Wekiva River Management Plan, Florida
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3333 Wekiva Wild and Scenic River System Comprehensive Management Plan Wekiva River System Advisory Management Committee May 2012 Prepared with assistance from Pandion Systems, Inc. 4603 NW 6th Street Gainesville, FL 32609 Photo Credits Limpkin (cover). Photo by Greg Forcey. Cover (excluding Limpkin). Photos by Pandion Systems, Inc. Governor Bush signing the Wekiva Parkway and Protection Act. Clay Springs Boathouse, Clay Springs Hotel. Photos from Florida Photographic Collection, The Florida Memory Project, Florida Department of State, State Library and Archives of Florida. Egret; Little Wekiva River. Photos by John Parker. Armored catfish. Photo by Fuller, U.S. Geological Survey. Other photos from the Wekiva River System Advisory Management Committee. Reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this document at the time of printing. Facts, figures, conditions, rules, and responsibilities described herein are subject to change in the future. Wekiva Wild and Scenic River System Comprehensive Management Plan Wekiva River System Advisory Management Committee in partnership with the National Park Service National Park Service, Florida Field Office 5342 Clark Road, PMB#123 Sarasota, Florida 34233-3227 May 2012 Funding for this management plan has been provided by the Partnership Rivers program through the National Park Service. Wekiva Wild and Scenic River System Management Plan 2012 Wekiva River System Advisory Management Committee • Dept of Interior, National Park Service • Orange County (Wekiva AMC Designated Federal Officer) Lori Cunniff, Envr Protection Div Manager Jaime Doubek-Racine Beth Jackson, Envr Program Supervisor Jeffrey Duncan, PhD • Seminole County Jamie Fosburgh* Tony Matthews, Principal Planner Steve Bowes* Wendy Meyer, Planning Division* • East Central Fl Regional Planning Council Shannon Wetzel, Environmental Scientist Daniel O’Keefe, council member* • St Johns River Water Management District Welton Cadwell, council member, Mary Brabham, Senior Project Manager Lake County Commissioner Elizabeth Thomas, Senior Project Manager* Fred Brummer, council member, Nancy Christman, Orange County Commissioner Intergovernmental Coordinator • Florida Dept of Environmental Protection • Florida Fish and Wildlife – Division of Recreation and Parks Conservation Commission Michael Bullock* Tom Shupe, District Wildlife Biologist Albert Gregory* Jay Holder, Biologist – Wekiva River Basin State Parks • City of Altamonte Springs John Fillyaw, Park Manager* Bill Wharton, Principle Planner* Warren Poplin, Park Manager Tim Wilson, Growth Management Director* John Lakich, Assistant Park Manager* • Danielle Marshall, Compliance Coordinator Amy Conyers, Assistant Park Manager City of Longwood • Florida Dept of Environmental Protection Daniel Anderson, Commissioner* – Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve John Maingot, Commissioner Deborah Shelley, Aquatic Preserve Manager Brian Sackett, Commissioner Barbara Howell, Environmental Specialist • City of Apopka • Florida Dept of Agriculture and Consumer John Land, Mayor Services – Division of Forestry William Arrowsmith, Vice Mayor Seminole State Forest • Florida Farm Bureau Joe Bishop, Forestry Supervisor II Anita Simpson* Michael Martin, State Forester Bill Duvall* • Audubon of Florida • Florida Forestry Association Charles Lee, Director of Advocacy Phil Gornicki* Katie Warner, Bird of Prey Center Director Joe Goscik* • Friends of the Wekiva River • The Nature Conservancy Nancy Prine (chair) Walter Thomson, Terrestrial Patricia Harden Conservation Director* • Lake County Water Authority Keith Schue, Wekiva-Ocala Michael Perry, Executive Director* Conservation Project Coordinator* Nancy Fullerton* Rebecca Perry, Central Florida • Lake County Protection Manager Catherine Hanson, Commissioner* Linda Stewart, Commissioner* Leslie Campione, Commissioner * Former committee member Gregg Welstead, Conservation and Compliance Director Wekiva Wild and Scenic River System Advisory Management Committee iv Wekiva Wild and Scenic River System Management Plan 2012 Acknowledgements We would like to thank the members of the Advisory Management Committee for their enthusiasm and diligence with reviewing and editing the draft documents presented to them over the last several months. We would also like to thank the members of the Friends of the Wekiva River Board of Directors for supporting us in creating this plan and seeing it through to completion. Several individuals deserve special thanks. Without their efforts to support the creation of this plan, the work simply would not have been completed. Special thanks to Joe Bishop, Mary Brabham, Jaime Doubek-Racine, Jay Exum, John Fillyaw, Pat Harden, Tony Matthews, Rob Mattson, Keith Schue, and Deborah Shelley who provided specific assistance and expertise to the authors. Thanks to the members of their staffs who supported these efforts and to the many others not specifically listed. This plan to manage the Wekiva River System is only possible because of the contributions of countless individuals and organizations that have striven to protect the Wekiva River System over the last several decades. Their legacy is a wonderful natural resource that, with careful management by individuals, managers, and organizations, will continue to serve the people of Florida for decades to come. Lastly, a very big thank you to Nancy Prine who serves as Chair of the Advisory Management Committee and displayed immense patience throughout the entire process in dealing with questions, suggestions, and comments as well as facilitating discussions between the Pandion Systems planning team and members of the Advisory Management Committee. Financial support for this plan was provided by the National Park Service Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers Program. - Pandion Systems Editors Peter Colverson, Pandion Fay Baird, Pandion Christine Denny, Pandion Darrell Freeman, Pandion Karen C. Hill, Pandion Sherith Bankston, Pandion Greg Forcey, Pandion Michael Adler, Pandion Keith Schue Wekiva Wild and Scenic River System Advisory Management Committee v Wekiva Wild and Scenic River System Management Plan 2012 Acronyms List AMC – Wekiva River System Advisory LCWA – Lake County Water Authority Management Committee LG – Local Government (city and/or county) AP – Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve LNCA – Lake Norris Conservation Area BMAP – Basin Management Action Plan LWRPSP – Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park BTIITF – Board of Trustees of the Internal MFLs – Minimum Flows and Levels Improvement Trust Fund NGCO – Non-Governmental Conservation Organization CAMA – Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas NPS – National Park Service CUP – Consumptive Use Permit OFW – Outstanding Florida Waters ECFRPC – East Central Florida OOCEA – Orlando-Orange County Regional Planning Council Expressway Authority EIS – Environmental Impact Statement ORV – Outstandingly Remarkable Value EPA – Environmental Protection Agency ORVs – Outstandingly Remarkable Values ERP – Environmental Resource Permit PLRG – Pollutant Load Reduction Goal FAC – Florida Administrative Code RPC -- Regional Planning Council FDACS – Florida Department of Agriculture RSRSR – Rock Springs Run State Reserve and Consumer Services SAV – Submerged Aquatic Vegetation FDCA – Florida Department of Community Affairs SJRWMD – St. Johns River Water Management District FDEP – Florida Department of Environmental Protection SSF – Seminole State Forest FDEPLE – Florida Department of Environmental TNC – The Nature Conservancy Protection Law Enforcement TMDL – Total Maximum Daily Load FDHR – Florida Division of Historical Resources USACE – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers FDOH – Florida Department of Health USCG – U.S. Coast Guard FDOT – Florida Department of Transportation USFWS – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service FFS – Florida Forest Service WAVA – Wekiva Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment FGS – Florida Geological Survey WBATF – Wekiva River Basin Area Task Force FLEPPC – Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council WBWG – Wekiva Basin Working Group FNAI – Florida Natural Areas Inventory WMD – Water Management District FOWR - Friends of the Wekiva River WPPA – Wekiva Parkway and Protection Act FPS – Florida Park Service WRBCC – Wekiva River Basin FWC – Florida Fish and Wildlife Coordinating Committee Conservation Commission WRPA – Wekiva River Protection Act FWCLE – Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation WSA – Wekiva Study Area Commission Law Enforcement WRS – Wekiva River System IPMS – FWC Invasive Plant Management Section WSSP – Wekiwa Springs State Park Wekiva Wild and Scenic River System Advisory Management Committee vi Wekiva Wild and Scenic River System Management Plan 2012 Table of Contents WEKIVA RIVER SYSTEM ADVISORY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ................................................... IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................. V ACRONYMS LIST ............................................................................................................................................. VI 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................... 1 2. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1. WEKIVA RIVER SYSTEM ....................................................................................................................................