 2.0 meters of sea level rise. Under all five scenarios, tidal swamp communities were the most heavily impacted, and tidal fresh marsh communities were replaced by salt marsh communities (USFWS 2012). Although specific model results are not available for Ochlockonee Bay, due to its close proximity to, and similar characteristics as Apalachee Bay, it is likely that the same trends are to be expected in both areas.
3.3.3 Freshwater Systems
Many of the watershed’s upland lakes have undergone significant hydrologic alteration and suffered impacts from point and NPS pollution, particularly in the Tallahassee metropolitan area. Lake Jackson and Lake Iamonia, as well as smaller lakes, such as lakes Hall and Overstreet, have experienced extensive invasion by non-native aquatic plants, particularly hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata). This has diminished native plant cover and stressed aquatic species (McGlynn 2006a, 2006b). Lake Hall and Carr Lake have suffered from blue-green algal blooms and high
68 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT incidents of fish disease. Lake Iamonia suffers from increased aquatic plant growth. High nutrient and sediment inputs to lakes Jackson, Talquin, and Iamonia have led to the proliferation of invasive exotics such as hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), water hyacinth (Eichhomia crassipes), alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides), and water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes). The natural draining of Lake Jackson has allowed for the removal of Chinese tallow, an invasive exotic tree, from the lake shore and facilitated prescribed fire on the lakebed to reduce the buildup of aquatic plant biomass (Penson 2002). Today the lake continues to exhibit low DO due to organic rich sediment and aquatic plant proliferation, however the vegetative community is considered healthy (Leon County 2016a).
Land clearing associated with agriculture, silviculture, and recreation, as well as dirt road erosion, have led to increased soil erosion and sedimentation in the Ochlockonee River drainage basin which can degrade benthic habitat and water quality. Protected mussel species in the Ochlockonee River system have experienced declines in population and are at risk of extinction (Butler et al. 2003). As filter feeders, mussels are sensitive to pollutants, algae on substrates promoted by excessive nutrients, low DO, and possibly microorganisms from discharged wastewater. They require permanently flowing water of good quality (USFWS 2007). Dams, significant water withdrawals and diversions, and other physical changes also affect habitat conditions for mussels, as well as other aquatic species (USFWS 2007).
Although it is not a primary component of the scope of this plan, it should be noted that the negative impacts of invasive plant species on native communities has been widely recognized (Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council 2005). The proliferation of non-native species poses a significant threat to biodiversity as non-native species modify ecosystem structure and contribute to the decline of native species, particularly in aquatic systems (Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council 2005; FWC 2015e; Mack et al. 2000; Vitousek 1986). The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Invasive Plant Management Section is the lead agency for coordinating control of invasive aquatic and upland plants on public conservation lands and surface waters.
The periodic draining and refilling of the watershed’s disappearing lakes (e.g., Lake Jackson, Lake Iamonia) controls and defines the consistency of plant and animal community within the lake. During drawdowns, aquatic vegetation dies and decomposes, exposing more of the lake bottom and creating better breeding habitat for important sportfish such as largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoide) (McGlynn 2006a, 2006b). Other species such as chain pickerel (Esox niger), Florida gar (Lepisosteus platyrhincus), and bowfin (Amia calva) do not recover as rapidly
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(McGlynn 2006b). Habitat quality in freshwater systems is largely dependent upon local water quality conditions (further discussed in Section 3.2).
Even conservation lands in the watershed have undergone significant alteration. For example, at Bald Point State Park, a navigation channel has been dredged to connect Chaires Creek with Tucker Lake, which has significantly altered the hydrology from a primarily freshwater lake to a brackish system (FDEP 2006).
3.4 Floodplains
Floodplains provide important functions for water resources, as well as for the human community. Properly functioning floodplains, for example, protect water quality by allowing storage of floodwaters, reducing runoff velocity and preventing erosion and sedimentation. They also provide important habitat for many terrestrial and aquatic species.
In addition to impacting water resources, development and encroachment into flood-prone areas puts residents and property at significant risk. Floodplain encroachment decreases floodplain function by reducing the flood-carrying capacity, increases flood heights and velocities, and increases flood hazards and degrades natural systems in areas beyond the encroachment itself. Floodplains offer a way to attenuate potential flood effects, while also providing an ecological link between aquatic and upland ecosystems. Economic gain from floodplain development should be balanced against the resulting increase in flood hazard and associated costs (FEMA 2014a).
While severe rainfall events can lead to flooding and flood-related impacts on surface waters, drought can have severe impacts on water supply, aquifer recharge, water chemistry, DO concentrations, and other parameters that affect water quality and in-stream habitat. Maintaining the hydrological integrity of the floodplain can benefit surface water systems in drought conditions, as well as flood conditions. Floodplain vegetation reduces evaporation and increases soil water storage capacity. Riparian wetlands, marshes, and floodplain forests help to slow stormwater runoff, allowing for filtering and a slower release into streams and aquifers (The Nature Conservancy [TNC] 2016b). Floodplain protection is important to support not only recharge and water storage, but also protect the quality of groundwater that may emerge later as surface water.
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3.4.1 Flood Prone Areas
Northwest Florida, with its extensive river networks and other water resources, has a long history of flooding events, which makes it clear that such events will re-occur and that it is necessary to plan accordingly. Riverine floods are significant and common in northwest Florida and tend to occur along major river systems and their tributaries. Within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, major riverine systems such as the Ochlockonee, Sopchoppy, and Crooked Rivers, streams, wetlands, low-lying areas, coastal areas, and closed basins are subject to significant flooding. Flooding is particularly problematic in high-growth and densely populated areas. Flooding impacts appear to be aggravated by inadequate public awareness of the potential for flooding events and associated consequences. Residents and visitors must be aware of the implications of building, living, working, and recreating in areas prone to flooding.
Federal Emergency Management Agency digital flood maps indicate that 374,797 acres (approximately 45 percent) of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed are delineated as Special Flood Hazard Area (Figure 2-11). Lands prone to flooding are predominantly in the lower portion of the watershed in the coastal lowlands where extensive wetlands, old submerged beaches, and seagrass meadows have a wave dampening effect. Most of this region is public conservation land, so risks to private property are limited.
The Crooked River, much of St. James Island, the lower Sopchoppy River, and the Ochlockonee River from the coast to about 30 miles upstream, are also vulnerable to storm surges (FEMA 2014b). This area has little development within the watershed boundary and is mostly public land or private timberland.
3.4.2 Recent Flood Events
The coastline within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed is an extensive low-energy area, with a gently sloping continental shelf, no offshore barrier islands, and several rivers, creeks, and marshes discharging directly into the Gulf of Mexico. The coastline is also in a generally upwind direction, resulting in limited sand transport and wave heights that are commonly 3–4 centimeters or less. During storm events, Franklin and Wakulla counties are susceptible to tide wave amplification. A 2014 Wakulla County Flood Insurance Study identified seven hurricanes since the 1830s that have resulted in damage to the watershed, including extensive shoreline erosion and inundation depths of up to 10 feet (FEMA 2014b).
New technologies such as satellite imagery and remote sensing have been tested in Jefferson and Wakulla counties to assess tidal model performance for FEMA map modernization. These new
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3.4.3 Floodplain Management
Flood protection needs within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed are closely related to stormwater management, as well as land use planning and land development regulation. Thus, for both retrofit and new development, flood protection and water quality treatment efforts must be closely coordinated through the protection of floodplains, wetlands, natural hydrology, and recharge. Where necessary and appropriate, both retrofit needs and stormwater management for new development should be addressed through the construction of facilities that provide both flood protection and water quality treatment.
To facilitate the protection of floodplain functions and resources, the NWFWMD and FEMA have identified flood hazards through the Flood Hazard Map Modernization program (originally), the FEMA Risk MAP program (currently), and county and watershed-based Flood Insurance Studies, the SWIM program, storm surge modeling, and other cooperative efforts. Additionally, ongoing land acquisition efforts serve to protect floodplains, wetlands, and associated public benefits. Restoration efforts implemented through SWIM and wetland mitigation also help restore natural hydrology, with benefits for flood protection, habitat, and water quality.
Finally, implementation of the Environmental Resource Permitting (ERP) program in northwest Florida helps ensure flood protection is addressed in an integrated manner with water quality protection. Florida’s ERP Program regulates activities that alter surface water flows, including activities in uplands that generate stormwater runoff, and dredging and filling in wetlands and surface waters. In addition to the state wetlands permitting process, Section 404 of the CWA establishes a federal wetlands program administered by the USACE.
3.5 Unique Features and Special Resource Management Designations
3.5.1 Conservation Lands
Conservation lands, which help to protect both water and habitat quality in riverine and coastal areas, account for nearly 44 percent, or 366,000 acres, of the land area within the Florida portion of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed. Due to the number of contiguous conservation lands in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, and relatively limited coastal development, significant portions of the watershed are rich in pristine habitats that support a diversity of
72 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT wildlife. As long as this land remains undeveloped and is responsibly managed, this significant buffer will continue to provide protection to the rivers and coastal environment. However, habitat quality has been degraded in some areas due to human activities and associated water quality impacts. Some of the largest tracts of protected lands in the watershed include portions of the Apalachicola National Forest and Tate’s Hell State Forest, which are located in the southern half of the watershed. All conservation lands in the watershed are listed and described briefly in Appendix E.
The Apalachicola National Forest, owned and operated by the U.S. Forest Service (USDA), comprises more than 571,000 acres, which includes 2,735 acres of water. Over 225,000 acres of the forest occur in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed in Franklin, Liberty, Leon, and Wakulla counties. The Apalachicola National Forest consists of six sub-watersheds which provide an abundance of freshwater streams, rivers, lakes, and natural springs (USDA 2016b). The Apalachicola National Forest also includes the Bradwell Bay Wilderness Area which consists of hardwood and titi swamps, as well as small open ponds and other wetland habitats interspersed with dry islands of longleaf pine and wire grass that border parts of the swamp (USDA 2016b).
Tate's Hell State Forest is a continuous tract of forested land purchased through the Conservation and Recreation Lands program that comprises over 202,437 acres including 35 miles of rivers, streams, and creeks. Together, the Apalachicola National Forest and Tate’s Hell State Forest buffer the Apalachicola and Ochlockonee bays from runoff and protects floodplains of the New, Ochlockonee, and Crooked rivers.
In addition to the two large conservation tracts described above, the NWFWMD monitors over 12,400 acres of conservation easements across the District, including approximately 3,674 acres within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed. The District also manages Elinor Klapp- Phipps Park in the City of Tallahassee, which consists of over 662 acres on the eastern shore of Lake Jackson. Along with providing multi-use recreational opportunities such as hiking and mountain biking, the park preserves significant floodplains and depression wetlands adjacent to Lake Jackson.
The watershed contains eight state parks, preserves, and forests encompassing over 50,000 acres, the majority of which are managed by various branches of the FDEP and FDACS (Figure 3-9). Lake Talquin State Forest encompasses part of the designated 2,700-acre Ochlockonee River Wildlife Management Area, managed by the FWC. The Joe Budd Wildlife Management Area, also managed by the FWC, is located adjacent to the northern bank of Lake Talquin.
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State-funded land acquisitions have been important in securing conservation lands within the watershed. The Nature Conservancy of Florida has been instrumental in brokering many critical land acquisitions with state funding provided through various programs such as Preservation 2000 and Florida Forever (discussed further in Section 6.4.8). The Nature Conservancy owns and manages the 6,290-acre Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, of which 469 acres occurs in the watershed. The preserve includes rare steep-slope habitat and harbors many endemic plants.
Private conservation lands include Tall Timbers Research Station and conservation easements on private forest and wetland mitigation lands (FNAI 2016a, 2016b). Florida’s conservation and recreation land acquisition program, Florida Forever, is the largest public land acquisition program in the U.S., with more than 718,126 acres of land purchased since the program’s inception in July 2001 (FDEP 2016f). The watershed includes significant areas on the approved Florida Forever lands acquisition list including Ayavalla Plantation, Dickerson Bay/Bald Point, Ochlockonee River Conservation Area, St. Joe Timberland, Hosford Chapman’s Rhododendron Protection Zone, and Little River Conservation Area projects (FDEP 2016f).
The watershed also includes local and county parks managed by Leon and Wakulla counties and the cities of Tallassee and Quincy. Approximately 18,816 acres of conservation lands are owned and managed by the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy, a private organization devoted to the research of fire ecology and to advocating prescribed fire for land management (Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Conservancy 2016).
Within the City of Tallahassee, the largest urban development in the watershed, the Tallahassee- Leon County Greenways Program, was created to build a community-wide greenways system intended to protect and manage riparian corridors, floodplains, and other environmentally sensitive areas (City of Tallahassee and Leon County 2015). Additionally, the Tallahassee-Leon County Comprehensive Plan discourages urban sprawl and provides policies to map and protect floodplains, floodways, altered wetlands, watercourses, closed basins, active karst features, canopy road corridors, and highly and erodible soils (City of Tallahassee 2015).
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3.5.2 Critical Habitat and Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas (SHCAs)
The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed contains a number of rare, endemic, federally and When considering what areas to state-protected species, and/or species of special designate as critical habitat for a given concern listed under the Endangered Species Act protected species, the USFWS considers (ESA). The ESA also provides special protection features of the environment that provide the following: for Critical Habitat of certain species which may include an area that is not currently occupied by Space for individual and population growth and for normal the species, but that will be needed for its behavior recovery. Cover or shelter The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed Food, water, air, light, minerals, or other nutritional or physiological includes designated critical habitat for a variety of requirements protected species, including the threatened Gulf Sites for breeding and rearing sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi), the offspring threatened piping plover (Charadrius melodus), Habitats that are protected from the endangered Florida torreya (Torreya taxifolia), disturbances or are representative the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker of the historical geographical and (Picoides borealis), and the threatened frosted ecological distributions of a species flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma cingulatum). Source: USFWS 2015. Large sections of the river above and below Lake Talquin are federally designated critical habitat for four listed mussel species (USFWS 2016).
Sections of the Ochlockonee River above and below Lake Talquin are federally designated critical habitat for four listed mussel species (Ochlockonee moccasinshell [Medionidus simpsonianus], oval pigtoe, shinyrayed pocketbook [Hamiota subangulata], and purple bankclimber).
The FWC has identified two SHCAs for the Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus). Located on the west side of the Ochlockonee River, one SHCA comprises the lower Telogia Creek basin along with several nearby tributaries, while the other encompasses the lower portion of the watershed mostly in Franklin County (Endries et al. 2009). Along with the Florida black bear, additional SHCAs have been identified for wading birds including those areas along Telogia Creek, the Ochlockonee River above Lake Talquin, as well as Lake Jackson and Iamonia (Endries et al. 2009).
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The FDACS publishes a list of the protected plants of Florida (Weaver and Anderson 2010). The table in Appendix B provides a list of species that are protected and tracked for the watershed, as well as their habitat requirements. The watershed is home to a number of threatened and endangered plant species. Gadsden and Liberty counties are home to one of the only two core populations of the rare Chapman’s Rhododendron (Rhododendron chapmanii), a federally listed plant species that is found in in only three Florida Panhandle counties. In an effort to conserve this population, The Hosford Chapman’s Rhododendron Protection Zone (due west of Lake Talquin State Forest) was added to the Florida Forever Project List in 2002. Listed species and natural communities are described in more detail in Appendices B and C, respectively.
3.5.3 Aquatic Preserves
The state of Florida currently has 41 aquatic preserves, encompassing approximately 2.2 million acres of submerged lands, including one preserve in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed (FDEP 2014a). The Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve, which includes Lake Carr and Mallard Pond, is the only preserve established for a lake in Florida. As described in Chapter 18-20, F.A.C., aquatic preserves were established for the purpose of being preserved in an essentially natural or existing condition so that their aesthetic, biological, and scientific values may endure for the enjoyment of future generations. The rule further lists a series of goals by which preserves shall be administered and managed. Additional details on the Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve and its management may be found at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/lake jackson/.
The Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve adjoins Ochlockonee Bay near its confluence with Apalachee Bay. The Big Bend Seagrass Aquatic Preserve is home to over 2,000 native species of plants and animals including threatened and endangered species such as the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), the Atlantic hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), and the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) (FDEP 2014a).
3.5.4 Outstanding Florida Waters (OFWs)
Of particular interest in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed are the waterbodies designated as Outstanding Florida Waters (OFWs). The FDEP designates OWFs (under Section 403.061[27], F.S.), which are then approved by the Environmental Regulation Commission. The FDEP defines an OFW as “a water designated worthy of special protection because of its natural attributes. This special designation is applied to certain waters, and is intended to protect existing good water quality” (FDEP 2015f). Outstanding Florida Waters within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed include the Ochlockonee River and Ochlockonee River State Park, Alfred B.
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Maclay Gardens State Park, the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Jackson, Lake Talquin, and Mashes Sands (Rule 62-302.700 [9], F.A.C.; FNAI 2016c).
Sources: FDEP 2011b; FNAI 2016b; NOAA 2015a; Texas A&M University 2013; USGS 2015. Figure 3-9 Conservation Lands within the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed
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3.5.5 Gulf Ecological Management Sites (GEMS)
The watershed includes one Gulf Ecological Management Site (GEMS): the Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve in Apalachee Bay, which encompasses 682,826 acres of submerged lands and is connected to the Ochlockonee Bay in the coastal waters of Wakulla County. The GEMS Program is an initiative of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation, the EPA Gulf of Mexico Program, and the five Gulf of Mexico states (Gulf of Mexico Foundation 2015). Designated GEMS are considered high priority for protection, restoration, and conservation by state and federal authorities due to unique ecological qualities such as habitats significant to fish, wildlife, or other natural resources (Gulf of Mexico Foundation 2015).
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4.0 Implementation and 4 Achievements of the Previous SWIM Plan 4.1 Previous SWIM Plan Issues and 4.1 Previous SWIM Plan Issues and Priorities Priorities The NWFWMD developed a SWIM Plan for Lake Jackson in 1988 and revised 4.2 Progress toward the plan in 1990 and 1994. The Lake Jackson SWIM plan was updated in 1997 Meeting Plan with the publication of the Lake Jackson Management Plan Addendum, which Goals and provided recommendations for future consideration and documented progress Objectives towards meeting the plan’s goals and objectives. In 2012, the District developed a draft Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed SWIM Plan, to include the Lake Jackson basin. The Lake Jackson SWIM program emphasized NPS pollution control, while the 2012 Draft Ochlockonee SWIM Plan suggested a number of management strategies to address the larger watershed’s challenges and improve watershed conditions, including stormwater treatment and management, protection of critical lands and habitats, ecological restoration, monitoring, floodplain management, public education and outreach, and intergovernmental coordination.
The Lake Jackson Management Plan included a project plan with four programs: water quality, preservation and restoration, watershed management, and public education and awareness (NWFWMD 1997). The 2012 draft SWIM plan subsequently recognized three priority objectives which also address three of the NWFWMD’s statutory areas of responsibility relating to watershed management:
Water quality protection and improvement, focusing on prevention and abatement of NPS pollution in the upper reaches of the basin; Natural systems protection, enhancement, and restoration, including stream, wetland, aquatic, and riparian habitat restoration on lands purchased for conservation in the lower basin; and Protection and, if necessary, restoration of floodplain functions.
While the 2012 draft Ochlockonee SWIM plan did not identify specific projects, it identified a number of management objectives and strategies to address the watershed’s challenges and improve watershed conditions (Table 4-1) (NWFWMD 2012).
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Table 4-1 2012 Draft SWIM Plan Objectives, Watershed Issues, Management Strategies, and Potential Activities
Management Watershed Issues Objectives
NPS pollution continues in some stream reaches despite land use practices and regulatory programs intended to control pollutant sources. Water Quality Protection and Sites with historically documented water quality problems have not been Improvement adequately addressed. Water quality and hydrologic data gaps have not been fully described or addressed. Diminished water quality and altered watershed conditions have significantly impacted stream habitat quality and viability within Natural Systems segments of the Ochlockonee River and some of its tributaries. Protection, Continuing riparian and wetland restoration and preservation needs Enhancement, and within the watershed need to be more fully evaluated and described. Restoration Sedimentation from unpaved roads directly impacts streams and receiving waters, particularly within the middle and upper reaches of the watershed. Flood Protection – Promoting Floodplain management priorities that may benefit water and habitat Natural quality while also providing flood protection need to be integrated with Floodplain the District and other agency programs. Function Management Potential Activities Strategy Stormwater master planning. Stormwater Treatment and Retrofit construction assistance. Management BMP planning and implementation. Identification of priority parcels for protection and restoration. Protection of Critical Lands and Internal and external coordination of acquisition planning and funding. Habitats Assistance with private initiatives. Potential projects include removing failed dams and restoring associated stream channels, restoring wetlands, removing degraded sediments, Ecological stabilizing eroded sites and unpaved roads, and vegetation Restoration reestablishment. This project is inclusive of activities specified within the Tate’s Hell State Forest Hydrologic Restoration Plan.
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Monitoring consists of both remote sensing and filed parameters of Monitoring conditions and trends including water quality, stream flow, biology, stream conditions, and land cover. Protection of floodplains and their functions through land use planning, Floodplain land acquisition, restoration through reconnection of floodplain area, Management wetland regulatory programs, and delineation of flood hazard areas for flood insurance purposes. Information provided via internet, brochures, documents, presentations, and public events to raise awareness on such topics as personal practices Public Education for preventing NPS pollution and preservation of critical habitats on and Outreach private lands. Also includes agricultural outreach activities, in cooperation with mobile irrigation laboratories, extension services, and the efforts of state and federal agricultural agencies. Coordination with state and local governments and federal agencies to Intergovernmental enhance watershed protection and restoration; assist in a coherent Coordination watershed-wide approach; enhance BMP implementation; and leveraging multiple sources of funding and participation for large-scale projects. Sources: NWFWMD 2016b.
4.2 Progress toward Meeting Plan Goals and Objectives
Significant progress has been made on addressing a number of the issues and priorities identified. Reflecting the shared responsibility inherent in watershed management, accomplishments should be recognized on the part of numerous watershed stakeholders, including local governments, state and federal agencies, academic institutions, and others. Among the noteworthy accomplishments are:
Implementation of dedicated programs and projects to retrofit stormwater systems and improve water quality treatment by Leon County and the City of Tallahassee. Implementation of ERP by the District and the FDEP. Implementation of four local grant projects with grant funding from the Florida Forever program, including projects to achieve urban stormwater retrofits for water quality improvement. Since 1994, a number of major SWIM priorities for Lake Jackson were completed in cooperation with the City of Tallahassee, Leon County, the FWC, the FDEP, and others. These included collection and evaluation of water quality data; design and implementation of regional stormwater retrofit projects; construction of the Okeeheepkee Prairie, Boone Boulevard, Sharer Road, and Fuller Road stormwater treatment facilities (among others); Meginniss Arm habitat restoration; invasive plant management,
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evaluation of septic and sewer issues, and a major restoration effort to remove deposited sediments from the lake bottom during dry-down events. From 1999 through 2001, approximately 2 million cubic yards of deposited sediment had been removed as part of the Lake Jackson restoration effort. The FWC Bureau of Invasive Plant Management continues to implement aquatic plan management throughout the lakes of Leon County (http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/invasive-plants/).
Lake Jackson restoration and stormwater retrofit projects are described in detail in Section 6.4 below. The District’s Consolidated Annual Reports (http://www.nwfwater.com/Data- Publications/Reports-Plans/Consolidated-Annual-Reports) also provide listings and descriptions of specific projects that have been completed under the auspices of the SWIM and Florida Forever programs.
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5.0 Related Resource Management 55.1 Activities
Deepwater Local governments and state and federal agencies have made significant Horizon: investments to reduce discharges of polluted stormwater from urban areas and RESTORE Act, to restore, protect, and preserve natural systems and associated public benefits Natural Resource in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed. This section describes historical Damage and ongoing activities and programs to address watershed resource issues Assessment within the watershed. (NRDA), and NFWF Projects Much of the progress to date is attributable to cooperative efforts made on the part of local governments, the District, state and federal agencies, and private 5.2 Water Quality initiatives. Many programs and projects share common goals, and their Monitoring implementation is most frequently accomplished through coordinated 5.3 Submerged planning, funding, management, and execution. Aquatic Vegetation 5.1 Deepwater Horizon: RESTORE Act, Natural (SAV) Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), and NFWF Projects Monitoring The FDEP and the FWC are the lead state agencies in Florida for responding 5.4 Water Quality to the impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the resulting Restoration and restoration process. Restoration projects submitted through the FDEP are Protection considered for funding under the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast Act (RESTORE Act), the NRDA, and the NFWF’s GEBF.
5.1.1 RESTORE
The RESTORE Act of 2012 allocates to the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund 80 percent of the CWA administrative and civil penalties resulting from the oil spill. The major means of allocation under the RESTORE Act are as follows:
Direct Component Funds (“Bucket 1”): Seven percent of these funds will be directly allocated to counties affected in Florida (5.25 percent to the eight disproportionately affected counties in the Panhandle from Escambia to Wakulla counties; and 1.75 percent to the non- disproportionately impacted Gulf Coastal counties). To receive funds under the Direct
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Component, each county is required to submit a Multiyear Implementation Plan, subject to review by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, detailing the county’s plan to expend funds for a set of publically vetted projects and goals (FDEP 2016g).
Council-selected Projects (“Bucket 2”): A portion of RESTORE funds will go toward projects with a wider geographic benefit (multiple states). These projects are selected by the Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Council, which includes the five Gulf States and six federal agencies. Projects can be submitted by the Council members and federally recognized Native American tribes.
Spill Impact Component (“Bucket 3”): Each of the five Gulf states will receive these funds to implement a State Expenditure Plan. In Florida, this plan is being developed through the Gulf Consortium, which was created by the Florida Association of Counties. Projects will be submitted by each of the 23 counties on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
5.1.2 Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)
The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 authorizes certain state and federal agencies to evaluate the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This legal process, known as NRDA, determines the type and amount of restoration needed to compensate the public for damages caused by the oil spill. The FDEP, along with the FWC, are co-trustees on the Deepwater Horizon Trustee Council. The NRDA Trustees have thus far selected two recreational use projects to implement in Franklin and Wakulla counties (FDEP 2016g):
The Bald Point State Park Recreation Area (Franklin County, $470,800) – construct picnic pavilions, boardwalks, floating dock, and a restroom with an associated aerobic treatment system and drain field. Wakulla Mashes Sands Park Improvements (Wakulla County, $1,500,000) – construct observation platforms, boardwalks, walking paths, and canoe/kayak launch; improvements to boat ramp area and picnic areas; and renovation of parking area and restroom facility.
5.1.3 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
The NFWF established the GEBF to administer funds arising from plea agreements that resolve the criminal cases against British Petroleum and Transocean. The purpose of the GEBF, as set forth in the plea agreements, is to remedy harm and eliminate or reduce the risk of future harm to Gulf Coast natural resources. The plea agreements require the NFWF to consult with state and federal resource agencies in identifying projects. The FWC and the FDEP work directly with the
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NFWF to identify projects for the state of Florida, in consultation with the USFWS and NOAA. From 2013 to 2018, the GEBF will receive a total of $356 million for natural resource projects in Florida. However, the allocation of funds is not limited to five years. The amount of these funds that will be allocated to projects in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed is unknown as of this writing (FDEP 2016g). NFWF funded the development of the 2017 SWIM plan updates through the GEBF.
5.1.4 The Nature Conservancy (TNC): Watershed Management Planning
To achieve comprehensive and long-term success for Gulf restoration, TNC facilitated a community-based watershed management planning process in 2014 and 2015 along Florida’s Gulf Coast for the following six watersheds: Perdido Bay, Pensacola Bay, Choctawhatchee Bay, St. Andrew and St. Joseph bays, Apalachicola to St. Marks, and the Springs Coast. The process was designed to:
Develop watershed-based plans that identify the most pressing environmental issues affecting each watershed and solutions that address the issues, regardless of political jurisdiction and funding source; Create long-term partnerships among stakeholders in each watershed and across the regions to maximize effectiveness of project implementation and funding efforts; and Provide a screening tool to evaluate the project priorities of these watershed plans for potential funding by the communities, the FDEP, the FWC, the NFWF, and the Gulf Coast Restoration Council (TNC 2014).
The plan developed for the Apalachicola to St. Marks watersheds, including the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, identifies 13 projects to address seven major actions (TNC 2014):
Protect, restore, create and/or manage natural habitat and resources and increase buffer areas; Increase cooperation and coordination for management, monitoring, funding, implementation, outreach, and enforcement; Reduce impacts to groundwater and ensure adequate fresh water availability; Reduce and treat stormwater; Reduce nutrient loading; Reduce sedimentation; and Increase economic diversification.
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To complete the planning process and ensure that all of the priority issues are identified and addressed, the plan recommended updating the 2012 Draft Ochlockonee River and Bay SWIM Plan—the subject of this report (TNC 2014).
5.2 Water Quality Monitoring
The majority of the monitoring data in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, including chemical and biological data, has been collected by the FDEP Northwest District staff (FDEP 2003). Data-gathering activities include working with environmental monitoring staff in the NWFWMD and local and county governments to obtain applicable monitoring data from their routine monitoring programs and special water quality projects in the basin. All of the data collected by the FDEP and its partners is uploaded to the statewide water quality database for assessment.
Several water quality monitoring programs are ongoing in the watershed. These include Leon County’s Water Resources Program; the NWFWMD; the FDACS Shellfish Environmental Assessment Section (SEAS); and the FDOH Florida Healthy Beaches monitoring program. The following subsections provide an overview of these programs and some of their relevant findings.
5.2.1 FDEP/NWFWMD
Long-term trends in the water quality of Florida’s rivers, streams, and canals are monitored by the FDEP’s Surface Water Temporal Variability (SWTV) Monitoring Network. This is a statewide network of 78 fixed sites selected to reflect the water quality impacts of the land use within each basin. The SWTV network includes two sites on the Ochlockonee River. The first station, located near the state boundary with Georgia, is used to measure the water quality of the Ochlockonee River as it enters Florida. The second site is located within the Apalachicola National Forest at a point of the river that is representative of the land use activities within the Ochlockonee basin. A third station is located on Telogia Creek near its furthest western reach. Parameters monitored include color alkalinity, turbidity, suspended and dissolved solids, nutrients, total organic carbon, chlorides, sulfate, metals (calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium), pH, conductivity, temperature, DO, total coliform bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, enterococci bacteria, and escherichia bacteria. Bi-annual biological sampling is also performed in order to evaluate the ecological health of the waters. These water quality stations are on gauged streams, which provide for calculated stream discharges (FDEP 2016h, 2016i).
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The FDEP has also developed the Nitrogen Source Inventory and Loading Tool to identify and quantify the major contributing nitrogen sources to groundwater in areas of interest. This GIS- and spreadsheet-based tool provides spatial estimates of the relative contribution of nitrogen from various sources. It takes into consideration the transport pathways and processes affecting the various forms of nitrogen as they move from the land surface through soil and geologic strata that overlie and comprise the Upper Floridan aquifer (FDEP 2016j).
The Florida Geological Survey Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment model can facilitate protection of groundwater and surface waters by identifying less vulnerable areas that may support development and more vulnerable areas that should be prioritized for conservation (Arthur et al. 2007).
5.2.2 FDEP Northwest District
The FDEP’s Northwest District has collected considerable biological data and conducted biological evaluations of numerous stream and other aquatic habitat sites throughout the watershed (FDEP 2003). The biological data collected by the FDEP Northwest District includes Stream Condition Index, Wetland Condition Index, and bioassessment data, all of which are reported and accessible in the STOrage and RETrieval (STORET) database. The data is included in the Impaired Surface Waters Rule (IWR) assessments, including the most recent assessment IWR run 50 which can be found on the FDEP website: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/ watersheds/assessment/basin411.htm.
5.2.3 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)
Under the SEAS program, the FDACS monitors bottom and surface temperature, salinity, DO, surface pH, turbidity, fecal coliform bacteria, water depth, and wind direction and speed at shellfish beds. The FDACS has identified two waterbody segments as verified impaired for bacteria in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, based on shellfish classifications issued by the FDACS (FDEP 2014c):
Ochlockonee Bay (waterbody identification number [WBID] 1248A); and Ochlockonee Bay/Gulf of Mexico (WBID 8025).
5.2.4 Florida Department of Health (FDOH)
The Florida Healthy Beaches Program was begun by the FDOH as a pilot beach monitoring program in 1998 with expansion to include all the state’s coastal counties in August 2000. Local
88 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT county health departments participate in the program with weekly monitoring of beaches for enterococcus and fecal coliform bacteria. The departments issue health advisories or warnings when bacterial counts are too high (FDEP 2003). While small in total number of records, the data provided by the FDOH include bacterial data used in their beach monitoring program (Florida Healthy Beaches Program) and have resulted in identification of several impaired segments based on beach closures.
The FDEP identified one beach segments as verified impaired for bacteria in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, based on beach advisories issued by the county health departments (FDEP 2014c): Mashes Island (WBID 8025B).
5.2.5 LakeWatch
The University of Florida’s LakeWatch volunteer monitoring program collects water quality data at dozens of sites within the watershed. Parameters monitored include total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chlorophyll-a, and Secchi depth, which are collected monthly at lake stations and some stream stations by citizen volunteers. Data are sometimes collected on aquatic vegetation (FDEP 2003).
5.3 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Monitoring
Submerged aquatic vegetation abundance and health varies within the watershed. Most areas appear to be declining. In addition to the loss of SAVs due to limited sunlight, they are also being damaged on a regular basis by boat propellers when boaters run aground in shallow waters. Public education and marking of navigation channels can help reduce these occurrences.
Since 2009, the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) has monitored changes in the extent, density, and patchiness of SAV in the Big Bend region as part of the statewide Seagrass Integrated Mapping and Monitoring (SIMM) program. The FWRI also is currently conducting a study to identify the roadblocks to SAV recovery, which may be different from the causes for their losses.
5.4 Water Quality Restoration and Protection
Water quality in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed is protected through several programs working together to restore water quality and prevent degradation. These programs include the FDEP’s adopted TMDLs; BMPs for silviculture, agriculture, construction, and other activities related to land use and development; regulatory programs including NPDES, domestic and industrial wastewater permits, stormwater permits, and the ERP; and local efforts to retrofit
89 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT stormwater infrastructure to add or improve water quality treatment. Additionally, water quality is protected through a number of conservation, mitigation, and management programs that protect water resources, aquifer recharge areas, floodplains, and other natural systems within the watershed. These programs include the Florida Forever Work Plan, regional mitigation for state transportation projects, and local government efforts to protect resources and provide for flood protection. The following subsection provides an overview of these programs and their contribution to water quality restoration and protection.
5.4.1 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
Total maximum daily loads are developed for waterbodies that are verified as not meeting adopted water quality standards to support their designated use. They provide important water quality goals to guide restoration activities and identify reductions in pollutant loading required to restore water quality. Total maximum daily loads are implemented through the development and adoption of BMAPs that identify the management actions necessary to reduce the pollutant loads. Basin Management Action Plans are developed by local stakeholders (public and private) in close coordination with the Water Management Districts and the FDEP. Although water segments with adopted TMDLs are removed from the state’s impaired waters list, they remain a high priority for restoration. The FDEP has developed specific guidance for implementing fecal coliform TMDLs that focuses on identifying and removing bacteria sources (FDEP 2011c).
5.4.2 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permitting
The FDEP implements the NPDES stormwater program in Florida under delegation from the EPA. The program requires regulation of stormwater runoff from MS4s generally serving populations of more than 10,000 and denser than 1,000 per square mile, construction activity disturbing more than one acre of land, and ten categories of industrial activity. An MS4 can include roads with drainage systems, gutters, and ditches, as well as underground drainage, operated by local jurisdictions, the FDOT, universities, local sewer districts, hospitals, military bases, and prisons.
All point sources that discharge to surface waterbodies require a NPDES permit. These permits can be classified into two types: domestic or industrial wastewater discharge permits, and stormwater permits. All communities’ NPDES-permitted point sources may be affected by the development and implementation of a TMDL. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits include “reopener clauses” that allow the FDEP to incorporate new discharge limits when a TMDL is established. For municipal stormwater permits, the FDEP will insert requirements for BMAP implementation upon completion (FDEP 2003).
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5.4.3 Domestic and Industrial Wastewater Permits
In addition to NPDES-permitted facilities, all of which discharge to surface waters, Florida also regulates domestic and industrial wastewater discharges to groundwater via land application. Since groundwater and surface water are so intimately linked in much of the state, reductions in loadings from these facilities may be needed to meet water quality goals for surface waters.
5.4.4 Best Management Practices (BMPs)
Best management practices may include structural controls (such as treatment ponds) or nonstructural controls (such as street sweeping and public education). Many BMPs have been developed for urban stormwater to reduce pollutant loadings and peak flows. These BMPs accommodate site-specific conditions, including soil type, slope, depth to groundwater, and the use designation of receiving waters.
The passage of the 1999 Florida Watershed Restoration Act (Chapter 99-223, Laws of Florida) increased the emphasis on implementing BMPs to reduce NPS pollutant discharges from agricultural operations. It authorized the FDEP and the FDACS to develop interim measures and agricultural BMPs. While BMPs are adopted by rule, they are voluntary if not covered by regulatory programs. If adopted by rule and the FDEP verifies their effectiveness, then implementation provides a presumption of compliance with water quality standards, similar to that granted a developer who obtains an ERP (FDACS 2016b). Best management practices have been developed and adopted into rules for silviculture, row crops, container plants, cow/calf, and dairies. A draft BMP for poultry has been developed and adoption is expected by late 2016 (FDACS 1993, 2016b, 2016c).
Over the last several years, the FDACS has worked with farmers, soil and water conservation entities, the UF-IFAS, and other interests to improve product marketability and operational efficiency of agricultural BMPs, while at the same time promoting water quality and water conservation objectives. In addition, programs have been established and are being developed to create a network of state, local, federal, and private sources of funds for developing and implementing BMPs.
5.4.5 Environmental Resource Permitting (ERP)
Florida established the ERP program to prevent stormwater pollution to Florida’s rivers, lakes, and streams, and to help provide flood protection. The ERP program regulates the management and storage of surface waters and provides protection for the vital functions of wetlands and other surface waters. Environmental resource permits are designed to obtain 80 percent average
91 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT annual load reduction of total suspended solids. In northwest Florida, the ERP program is jointly implemented by the NWFWMD and the FDEP.
5.4.6 Regional Mitigation for State Transportation Projects
Under Section 373.4137, F.S., the NWFWMD offers mitigation services to the FDOT for road projects with unavoidable wetland impacts when the use of private mitigation banks is not feasible. As required by this statute, a regional mitigation plan (a.k.a., Umbrella Plan) has been developed, and is annually updated, to address the FDOT mitigation needs submitted to the NWFWMD. Components of the Umbrella Plan include the federally permitted “In-Lieu Fee Program" instrument and other mitigation projects (NWFWMD 2016c). The plan is developed and implemented in consultation with the FDOT, the FDEP, the USACE, the EPA, the USFWS, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, and the FWC. It is maintained and available for review at http://www.nwfwmdwetlands.com/.
The three mitigation sites in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed are (NWFWMD 2016c):
Shuler (ILF Project) in Liberty County. The NWFWMD acquired a conservation easement on the 1,573-acre property in July 2008. The easement prevents development of the site and allows the NWFWMD to implement wetlands restoration, management, and stream restoration. Meginniss Arm (Lake Jackson) Mitigation Area in Leon County. The goal of this project is exotic/invasive plant species eradication and restoration of shoreline wetland vegetation on 17 acres. Restoration activities implemented include eradication of Chinese tallow and other exotic/invasive plant infestations, and planting appropriate wetland species. Tate’s Hell - Womack Creek Mitigation Area in Liberty County. This mitigation site is in the Womack Creek drainage of Tate’s Hell Swamp. It is adjacent to the Ochlockonee River and consists of approximately 70 acres of bottomland hardwood forest. Most of this area was cut in the early 1990s and not replanted. Mitigation included mechanical shrub reduction and planting of appropriate bottomland tree species.
5.4.7 Florida Forever Work Plan
Florida Forever is Florida’s conservation and recreation lands acquisition program. Under section 373.199, F.S., and the NWFWMD Florida Forever 2016 Five Year Work Plan, a variety of projects may be implemented, including capital projects, land acquisition, and other environmental projects. Since its inception, the District’s land acquisition program has sought to
92 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT bring as much floodplain as possible of the major rivers and creeks under public ownership and protection (NWFWMD 2016e).
The NWFWMD’s primary focus in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed has been to acquire less than fee rights on privately owned floodplain land separating existing federal and state properties. The District presently has 3,675 acres in less than fee holdings in the area and has identified approximately 11,767 acres for potential less than fee acquisition (NWFWMD 2016e).
In 2015, voters in the state passed the Florida Land and Water Conservation Amendment (Amendment 1). The amendment funds the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to acquire, restore, improve, and manage conservation lands including wetlands and forests; fish and wildlife habitat; lands protecting water resources and drinking water sources, outdoor recreational lands; working farms and ranches; and historic or geologic sites, by dedicating 33 percent of net revenues from the existing excise tax on documents for 20 years. In 2016, the Florida legislature appropriated $15 million to Florida Forever for conservation easements and increasing water supplies.
5.4.8 Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs)
Section 373.042, F.S., requires each water management district to develop MFLs for specific surface and groundwaters within their jurisdiction. The MFLs for a given waterbody is the limit at which further withdrawals would be significantly harmful to the water resources or ecology of the area. Minimum flows and levels are calculated using best available data and consider natural seasonal fluctuations; non-consumptive uses; and environmental values associated with coastal, estuarine, riverine, spring, aquatic, and wetlands ecology as specified in Section 62-40.473, F.A.C. (NWFWMD 2016f).
Establishment of an MFL involves a series of steps ranging from identification of priority waterbodies to the adoption of FDEP rules codifying each MFL. Adopted MFLs are considered when reviewing consumptive use permit applications. A recovery or prevention strategy must be developed for any waterbody where consumptive uses are currently or anticipated to result in flows or levels below an adopted MFL.
The technical evaluation for each MFL is expected to require approximately five years of data collection and analysis. Data collection has begun and will occur concurrently for several waterbodies. Starting in 2018, one MFL assessment is expected to be completed annually within the NWFWMD. There are no MFL assessments scheduled for any waters in the Ochlockonee
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River and Bay watershed; however, the 2015-2016 MFL Priority List and Schedule lists Telogia Creek as a waterbody to consider for MFL assessment in future years (NWFWMD 2016f).
5.4.9 Lake Management
Historically, Lake Jackson has periodically drained through sinkholes in the lakebed and has refilled during wet-weather periods. Recent lake restoration efforts coincided with lake dry-down periods. Beginning in 1999, an interagency team—including the NWFWMD, the FDEP, the FWC, and Leon County—conducted several phases of a restoration after prolonged drought and sinkholes drained the lake and provided opportunity for access. During the comprehensive effort during the 1999–2000 Lake Jackson dry-down, approximately two million cubic yards of nutrient-laden deposits of organic muck and sediment were removed from Meginniss Arm, Fords Arm, Church Cove, and the southern part of the lake. These actions were part of the project scope described in the Lake Jackson Management Plan.
The FWC’s Invasive Plant Management Section is the lead agency responsible for coordinating and funding statewide programs for controlling invasive aquatic and upland plants on public conservation lands and waterways (FWC 2015e). The FWC has been responsible for restoration and habitat enhancement projects for lakes Iamonia and Talquin. Following the drought in 1999, Lake Iamonia was targeted for habitat enhancement. In 2000, the FWC removed muck from approximately 26 acres of the bottom on the north shore along the Lake Iamonia Landing boat ramp. A controlled burn along the western shore was implemented in the winter of 2000 to remove tussocks.
An artificial drawdown of Lake Talquin has been used as a prescribed habitat management practice on several occasions. In 1998, under the supervision of the FWC, Lake Talquin was partially drawn down ten feet for six months to allow for the oxidation and compaction of accumulated organic muck. Native aquatic plants were planted to reestablish emergent littoral vegetation. Grass seed was planted to provide nursery areas for the newly spawned sport fish. While this practice created a temporary hardship on area marinas and fish camps, the drawdown stimulated the fishery and improved the lake’s overall health. In the 2014/2015 fiscal year, FWC treated nearly 150 acres of Lake Talquin to remove floating plants, Cuban bulrush (Oxycaryum cubense), and taro (Colocasia esculenta) (FWC 2015e).
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5.4.10 University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension (UF- IFAS)
The UF-IFAS is a federal-state-county partnership that focuses on research, teaching, and extension to “develop knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhance and sustain the quality of human life by making that information accessible.”
Many UF-IFAS programs and partnerships help protect water resources across the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed and the state of Florida. Such programs and partnerships include the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences and Marine Sciences Program, the Aquatic and Invasive Plants Center, the Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, the Florida Partnership for Water, Agriculture and Community Sustainability, the Natural Resources Leadership Institute, the Wetland Biogeochemistry Laboratory, the Sea Grant, and the Shellfish Aquaculture Extension, among others.
To promote environmentally sound forestry practices, the UF-IFAS offers the voluntary Forest Stewardship Program, which seeks to help private landowners develop a plan to increase the economic value of their forestland while maintaining its environmental integrity (UF-IFAS 2016b). The Extension also works with farmers and property owners across the state to minimize the need for commercial pesticides and fertilizers, through environmentally friendly BMPs.
5.4.11 City and County Initiatives
Since 1996, the Leon County Public Works Department has sampled stormwater runoff as required by the County’s NPDES MS4 permit. The permit requires sampling of streams, stormwater facilities, and sediment to document the impacts of stormwater runoff on the natural waterbodies. The ambient and stormwater sampling programs include quarterly water quality sampling and annual sediment and biological assessments of 13 lakes, 27 streams, and two rivers at a total of 73 monitoring stations (including the Ochlockonee River and Lake Talquin). The 2016 Water Quality Report for data collected in 2015 is available as an Interactive Water Quality Data Map at the following link: http://cms.leoncountyfl.gov/Home/Departments/Public- Works/Engineering-Services/ Stormwater-Management/Water-Quality-Data (Leon County 2016d).
The program also assesses water quality using the Lake Vegetation Index, which evaluates how closely a given lake’s plant community resembles a pristine condition, and the Stream Condition
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Index, which evaluates the biological health of a stream based on the population and diversity of macroinvertebrates (Leon County 2016d).
The City of Tallahassee Stormwater Management Division and the Leon County Public Works Department have carried out extensive stormwater management activities for the basin. Activities have focused on implementing drainage improvements, carrying out stormwater retrofits, and restoring Tallahassee lakes. It has long been documented that municipal wastewater discharges have degraded surface waters. Improved treatment systems and the cessation of surface water discharges resulted in significant water quality improvements. However, not until the 1980s was urban stormwater pollution addressed as a significant concern for water quality. Since that time, state and local governments and the general public have become more aware of the need for stormwater treatment, and there are increasing numbers of stormwater projects as well as use of nonstructural management practices.
In accordance with the 1990 Tallahassee–Leon County Comprehensive Plan, a stormwater ordinance and a stormwater utilities department were created. From the resultant Stormwater Master Plan, local stormwater planners developed a list of approximately 20 capital improvement projects to address flooding and drainage improvements. Many of these projects being implemented by the City of Tallahassee will also include a stormwater treatment or restoration component. Recent examples include the Boone Boulevard, Okeeheepkee Prairie, Harbinwood Estates, and Sharer Road retrofit facilities, completed with local funding and funding from the NWFWMD from Florida Forever. These projects provided treatment for hundreds of acres and were completed within the Lake Jackson basin from 2005 through 2010. These projects, in turn, build upon earlier efforts, including construction of the Interstate 10 Stormwater Treatment Facility, among others.
As required by the Tallahassee-Leon County Comprehensive Plan, an Aquifer Protection Program was established to protect wellheads, delineate high-recharge areas and areas most susceptible to ground water contamination, and identify contaminated areas. The City of Tallahassee Aquifer Protection Program is responsible for implementing the 1992 Aquifer Recharge/Wellhead Protection Ordinance. Projects in which the city has been involved include a karst inventory of Leon County and a wellhead protection assessment and modeling project funded by the EPA. The NWFWMD and the USGS have provided support to the city (FDEP 2003).
Development guidelines and permitting requirements to prevent or minimize stormwater contamination also resulted from the Comprehensive Plan and the stormwater ordinance. New
96 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT developments are now required to include adequate stormwater treatment measures. Redeveloped sites must also be retrofitted to provide treatment, and efforts are made to preserve sensitive areas (FDEP 2003). The city has constructed 11 regional facilities throughout the community that incorporate both water quality treatment as well as flood prevention into their design.
The non-structural stormwater practices include public information, staff training, incident reports, and other activities to address and prevent polluted stormwater. For the last ten years, the City of Tallahassee has sponsored the TAPP – Think About Personal Pollution Campaign to help educate citizens on ways that they can make small personal changes in their home and yard practices to help keep local lakes, sinks, and streams cleaner. The campaign has been recognized nationally for its effectiveness.
5.4.12 Other Programs and Actions
As described in the preceding section, local governments and organizations are active participants in the restoration projects being or expected to be funded through the RESTORE Act, the NRDA, and the NFWF. These organizations have been longstanding partners in monitoring water quality and environmental health throughout the watershed. They have also been key partners in developing stormwater master plans and retrofit projects to reduce and treat stormwater, as well as building community support for watershed protection through the creation of citizen advisory councils and volunteer organizations.
Numerous citizen or citizen-government groups with a primary interest in protecting or enhancing water resources are active in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed. Most organizations have a specific geographic focus at either the watershed or waterbody level. Identified groups and their activities are as follows:
Friends of Lake Jackson – The Friends of Lake Jackson, Inc., was formed in 1998 to help organize informed and concerned citizens sharing a desire to protect Lake Jackson. This citizen action group provides a forum for local land owners within the basin, and promotes the health, preservation, and maintenance of the lake. Friends of Lake Jackson has been an involved stakeholder during the development of the Lake Jackson SWIM Plan and Lake Jackson SWIM Plan updates, the Jackson Post Office and Drury Inn storm water retention project, the muck removal conducted in 1999/2000, and various other development and stormwater-related projects within the lake basin. Friends of Lake Jackson also provides education on topics and events related to the overall status and
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well-being of the lake through the Friends of Lake Jackson website and other media (Friends of Lake Jackson 2016). Apalachee Audubon - The Apalachee Audubon is North Florida’s chapter of the National Audubon Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to the “protection of the environment through education, appreciation, and conservation” through education, membership, field trips, and public programs (Apalachee Audubon 2016). The Apalachee Audubon Society Conservation Plan, which was adopted in November of 2015, outlines the organization’s plans to conduct conservation activities such as direct habitat enhancement projects and wildlife monitoring to identify population trends. The Conservation plan also outlines the Apalachee Audubon’s goal and intent to comment on agency resource management plans and public position statements that concern important conservation issues in North Florida (Apalachee Audubon 2015).
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______. 1990. “Soil Survey of Franklin County.” National Cooperative Soil Survey. United States Department of Agriculture, 203 p.
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______. 1999. “Record of Decision for the Revised Land and Resource Management Plan for National Forests in Florida. Management Bulletin R8-MB-83C.” Published February 1999. Accessed November 10, 2016. http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_ DOCUMENTS/fsbdev3_007281.pdf.
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______. 2009. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Soil Survey of Gadsden County. Accessed July 7, 2016. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANU SCRIPTS/florida/FL039/0/Gadsden.pdf.
______. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). 2013. “SSURGO Geodatabase Feature Class.” Soils_NRCS. Published February, 2013. Accessed July 29, 2016.
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______. 2015. Watershed Services. Accessed February 2016. http://www.fs.fed.us/ecosystem services/watershed.shtml.
______. 2016a. Hydric Soils: An Introduction. Accessed July 7, 2015. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/use/hydric/?cid=nrcs142p2_053961.
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______. 2012. “Application of the Sea-Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM 6) to St. Marks NWR.” Published February 16, 2012. Accessed November 10, 2016. http://warrenpinnacle.com/prof/SLAMM/USFWS/SLAMM_St_Marks_2012.pdf.
______. 2013a. St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge Fishing Regulations. Accessed August 10, 2016. https://www.fws.gov/saintmarks/fishing.html.
______. 2013b. “St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge Habitat Management Plan.” Accessed July 7, 2016. https://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/HMP(1).pdf.
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______. 2015. Critical Habitat - What is it? Last updated: April 14, 2015. Accessed November 17, 2016. https://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/saving/CriticalHabitatFactSheet. html.
______. 2016. Information for Planning and Conservation (IPaC). Accessed September 6, 2016. https://ecos.fws.gov/ipac/.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). 1980. "Areas of natural recharge to the Floridan aquifer in Florida. FS Map Series 98. Accessed July 27, 2016. http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF90000 358/00001/1x.
______. 1997. “Predicting Coastal Flooding and Wetland Loss.” USGS FS 094-97. http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/factshts/fs94_97.pdf.
______. 2011 National Land Cover Database (NLCD). ncld_2011_landcover_2011_edition_2014_10_10 Geodatabase Feature Class. Published October 10, 2014. http://www.mrlc.gov/nlcd11_data.php.
______. 2013. Coastal and Marine Geology Program. North East Florida Atlas. Regional Geology. Figure 7: Physiographic Regions of Florida. Modified from Randazzo and Jones (Ed.S.), 1997. http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/publications/ofr/00-180/intro/fig7.html.
______. 2015. “National Hydrography Dataset (NHD).” All Rivers Geodatabase Feature Class. All_Rivers. Published January 2016. Accessed July 29, 2016.
______. 2016a. “Lakes Areas Shapefile." Lakes (areas).” Developed from Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), USGS 1:24k Hydrography data, 1994 Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quads (DOQQs), and USGS Digital Raster Graphics (DRGs). Published January 2016. Accessed July 29, 2016.
______. 2016b. “National Hydrography Dataset (NHD).” All Creeks Geodatabase Feature Class. All_Creeks. Published January 2016. Accessed July 29, 2016.
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______. 1997. "Mercury Study Report to Congress." https://www.epa.gov/mercury.
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______. 2013a. “National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory. Level III Ecoregions of the Continental United States.” Revised April 2013. Accessed July 18, 2016. ftp://ftp.epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/us/Eco_Level_III_US.pdf.
______. 2013b. Office of Research and Development (ORD) National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL). Level III Ecoregions of the Conterminous United States. Published April, 16, 2013. Accessed July 29, 2016. ftp://ftp.epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/us/us_eco_l3.zip, http://edg.epa.gov.
______. 2013c. Office of Research and Development (ORD) National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL). Level IV Ecoregions of the Conterminous United States. Published April, 16, 2013. Accessed July 29, 2016. ftp://ftp.epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/us/us_eco_l4.zip, http://edg.epa.gov.
______. 2014. “Envirofacts. Production Related Waste Management for Selected Facility ID: 31715NGLHRDEPOT.” Accessed July 11, 2016. https://oaspub.epa.gov/enviro/p2_ef_ query.p2_report?facilityid=31715NGLHRDEPOT&preport=2.
______. 2015a. Clean Water Act, Section 502 General Definitions. Accessed April 2016. https://www.epa.gov/cwa-404/clean-water-act-section-502-general-definitions.
______. 2015b. Septic Systems (Onsite/Decentralized Systems). Accessed March 2016. https://www.epa.gov/septic.
______. 2016a. Ecoregions: Background. Accessed July 18, 2016. https://www.epa.gov/eco- research/ecoregions.
______. 2016b. Implementing Clean Water Act Section 303(d): Impaired Waters and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). Accessed March 2016. http://www.epa.gov/tmdl.
______. 2016c. Facility Registry Service. Accessed May 9, 2016. https://www.epa.gov/enviro/geospatial-data-download-service.
______. 2016d. NPDES Stormwater Program. https://www.epa.gov/npdes/npdes-stormwater- program.
______. 2016f. Watershed Academy Web. N.D. Agents of Watershed Change: Human-induced Change Processes: Timber Harvest. Accessed March 2016. https://cfpub.epa.gov/watertrain/moduleFrame.cfm?parent_object_id=761.
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Vasques, G.M., and S. Grunwald. 2007. “Assessment of Soil Carbon in Florida.” In Mulkey, S.J. Alavalapati, A. Hodges, A. Wilkie, and S. Grunwald “Opportunities for Greenhouse Gas Reduction by Agriculture and Forestry in Florida.” Environmental Defense, Washington, D.C.
Vasques, Gustavo M., Sabine Grunwald, and Willie G. Harris. 2010. “Spectroscopic Models of Soil Organic Carbon in Florida, USA.” Technical Reports: Organic Compounds in the Environment.
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Wang L., J. Lyons, P. Kanehl, and R. Gatti. 1997. “Influences of Watershed Land Use on Habitat Quality and Biotic Integrity in Wisconsin Streams.” Fisheries 22:6–12.
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Appendix A Geology and Soils in the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Overview
The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed encompasses two localized physiographic regions in Florida separated distinctly by the Cody Scarp: the Tallahassee Hills subdivision of the Northern Highlands and the Gulf Coastal Lowlands. Both physiographic regions exhibit unique geology and soils. The Tallahassee Hills have sandy and red clay soils and are characterized as having high runoff and low recharge as the Florida aquifer is thinly confined. Intermittent or underground streams are common. Coastal Lowlands are described as a flat, weakly dissected alluvial plain formed by deposition of continental sediments onto a submerged, shallow continental shelf, that were later exposed by sea level subsidence. Elevation ranges from 0 to 80 feet (0 to 25 meters) and the local relief varies from 0 to 100 feet (0 to 30 meters) (USDA 2009) relative to mean sea level. For coastal areas, fluvial deposition and shore zone processes are active in developing and maintaining beaches, swamps, and mud flats.
Most of the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed is within the Apalachicola Embayment and Gulf Trough (Torak et al. 2010). This structure feature is northeast to southwest trending paleochannel, with accumulated clastic and carbonate sediments (Torak et al. 2010). Within the Apalachicola Embayment, the aquifer is well-confined, recharge rates are generally low, and aquifer yields are relatively low. However, near the edge of the embayment in northwest Leon County and in Wakulla County south of Cody Scarp, the Floridan aquifer is semi-confined or unconfined and aquifer yields can be higher.
Geologic Units
In the northern extent of the watershed, particularly in Leon County, the uppermost geologic unit is generally the Miccosukee Formation. The Miccosukee Formation is made up of interbedded clay, silt, sand, and gravel, similar in overall lithology to the Citronelle Formation. Deposits of the Citronelle Formation range from clay through gravel, but sands are the most common size fraction. The deposits are commonly cross-bedded, lenticular, graveliferous sands with an occasional thin bed of clay and varying amounts of silt and clay that can weakly harden or cement the sediment. The Miccosukee contains less gravel and more fine-to-medium clayey sand than the Citronelle.
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The Jackson Bluff Formation extends roughly south from Lake Talquin to where Highway 267 crosses the Leon-Wakulla county line and westward to the Ochlockonee River in Liberty County. The Jackson Bluff Formation overlies either the Tampa Limestone or the Hawthorn Group–Torreya Formation, and functions as a semi-confining unit. Above the Cody Scarp, the thin, clastic cover can be breached by erosion from streams and subsidence sinkholes. This erosional separation has broadened the escarpment into a transitional zone. Marine-terrace deposits consisting of Pleistocene undifferentiated quartz sand and clay lie unconformably on the Citronelle, Miccosukee, Torreya, or Chattahoochee formations (representing a break in the sedimentary record).
The southern portion of the watershed is essentially flat and has Pleistocene-age to Holocene-age unconsolidated sediments extending from the Gulf of Mexico north to the Cody Scarp in Leon County. The area is underlain by sand and clay deposits that are as much as 80 feet deep. Holocene-age alluvial and eolian deposits are predominantly fine-grained quartz sand and are difficult to differentiate from Pleistocene sediment. The Gulf Coastal Lowlands are dived into the Woodville Karst Plain and the Apalachicola Coastal Lowlands. The Woodville Karst Plain is a low, gently sloping plain consisting of sand dunes lying on a limestone surface that begins in the southern part of Leon County and extends southward through Wakulla County to the Gulf. It is bounded on the west by the Apalachicola Coastal Lowlands and extends eastward into Jefferson County. It is characterized by loose quartz sand thinly veneering a limestone substratum that has resulted in sinkhole sand dune topography. The Lake Munson Hills are located as a strip at the western edge of the Woodville Karst Plain area and has a general land surface of about 30 to 50 feet higher than that to the east.
The Ochlockonee River Valley Lowlands include the floodplain terraces of the Ochlockonee River. These lowlands are usually well defined by the nature of the sediments and by the escarpment that separates them from the Tallahassee Hills. Near the Florida-Georgia state line, the Ochlockonee Lowlands are about two miles wide. This area is dominated by nearly level, poorly drained, clayey soils (USDA 1979). The Apalachicola Coastal Lowlands are flat, sandy areas underlain by thick sandy clay, clayey sand, and peat extended from western Leon County into western Wakulla County to U.S. 319, making up most of the Apalachicola National Forest. These sediments are underlain by early Miocene limestone.
In the southeastern portion of the watershed, the early Miocene sediments of the St. Marks Formation are underlain by the Suwanee Limestone and are overlain by the Hawthorn Group. The St. Marks Formation underlies nearly all of Wakulla County and meets the Chattahoochee Formation to the west in an interfingering zone. The St. Marks formation is composed of tan to
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Many of the geologic processes described above are a product of prehistoric marine deposition during periods when sea level was higher than present. Fluvial processes, in conjunction, are also greatly responsible for the modern land surface of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed.
Soils
Soils within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed have been used for extensively for crop production, silviculture, and pastureland since the state’s settlement. Along with being a valuable agricultural resource, soils also protect water quality by absorbing runoff, store soil organic carbon, and help mitigate flooding. The following soils are found in the Florida portion of the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed:
Ultisols
Ultisols are intensely-weathered soils of warm and humid climates, and are usually formed on older geologic formations in parent material that is already extensively weathered (i.e., upland areas of the watershed). They are generally low in natural fertility and high in soil acidity, but contain subsurface clay accumulations that give them a high nutrient retention capacity. In the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, soils found north of the Woodville Karst Plain where
A-3 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT the landscape has been relatively stable over recent geologic time are primarily ultisols (Collins 2010). Ultisols are the primary agricultural and silvicultural soils of the watershed, as their high clay content contributes to nutrient and water retention, when properly managed and are found extensively in Gadsden County.
Entisols
Entisols are young soils that show little development, have no diagnostic horizons, and are largely unaltered from their parent material, which can be unconsolidated sediment or rock (USDA 2014). Entisols make up the western margin of the Ochlockonee Bay from St. Teresa north and east, where surficial processes are active and parent materials have not undergone substantial weathering (Collins 2010).
Spodosols
Spodosols are sandy, acidic soils, often found in cool, moist climates such as coastal conifer forests (USDA 2014). They are easily identified by their strikingly-colored horizons, which form as a result of leaching and accumulation processes. Spodosols are not extensive in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, but can be found locally in the Lake Talquin State Forest (Collins 2010; FDEP 2011d). The presence of spodosols indicates an area that was historically dominated by a pine (longleaf) over-story.
Alfisols
South of Tallahassee and along the coast from Sopchoppy to the eastern edge of the watershed, soils are classified predominantly as alfisols. Areas within the Apalachicola National Forest are classified primarily as alfisols (forest soils), inceptisols, and histosols (wetland soils).
Inceptisols
Inceptisols are described as soils in the beginning stages of soil profile development, as the differences between soil horizons are just beginning to appear in the form of color variation due to accumulations of small amounts of clay, salts, and organic material. Inceptisols occur predominantly within the Apalachicola National Forest and in the coastal region of St. James
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Island, including Bald Point State Park (Collins 2010).
Histosols
Histosols are described as soils without permafrost and predominantly composed of organic material in various stages of decomposition. These soils are usually saturated, resulting in anaerobic conditions, slower rates of decomposition, and increased organic matter accumulation. Histosols generally consist of at least half organic materials and are common in wetlands (USDA 2014). Histosols in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed occur in eastern Wakulla County, throughout the Apalachicola National Forest, and adjacent to the southern side of Lake Talquin in the Lake Talquin State Forest (Collins 2010; USDA 2014). Histosols cover approximately 6,155 square miles in the state of Florida and store more organic carbon than any other soil type (Kolka et al. 2016; Vasques et al. 2010). Drainage of wetland areas and the associated decomposition of organic matter stored in histosols is a well-documented source of atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane.
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Appendix B Threatened and Endangered Species within the Watershed
The Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed supports a wide array of biological resources and habitats; and therefore, many species of flora and fauna. This Appendix provides a list of species that are protected and tracked for the watershed, as well as their habitat requirements (FNAI 2010; FWC 2016c; USFWS 2016):
Plants:
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Lacustrine: wet pine flatwoods, Andropogon Pinewood S3 T N seepage wetlands, bogs, wet pine arctatus Bluestem savannas
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Agrimonia Incised S2 T N Forest/Woodland, Woodland - incisa Groove-bur Conifer, Woodland - Mixed
Aquilegia Marianna canadensis S1 E N N/A Columbine var. australis
Variable- Palustrine Habitat(s): Forested Arnoglossum leaved Wetland, Riparian S2 T N diversifolium Indian- Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - plantain Hardwood, Forest/Woodland
Asclepias Southern Estuarine Habitat(s): Bay/sound S2 T N viridula Milkweed Terrestrial Habitat(s): Savanna
Asplenium Wagner's Limestone and marl outcroppings S1 N N heteroresiliens Spleenwort in dense hardwood forests.
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Palustrine: floodplain forest Baptisia Apalachicola S1 E N Terrestrial: upland mixed forest, megacarpa Wild Indigo slope forest
Nuttall's Bigelowia Rayless S1 E N Sandstone or siltstone outcrops nuttallii Goldenrod
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Brickellia Flyr's Hardwood, Forest - Mixed, Forest S2 E N cordifolia Brickell-bush Edge, Forest/Woodland, Woodland - Mixed
Terrestrial: longleaf pine- Calamintha Toothed deciduous oak sandhills, planted S3 T N dentata Savory pine plantations, sand, open and abandoned fields, and roadsides
Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, Forested Wetland, Herbaceous Many- Wetland Calopogon flowered S2S3 T N Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest Edge, multiflorus Grass-pink Forest/Woodland, Grassland/herbaceous, Savanna, Woodland - Conifer
Carex Chapman's Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - S3 T N chapmanii Sedge Mixed, Forest/Woodland
Dry sandy sites in turkey oak/bluejack oak woods; Longleaf Sandhill Carex tenax S3 N N pine/turkey oak sandhills; ruderal Sedge in sandy fields and roadsides. Dry, coarse soils.
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Conradina Apalachicola Conifer, Forest Edge, S1 E LE glabra Rosemary Forest/Woodland, Old field, Woodland - Mixed
Rich, moist, loamy soils in mixed Croomia hardwood forests, usually on the Croomia S2 E N pauciflora steep slopes of ravines or bluffs, often over limestone.
Palustrine Habitat(s): Forested Wetland, Herbaceous Wetland, Riparian, Temporary Pool Elliott's Terrestrial Habitat(s): Croton elliottii SH N N Croton Cropland/hedgerow, Forest Edge, Forest/Woodland, Grassland/herbaceous, Savanna, Woodland - Conifer
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest/Woodland, Euphorbia Telephus S1 E LT Grassland/herbaceous, Savanna, telephioides Spurge Shrubland/chaparral, Woodland - Conifer
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Forestiera Godfrey's S2 E N Hardwood, Forest/Woodland, godfreyi Swampprivet Woodland - Hardwood
Moist to wet longleaf pine/wiregrass flatwoods, wet Gentiana Wiregrass S3 E N prairies and ecotonal seepage pennelliana Gentian slopes between flatwoods and titi swamps.
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Late Helianthus Flowering debilis ssp. S3 N N N/A Beach tardiflorus Sunflower
Hymenocallis Godfrey's Palustrine Habitat(s): Herbaceous S1 E N godfreyi Spiderlily Wetland
Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, Hymenocallis Panhandle Herbaceous Wetland S2 E N henryae Spiderlily Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest/Woodland
Black, sandy peats or sandy peat Thick-leaved Justicia mucks of slash pine-saw palmetto Water- S3 E N crassifolia wet flatwoods, bogs, and cypress willow swamps
Riverine Habitat(s): Pool Lachnocaulon Bog Button S3 T N Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, digynum Forested Wetland
Leitneria Corkwood S3 T N Swamp floridana
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest Edge, Forest/Woodland, Old field, Liatris Godfrey's S2 E N Savanna, Shrubland/chaparral, provincialis Blazing Star Woodland - Conifer, Woodland - Mixed
Palustrine: dome swamp, Linum westii West's Flax S1 E N depression marsh, wet flatwoods, wet prairie, pond margins
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Litsea Pondspice S2 E N Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen aestivalis
Palustrine Habitat(s): Forested Wetland, Herbaceous Wetland, Lobelia Boykin's Scrub-Shrub Wetland S1 E N boykinii Lobelia Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest/Woodland, Savanna, Woodland - Conifer
Lupinus Gulf Coast Terrestrial: beach dune, scrub, S3 T N westianus Lupine disturbed areas, roadsides,
Lythrum Curtiss' S1 E N Blowouts in dunes curtissii Loosestrife
Palustrine: seepage slope Macbridea White Birds- Terrestrial: grassy mesic pine S2 E LT alba in-a-nest flatwoods, savannahs, roadsides, and similar habitat
Palustrine: seepage slope, dome swamp edges, floodplain swamps Macranthera Hummingbir S2 E N Riverine: seepage stream banks flammea d Flower Terrestrial: seepage slopes
Magnolia Ashe's Terrestrial: slope and upland S2 E N ashei Magnolia hardwood forest, ravines
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Cliff, Forest - Hardwood, Forest - Mixed, Matelea Alabama S2 E N Forest Edge, Forest/Woodland, alabamensis Spiny-pod Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Matelea Florida Hardwood, Forest - Mixed, S2 E N floridana Spiny-pod Forest/Woodland, Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Nolina Florida S3 T N Forest/Woodland, Woodland - atopocarpa Beargrass Conifer
Nuphar West Florida Riverine Habitat(s): Medium advena ssp. S2 N N Cowlily River, Spring/Spring Brook ulvacea
Open bogs, wet flatwoods, and Nyssa ursina Bog Tupelo S2 N N swamps, often with titi
Shrub (hypericum) bogs, margins of cypress or gum ponds, Oxypolis Giant Water- S3 E N freshwater marshes, wet ditches, greenmanii dropwort depressions in flatwoods; saturated peat/muck soils.
Naked- Panicum stemmed S3 T N N/A nudicaule Panicgrass
Large-leaved Parnassia Grass-of- S2 E N N/A grandifolia parnassus
Narrow- Phoebanthus leaved S3 T N Terrestrial: sandy pinelands tenuifolius Phoebanthus
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Phyllanthus Pinewoods liebmannianus S2 E N N/A Dainties ssp. platylepis
Physostegia Apalachicola Wet Flatwoods, Longleaf S3 T N godfreyi Dragon-head Pine/Wiregrass Savannahs.
Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen Pinguicula Godfrey's Terrestrial Habitat(s): S2 E LT ionantha Butterwort Forest/Woodland, Savanna, Woodland - Conifer
Primrose- Pinguicula Palustrine: bogs, pond margins, flowered S3 E N primuliflora margins of spring runs Butterwort
Pityopsis Zigzag Terrestrial Habitat(s): Sand/dune, S3 E N flexuosa Silkgrass Shrubland/chaparral
Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, Yellow Forested Wetland, Herbaceous Platanthera Fringeless S3 E N Wetland, Scrub-Shrub Wetland integra Orchid Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Conifer, Forest/Woodland
Polygonella Large-leaved Terrestrial: scrub, sand pine/oak S3 T N macrophylla Jointweed scrub ridges
Wet swales/depressions in pine Florida Pycnanthemu flatwoods; wet prairies, floodplain Mountain- S3 T N m floridanum forest, soils are typically black mint sandy peats.
Sandy or sandy clay uplands or Quercus Arkansas S3 T N upper ravine slopes near heads of arkansana Oak streams in decidous woods.
B-7 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Small- Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, Rhexia flowered S2 E N Forested Wetland, Scrub-Shrub parviflora Meadowbeau Wetland ty
Lacustrine: full sun in wet sandy or sandy-peaty areas of sinkhole Panhandle Rhexia pond shores, interdunal swales, Meadowbeau S2 T N salicifolia margins of depression, marshes, ty flatwoods, ponds and sandhill upland lakes
Florida Lacustrine: shaded ravines & in Rhododendron Flame S3 E N wet bottomlands on rises of sandy austrinum Azalea alluvium or older terraces.
Chapman's Rhododendron Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, Rhododendro S1 E LE chapmanii Scrub-Shrub Wetland n
Seasonally wet pine savannas and St. John's Rudbeckia flatwoods; flatwood depressions; Blackeyed S2 E N nitida clearings and pastures on former Susan pineland sites
Riverine Habitat(s): Spring/Spring Brook Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, Nightfloweri Forested Wetland, Herbaceous Ruellia ng Wild S2 E N Wetland noctiflora Petunia Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest/Woodland, Grassland/herbaceous, Savanna, Woodland - Conifer
B-8 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Ruellia Pinewoods pedunculata S1 N N N/A Wild Petunia ssp. pinetorum
Sarracenia White-top Palustrine: wet prairie, seepage S3 E N leucophylla Pitcherplant slope, baygall edges, ditches
Rich mesic woods twining over subcanopy and understory trees, usually in bottomlands or in the Schisandra Bay Star- S2 E N bluffs along creeks and rivers glabra vine generally on rich sandy-silt-loams. The forests it frequents are almost always mixed-mesophytic
Palustrine: seepage slope, wet Scutellaria Florida S2 E LT flatwoods, grassy openings floridana Skullcap Terrestrial: mesic flatwoods
Spigelia Gentian Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - S1 E LE gentianoides Pinkroot Hardwood, Forest/Woodland
Palustrine: forested wetland Stachydeoma Mock Terrestrial: forest edge, S2S3 E N graveolens Pennyroyal forest/woodland, savanna, woodland-conifer
Palustrine Habitat(s): Forested Wetland Stachydeoma Mock S2S3 E N Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest Edge, graveolens Pennyroyal Forest/Woodland, Savanna, Woodland - Conifer
Stachys Tallahassee hyssopifolia S1 E N N/A Hedge-nettle var. lythroides
B-9 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Palustrine Habitat(s): Forested Taxus Wetland Florida Yew S2 E N floridana Terrestrial Habitat(s): Cliff, Forest - Hardwood, Forest/Woodland
Riverine Habitat(s): Spring/Spring Torreya Florida Brook S1 E LE taxifolia Torreya Terrestrial Habitat(s): Cliff, Forest - Hardwood, Forest/Woodland
Narrow- Trillium Rich, moist, wooded slopes of leaved S2 E N lancifolium bluffs and ravines. Trillium
Palustrine Habitat(s): Forested Uvularia Florida Wetland, Riparian S1 E N floridana Merrybells Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Hardwood, Forest/Woodland
Palustrine Habitat(s): Herbaceous Xyris Karst Pond S2S3 E N Wetland, Riparian, Temporary longisepala Xyris Pool
Harper's Xyris Palustrine: seepage slope, wet Yellow-eyed S3 T N scabrifolia prairie, bogs Grass
Kral's Xyris stricta Lacustrine: sandhill upland lake Yellow-eyed S1 N N var. obscura margins Grass
B-10 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Animals:
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Invertebrates
Crangonyx Florida Cave S2 N N Caves grandimanus Amphipod
Crangonyx Hobbs' Cave S2S3 N N Caves hobbsi Amphipod
Alasmidonta Ochlockonee Riverine Habitat(s): Low wrightiana Ark-mussel SH N N gradient, MEDIUM RIVER, Riffle
Amblema Fat Three- Riverine: slow to moderate neislerii ridge S1 N E current rivers with sand, gravel, and rocky rubble floors
Anodonta Apalachicola Riverine Habitat(s): BIG RIVER, heardi Floater Low gradient, Pool S1 N N Lacustrine Habitat(s): Deep water, Shallow water
Anodontoides Rayed Riverine Habitat(s): BIG RIVER, radiatus Creekshell SH N N CREEK, Low gradient, Moderate gradient, Pool, Riffle
Elliptoideus Purple Riverine: Slow to moderate sloatianus Bankclimber S1S2 N T current rivers with a sandy floor, with mud or gravel mixture.
Glebula Round Riverine Habitat(s): BIG RIVER, rotundata Pearlshell Low gradient, MEDIUM RIVER, S3 N N Pool Lacustrine Habitat(s): Deep water, Shallow water
B-11 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Lampsilis Shiny-rayed Riverine: mid-sized rivers and subangulata Pocketbook S1S2 N E creeks with a clear or sandy silt floor
Medionidus Gulf Riverine Habitat(s): BIG RIVER, penicillatus Moccasinshell CREEK, Low gradient, S1 N E MEDIUM RIVER, Moderate gradient, Riffle
Medionidus Ochlockonee Riverine: large creeks and mid- simpsonianus Moccasinshell S1 N E sized rivers of moderate current and sandy, gravel floor
Megalonaias Washboard Riverine Habitat(s): BIG RIVER, nervosa S3 N N CREEK, Low gradient, MEDIUM RIVER
Pleurobema Oval Pigtoe Riverine: medium-sized creeks to pyriforme S1S2 N E small rivers; various
Utterbackia Florida substrates; slow to moderate peggyae Floater currents S3 N N
Cambarus Fire-back Palustrine Habitat(s): Riparian puronotus Crayfish S2 N N
Procambarus Big Blue Subterranean springs of Jefferson horsti Spring Cave and Leon counties Crayfish S1 N N
B-12 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Procambarus Woodville Caves of Leon and Wakulla orcinus Karst Cave counties Crayfish S1 N N
Procambarus Florida Riverine Habitat(s): CREEK, youngi Longbeak Riffle, SPRING/SPRING Crayfish S2 N N BROOK
Cordulegaster Say's Riverine Habitat(s): sayi Spiketail Spring/Spring Brook S1S2 N N
Baetisca A Mayfly Freshwater rogersi S3 N N
Fish
Acantharchus Mud Sunfish Riverine Habitat(s): BIG RIVER, pomotis CREEK, Low gradient, MEDIUM RIVER S3 N N Lacustrine Habitat(s): Shallow water Palustrine Habitat(s): FORESTED WETLAND
Estuarine: various Marine: Acipenser various habitats oxyrhyncus Gulf Sturgeon S2 SSC T desotoi Riverine: alluvial and blackwater streams
B-13 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Ameiurus Snail Bullhead Riverine Habitat(s): CREEK, brunneus S3 N N High gradient, MEDIUM RIVER, Moderate gradient, Pool, Riffle
Riverine: deep holes of small to medium rivers with slow to swift Ameirus Spotted currents and rock substrates or S3 N N serracanthus Bullhead sand bottoms; it also occurs over mud bottoms, typically near stumps, in impoundments
Atractosteus Alligator Gar Riverine: sluggish pools of large spatula rivers and their bayous, oxbow S3 N N lakes, swamps, and backwaters, rarely brackish or marine waters along the coast
Cyprinella Bluestripe Riverine Habitat(s): BIG RIVER, callitaenia Shiner S2 N N MEDIUM RIVER, Moderate gradient
Cyprinella Bannerfin Riverine Habitat(s): BIG RIVER, S3 N N leedsi Shiner Low gradient, MEDIUM RIVER
Etheostoma Goldstripe Riverine Habitat(s): CREEK, parvipinne Darter Low gradient, Moderate gradient, S2 N N Pool, Riffle, SPRING/SPRING BROOK
Luxilus Bandfin Shiner Riverine Habitat(s): CREEK, zonistius S1S2 N N High gradient, MEDIUM RIVER, Moderate gradient, Pool
Micropterus Shoal Bass Riverine Habitat(s): CREEK, cataractae S1 LS N Low gradient, MEDIUM RIVER, Moderate gradient, Pool, Riffle
B-14 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Micropterus Suwannee Riverine: Rivers with moderate to notius Bass S3 LS N swift currents near limestone or woody structure
Moxostoma Apalachicola N/A S2 N N sp.1 Redhorse
Amphibians
Terrestrial: slash and longleaf Reticulated Ambystoma pine flatwoods that have a Flatwoods SNR FE E bishopi wiregrass floor and scattered Salamander wetlands
Lacustrine: shallow water Palustrine: forested wetland, herbaceous wetland, riparian, scrub-shrub wetland, temporary Ambystoma Flatwoods S2S3 N T pool cingulatum Salamander Terrestrial: forest - conifer, forest/woodland, savanna, woodland - conifer
B-15 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Riverine Habitat(s): Creek, Pool, Spring/Spring Brook Lacustrine Habitat(s): Shallow water Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, Forested Wetland, Herbaceous Wetland, Riparian, Temporary Pool Ambystoma Tiger S3 N N Terrestrial Habitat(s): Cropland/ tigrinum Salamander hedgerow, Desert, Forest - Conifer, Forest - Hardwood, Forest - Mixed, Grassland/herbaceous, Savanna, Shrubland/chaparral, Suburban/orchard, Woodland - Conifer, Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
Riverine Habitat(s): Creek, Low gradient, Spring/Spring Brook Amphiuma One-toed S3 N N Palustrine Habitat(s): Forested pholetar Amphiuma Wetland, Riparian, Scrub-Shrub Wetland, Temporary Pool
Palustrine: seepage stream edges Apalachicola at bottoms of deep, moist, Desmognathus Dusky S3 N N apalachicolae Salamander wooded ravines that support mixed-hardwood forest on slopes
Haideotriton Georgia Blind Subterranean Habitat(s): N/A N/A N wallacei Salamander Subaquatic
Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, Hemidactylium Four-toed S2S3 N N Forested Wetland, Riparian, scutatum Salamander Scrub-Shrub Wetland
B-16 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Lacustrine Habitat(s): Shallow water Palustrine Habitat(s): Forested Notophthalmus Striped Newt S2S3 N N Wetland, Herbaceous Wetland, perstriatus Riparian, Temporary Pool Terrestrial Habitat(s): Woodland - Conifer, Woodland - Mixed
Terrestrial; sandhill, scrub, scrubby flatwoods, xeric Rana capito Gopher Frog S3 LS N hammock (reproduces in ephemeral wetlands within these communities)
Reptiles
Eastern S2 N N Palustrine Habitat(s): Riparian Copperhead Terrestrial Habitat(s): Bare rock/talus/scree, Cliff, Desert, Agkistrodon Forest - Hardwood, Forest - contortrix Mixed, Old field, Savanna, Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
Estuarine: herbaceous wetland Riverine: big river, creek, low gradient, medium river, pool, spring/spring brook Alligator American S4 SSC T mississippiensis Alligator Lacustrine: shallow water Palustrine: forested wetland, herbaceous wetland, riparian, scrub-shrub wetland
Atlantic Terrestrial: sandy beaches; Caretta caretta Loggerhead S3 T T nesting Turtle
B-17 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Chelonia Atlantic Green Terrestrial: sandy beaches; S2 E E mydas Turtle nesting
Spotted Turtle S3? N N Estuarine Habitat(s): Herbaceous wetland Riverine Habitat(s): CREEK, Low gradient, Pool Lacustrine Habitat(s): Shallow Clemmys water guttata Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, FORESTED WETLAND, HERBACEOUS WETLAND, Riparian, SCRUB-SHRUB WETLAND, TEMPORARY POOL
Palustrine: riparian Terrestrial: grassland/herbaceous, Eastern Crotalis old field, savanna, shrubland/ Diamondback S3 N N adamanteus chaparral, woodland - conifer, Rattlesnake woodland - hardwood, woodland - mixed
Dermochelys Leatherback Terrestrial: sandy beaches; S2 T T coriacea Turtle nesting
Estuarine: tidal swamp Palustrine: hydric hammock, wet flatwoods Drymarchon- Eastern Indigo Terrestrial: mesic flatwoods, S3 T T corias couperi Snake upland pine forest, sandhills, scrub, scrubby flatwoods, rockland hammock, ruderal
B-18 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Coal Skink S3 N N Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, Forested Wetland, Riparian, Scrub-Shrub Wetland Eumeces Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - anthracinus Conifer, Forest - Hardwood, Forest - Mixed, Woodland - Conifer, Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
Terrestrial: sandhills, scrub, Gopherus Gopher S3 SSC N scrubby flatwoods, xeric polyphemus Tortoise hammocks, coastal strand, ruderal
Palustrine: floodplain stream, Graptomys Barbour's Map S2 SSC N floodplain swamp barbouri Turtle Riverine: alluvial stream
Southern Hog Palustrine: sandhill, pine Heterodon Nose Snake flatwood, sand ridges S2 N N simus Terrestrial: coastal dunes
Mole Snake Palustrine Habitat(s): Riparian Terrestrial Habitat(s): Cropland/hedgerow, Lampropeltis S2S3 N N Grassland/herbaceous, Old field, calligaster Sand/dune, Savanna, Woodland - Conifer, Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
Lepidochely Terrestrial: sandy beaches; Kemp's Ridley S1 E E kempii nesting
B-19 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Estuarine: tidal marsh Lacustrine: Alligator Macroclemys river floodplain lake, swamp lake Snapping S3 SSC N temminckii Riverine: alluvial stream, Turtle blackwater stream
Nerodiaclarkii Gulf Salt Estuarine: herbaceous wetland, S3? N N clarkii Marsh Snake scrub-shrub wetland
Lacustrine: ruderal, sandhill upland lake Pituophis Florida Pine S3 SSC N Terrestrial: sandhill, scrubby melanoleucas Snake flatwoods, xeric hammock, ruderal
Pseudemys Suwannee S3 LS N Riverine: blackwater, alluvial, concinna Cooter and spring-fed rivers, suwanniensis impoundments
Birds
Aimophila Bachman's S3 N N N/A aestivalis Sparrow
Ammodramus Scott's Seaside maritimus S3 LS N N/A Sparrow peninsulae
Estuarine: scrub-shrub wetland Aramus Limpkin S3 LS N Palustrine: forested wetland, guarauna herbaceous wetland, riparian
Estuarine: exposed unconsolidated substrate Marine: Charadrius Snowy Plover S1 LT N exposed unconsolidated substrate alexandrinus Terrestrial: dunes, sandy beaches, and inlet areas.
B-20 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Estuarine: exposed unconsolidated substrate Marine: exposed unconsolidated substrate Charadrius Piping Plover S2 LT T Terrestrial: dunes, melodus sandy beaches, and inlet areas. Mostly wintering and migrants.
Cistothorus Marian's palustris S3 LS N N/A Marsh Wren marianae
Estuarine: herbaceous wetland, lagoon, scrub-shrub wetland, tidal flat/shore Egretta Little Blue Riverine: low gradient S4 LS N caerulea Heron Lacustrine: shallow water Palustrine: forested wetland, herbaceous wetland, riparian, scrub-shrub wetland
Estuarine: tidal swamp, depression marsh, bog, marl Egretta prairie, wet prairie Reddish Egret S2 SSC N rufescens Lacustrine: flatwoods/prairie lake, marsh lake Marine: tidal swamp
Estuarine: bay/sound, herbaceous wetland, lagoon, river mouth/tidal river, scrub-shrub wetland, tidal flat/shore Egretta thula Snowy Egret S3 SSC N Riverine: low gradient Lacustrine: shallow water Palustrine: forested wetland, herbaceous wetland, riparian
B-21 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Estuarine: bay/sound, herbaceous wetland, lagoon, river mouth/tidal river, scrub-shrub wetland, tidal Tricolored flat/shore Egretta tricolor S4 SSC N Heron Riverine: low gradient Lacustrine: shallow water Palustrine: forested wetland, herbaceous wetland, riparian
Elanoides Swallow-tailed Estuarine Habitat(s): Scrub-shrub forficatus Kite wetland Palustrine Habitat(s): Forested wetland, herbaceous wetland, Riparian S2 N N Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Conifer, Forest - Hardwood, Forest - Mixed, Savanna, Woodland - Conifer, Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
Palustrine Habitat(s): Herbaceous wetland, Riparian Elanus White-tailed Terrestrial Habitat(s): S1 N N leucurus Kite Cropland/hedgerow, Grassland/herbaceous, Savanna, Woodland - Hardwood
Estuarine: bay/sound, herbaceous wetland, lagoon, river mouth/tidal river, scrub-shrub wetland, tidal Eudocimus flat/shore White Ibis S4 LS N albus Riverine: low gradient Lacustrine: shallow water Palustrine: forested wetland, herbaceous wetland, riparian
B-22 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Estuarine Habitat(s): Herbaceous wetland, Tidal flat/shore Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, herbaceous wetland, Riparian Terrestrial Habitat(s): Cliff, Falco Cropland/hedgerow, Desert, Merlin S2 N N columbarius Forest - Conifer, Forest - Hardwood, Forest - Mixed, Grassland/herbaceous, Savanna, Suburban/orchard, Woodland - Conifer, Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
Marine: aerial Estuarine: aerial, bay/sound, herbaceous wetland, lagoon, river mouth/tidal river, tidal flat/shore Riverine: aerial Lacustrine: aerial Falco Peregrine S2 LE N Palustrine: aerial, herbaceous peregrinus Falcon wetland, riparian Terrestrial: cliff, desert, shrubland/chaparral, tundra, urban/edificarian, woodland - conifer, woodland - hardwood, woodland - mixed
Estuarine: various habitats Falco Southeastern Palustrine: various sparverius American S3 LT N habitats Terrestrial: open pine paulus Kestrel forests, clearings, ruderal, various
Lacustrine Habitat(s): Shallow water Grus Florida Palustrine Habitat(s): Herbaceous canadensis S2S3 LT N Sandhill Crane wetland, Riparian pratensis Terrestrial Habitat(s): Grassland/herbaceous, Savanna
B-23 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Estuarine: tidal flat/shore Haematopus American S2 LS N Terrestrial: bare rock/talus/scree, palliatus Oystercatcher sand/dune
Estuarine: marsh edges, tidal swamp, open water
Lacustrine: swamp lakes, edges Haliaeetus Bald Eagle S3 LT T Palustrine: swamp, leucocephalus
floodplain Riverine: shoreline, open water Terrestrial: pine and hardwood forests
Palustrine Habitat(s): Riparian Helmitheros Worm-eating Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - S1 N N vermivorus Warbler Hardwood, Shrubland/chaparral, Woodland - Hardwood
Estuarine Habitat(s): Herbaceous Laterallus wetland Black Rail S2 N N jamaicensis Palustrine Habitat(s): Herbaceous wetland
Estuarine: marshes Lacustrine: floodplain lakes, Mycteria Wood Stork S2 LE E marshes (feeding), various americana Palustrine: marshes, swamps, various
B-24 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Estuarine Habitat(s): Herbaceous wetland, Lagoon, Scrub-shrub wetland, Tidal flat/shore Yellow- Nyctanassa Lacustrine Habitat(s): Shallow crowned S3 N N violacea water Night-heron Palustrine Habitat(s): Forested wetland, herbaceous wetland, Riparian
Estuarine Habitat(s): Bay/sound, Herbaceous wetland, Lagoon, River mouth/tidal river, Scrub- shrub wetland, Tidal flat/shore Riverine Habitat(s): Low Nycticorax Black-crowned gradient, Moderate gradient, Pool S3 N N nycticorax Night-heron Lacustrine Habitat(s): Shallow water Palustrine Habitat(s): Forested wetland, herbaceous wetland, Riparian Terrestrial Habitat(s): Sand/dune
Marine: near shore Estuarine: bay/sound, herbaceous wetland, lagoon, river mouth/tidal river Riverine: big river, medium river Pandion Osprey S3S4 LS* N haliaetus Lacustrine: deep water, shallow water Palustrine: forested wetland, riparian
Terrestrial: cliff
B-25 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Louisiana Palustrine Habitat(s): Forested Waterthrush Wetland, Riparian Parkesia S2 N N Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - motacilla Hardwood, Woodland - Hardwood
Picoides Red-cockaded S2 LS E Terrestrial: mature pine forests borealis Woodpecker
Hairy Palustrine Habitat(s): Forested Woodpecker Wetland, Riparian Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Picoides Conifer, Forest - Hardwood, S3 N N villosus Forest - Mixed, Suburban/orchard, Woodland - Conifer, Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
Estuarine Habitat(s): Bay/sound, Herbaceous wetland, Lagoon, Scrub-shrub wetland, Tidal flat/shore Roseate Riverine Habitat(s): Low gradient Platalea ajaja S2 LS N Spoonbill Lacustrine Habitat(s): Shallow water Palustrine Habitat(s): Forested Wetland, Herbaceous Wetland, Riparian
Rallus Florida Estuarine Habitat(s): Herbaceous longirostris S3? N N Clapper Rail wetland, Tidal flat/shore scottii
B-26 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Estuarine Habitat(s): Bay/sound, Herbaceous wetland, Lagoon, River mouth/tidal river, Tidal flat/shore Riverine Habitat(s): Low gradient Recurvirostra American S2 N N Lacustrine Habitat(s): Shallow americana Avocet water Palustrine Habitat(s): Herbaceous wetland, Riparian Terrestrial Habitat(s): Playa/salt flat
Marine: near shore
Estuarine: bay/sound, herbaceous wetland, lagoon, river mouth/tidal river, tidal flat/shore
Rynchops Black Riverine: big river, low gradient S3 LS N niger Skimmer Lacustrine: deep water, Shallow water
Palustrine: riparian
Terrestrial: sand/dune
Palustrine Habitat(s): Riparian Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Conifer, Forest - Hardwood, Sitta White-breasted S2 N N Forest - Mixed, carolinensis Nuthatch Suburban/orchard, Woodland - Conifer, Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
B-27 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Estuarine: various Lacustrine Sterna various Riverine: various Least Tern S3 LT E antillarum Terrestrial: beach dune, ruderal. Nests common on rooftops
Marine Habitat(s): Near shore Estuarine Habitat(s): Bay/sound, Herbaceous wetland, Lagoon, River mouth/tidal river, Tidal flat/shore Riverine Habitat(s): Big river, Sterna caspia Caspian Tern S2 N N Low gradient, medium river Lacustrine Habitat(s): Deep water, Shallow water Palustrine Habitat(s): Herbaceous wetland, Riparian Terrestrial Habitat(s): Sand/dune
Marine: near shore Estuarine: bay/sound, lagoon, Sterna maxima Royal Tern S3 N N river mouth/tidal river, tidal flat/shore Terrestrial: sand/dune
Marine: near shore Estuarine: bay/sound, lagoon, Sterna Sandwich Tern S2 N N river mouth/tidal river, tidal sandvicensis flat/shore Terrestrial: sand/dune
B-28 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Mammals
Palustrine Habitat(s): Riparian Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Hardwood, Suburban/orchard, Corynorhinus Rafinesque's S2 N N Urban/edificarian, Woodland - rafinesquii Big-eared Bat Hardwood Subterranean Habitat(s): Subterrestrial
Palustrine: forested wetland, riparian Mustela Southeastern frenata S3 N N Weasel Terrestrial: forest - hardwood, old olivacea field, woodland - conifer, woodland - hardwood, woodland - mixed
Mustela vison Gulf Salt Estuarine Habitat(s): Herbaceous S3 N N halilimnetes Marsh Mink wetland, River mouth/tidal river
Riverine Habitat(s): Aerial Palustrine Habitat(s): Aerial, Forested wetland, Riparian Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Conifer, Forest - Hardwood, Forest - Mixed, Forest Edge, Myotis Southeastern S3 N N Forest/Woodland, austroriparius Bat Suburban/orchard, Urban/edificarian, Woodland - Conifer, Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed Subterranean Habitat(s): Subterrestrial
Myotis Palustrine: caves, various Gray Bat S1 E E grisescens Terrestrial: caves, various
B-29 Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Round-tailed Estuarine Habitat(s): Herbaceous Neofiber alleni S3 N N Muskrat wetland
Sciuris niger Sherman's Fox Terrestrial: woodland - conifer, S3 SSC N shermani Squirrel woodland - mixed
Estuarine: submerged vegetation, Trichechus West Indian open water S2 E E manatus Manatee Marine: open water, submerged vegetation
Palustrine: forested wetland, Ursus Florida Black riparian americanus S2 N N Bear Terrestrial: forest - hardwood, floridanus forest - mixed
Sources: FNAI 2010; FWC 2016c; USFWS 2016.
Key: FNAI STATE ELEMENT RANK S1 = Critically imperiled in Florida because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences or less than 1000 individuals) or because of extreme vulnerability to extinction due to some natural or man-made factor. S2 = Imperiled in Florida because of rarity (6 to 20 occurrences or less than 3000 individuals) or because of vulnerability to extinction due to some natural or man-made factor. S3 = Either very rare and local in Florida (21-100 occurrences or less than 10,000 individuals) or found locally in a restricted range or vulnerable to extinction from other factors. S4 = Apparently secure in Florida (may be rare in parts of range). S5 = Demonstrably secure in Florida. SH = Of historical occurrence in Florida, possibly extirpated, but may be rediscovered (e.g., ivory-billed woodpecker). SX = Believed to be extirpated throughout Florida. SU = Unrankable; due to a lack of information no rank or range can be assigned. SNA = State ranking is not applicable because the element is not a suitable target for conservation (e.g. a hybrid species). SNR = Element not yet ranked (temporary).
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS C = Candidate species for which federal listing agencies have sufficient information on biological vulnerability and threats to support proposing to list the species as Endangered or Threatened. E = Endangered: species in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. E, T = Species currently listed endangered in a portion of its range but only listed as threatened in other areas E, PDL = Species currently listed endangered but has been proposed for delisting. E, PT = Species currently listed endangered but has been proposed for listing as threatened.
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E, XN = Species currently listed endangered but tracked population is a non-essential experimental population. T = Threatened: species likely to become Endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. PE = Species proposed for listing as endangered PS = Partial status: some but not all of the species’ infraspecific taxa have federal status PT = Species proposed for listing as threatened SAT = Treated as threatened due to similarity of appearance to a species which is federally listed such that enforcement personnel have difficulty in attempting to differentiate between the listed and unlisted species. SC = Not currently listed, but considered a “species of concern” to USFWS.
STATE LEGAL STATUS C = Candidate for listing at the Federal level by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service FE = Listed as Endangered Species at the Federal level by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service FT = Listed as Threatened Species at the Federal level by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service FXN = Federal listed as an experimental population in Florida FT(S/A) = Federal Threatened due to similarity of appearance ST = State population listed as Threatened by the FFWCC. Defined as a species, subspecies, or isolated population which is acutely vulnerable to environmental alteration, declining in number at a rapid rate, or whose range or habitat is decreasing in area at a rapid rate and as a consequence is destined or very likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future. SSC = Listed as Species of Special Concern by the FFWCC. Defined as a population which warrants special protection, recognition, or consideration because it has an inherent significant vulnerability to habitat modification, environmental alteration, human disturbance, or substantial human exploitation which, in the foreseeable future, may result in its becoming a threatened species. (SSC* for Pandion haliaetus (Osprey) indicates that this status applies in Monroe county only.) N = Not currently listed, nor currently being considered for listing.
Plants: Definitions derived from Sections 581.011 and 581.185(2), Florida Statutes, and the Preservation of Native Flora of Florida Act, 5B-40.001. FNAI does not track all state-regulated plant species; for a complete list of state-regulated plant species, call Florida Division of Plant Industry, 352-372-3505 or see: http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/. E = Endangered: species of plants native to Florida that are in imminent danger of extinction within the state, the survival of which is unlikely if the causes of a decline in the number of plants continue; includes all species determined to be endangered or threatened pursuant to the U.S. Endangered Species Act. T = Threatened: species native to the state that are in rapid decline in the number of plants within the state, but which have not so decreased in number as to cause them to be Endangered. N = Not currently listed, nor currently being considered for listing.
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Appendix C Habitats and Natural Communities
The FNAI defines a natural community as a distinct and recurring assemblage of populations of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms naturally associated with each other and their physical environment. Based on GIS analysis, there are 30 unique natural communities recognized by the FNAI within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed (FNAI 2010). Habitats and Natural Communities were identified using the 2010 Florida Land Use, Cover and Forms Classification System (FLUCFS) data from the NWFWMD, as well as the 2004-2013 Statewide Land Use Land Cover datasets created by the five Water Management Districts in Florida. Data were modified and refined based on aerial photograph signatures and field observations. Below are community descriptions (excerpts from FNAI 2010) with some site-specific information about many of the communities in the watershed.
Upland Communities
Bluff is a habitat characterized as a steep slope with rock, sand, and/or clay substrate that supports sparse grasses, herbs, and shrubs. Bluffs are found in the center of Florida’s portion of the watershed; throughout the Bluff Apalachicola National Forest; Lake Talquin and contributing tributaries; and on the east side of the Ochlockonee River to about Forest Road 13 (NWFWMD 2012).
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Mesic flatwoods can be found on the flat sandy terraces left behind by Plio-Pleistocene high sea level stands. Mesic flatwoods consist of an open canopy of tall pines (commonly longleaf pine or slash pine) and a dense, low ground layer of shrubs, grasses (commonly wiregrass), and forbs. The most widespread natural community in Florida, mesic flatwoods are home to many rare plants and animals such as the frosted flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma cingulatum), the reticulated flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma bishopi), the Red-cockaded woodpecker (Leuconotopicus borealis), and many others. Mesic flatwoods require frequent Mesic Flatwoods fire (two to four years) and all of its constituent plant species recover rapidly from fire, including many rare and endemic plants. In the Panhandle north of the Cody Scarp, mesic flatwoods occupy relatively small, low- lying areas (FNAI 2010). Within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, healthy mesic flatwoods occur in the Apalachicola National Forest and the in the Ochlockonee River State Park in the eastern section of the park near the highway, and in the older section of the park abutting the river. Throughout the Ochlockonee River State Park, small changes in elevation result in a mosaic of mesic flatwoods, scrubby flatwoods, some sandhill, and wet flatwoods (FDEP 2008).
Sandhill communities are characterized by broadly-spaced pine trees with a deciduous oak understory sparse midstory of deciduous oaks and a moderate to dense groundcover of grasses, herbs, and low shrubs. Species typical of sandhill communities include longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), turkey oak (Quercus laevis), and wiregrass (Aristida stricta var. beyrichiana). Sandhill is observed on crests and slopes of rolling hills and ridges with steep or gentle topography. Sandhill communities are important for aquifer recharge, as sandy soils Sandhill allow water to infiltrate rapidly, resulting in sandy, dry soil, with little runoff evaporation. Fire is a dominant environmental factor in sandhill ecology and is essential for the conservation of native sandhill flora and fauna (FNAI 2010). Within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, exemplary sandhill communities can be found extensively throughout the Apalachicola National Forest and in a small tract of the Ochlockonee River State Park (FNAI 2010).
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Scrub is a community composed of evergreen shrubs, with or without a canopy of pines, and is found on well- drained, infertile, narrow sandy ridges distributed parallel to the coastline. Signature scrub species include three species of shrubby oaks, Florida rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides), and sand pine (Pinus clausa), which Scrub may occur with or without a canopy of pines. Scrub is characterized by burn intervals of five to 40 years, depending on the dominant vegetation. Within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, exemplary scrub community can be found throughout Bald Point State Park.
Scrubby flatwoods have an open canopy of widely-spaced pine trees (commonly longleaf or slash pines) and a low, shrubby understory which differ structurally from scrub communities in the respect that scrub flatwoods lack continuous shrubby oak cover. Understory vegetation consists largely of scrub oaks and saw palmetto, often interspersed with barren areas of exposed sand. Scrubby flatwoods occur on slight rises within mesic Scrubby flatwoods and in transitional areas between scrub and mesic flatwoods. Scrubby flatwoods are inhabited by several rare plant and animal species including the Florida mouse (Podomys floridanus), Florida scrub-jay Flatwoods (Aphelocoma coerulescens) (Peninsular Florida only), gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), the Florida gopher frog (Rana capito), goldenaster (Chrysopsis floridana) and large-plumed beaksedge (Rhynchospora megaplumosa) (FNAI 2010). Within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, scrubby flatwood communities can be found at Bald Point State Park and intermediately between mesic flatwoods and sandhill communities at Ochlockonee River State Park (FDEP 2008).
Slope forest is a well-developed, highly diverse, dense canopy forest of upland hardwoods that occurs on steep slopes, bluffs, and in sheltered ravines. In slope forests, high density and diversity is driven by competition for space, water, sunlight and nutrients. The combination of densely shaded slopes and cool, moist microclimates Slope Forest produces conditions that are conducive for the growth of many plant species that are more typical of the Piedmont and Southern Appalachian Mountains (FNAI 2010). Within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, this community type can be found throughout the Apalachicola National Forest.
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Terrestrial caves are cavities below the surface that lack standing water. These caves develop in areas of karst topography; water moves through underlying limestone, dissolving it and creating fissures and caverns. Most caves have stable internal environments with temperature and humidity levels remaining fairly constant. In Terrestrial areas where light is present, some plants may exist, although these are mostly limited to mosses, liverworts, Caves ferns, and algae. Subterranean natural communities such as terrestrial caves are extremely fragile because the fauna they support are adapted to stable environments and do not tolerate environmental changes (FNAI 2010).
Upland hardwood forests are described as having a well-developed, closed-canopy dominated by deciduous hardwood trees such as southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), pignut hickory (Carya glabra), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), Florida maple (Acer saccharum ssp. floridanum), live oak (Quercus virginiana), Upland American beech (Fagus grandifolia), white oak (Q. alba), spruce pine (Pinus glabra), and others. This Hardwood community occurs on mesic soils in areas sheltered from fire, on slopes above river floodplains, in smaller areas on the sides of sinkholes, and occasionally on rises within floodplains. It typically supports a diversity of Forests shade-tolerant shrubs, and a sparse groundcover. Upland hardwoods occur throughout the Florida Panhandle and can be found in upland portions of the watershed (FNAI 2010).
Wet flatwoods are pine forests with a sparse or absent midstory. The typically dense groundcover of hydrophytic grasses, herbs, and low shrubs occurring in wet flatwoods can vary depending on the fire history of the system. Wet flatwoods occur in the ecotones between mesic flatwoods and shrub bogs, wet prairies, dome swamps, or strand swamps and are common throughout most of Florida. Wet flatwoods also occur in Wet Flatwoods broad, low flatlands, frequently within a mosaic of other communities. Wet Flatwoods often occupy large areas of relatively inaccessible land, providing suitable habitat for the Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus), as well as a host of rare and endemic plant species (FNAI 2010). This community type is found interspersed throughout the Ochlockonee River State Park and the Apalachicola National Forest (FDEP 2008).
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Coastal Communities
The beach is the immediate shoreline area of the Gulf of Mexico and consists of white quartz sand. It has few plants, except along the extreme inner edge at the base of the dunes. Organic marine debris, including seaweed Beach and driftwood, typically form a wrack line on the shore. The upper beach area at the base of the foredune is an unstable habitat and is continually re-colonized by annuals, trailing species, and salt-tolerant grasses (FNAI 2010). Beach habitat is found along St. James Island, particularly at Bald Point State Park.
The beach dune community includes seaward dunes that have been shaped by wind and water movement. This community is composed primarily of herbaceous plants such as pioneer grasses and forbs, many of which are coastal specialists. The vegetated upper beach and foredune are often sparsely covered by plants adapted to Beach Dune withstand the stresses of wind, water, and salt spray, or to rapidly recolonize after destruction. Many rare shorebirds use the Florida Panhandle’s beach dunes for nesting. This community is also a major nesting area for loggerhead, green, Kemp’s Ridley, and leatherback sea turtles. Beach dune communities can be found along the coastal portion of St. James Island, particularly at Bald Point State Park.
Coastal grassland, found primarily on broad barrier islands and capes, is a predominantly herbaceous community found in the drier portion of the transition zone between the beach dune and coastal strand or Coastal maritime hammock communities. Several rare animals use coastal grasslands for foraging and nesting, including neo-tropical migratory birds. Coastal grassland can form from two major processes: the seaward Grasslands build-up of a barrier island, which protects inland ridges from sand burial and salt spray, or the development of a new foredune ridge, which protects the previously overwashed area behind it (FNAI 2010). This community type can be found throughout the coastal portion of St. James Island.
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Coastal strand is an evergreen shrub community growing on stabilized coastal dunes, often with a smooth canopy due to pruning by wind and salt spray. It usually develops as a band between dunes dominated by sea oats along the immediate coast, and maritime hammock, scrub, or mangrove swamp (in peninsular Florida) Coastal Strand communities further inland. This community is very rare on the Florida Panhandle coast where the transition zone is occupied by scrub or coastal grassland communities (FNAI 2010). This community type can be found throughout the coastal portion of St. James Island.
Shell mounds are a relic of generations of Native Americans who lived along the Florida coast and discarded clams, oysters, whelks, and other shells in small hills. These mounds of shell support an assemblage of calciphilic plant species. Originally, there were many such shell mounds along coastal lagoons and near the mouths of rivers, however presently many are surrounded by marshes (FNAI 2010). Artifacts found throughout the watershed provide evidence of habitation by Native Americans for at least 10,000 years (Tall Shell Mounds Timbers n.d.). Native Americans once inhabited the watershed’s productive coastal regions. Consequently, the coastline is spotted with shell-mounds and associated ecological communities. The Ochlockonee River State Park contains evidence of pre-contact habitation, including a shell midden near the primitive group camp (FDEP 2008). A pre-Columbian Native American shell midden dating back possibly to the Weedon Island Period 1,500 years ago sits along the shore of the Dead River (Ochlockonee River State Park 2015).
Transitional and Wetland Communities
Basin marshes, unlike depression marshes, are marshes that lack a fire-maintained matrix community and rather, occur in relative isolation as larger landscape features. Basin marshes are regularly inundated freshwater from local rainfall, as they occur around fluctuating shorelines, on former “disappearing” lake bottoms, and at the bead of broad, low basins marking former embayments of the last high-sea level stand. Basin Marsh Species composition is heterogeneous both within and between marshes and generally includes submerged, floating, and emergent vegetation with intermittent shrubby patches. Common species include maidencane (Panicum hemitomon), sawgrass (Cladium sp.), bulltongue arrowhead (Sagittaria lancifolia), pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), and cordgrass (Spartina sp.) (FNAI 2010). In the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, basin marsh occurs around Lake Miccosukee in Leon and Jefferson counties.
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Basin swamp is a wetland vegetated with hydrophytic trees, commonly including pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) and swamp tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora) and shrubs that can withstand an extended hydro- period. Basin swamps are characterized by highly variable species composition and are expressed in a variety of shapes and sizes due to their occurrence in a variety of landscape positions including old lake beds or river Basin Swamp basins, or ancient coastal swales and lagoons that existed during higher sea levels. Basin swamps can also exist around lakes and are sometimes headwater sources for major rivers. Many basin swamps have been heavily harvested and undergone significant hydrological changes due to the conversion of adjacent uplands to agricultural and silvicultural lands (FNAI 2010).
Baygall is an evergreen-forested wetland dominated by bay species including loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus), sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana), and/or swamp bay (Persea palustris). This community can be found on wet soils at the base of slopes or in depressions; on the edges of floodplains; and in stagnant drainages. Baygalls are not generally influenced by flowing water, but may be drained by small blackwater Baygall streams. Most baygalls are small; however, some form large, mature forests, called “bay swamps.” The dominance of evergreen bay trees rather than a mixture of deciduous and evergreen species can be used to distinguish baygall from other forested wetlands (FNAI 2010). This community type can be found in the Lake Talquin State Forest.
Coastal interdunal swales are marshes, moist grasslands, dense shrublands, or damp flats in linear depressions that occur between successive dune ridges as sandy barrier islands, capes, or beach plains. Dominant species tend to vary based on local hydrology, substrate, and the age of the swale, but common species include Coastal sawgrass (Cladium sp.), hairawn muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris), broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus), seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum), sand cordgrass (Spartina bakeri), and saltmeadow cordgrass Interdunal (Spartina patens). For example, hurricanes and large storm events can flood swales with salt water, after Swales which they become colonized, often temporarily, by more salt-tolerant species. Salt water intrusion and increased sand movement after storm events can reset successional processes of interdunal swale communities (FNAI 2010). Within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed coastal interdunal swale can be found throughout St. James Island.
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Dome swamp is an isolated, forested, and usually small depression wetland consisting of predominantly pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) and/or swamp tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora). This community occurs within a fire-maintained community such as mesic flatwoods and commonly occupies depressions over a perched water table. Smaller trees grow on the outer edge of the swamp where the water is shallow, while taller trees grow deeper in the swamp interior creating the characteristic dome shape. Shrubs are typically sparse to moderate, but dome swamps with high fire frequencies or fire exclusion, the shrub layer may be absent. Many dome swamps form when poor surface drainage causes the dissolution of limestone bedrock, Dome Swamp creating depressions which fill in with peat or marl. Surficial runoff from the surrounding uplands supplies much of the water within dome swamps. Consequently, water levels in these communities fluctuate naturally with seasonal rainfall changes. Dome swamps may also be connected directly to the aquifer, where groundwater influences the hydrological regime. Thus dome swamps can function as reservoirs that recharge the aquifer. Logging, nutrient enrichment, pollution from agricultural runoff, ditching, impoundment, and invasive exotic species invasion have degraded dome swamps. Some dome swamps have been used as treatment areas for secondarily-treated wastewater (FNAI 2010). Dome swamp community can be found at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.
Floodplain swamp is a closed-canopy forest community of hydrophytic trees such as bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), swamp tupelo (N. sylvatica var. biflora), or ogeechee tupelo (N. ogeche). Floodplain swamp occurs on frequently- or permanently-flooded hydric soils adjacent to stream and river channels and in depressions and oxbows within the floodplain. The understory and groundcover are sparse in floodplain swamps, which can also occur within a complex mosaic of communities including alluvial forest, bottomland forest, and baygall. As rivers meander, they create oxbows and back swamps that are Floodplain important breeding grounds for fish when high water connects them to the river. Floodplain swamp Swamp communities provide important wildlife habitat, contribute to flood attenuation, and help protect the overall water quality of streams and rivers. These communities may also transform nutrients or act as a nutrient sink depending on local conditions. This makes floodplain swamps useful for the disposal of partially-treated wastewater. Artificial impoundments on rivers can severely limit the seasonal flooding effects that maintain healthy floodplain systems; particularly, the stabilization of alluvial deposits and the flushing of detritus (FNAI 2010). Floodplain swamp communities are distributed along most creeks and streams within the watershed, particularly along the Ochlockonee and Sopchoppy rivers.
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Seepage slope is an open, grass sedge-dominated community consisting of wiregrass (Aristida stricta), toothache grass (Ctenium aromaticum), pitcherplants, plumed beaksedge (Rhynchospora plumose), flattened pipewort (Eriocaulon compressum), and woolly huckleberry (Gaylussacia mosieri). Seepage slopes are kept continuously moist by groundwater seepage. This community occurs in topographically variable areas, with 30- to 50-foot elevational gradients, frequently bordered by well-drained sandhill or upland pine communities. The soil is often soft and mucky underfoot, in contrast to the firm texture of the bordering sandhill and upland pine soils. Seepage slopes range from the Alabama border eastward to Calhoun County in the inland portions Seepage Slope of the Florida Panhandle (FNAI 2010). Seepage slopes are found in the center of Florida’s portion of the watershed; Lake Talquin and contributing tributaries; and on the east side of the Ochlockonee River to about Forest Road 13 (NWFWMD 2012). Steephead ravines occur on the west side of Lake Talquin along Ocklawaha, Bear, and Rocky Comfort creeks in Gadsden County, on the east side of Lake Talquin in Leon County, and within the Telogia Creek drainage in Gadsden and Liberty counties (NWFWMD 2012).
Wet prairie is an herbaceous community usually occurring on acidic, continuously wet, but not inundated, soils. This community can be found on somewhat flat or gentle slopes between lower lying depression marshes, shrub bogs, or dome swamps or on slightly higher wet or mesic flatwoods. Wet prairies in northern Florida are some of the most diverse communities in the U.S., with an average of over 20 species per square meter in some places and over 100 total species in any given stand. The Panhandle is a hotspot for rare plants of the wet prairie community with 25 out of the 30 rare species found in this community; 12 of these are Wet Prairie endemic to the Panhandle (FNAI 2010). This community type is found throughout the Apalachicola National Forest.
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Aquatic Communities
Blackwater streams are perennial or intermittent seasonal watercourses laden with tannins (natural organic chemicals), particulates, and dissolved organic matter and iron. These dissolved materials result from the streams’ origins in extensive wetlands with organic soils that collect rainfall and discharge it slowly to the stream. The dark-colored water reduces light penetration and, inhibits photosynthesis, and prevents the growth of submerged aquatic plants. Blackwater streams are frequently underlain by limestones and have sandy Blackwater bottoms overlain by organics that have settled out of suspension. Blackwater streams are the most widely Streams distributed and numerous riverine systems in the southeast Coastal Plain (FNAI 2010) and found draining into most creeks, streams and bayous in the watershed. The Ochlockonee River has historically been categorized as a blackwater stream, but also exhibits alluvial stream characteristics. The character of the river was probably more characteristic of a true alluvial stream prior to the placement of the dam on Lake Talquin (FDEP 2008). Many of the Ochlockonee’s smaller tributaries are true blackwater streams, including several streams that traverse the Apalachicola National Forest.
Seepage streams may be perennial or intermittent seasonal as they originate from shallow groundwater percolating through sandy upland soils. Seepage streams are small magnitude features, and unlike other stream communities in Florida, they lack a deep aquifer water source and extensive swamp lowlands surrounding their head waters. Seepage streams are generally sheltered by a dense overstory of broad-leaved hardwoods which block out most sunlight. Filamentous green algae occur sporadically within the stream, while vegetation at the water’s edge may include mosses, ferns and liverworts. Seepage streams are often associated with Seepage Streams seepage slope and slope forest communities near their head waters, and bottomland forest, alluvial forest and floodplain swamp communities near their mouths. The waters of seepage streams is filtered by percolation through deep soils which slows the release of rainwater and buffers temperature extremes, creating low flow rates of clear, cool, unpolluted water. Seepage streams are generally confined to areas where topographic relief is pronounced such as northern Florida (FNAI 2010). Within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, seepage streams are found throughout the Apalachicola National Forest.
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Sinkhole lakes typically form in deep, funnel-shaped depressions in limestone bedrock and are moderately widespread in the karst regions of the Florida Panhandle. Sinkhole depressions are geologic features which are relatively permanent; however, water levels may fluctuate dramatically due to hydrologic connectivity with the aquifer. Sinkhole lakes are characterized by clear, alkaline water with high concentrations of calcium, bicarbonate, and magnesium. The vegetation in some sinkhole lakes is absent or limited to a narrow fringe of emergent species at the edge of the water, while other sinkhole lakes are completely covered by floating vegetation. Sinkhole Lakes are considered endangered in Florida due to the threat of erosion which destroys Sinkhole Lakes the surrounding vegetation and pollutes the aquifer with which these lakes are closely connected (FNAI 2010). Sinkhole lakes are prevalent throughout the watershed in areas where karst geology exists. An exemplary sinkhole lake is Lake Lafayette in Leon County (eastern Tallahassee).
Spring-run streams generally have sandy or limestone bottoms and derive most of their water from artesian openings to the underlying aquifer, making their waters clear, circumneutral, mineral-rich, and cool. These conditions are highly conducive for plant growth, thus, spring-run streams are extremely productive aquatic habitats. Good examples in the watershed are listed and described in Section 2.3. Agricultural, residential, and industrial pollutants that enter the groundwater may infiltrate the deep aquifer that feeds a Spring-run stream. Herbicides applied to control aquatic plant growth are particularly detrimental because they can induce Spring-run eutrophication in spring run streams. Overuse and misuse of spring-run streams from recreation is also a threat Streams to this unique community (FNAI 2010). Spring run streams are found throughout the northern portions of the watershed where karst geology is prominent.
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Estuarine and Marine Communities
Salt marsh is a largely herbaceous tidal zone community commonly consisting of saltmarsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), which dominates the seaward edge, and needle rush (Juncus roemerianus), which dominates higher, less frequently flooded areas. Salt marshes form where the coastal zone is protected from large waves, either by the topography of the shoreline, a barrier island, or by location along a bay or estuary. Salt marshes support a number of rare animals and plants, and provide nesting habitat for migratory and Salt Marsh endemic bird species. Many of Florida’s extensive salt marshes are protected in aquatic preserves, but the loss of marshes and adjacent seagrass beds due to human impacts such as shoreline development, ditching, and pollution and natural stressors, such as sea level rise, have vastly reduced their numbers. Salt marshes are instrumental in attenuating wave energy and protecting shorelines from erosion (FNAI 2010) and are found in the coastal/ estuarine portion of the watershed. Salt marsh communities are common throughout the Ochlockonee Bay and are particularly extensive at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.
Seagrass beds consist of expansive stands of submerged aquatic vascular plants including turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum), manateegrass (Syringodium filiforme), and shoalgrass (Halodule wrightii), which occur predominantly in subtidal zones in clear low-energy coastal waters. Seagrass beds occur on unconsolidated substrates and are highly susceptible to changes in water temperature, salinity, wave-energy, tidal activity, and available light. This natural community supports a wide variety of animal life including Seagrass Beds manatees, marine turtles, and many fish, particularly spotted sea trout (Cynoscion nebulosus), spot (Micropogonias undulates), sheepshead, (Archosargus probatocephalus), and redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus). Pollution, particularly sedimentation and wastewater/sewage, have led to the widespread loss of seagrasses in nearly every bay in the Florida Panhandle (FNAI 2010). Seagrass beds occur throughout Alligator Harbor and the Ochlockonee Bay.
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Oyster/Mollusk reef consists of expansive concentrations of sessile mollusks, which settle and develop on consolidated substrates including rock, limestone, wood, and other mollusk shells. These communities occur in both the intertidal and subtidal zones to a depth of 40 feet. In Florida, the American oyster (Crassostrea Oyster/Mollusk virginica) dominates mollusk reef communities, but other organisms including species of sponge, anemones, mussels, the burrowing sponge anemones, mussels, clams, barnacles, crabs, amphipods, and starfish live Reef among or within the reef itself. Mollusks are filter-feeders that remove toxins from polluted waters and improve overall water quality (FNAI 2010). However, higher levels of toxins and bacteria can contaminate and close areas for commercial harvest and human consumption. Oyster/mollusk reefs can be found along St. James Island and throughout the Ochlockonee Bay.
Unconsolidated (marine) substrate consists of coralgal, marl, mud, mud/sand, sand or shell deposited in expansive, open areas of subtidal, intertidal, and supratidal zones. Unconsolidated substrates support large populations of tube worms, sand dollars, mollusks, isopods, amphipods, burrowing shrimp, and an assortment Unconsolidated of crabs, but lack dense populations of sessile plant and animal species. Unconsolidated substrates are an important feeding ground for bottom-feeding fish, shorebirds, and invertebrates. These areas also grade into a (Marine) variety of other natural communities, making them the foundation for the development of other marine and Substrate estuarine habitats. Unconsolidated substrate communities are found throughout the estuarine and riverine portions of the watershed. They are susceptible to many types of disturbances including vehicle traffic, low DO levels, as well as the accumulation of metals, oils, and pesticides in the sediment (FNAI 2010). Unconsolidated (marine) substrate can be found along St. James Island and throughout the Ochlockonee Bay.
Sources: FNAI 2010, 2016a.
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Appendix D 2014 FDEP-Verified Impaired Waterbody Segments in the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed
All states are required to submit lists of impaired waters that are too polluted or degraded to meet water quality standards and their designated use (potable, recreational, shellfish harvesting) to the EPA under section 303(d) of the CWA (EPA 2016b). The following table provides a list of 2014 FDEP designated and impaired waters in the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed.
Waterbody Waterbody Parameters Assessed Using the Impaired Water Segment Name County ID Class1 Waters Rule (IWR) 424 Little River* Gadsden 3F Fecal Coliform 480 Salem Branch* Gadsden 3F Dissolved Oxygen (Nutrients and BOD) 480 Salem Branch* Gadsden 3F Fecal Coliform 540A Tallavanna Lake* Gadsden 3F Nutrients (TSI) 540A Tallavanna Lake* Gadsden 3F Fecal Coliform 546C Lake Monkey Business* Leon 3F Nutrients (TSI) 582B Lake Jackson Leon 3F Dissolved Oxygen 582B Lake Jackson Leon 3F Nutrients (TSI) 582D Lake Jackson Outlet Leon 3F Fecal Coliform 684 Mule Creek* Gadsden, Liberty 3F Fecal Coliform 689 Lake Overstreet Drain Leon 3F Fecal Coliform 746A Harbinwood Estates Drain Leon 3F Dissolved Oxygen (BOD) 746A Harbinwood Estates Drain Leon 3F Fecal Coliform 746A Harbinwood Estates Drain Leon 3F Iron 757 Bear Creek* Gadsden 3F Fecal Coliform 758 Timberlane Run Leon 3F Fecal Coliform 809A Megginnis Arm Run Leon 3F Fecal Coliform 879 Hammock Creek* Gadsden, Liberty 3F Dissolved Oxygen 896 Polk Creek* Leon 3F Fecal Coliform
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913 Big Creek* Liberty 3F Fecal Coliform 921 Harvey Creek* Leon 3F Fecal Coliform 1248A Ochlockonee Bay* Franklin, Wakulla 2 Fecal Coliform (3) 1248A Ochlockonee Bay* Franklin, Wakulla 2 Fecal Coliform (SEAS Classification) 1297B Ochlockonee River* Leon, Liberty, Wakulla 3F Iron 1297B Ochlockonee River* Leon, Liberty, Wakulla 3F Nutrients (Historic Chlorophyll-a) 1297C Lake Talquin* Gadsden, Leon 3F Dissolved Oxygen 1297C Lake Talquin* Gadsden, Leon 3F Nutrients (TSI) 1297D Lake Talquin* Gadsden, Leon 3F Nutrients (TSI) 1300 Telogia Creek Gadsden, Liberty 3F Fecal Coliform 1303 Quincy Creek* Gadsden 1 Fecal Coliform 1303 Quincy Creek* Gadsden 1 Iron 1303A Quincy Creek* Gadsden 3F Fecal Coliform Gulf of Mexico (Franklin County; Ochlockonee 8025 Franklin, Wakulla 2 Fecal Coliform (SEAS Classification) Bay)* 8025B Mashes Island* Wakulla 3M Bacteria (Beach Advisories) Source: FDEP 2013 Verified Impaired Waters List.
Notes: * = new Florida listings since 2003 Footnote 1 - Florida's waterbody classifications: 1 - Potable water supplies 2 - Shellfish propagation or harvesting 3F - Recreation, propagation, and maintenance of a healthy, well-balanced population of fish and wildlife in fresh water 3M - Recreation, propagation, and maintenance of a healthy, well-balanced population of fish and wildlife in marine water 4 - Agricultural water supplies 5 - Navigation, utility, and industrial use
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Appendix E Conservation Lands within the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed
Within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed, there are approximately 366,218 acres of conservation lands, including 240,209 acres of federally managed lands, 105,817 acres state-managed, 905 acres of locally managed lands, and 19,287 acres of privately managed lands. Six conservation lands within the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed span multiple counties, and several extend into other watersheds. The details of these conservation lands are presented in the following table (FNAI 2016a, 2016b):
Acres Conservation Managing Agency County(ies) Description Website Within Land Watershed
Federally Managed
One of Florida's premier conservation areas, this forest includes vast expanses Franklin, US Dept. of of longleaf pine sandhills and flatwoods, Apalachicola Leon, http://www.fs.f Agriculture, Forest and harbors the largest population of red- 225,387 National Forest Liberty, ed.us Service cockaded woodpeckers in the state. Wet Wakulla prairies, seepage slopes, ravines, numerous blackwater streams.
Levy Ditch US Dept. of the http://www.fw This research natural area is part of the Research Natural Interior, Fish and Wakulla s.gov/southeas 74 St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.
Area Wildlife Service t
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Acres Conservation Managing Agency County(ies) Description Website Within Land Watershed
This refuge represents a large area of protected coast from the Aucilla River to Ochlockonee Bay. Natural communities include estuarine tidal marsh, coastal St. Marks US Dept. of the Jefferson, http://www.fw hammock, wet flatwoods, mesic National Wildlife Interior, Fish and Taylor, s.gov/southeas 14,748 flatwoods, dome swamps, depression
Refuge Wildlife Service Wakulla t marshes, and bottomland forests. The refuge has extensive artificial impoundments managed for waterfowl and used by many other bird species.
State-Managed
FL Dept. of Alfred B. Maclay Environmental Significant features include a pristine http://www.flo Gardens State Protection, Div. of Leon upland clastic lake, sinkholes and ravines ridastateparks. 1,164 Park Recreation and with slope forests. org/ Parks
Coastal peninsula with Gulf beach and FL Dept. of shoreline, dunes, mesic and scrubby Environmental http://www.flo Bald Point State flatwoods, maritime hammock, and Protection, Div. of Franklin ridastateparks. 4,017 Park depression marshes. This site is Recreation and org/ important for migratory shorebirds and Parks songbirds.
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Acres Conservation Managing Agency County(ies) Description Website Within Land Watershed
Coastal Forest Northwest Florida 156 Resources http://www.nw Water Management Gadsden Not available. Conservation fwater.com/ District Easement
The Davidson/Hosford Conservation Easement is located east of the Davidson/Hosford Northwest Florida 1,517 Apalachicola National Forest and just http://www.nw Conservation Water Management Liberty west of the Wakulla/Liberty county line. fwater.com/ Easement District The easement does not allow public access.
The Jackson Conservation Easement is Jackson Northwest Florida located just east of the Ochlockonee 108 Conservation http://www.nw Water Management Leon River south of Lake Talquin and is Easement fwater.com/ District owned by private individuals. The (NWFWMD) easement is not open for public access.
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Acres Conservation Managing Agency County(ies) Description Website Within Land Watershed
Joe Budd Wildlife Management area includes xeric uplands as well as streams, seepage slopes, and mesic forest supporting Ashe's magnolia, pyramid magnolia, Florida merrybells, orange FL Fish and azalea, and wiregrass gentian. FL FWCC Joe Budd Wildlife Wildlife has lead management authority on 2756 http://myfwc.c Management Gadsden 2,955 Conservation acres of the wildlife management area om Area Commission (FNAI boundaries). The rest is contained within Lake Talquin State Forest, including the 2018-acre Rocky Comfort tract which is jointly managed by FL DACS Florida Forest Service and FL FWCC.
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Acres Conservation Managing Agency County(ies) Description Website Within Land Watershed
The Lake Jackson Mounds State park conserves a Native American archeological site. This was a cultural and religious center with a large population around 1100-1200 AD. The FL Dept. of Lake Jackson park encompasses six earthen temple Environmental http://www.flo Mounds mounds and one possible burial mound. Protection, Div. of Leon ridastateparks. 200 Archaeological Artifacts of pre-Columbian societies have Recreation and org/ State Park been found here including copper Parks breastplates, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and cloaks. Just along the nature trail you will see the ruins of an 1800-era grist mill, built by Florida's first Surveyor General, Robert Butler.
The Lake Talquin State Forest includes the shores of Lake Talquin (an FL Dept. of impoundment of the Ochlockonee River) http://www.flo Agriculture and Gadsden, Lake Talquin and inundated historic river floodplain. It ridaforestservi Consumer Services, Leon, 19,169 State Forest contains pine and hardwood forests and ce.com/index.h Florida Forest Wakulla deep ravines along the edge of the lake tml Service that form refugee for many rare plants and animals.
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Acres Conservation Managing Agency County(ies) Description Website Within Land Watershed
Lake Talquin State Park provides access FL Dept. of to Lake Talquin, which was formed in Environmental Gadsden, http://www.flo Lake Talquin 1927 when the Ochlockonee River was Protection, Div. of Leon, ridastateparks. 552 State Park dammed. It contains extensive high Recreation and Wakulla org/ quality slope and upland hardwood Parks forests.
FL Dept. of The Ochlockonee River State Park Environmental includes pine flatwoods, grass ponds, http://www.flo Ochlockonee Protection, Div. of Wakulla bayheads, and oak thickets bordering ridastateparks. 546 River State Park Recreation and alluvial stream. It also supports a red- org/ Parks cockaded woodpecker colony.
The Shuler Conservation Easement lies along the west side of the Liberty/Wakulla county broder, north of Shuler Northwest Florida Davidson/Hosford Conservation http://www.nw Conservation Water Management Liberty 1,571 Easement and east of the Apalachicola fwater.com/ Easement District State Forest. The 1,571 acre easement is owned by private individuals and not accessible to the public.
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Acres Conservation Managing Agency County(ies) Description Website Within Land Watershed
Tate’s Hell State Park was purchased as forested watershed protection for Apalachicola Bay and for rare species protection, particularly the Florida black bear. Twenty-nine active red-cockaded FL Dept. of woodpecker clusters have been found on http://www.flo Agriculture and Tate's Hell State Franklin, site since purchase, in addition to several ridaforestservi Consumer Services, 25,522 Forest Liberty rare plant populations. The majority of ce.com/index.h Florida Forest the land was drained, and planted to slash tml Service pine in the 1960's and 70's and is now undergoing restoration to a more natural condition. Contains some native slash and longleaf pine forests, excellent quality
The Thompson/Gray Conservation Easement is located on the north and Thompson/Gray Northwest Florida south side of State Road 8 adjacent to the http://www.nw Conservation Water Management Gadsden west side of Lake Talquin State Forest. 323 fwater.com/ Easement District The easement is owned by private individuals and is not accessible to the public.
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Acres Conservation Managing Agency County(ies) Description Website Within Land Watershed
Torreya State Park contains high quality, extensive upland hardwood forests, with some high pineland, hardwood FL Dept. of hammock, and river floodplain forests. Environmental http://www.flo Torreya State Gadsden, The park is known for its steep ravines, Protection, Div. of ridastateparks. 134 Park Liberty calcareous bluffs, and unusual calcareous Recreation and org/ forests that support numerous extremely Parks rare and unusual plant species, most notably the Federally endangered Florida torreya.
Locally Managed
Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park contains a diverse landscape of open fields, upland mixed pine/oak/hickory forest, loblolly flats, seepage ravines, and swamp forests. Elinor Klapp- City of Tallahassee It is used for a variety of passive http://www.tal Leon 662 Phipps Park and NWFWMD recreational activities including hiking, gov.com/parks biking, horseback riding, and nature study. The Red Hills Horse Trials, an international equestrian competition, is held annually at the park in March.
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Acres Conservation Managing Agency County(ies) Description Website Within Land Watershed
http://www.wc Marshes Sands Park contains beach Mashes Sands prd.com/Parks/ Wakulla County Wakulla dunes with tidal marsh and trails through 36 Park parks_mashess scrubby flatwoods and mesic flatwoods. ands.asp
Okeecheepkee Prairie is a wetland park that serves as a regional storm water management facility. It includes a fore http://www.leo Okeeheepkee bay (settling) pond, a waterfall, and a Leon County Leon ncountyfl.gov/ 26 Prairie deep pool with winding channels that parks connects the uplands with Lake Jackson. The "created" wetland provides habitat for a variety of wildlife.
Tanyard Creek Preservation Park is made up of several disjunctured parcels along Tanyard Creek, on the southeast side of Tanyard Creek Quincy, that are connected by a utility http://www.my Preservation City of Quincy Gadsden 109 easement. It is a passive park with nature quincy.net/ Park trails, and the City is restoring the creek. An amphitheater constructed on 32 acres is used for community events.
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Acres Conservation Managing Agency County(ies) Description Website Within Land Watershed
Timberlane Ravine is a 72 acre park owned by the City of Tallahassee. It is Timberlane located on the south and north sides of I- http://www.tal City of Tallahassee Leon 72 Ravine 10, south of Alfred B Maclay Gardnes gov.com/parks State Park. Timberlane Ravine is a public park.
Privately Managed
http://www.nat Paleo-refugium of sheltered slopes and ure.org/ouriniti Apalachicola ravines dissecting the bluffs east of the The Nature atives/regions/ Bluffs and Liberty Apalachicola River, harboring many 470 Conservancy northamerica/u Ravines Preserve endemic plants. The preserve also nitedstates/flor contains some high quality sand hill. ida/index.htm
The Cherokee Plantation Conservation Easement is located just south of the Florida/Georgia state border between the Cherokee Tall Timbers Research Station and the Plantation Tall Timbers http://www.tall Leon Foshalee Plantation Conservation 1,671 Conservation Research, Inc. timbers.org easement bordering Lake Iamonia to the Easement north. The park is owned by private individuals and is not accessible to the public.
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Acres Conservation Managing Agency County(ies) Description Website Within Land Watershed
The Cherokee Waterway Conservation Cherokee Easement is on the southern end of the Waterway Tall Timbers http://www.tall Leon Cherokee Plantation Conservation 25 Conservation Research, Inc. timbers.org easement. It is not accessible to the Easement public.
The Colin Island Conservation Easement is located in the western portion of Lake Conlin Island Tall Timbers Iamonia. Lake Iamonia is just south of http://www.tall Conservation Leon 41 Research, Inc. the Florida/Georgia state border. The timbers.org Easement island is owned by private individuals and not accessible to the public.
The Davidson-Riverview Conservation Easement is located north of Havana Highway and west of South Main Street Davidson- in Gadsden County. The Little River runs Riverview Tall Timbers http://www.tall Gadsden through the western portion of the 278 Conservation Research, Inc. timbers.org easement. Davidson-Riverview Easement Conservation easement is owned by private individuals and not accessible to the public.
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Acres Conservation Managing Agency County(ies) Description Website Within Land Watershed
Farm’s Eden Conservation Easement is just east of Lake Jackson and west of Farm's Eden Alfred B. Mcclay Gardens State Park. It Tall Timbers http://www.tall Conservation Leon also borders Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park to 168 Research, Inc. timbers.org Easement the south. The easement is owned by private individuals and not accessible to the public.
The Foshalee Plantation Conservation Foshalee Easement is located on the Plantation Tall Timbers http://www.tall Leon Florida/Georgia Border, east of 1,801 Conservation Research, Inc. timbers.org Thomasville Road. The easement is not Easement accessible to the public.
The Green Family Conservation Green Family Easement is located at the eastern tip of Tall Timbers http://www.tall Conservation Leon the Foshalee Plantation Easement along 22 Research, Inc. timbers.org Easement the Florida/Georgia border. It is not accessible to the public.
The Hiamonee Plantation Conservation Hiamonee Easement is located on the west side of Plantation Tall Timbers http://www.tall Leon Lake Iamonia, bordering the River Ridge 122 Conservation Research, Inc. timbers.org Plantation Conservation easement to the Easement south. It is not accessible to the public.
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Acres Conservation Managing Agency County(ies) Description Website Within Land Watershed
The Hinkle Property Conservation Hinkle Property Easement is located on the south side of Tall Timbers http://www.tall Conservation Leon Lake Iamonia. The northern side of the 93 Research, Inc. timbers.org Easement easement borders Lake Iamonia. It is not accessible to the public.
The Horseshoe Plantation Conservation Easement is 17 disconnected properties on the southeastern side of Lake Iamonia. Horseshoe Thomasville road runs through the Plantation Tall Timbers http://www.tall Leon largest property on its western edge. The 5,826 Conservation Research, Inc. timbers.org easement largest property Is also Easement bordered by Woodfield Springs Plantation Conservation easement on the east side. There is no public access.
The Mistletoe Conservation Easement is Mistletoe located just south of the Florida/Georgia Tall Timbers http://www.tall Conservation Leon border, to the west of North Meridian 40 Research, Inc. timbers.org Easement Road in Leon County. The easement is not accessible to the public.
The RCM Farms Conservation Easement RCM Farms Tall Timbers is located west of North Monroe Street http://www.tall Conservation Gadsden 463 Research, Inc. and north of I-10. The easement is not timbers.org Easement accessible to the public.
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Acres Conservation Managing Agency County(ies) Description Website Within Land Watershed
The River Ridge Plantation Conservation Easement is just south of the River Ridge Florida/Georgia border and northwest of Plantation Tall Timbers http://www.tall Leon Lake Iamonia. The easement is bordered 1,107 Conservation Research, Inc. timbers.org by Hilamonee Plantation Conservation Easement Easement on the north side. It is not accessible to the public.
The Shade Farm Conservation Easement Shade Farm Tall Timbers is north of State Road 8 and just south of http://www.tall Conservation Gadsden 627 Research, Inc. the Florida/Georgia border. The timbers.org Easement easement is not accessible to the public.
The Sunny Hill Plantation Conservation Easement borders the Leon/Jefferson Sunny Hill county line and is located north- Plantation Tall Timbers http://www.tall Leon northwest of Lake Miccosukee. Straw 1,279 Conservation Research, Inc. timbers.org pond Conservation Easement borders the Easement north portion of the property. The easement is not accessible to the public.
Swamp Creek The Swamp Creek Preserve is west of the Preserve Tall Timbers Florida Georgia Highway and north of http://www.tall Gadsden 496 Conservation Research, Inc. Havana Highway. The easement is not timbers.org Easement accessible to the public.
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Acres Conservation Managing Agency County(ies) Description Website Within Land Watershed
Tall Timbers is a fire ecology research Tall Timbers station that includes extensive acreage of Research Station Tall Timbers http://www.tall Leon upland pine forests, hardwood 3,949 and Land Research, Inc. timbers.org hammocks, and bottomland hardwoods Conservancy in the Tallahassee Red Hills region.
Woodfield The Woodfield Springs Plantation Springs Conservation Easement is to the west of Tall Timbers http://www.tall Plantation Leon Lake Miccosukee and to the southeast of 69 Research, Inc. timbers.org Conservation Lake Iamonia. The easement is not Easement accessible to the public.
The Woodland Corners Conservation Easement is located at the southwest Woodland corner of the intersection between the Corners Tall Timbers Florida/Georgia border and Thomasville http://www.tall Leon 740 Conservation Research, Inc. Road. The south side of the easement is timbers.org Easement bordered by the Cherokee Plantation Conservation Easement and is not accessible to the public.
Source: FNAI 2016.
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Appendix F Projects Funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation affecting the Ochlockonee River and Bay Watershed
The NFWF established the GEBF to administer funds arising from plea agreements that resolve the criminal cases against British Petroleum and Transocean. The FWC and FDEP work directly with the NFWF to identify projects for the state of Florida, in consultation with the USFWS and the NOAA. Over the next five years, the GEBF will receive a total of $356 million for the following natural resource projects in Florida. The following projects affecting the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed have been identified for funded through GEBF as of June 2016.
Project Description
Projects with benefits to all Gulf coastal communities, including the Ochlockonee River and Bay watershed
This project will provide data on the extent and species utilization of offshore fishery habitats Benthic Mapping, along the West Florida Continental Shelf – an area utilized by reef fish and sea turtle populations Characterization, and for shelter, feeding and spawning. It will inform sustainable fishing practices for red snapper and Assessment (University of other reef fish, and future efforts to reduce bycatch of marine fish and sea turtles through South Florida, $4,477,900) improved management during periods of high utilization in these benthic habitats. Project partners: FWC FWRI, and Florida Institute of Oceanography.
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This project will improve Panhandle beach-nesting bird habitat through nesting habitat enhancements and stewardship activities that will result in increased nesting, hatching, and Comprehensive Coastal rearing of chicks. These efforts will result in more effective and comprehensive success Panhandle Bird throughout the Florida Panhandle for important beach-nesting species such as Black Skimmer, Conservation (National American Oystercatcher, Least Tern, Piping Plover and Red Knot. Project partners: FWC, Audubon, $3,205,000) Florida Park Service, National Park Service, Department of Defense, Santa Rosa Island Authority, TNC, and State University of New York.
This proposal will sustain activities of the Florida Shorebird Alliance (FSA) to enhance shorebird Florida Shorebird and seabird populations along the Florida Gulf Coast for two years. The FSA is a statewide Conservation Initiative network of government and non-governmental organizations advancing shorebird and seabird (FWC, $1,489,800) conservation through coordinated and collaborative management, monitoring, education and outreach, and public policy activities. Partners: Florida Audubon Society.
This five-year project will expand the collection of data on both catch effort and stock Enhanced Assessment for assessment in the northern and eastern Gulf of Mexico. It is complementary to similar projects in Gulf of Mexico Fisheries: Alabama and Mississippi. The data will be used to assess the recovery of reef fish stocks in Phases I-III (FWC, association with restoration efforts implemented in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, $11,814,200) improve and expand single-species stock assessments for managed fish species, and foster improved ecosystem-based assessment and management capabilities. Project partners: NOAA and University of Florida.
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This project will improve capacity and date collection efforts for the FWC’s marine mammal Increased Capacity for field stations as well as eight marine mammal stranding response and research organizations Marine Mammal Response working in the Gulf. The Gulf of Mexico is habitat for 22 species of marine mammals—many (FWC, NOAA, and other were directly impacted by the oil spill, all are listed under the Marine Mammal Protection Act stranding organizations, and several are listed as endangered under the ESA. Given the high occurrence of annual marine $4,400,000) mammal strandings along Florida’s Gulf Coast – more than 2,000 over the past five years – it is a management priority to enhance and sustain a viable stranding network.
Eliminating Light Pollution This project will greatly increase sea turtle hatchling survivorship on Florida Panhandle nesting on Sea Turtle Nesting beaches by correcting problematic lights on private properties with a history of sea turtle Beaches: Phases I and II disorientations. Florida hosts over 90 percent of all sea turtle nesting in the continental U.S., (FWS, FWC, and Sea including the largest population of loggerheads in the Western Hemisphere and regionally Turtle Conservancy, significant nesting populations of the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles. $3,614,400)
Source: FDEP 2016g.
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