Site Profile of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve
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Site Profile of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve Environmental Education Center 505 Guana River Road Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 (904) 823-4500 • Fax (904) 825-6829 Marineland Office 9741 Ocean Shore Blvd St. Augustine, FL 32080 (904) 461-4054 • Fax (904) 461-4056 Site Profile of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve Prepared for: The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve Prepared by: Denis W. Frazel, Ph.D. Frazel, Inc. 233 Estrada Avenue St. Augustine, FL 32084 For more information about this report or to obtain additional copies, contact: Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve Environmental Education Center 505 Guana River Road Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 (904) 823-4500 • Fax (904) 825-6829 Marineland Office 9741 Ocean Shore Blvd St. Augustine, FL 32080 (904) 461-4054 • Fax (904) 461-4056 Internet: http://www.gtmnerr.org Citation: D. Frazel. 2009. Site Profile of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve. Ponte Vedra, FL. 151pp. August 2009 Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTMNERR) is a partnership between the US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the State of Florida, Department of Environmental Protection. This site profile has been developed in accordance with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration regulations. It is consistent with the congressional intent of Section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, and the provisions of the Florida Coastal Management Program. August, 2009 The views, statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the State of Florida, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or any of its sub- agencies. August, 2009. August 2009 Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 i Preface The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTMNERR), designated in 1999, is one of 27 estuarine reserves included within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration‟s National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). As part of the NERRS program, each reserve is required to develop a site profile, which describes the estuarine and terrestrial ecosystems represented within the site; outlines ongoing research and monitoring; and identifies site-specific research needs and priorities. This site profile includes an introduction to the Reserve; an environmental overview of the GTMNERR estuaries; a description of biotic habitats; an overview of the Reserve‟s programs and partnerships; a summary of research conducted within the Reserve; and suggestions for future research and monitoring. This document is intended to provide guidance for the future direction of the GTMNERR‟s research and monitoring programs and will be made available to all potential users, including scientists, environmental managers, local planners, elected officials, and environmental educators. The GTMNERR site profile was prepared by Frazel, Inc., under Contract #949045 from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Links to Web sites were accurate at the time of publication. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The GTMNERR site profile project was edited by Rick Gleeson, Ph.D., GTMNERR Research Coordinator and reviewed by Mike Shirley, Ph.D., GTMNERR Director. Denis W. Frazel, Ph.D. (Frazel, Inc.) prepared the site profile through the collaborative efforts of the following GTMNERR and St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) staff members. GTMNERR Staff Rachel Endicott, Biologist Matt Love, Biological Scientist SJRWMD Staff Paul Haydt, SJRWMD NCB Interagency Program Manager Ron Brockmeyer, Ph.D., Environmental Scientist IV Marvin Williams, GIS Analyst III Jan Miller, Environmental Scientists III Lori Morris, Ph.D., Environmental Scientist III Special thanks are due to the following individuals for their individual and collective efforts: Edward Phlips, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Florida Nikki Dix, Doctoral Candidate, Research Associate, Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Florida Peter Sheng, Ph.D., Professor, Coastal and Oceanographic Engineering, University of Florida Clay Montague, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida iii LIST OF ACRONYMS ATV All Terrain Vehicle BMP Best Management Practices BMAP Basin Management Action Plan CAMA Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas CDMO Centralized Data Management Office CFR Code of Federal Regulations CICEET Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology CRCP Coral Reef Conservation Program CZM Coastal Zone Management CZMA Coastal Zone Management Act DHR Division of Historical Resources DNR Department of Natural Resources (now FDEP) EEC Environmental Education Center ERD Estuarine Reserves Division F Fahrenheit F.A.C. Florida Administrative Code F.A.W. Florida Administrative Weekly FCMP Florida Coastal Management Program FDACS Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services FDEP Florida Department of Environmental Protection Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services, Division of FDOF Forestry FIU Florida Institute of Technology FLUCCS Florida Land Use Cover and Forms Classification System FNAI Florida Natural Area Inventory F.S. Florida Statutes FWC Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission FWRI Fish and Wildlife Research Institute GPS Global Positioning System GIS Geographic Information System GRF Graduate Research Fellowship GRMAP Guana River Marsh Aquatic Preserve GRWMA Guana River Wildlife Management Area GTMNERR Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve IWRMN Integrated Water Resources Monitoring Network IWW Intracoastal Waterway LAMP Lighthouse Archeological Maritime Program NCB Northern Coastal Basin NERR National Estuarine Research Reserve NERRS National Estuarine Research Reserve System NIH National Institute of Health NMS National Marine Sanctuary NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration OFW Outstanding Florida Water iv PCAP Pellicer Creek Aquatic Preserve ppt Parts Per Thousand SCS Soil Conservation Service SJRWMD St. Johns River Water Management District SR State Road STORET Storage and Retrieval Database SWAMP Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program SWIM Surface Water Improvement and Management Plan SWMP System-wide Monitoring Program TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load UCF University of Central Florida UF University of Florida UM University of Miami UNH University of New Hampshire U.S.C. United States Code USDA United States Department of Agriculture USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service USGS United States Geological Survey WMD Water Management District v TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ...................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ iii LIST OF ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................... iv INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................1 Overview ..............................................................................................................................1 Estuarine Habitats at the Reserve ........................................................................................4 Historical and Cultural Resources .......................................................................................6 National Estuarine Research Reserve Program ...................................................................7 Reserve Mission and Site Description ...............................................................................11 Ecological Significance and Designations of the Reserve .................................................12 Major Reserve Management Priorities ..............................................................................12 Reserve Protection Efforts .................................................................................................13 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ................................................................................................14 Estuarine Geomorphology .................................................................................................14 Climate and Weather..........................................................................................................16 Hydrology (watershed and tidal conditions) ......................................................................17 Physical Processes .............................................................................................................19 Land Use ............................................................................................................................22 Water Use...........................................................................................................................22 Water Quality .....................................................................................................................23 Pollution Impacts ...............................................................................................................28