Five-Year Land Acquisition Plan 2001 SWFWMD i Land Acquisition Five-Year Plan 2001 Southwest Florida Water Management District Five-Year Land Acquisition Plan 2001 If a disabled individual wishes to obtain the information contained in this document in another form, please contact Cheryl Hill at 1-800-423-1476, extension 4452; TDD ONLY 1-800-231-6103; FAX (352)754-68771 ii Table of Contents Table of Contents Introduction and History 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 1 Save Our Rivers 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 1 Preservation 2000 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 1 Florida Forever 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 3 Selection and Evaluation Process 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 5 Less-Than-Fee Acquisitions 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 10 Partnerships 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 13 Surplus Lands111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 16 Land Use/Management Activities111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 17 Management Planning 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 17 Land Use Implementation 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 18 Management Implementation 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 20 SWFWMD iii Land Acquisition Five-Year Plan 2001 Land Acquisition Priorities 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 26 Alafia River Watershed 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 28 Hillsborough River Watershed 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 30 Lake Wales Ridge Watershed 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 32 Little Manatee River Watershed 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 34 Manatee River Watershed1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 36 Myakka River Watershed 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 38 Peace River Watershed 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 40 South Coastal Watershed1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 42 Springs Coast Watershed 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 44 Tampa Bay/Anclote River Watershed 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 46 Withlacoochee River Watershed 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 48 Appendices 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 50 iv Figures and Tables Figures and Tables Land Selection, Evaluation and Acquisition Procedure (Figure 1) 6 SWFWMD Conservation Lands (Table 1) 8 Conservation Easements (Table 2) 12 Save Our Rivers/Preservation 2000 Acquisition Activity Report (Table 3) 15 SWFWMD Potential Surplus Lands (Table 4) 16 Land Management Projects (Table 5) 24 SWFWMD Land Acquisition Priorities (Figure 2) 27 Alafia River Watershed (Figure 3) 29 Hillsborough River Watershed (Figure 4) 31 SWFWMD v Land Acquisition Five-Year Plan 2001 Lake Wales Ridge Watershed (Figure 5) 33 Little Manatee River Watershed (Figure 6) 35 Manatee River Watershed (Figure 7) 37 Myakka River Watershed (Figure 8) 39 Peace River Watershed (Figure 9) 41 South Coastal Watershed (Figure 10) 43 Springs Coast Watershed (Figure 12) 45 Tampa Bay/Anclote River Watershed (Figure 11) 47 Withlacoochee River Watershed (Figure 13) 49 SWFWMD 1 Land Acquisition Five-Year Plan 2001 Introduction and History ection 373.139, Florida Statutes, 15-year) plan for the acquisition of lands authorizes the governing boards necessary for water management pur- Sof the water management districts poses. to acquire the fee or other interest in lands necessary for flood control, water storage, water management, conserva- Save Our Rivers tion and protection of water resources, aquifer recharge, water resource and In 1981, the Florida Legislature estab- water supply development, and preserva- lished within the DEP the Water Manage- tion of wetlands, streams, and lakes. ment Lands Trust Fund (WMLTF), commonly known as the Save Our Rivers As will be described in this report, (SOR) program, as a non-lapsing fund for through the course of its local and the acquisition of lands in accordance regional water management activities, with Section 373.59, Florida Statutes. the District has undertaken the acquisi- tion of lands in an effort to meet its The WMLTF provides that monies from statutory obligations. the fund shall also be used for land management, maintenance, capital Lands acquired by each of the state’s five improvements and payments in lieu of water management districts are required taxes to qualifying counties. Funds may to be managed and maintained, to the also be used to implement Surface Water extent practicable, in such a way as to Improvement and Management (SWIM) ensure a balance between public access, plans approved in accordance with general public recreational purposes, and Sections 373.456 and 373.459, Florida restoration and protection of their Statutes. natural state and condition. A detailed description of land use and management activities on District-owned lands is described later within this report. Preservation 2000 Florida statutes also require the water In June of 1990, the Florida Legislature management districts to file a five-year enacted the Florida Preservation 2000 plan of acquisition with the Legislature Act (Section 259.101, Florida Statutes). and the Secretary of the Florida Depart- The Legislature declared that, “Immi- ment of Environmental Protection (DEP) nent development of Florida’s remaining annually. This district considers its natural areas and continuing increases in “Five-Year Plan” a long range (i.e., 10- to land values necessitate an aggressive program of public land acquisition during 2 Introduction and History v the next decade to preserve the quality of A significant portion of the land in life that attracts so many people to the project serves to protect or recharge Florida.” groundwater and to protect other valuable natural resources or provide “Acquisition of public lands should be space for natural resource based recre- based on a comprehensive assessment of ation; Florida’s natural resources and planned v so as to protect the integrity of ecological The project can be purchased at 80% systems and to provide multiple benefits, of appraised value or less; including preservation of fish and wildlife v A significant portion of the land in habitat, recreation space, and water the project serves as habitat for endan- recharge areas. Governmental agencies gered, threatened, or rare species or responsible for public land acquisition serves to protect natural communities should work together to purchase lands which are listed by the Florida Natural jointly and to coordinate individual Areas Inventory as critically imperiled, purchases within ecological systems.” imperiled, or rare, or as excellent quality For the water management districts, occurrences of natural communities; or Preservation 2000 broadened the scope v A significant portion of the land in and criteria of the Water Management the project serves to preserve important Lands Trust Fund. It required proceeds archaeological or historical sites. of bonds deposited in the Preservation 2000 Trust Fund pursuant to the Act be Provisions of the Preservation 2000 spent only on projects which meet at legislation directed the districts to least one of the following criteria: describe the manner in which groundwa- ter and recharge protection are consid- v A significant portion of the land in ered in acquisition. The SWFWMD’s the project is in imminent danger of Land Acquisition Site Identification development, in imminent danger of loss Model, originally developed in 1990, is of its significant natural attributes, or in composed of five major model compo- imminent danger of subdivision which nents (water supply protection, water will result in multiple ownership and may quality protection, flood protection, make acquisition of the project more natural systems protection, and manage- costly or less likely to be accomplished; ment and acquisition considerations). v Compelling evidence exists that the Four maps included in these major model land is likely to be developed during the components relate to groundwater. next 12 months, or appraisals made Furthermore, groundwater is addressed during the past five years indicate an within each watershed description escalation in land value at an average included later in this report. rate that exceeds the average rate of interest likely to be paid on the bonds; SWFWMD 3 Land Acquisition Five-Year Plan 2001 The 1997 Florida Legislature directed programs. This included nearly 260,000 the State’s Land Acquisition and Manage- acres of P2000 priority lands, 209,000 ment Advisory Council and the water acres of SOR priority lands and 140,000 management districts’ Governing Boards acres identified for future evaluation. See to commission a study “to ensure that the study for further details.