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Southwest Florida Feasibility Study: US Army Corps A Comprehensive Watershed Plan 1 2 2 of Engineers R Kathleen McCallion , Lacy Shaw , Tim Gysan Jacksonville District ¹Everglades Partners Joint Venture, Jacksonville, FL, ²U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, FL Functional Group 5- Corkscrew Watershed Component Title Description Functional Group 41 Functional Group 5 Number Functional Group 56 Purpose of the Southwest Florida Comprehensive Watershed Master Land acquisition, hydrologic Corkscrew Functional Group 28 Functional Group 41- South Caloosahatchee Ecoscape restoration, habitat restoration, based Functional Group 56- Yucca Pens 28 Woodstork Flow- Component on woodstork biology and feeding Title Description Component ways Number Functional Group 28 - Babcock Ranch Restoration Plan (SWFCWMP) Title Description needs. Number Provide a connection between Acquisition and hydrologic restoration Component Corkscrew Charlotte Harbor, Charlotte Harbor Title Description Re-hydrate lakes and in the form of culverting, road Number The Southwest Florida Feasibility Study was authorized as a component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Regional Buffer Preserve and the Babcock-Webb removal, berm removal, ditch filling Yucca Pens associated wetlands (Lake Flirt, Ecosystem Wildlife Management Area. Key piece Land acquisition, hydrologic restoration, BC23 and any removal of any features (Charlotte Bonnet and Lettuce) by placing Watershed 53 to establish landscape scale The purpose of the Southwest Florida Feasibility Study SWFCWMP is to identify environmental problems and opportunities in the impeding flowways. Other restoration Harbor 238 Argo Property habitat preservation, and invasive Acquisition and connection between Charlotte Harbor a lock structure at a point on would involve farm field restoration Flatwoods) exotic removal. Management and Lake Okeechobee. Acquisition of southwest Florida region and from this develop a comprehensive watershed management plan that fosters environmental F40 Lake Flirt the Caloosahatchee Riv er and exotic vegetation removal. the Caliente Springs DRI is a critical Berm and exotic removal, ditch fill, and where the original Lake Flirt Falls Construction of a detention area and aspect. restoration while also meeting regional water resource needs. Corkscrew a filter marsh. Upland restoration in the restoration of agricultural lands for were located and weirs at Land acquisition, hydrologic restoration, Swamp northern section of grove and Yucca Pens 60 habitat enhancement, and invasive wetland restoration and water storage. points where existing irrigation Buffer The goals of the SWFCWMP include: BC25 Sanctuary restoring the grove’s southern section exotic vegetation removal. The area is a priority one Strategic canals exit the riv er. Hydrologic to hydric flatwoods and wet prairie. A Land acquisition, hydrologic restoration, Restoration spreader canal would be constructed 239 Babcock Ranch Habitat Conservation Area for the Restoring hydrologic Southwest and invasive exotic vegetation control. Reduce pulse flows to the coast thereby restoring more in northeastern quadrant. Florida Panther, Black Bear and other Chaparral connectivity by road and berm 114 Unacquired The site contains borrow pits that could Bird Rookery Restoration of flows through trams in F43 Yucca Pens be used for sheet flow attenuation and species of high interest for their degree of natural estuarine salinity regimes Slough remov al, culv ert construction, Swamp Bird Rookery Swamp including culvert BC26 cleaning of post mining turbidity. endangerment such as red cockaded ditch filling. Hydrologic construction, berm removal and other Improvement hydrologic improvements. Land acquisition and restoration of a woodpecker. Yucca Pen mining operation including the Restore inland wetland and upland mosaic to reestablish East Bird Rookery 115 Land acquisition, inv asiv e exotic Mines creation of littoral zones around the Linden Pens Swamp Upland Restoration of farmland and improved Exotic vegetation removal, canal filling, vegetation removal, canal BC28 lakes. natural ecosystems that support native flora and fauna, F44 Marsh Habitat pastures to xeric pine flatwoods. and hydrologic improvements to existing filling, and hydrologic Restoration Land acquisition, hydrologic restoration, Connection habitat restoration, and invasive exotic roads. Fisheating Creek is the only including 23 listed species improv ements to existing roads. Land acquisition and subsequent Yucca Pen 116 vegetation removal. There is a Palm Tree Farm restoration of the private tree farm Creek West undammed tributary to Lake BC32 potential for scrub jay mitigation at the Land acquisition, road remov al Restoration back to the natural preexisting Okeechobee. This component will . Improve the quantity, quality, timing and distribution of site. F47 Fisheating Creek and/or culv erting, ditch habitat. Land acquisition, hydrologic restoration, acquire certain rights from the owner to Land acquisition of 30 acres in north Hog Branch surface water and groundwater flows for environmental, Citrus Center remov al/plugging, inv asiv e 117 wetland restoration, and invasive help preserve this natural land, which SLG02 CREW Center east corner of the site and restoration Headwaters slough exotic v egetation control, farm BC34 exotic vegetation control. agricultural and urban uses Restoration of farm field back to mesic pine links the Okaloacoochee Slough, field restoration, and berm Land acquisition, hydrologic restoration, flatwoods. Yucca Pen Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management remov al. 118 habitat restoration, and invasive exotic Land acquisition along 41st St. in Inholdings Northern Golden vegetation removal. Area, and Lake Okeechobee. Development of this plan has been a multi-agency collaborative effort. Land acquisition and restoration NGGE for hydrologic restoration, Gate Estates Unit BC54 wetland restoration, berm removal to Yucca Pen Land acquisition, hydrologic restoration, Land acquisition, road removal and/or including road remov al and/or 53 Restoration Polywog improve flow, and invasive exotic 119 Inholding habitat restoration, and invasive exotic culv erting, ditch and Acquisition East vegetation removal. culverting, ditch removal/plugging, SLG03 Creek vegetation control. SLC01 Long Island Marsh remov al/plugging, exotic exotic vegetation control, farm field Intended Use of the SWFCWMP Restoration Removal of spoil berms, Gator Slough v egetation control, farm field backfill/plugging ditches, weir Storage Designed to reduce ground water and restoration, and berm removal. Cocohatchee restoration, and berm removal. BC62 removal/refitting, road culverting, filter SW21 Seepage surface water drainage from Yucca This is a conceptual plan that includes the framework for a wide range of features intended for future detailed study and Slough Babcock North marsh construction, and invasive Barrier along Pens WMA to Gator Slough Canal. Environmental Concerns: Extensively developed for W182 Wetland restoration. Gator Slough Agland implementation by local, state, and federal agencies in cooperation with public and private land owners should funding become Environmental Concerns: Development and wet season Environmental Concerns: There is the threat that exotic vegetation removal. agriculture which has lead to channelization of flow drainage has degraded wetland habitat, caused Corkscrew Babcock remaining private lands adjacent to pristine public lands Watershed Ag Environmental Concerns: Much of the area is the Yucca Pens Unit of the Babcock-Webb WMA, but the for irrigation and drainage resulting in disruption of the Construction of a filter marsh on a available. Increase water storage capacity of W183 Development WQ landscape compartmentalization, and lowered ground will be converted to residential development over the long SW07 Water surrounding lands and several inholdings have been extensively developed for agriculture. Water that used to natural hydrologic regime, lowering of the ground developed portion of Babcock Ranch. agricultural detention areas. Treatment Area Collaborative implementation is anticipated, particularly on the USACE interest components. water levels, making the area more susceptible to drought, term. Drainage ditches and canals associated with Containment enter the area from the northwest is now held to the north by Zemel Rd. and drained by the Gator Slough Canal water table, loss of wetland and upland habitat, and fire, and invasion by exotic vegetation. Encroachments by residential areas and agricultural lands have eliminated Area Above ground storage reservoir to which runs to the east of the FG and along the southern boundary carrying flows to the coast. As a result the FG water quality degradation, particularly in Telegraph roadways, agricultural developments and exotic vegetation Kehl Canal much of the natural sheetflow and have disrupted the SW30 capture wet season canal flows for is much dryer than in pre-development conditions exhibiting an abbreviated hydroperiod and significantly Swamp and Creek. Additionally, the area is plagued All components proposed on property currently under private ownership will only be considered for further study and Storage Reservoir have restricted the historic conveyance and ecological natural hydrology, over draining upland areas and release during the dry season. lowered groundwater levels. The altered hydrology has caused shifts in the vegetative community and has led by recreation overuse, suppression
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