Upper St. Johns River Basin

St. Johns River Water Management District GuardiansGuardians of Florida’s Water An overview of the agency Mission statement of the St. Johns River Water Management District

We will ensure the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the people of the District and the state of Florida.

Core missions of the St. Johns River Water Management District

Water Supply To implement a regional strategy to provide sufficient waters for users and the environment

Water Quality and Natural Systems Protection and Improvement To protect water quality and natural systems of the District and improve those resources within SWIM (Surface Water Improvement and Management) basins

Flood Protection To prevent increases in flooding and operate and maintain the District’s regional flood control projects

Organizational Effectiveness To provide for organizational structure and tools that result in and reward continuous improvement and enhanced service delivery

Visit us online at floridaswater.com. St. Johns River Water Management District

Contents

Map of the St. Johns River Water Management District ...... 2 Why Florida Has Water Management Districts ...... 3 Executive Director’s Message ...... 5 St. Johns River Water Management District Fast Facts ...... 6 St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board ...... 7 Staff Responsibilities ...... 8–9 Why the District Buys Land ...... 10–11 Local, State and Federal Partnerships ...... 12 Financial Responsibilities to the Public ...... 13 Outreach ...... 14 Education and Volunteer Programs ...... 15 Project Areas Upper St. Johns River Basin ...... 17 Indian River Lagoon ...... 18 Lake Apopka ...... 19 Lower St. Johns River Basin ...... 20 Middle St. Johns River Basin ...... 21 Upper Ocklawaha River Basin ...... 22 Northern Coastal Basin ...... 23 Orange Creek Basin ...... 24 How to Contact the District ...... Inside back cover

Overview 1 St. Johns River Water Management District

Folkston

Marys 40

R iver

t. 121 S 23 St. Marys

301 GEORGIA Fernandina 1 NASSAU 17 Beach 200

A1A Callahan 2 N 95 a St. George ss au 94 R.

301 1 121 23

BAKER DUVAL Jacksonville 10 10 Atlantic Beach 10 90 Macclenny 90 Neptune Beach 295 10 228 202 Jacksonville Beach

INTRACOASTAL

WATERWAY 121 217 Orange Park ke La s or ct Julin o gton D C 21 13 reek 95 210 301 17 218 A1A

218 1

Kingsley 16 Green Cove 16 Lake Springs CLAY

. ST JOHNS St. Augustine

BRADFORD J 13 o h Sand Hill n s Lake 21 A1A 315 R A iv e r Georges Keystone 17 207 Heights Lake Lake Geneva t 24 26 206 100 Matanzas l 207 Inlet Gainesville Palatka a Newnans 301 21 PUTNAM 75 Lake 20 20 n Hawthorne 19 ALACHUAPaynes 1 Palm Prairie Du nns C r. Coast Levy 310 nal t Ca Lake Lochloosa Rodman Barge Lake Reservoir FLAGLER

441 O 17 Cr i ck es la ce Flagler Orange 315 w n 100 Bunnell ah t Lake a R r L Beach ive Little a Crescent k c Lake e

George City 95 301 19 11

Lake Kerr O

MARION Lake 314 George Lake Ormond Beach Disston 326 40 Holly Hill c Daytona Beach e

Ocala O 40 40 ck 17 VOLUSIA a law ah 441 a 11 Port Orange

R iv 19 Lake 301 er Dexter n 92 4 Ponce de Leon 75 Inlet DeLand 25 484 Lake 42 44 New Smyrna Beach Weir Lake Dorr Edgewater 42 415 Lake 19 Norris Lake 95 301 Lake 17 Ashby 441 Yale 1 44 92 Eustis LAKE Lake 44 Lake Lake Griffin Eustis Mount Dora Monroe FLORIDA Sanford 75 Leesburg 46 Lake Dora Mosquito Lagoon Lake 46 Harris TURNPIKE Lake Beauclair Canal 17 Harney Lake Apopka- 435 441 92 Jesup 1 ock er 19 nl hatchee Riv o c S E t . 46

Apopka Altamonte J o h Springs n 33 Lake SEMINOLE s Titusville MERRITT Apopka R ISLAND 4 iv 91 Indian River Winter er Lake Park 419 Minneola Winter Garden 50 50 Lake 50 Minnehaha Orlando Lake 436 ORANGE Louisa 417 407 1 528 BEE LINE 27 3 520 A1A

Lake Cocoa

Poinsett

Cocoa Beach

95 a

532

Lake i v

Winder r A1A OSCEOLA Satellite Beach

Lake Legend Washington Indian Harbor Beach Melbourne 192 500 District service center Lake Sawgrass Indian River

Lake District boundary 441 Hell'n Blazes 514 County/state road Palm Bay Highway A1A BREVARD 95 City 507 1 Sebastian County boundary Inlet Marsh INDIAN RIVER Water Blue Cypress 512 60 Lake

Vero 60 Beach 0 25 91

Approximate scale in miles OKEECH OBEE

2 St. Johns River Water Management District Why Florida Has Water Management Districts

Districts protect many water resources for all Floridians

Water. Deciding to establish the water management districts came about after the state experienced devastating hurricanes in It is the one thing that all people, plants and animals need. the 1940s and 1960s. Droughts have followed in each decade Water is the common bond that brings together Florida’s since the 1970s, including since 2000. diverse population. As our state continues to grow at a fast District officials recognize the need to have water resources pace, properly managing water resources continues to grow available for people’s needs and to balance those needs in importance. with nature’s needs. In its daily operations, the District The groundwork for managing water resources was laid tries to strike a balance in water needs by educating the in the early 1970s when Florida’s voters and lawmakers public about water conservation, setting rules for water use, recognized the importance of managing the state’s water conducting research, collecting data, buying and managing resources in a way that would benefit everyone. Through land, restoring and protecting water above and below the passage of the Water Resources Act (Chapter 373, Florida ground, and preserving natural areas. Statutes), the water management districts were created in 1972 for this purpose. In northeast and east-central Florida, that responsibility falls to the St. Johns River Water Management District.

Overview 3 Why Florida Has Water Management Districts

4 St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director’s Message

We must all use water wisely

Floridians enjoy an abundance of natural resources. Our work at the St. Johns River Water Management District involves protecting and sustaining those natural resources, particularly water.

Our daily work is focused on ensuring an adequate supply of water and protecting and improving the health of northeast and east-central Florida’s water bodies.

As Florida’s population has grown over the past several decades, water use has increased significantly. Most of us get our drinking water from underground aquifers, and that source of water is limited.

A number of strategies and new technologies will be needed to meet water supply challenges and the cornerstone must be conservation. The District takes water conservation Another alternative water source option is to increase our very seriously and has taken an aggressive leadership role in use of treated wastewater, known as reuse water or reclaimed promoting water conservation. For example, as part of the water. Using reclaimed water in appropriate ways helps consumptive use permitting process, the District requires extend supplies of fresh groundwater for water supply needs all permit holders to use water efficiently, requires utilities and enhances efforts to clean up the state’s waterways. to implement conservation rate structures and develop programs for the use of reclaimed water, requires water Disposing treated wastewater by discharging it into Florida’s audits to ensure system efficiency, and encourages local waterways has become more and more difficult to do in an governments to establish ordinances that promote waterwise environmentally sound manner. Too many nutrients running landscapes. off our yards and roads and from dairy and agricultural lands have harmed our water bodies’ ability to naturally treat and In addition to the permitting requirements, new landscape cleanse the pollutants. irrigation rules became effective across the District in March 2009. These new rules tightened already existing rules on The District’s work is diverse and often complex, but our irrigation to promote water conservation. purpose remains the same: to ensure the sustainable use and protection of water resources for the benefit of the The District promotes water conservation through its mass people of the District and the state of Florida. In all of this media campaign, through educational programs such as The work, we strive to use taxpayer dollars wisely. You have our Great Water OdysseySM computer curricula, and through commitment on that. the Florida Water StarSM program, which encourages water efficiency in household appliances, plumbing fixtures, irrigation systems and landscapes. We are now expanding that program with commercial and community development and for retrofitting existing homes. Kirby B. Green III Even with these efforts, conservation alone will not meet the District Executive Director future water needs. We have identified sufficient alternative water source options that can be used in combination with fresh groundwater to meet projected demands and avoid adverse impacts on the environment. These options include using water from rivers and lakes, brackish groundwater and seawater.

Overview 5 St. Johns River Water Management District Fast Facts

Fast facts about the District

• Counties entirely or partially within the St. Johns River Water Management District are Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Indian River, Lake, Marion, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Putnam, St. Johns, Seminole and Volusia.

• The District covers 12,283 square miles, about 7.8 million acres, or 23 percent of Florida.

• Approximately 4.7 million people (25 percent of the state’s population) live in the area served by the District.

• Within its 18-county service area, the District serves 101 municipalities.

• The District employs about 700 people.

• A nine-member Governing Board sets the policies for District operation. Members are appointed by the governor to four-year terms, confirmed by the Florida Senate and serve without pay.

• The Board meets monthly at District headquarters in Palatka. Meetings are open to the public.

• An executive director administers the Board’s policies on a daily basis.

• The District’s namesake is the 310-mile-long St. Johns River. It is the longest river entirely in the state and flows north.

• The St. Johns River varies in width from a flat marsh at its headwaters near Vero Beach, to about a two-mile average width between Palatka and Jacksonville, to large lakes in central Florida.

• The St. Johns River drops less than 30 feet from its headwaters to its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean, or about one inch per mile, making it one of the “laziest” rivers in the world.

• Other significant waterways in the District are the St. Marys River, which serves as the northern boundary between Florida and Georgia, and the Nassau, Ocklawaha, Matanzas, Halifax and Indian rivers. The District also contains 51 springs and more than 1,415 lakes. A cypress tree stands along the shore of the St. Johns River.

6 St. Johns River Water Management District St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board

Members of the public listen to a presentation at a District Governing Board meeting in Palatka.

District business is done in the sunshine

A nine-member Governing Board sets the policies for The Board meets at District headquarters at 4049 Reid operation of the St. Johns River Water Management District. Street/Highway 100 West in Palatka. Board meetings On a daily basis, an executive director administers those are open to the public. Because Board agendas may be policies. Board members, who meet monthly, are appointed rearranged, interested persons can verify items expected to by the governor to four-year terms and serve without pay. be discussed by calling the Board’s assistant at (386) 329- The Florida Senate must confirm all appointments to the 4101. Agendas and supporting documents are available in water management district boards. electronic format by visiting the District’s Internet site at floridaswater.com/governingboard.

Overview 7 Staff Responsibilities

Staff have a variety of responsibilities

Groundwater investigations Hydrologic data collection and monitoring

More than 90 percent of the residents of northeast and east- Many of the District’s staff are involved each day in central Florida get their drinking water from groundwater, collecting and analyzing large amounts of information to found in aquifers. use as a foundation on which to make informed decisions in managing Florida’s water resources. Computer models of the groundwater flow system developed by the St. Johns River Water Management District provide The information collected includes rainfall amounts, a better understanding of how water moves underground. well levels, and surface water levels and fluctuations. These models are used to evaluate the impact of current The District shares these data, and the public benefits water use patterns in the District and the long-term water when local governments use the data to designate areas to supply potential of the area’s aquifers. protect drinking water supplies. The District’s geographic information systems (GIS) and floodplain mapping are Monitoring how wells are designed and constructed and used by local governments when planning land use and taking samples help the District learn more about how the development. underground water supply responds to changes in climate and water use. The networks monitor water quality and In addition to local governments, scientists and officials from water levels. foreign countries have visited the District to learn how their countries might benefit from lessons learned by the District The District also provides technical assistance to local in managing Florida’s water resources. governments through mapping of recharge areas (areas where the soil is best suited to allow rainwater to seep, or percolate, into the ground to refill aquifers) and to establish wellhead protection zones. To protect drinking water supplies, the designated protection zones are managed to reduce the potential for contaminating groundwater.

Roy Johnson, a hydrologic data collection specialist, uses a flow meter to check the volume and speed of water from a spring.

8 St. Johns River Water Management District Staff Responsibilities

Daily work is in the office and the field

Permitting and compliance

Consumptive use permits (CUPs) and environmental resource permits (ERPs), issued by the St. Johns River Water Management District, are two ways to ensure adequate water supplies, prevent flooding, protect wetlands and prevent pollutants in storm water from flowing into waterways.

A staff of engineers, environmental specialists and other professionals review permit applications to make sure The District’s watering restrictions limit the number of days that proposed water uses meet permitting criteria. irrigation can occur each week and designates watering days.

A CUP: statewide E-Permitting site (www.floridawaterpermits.com) • Allows water to be withdrawn from surface water and directs visitors to the correct water management district, groundwater supplies for reasonable and beneficial uses provides information regarding the districts’ permitting such as public supply drinking water, agriculture and programs, and provides background and the status of permits industry. in review. The St. Johns District’s E-Permitting site (https:// • Is required of any individual, agricultural interest, business permitting.sjrwmd.com/epermitting) also allows applicants or industry which uses or plans to use more than 100,000 to apply for permits and submit compliance information gallons of water daily, has the capacity to pump more than online, makes the noticing of permit applications available 1 million gallons annually or withdraws water from a well electronically and includes electronic versions of permitting that measures six inches or more in diameter. handbooks. • Is not required of individual homeowners and other small users who comply with the District’s watering restrictions. Abandoned artesian well plugging Mandatory restrictions allow enough water to maintain healthy landscapes year-round. The restrictions specify One of the ways to protect groundwater — where most of us the time when watering may occur, the amount of water get our drinking water — is to stop the unnecessary waste of that may be applied, and the days when watering may water that is free-flowing from abandoned artesian wells. occur for residential and nonresidential locations. These days depend on whether the address ends in an odd or For this reason, the District has a voluntary program to plug even number, and on the time of year. For details, visit abandoned artesian wells. In addition to the waste of water, floridaswater.com/wateringrestrictions. artesian wells add to mosquito problems and make it easier for surface pollutants to get into groundwater. An ERP: • Is designed to ensure that new construction will not adversely An artesian well is a well that has been drilled into a rock affect wetlands or cause flooding on-site or off-site. formation that contains water confined under pressure. • Is designed to keep storm water flowing off permitted sites The District plugs such abandoned wells — most drilled from polluting waterways and groundwater. decades ago — that do not have a properly functioning valve • Is a combination of two former permits — the dredge and or flow control, have no beneficial use, do not meet current fill permit that was issued by the Florida Department of construction standards or are discharging salt water into a Environmental Protection and the District’s Management drinking water aquifer. and Storage of Surface Waters permit. Through its cost-sharing program, the District has plugged To provide the public greater access to permitting information, thousands of artesian wells, saving millions of gallons of the District has developed an online portal that allows water each day. Some counties have joined the District to Internet users to have 24-hour access to permitting data. The offer cooperative funding.

Overview 9 Murphy Creek Conservation Area, near Palatka.

10 St. Johns River Water Management District Why the District Buys Land

Protecting water resources

When the St. Johns River Water Management District buys land, the benefits are far-reaching for the public.

Decisions to pursue buying parcels of land are based on the land’s potential for preserving, restoring or enhancing, or developing water resources in the region. As outlined in its Five-Year Land Acquisition Plan, the District looks for priority lands needing protection, such as floodplains, sensitive wetlands and groundwater recharge areas.

In most cases, private landowners agree to sell or donate land. If the District determines the land is needed to meet its legislatively mandated mission, staff conduct appraisals and negotiate an agreement for the purchase of the property. After an agreement is reached with a landowner, a public hearing is held for the Governing Board to consider the purchase.

Goals of buying land

When the District buys land, the benefits include: • Protecting the water resources within, adjoining or beneath the land’s boundaries • Preserving part of “natural” Florida for the state’s future generations • Protecting wildlife and plant habitat • Opening the land for recreation • Providing a place for environmental education

Most of the land the District buys is open to the public for activities that are compatible with conservation, such as hiking, biking, wildlife viewing, canoeing, camping, fishing and picnicking.

A small fraction (just 2 percent) of the District’s lands are closed, due to ongoing construction or conservation projects.

Managing the land

The District actively pursues partnerships for land management with other state agencies, local governments and nonprofit organizations. More than three-quarters of land holdings have been purchased, and are being managed, in conjunction with other groups.

Sometimes, the District buys the development rights to the property — known as a less-than-fee acquisition — to minimize expenditures. Less-than-fee acquisition also keeps the property on the tax roll and allows private landowners to continue managing the land with activities compatible with conservation goals.

Overview 11 Local, State and Federal Partnerships

Partnerships make many things possible

Forming partnerships helps the St. Johns River Water Major federal partners are the U.S. Department of Management District protect Florida’s unique environment Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection and ensure that taxpayer dollars are wisely spent to best serve Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers the public. (USACE). Through its partnerships with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Wetland Reserve Program, Combining talents and funding to further water resource EPA and USACE, the District has purchased conservation projects, the District continues to form and build on easements, restored thousands of acres of wetlands, and built partnerships with governments at the local, state, regional dozens of flood control structures throughout its 18-county and national levels. service area.

Developing partnerships is an important component of the Current projects focus on improving water quality, reducing District’s work. By working together to establish and address the volume of pollutants flowing from storm water into water the priorities, the District and its partners are better able to bodies, expanding the use of reclaimed water, identifying and restore and protect water resources throughout northeast correcting improperly functioning septic tanks, restoring and east-central Florida. riverbanks and removing “muck” from water bodies. Since the 1995–1996 fiscal year, the Florida Legislature has provided more than $681 million to use for a diverse list of projects designed to provide long-term protection of water resources. The federal government has provided $63.5 million since fiscal year 1995–1996.

Jim Peterson, an environmental scientist, shows local officials improvements in clarity as water travels through the Lake Apopka Marsh Flow-way.

12 St. Johns River Water Management District Financial Responsibilities to the Public

District is responsible to taxpayers

Imagine balancing a checkbook when nearly 700 people use The District collects property taxes and fees and receives that checkbook. grants and appropriations from the state and federal governments. In effect, that’s the work of finance officials at the St. Johns River Water Management District. Each day, proposed Various state and federal laws govern the way the District expenditures for a host of projects and programs are spends money. In addition, finance officials follow processed through myriad levels in the Department of generally accepted accounting principals. The District takes Finance and Administration to ensure the highest level of accountability a step further through internal policies adopted financial responsibility. by the Governing Board — through periodic reviews by the Board’s independent internal auditor and with independent The District’s Office of Budget and Management Reporting outside audits each fiscal year. offers another layer of accountability with its budget preparation and planning functions. Through “government in the sunshine” — public records law and open meetings — the District maintains accountability Together, the District’s finance officials work to ensure that to the public in its financial processes. taxpayer funds are spent in the most efficient way with the most benefit to the public. Budget preparation is an ongoing venture and is set by state law. The budget is in effect Oct. 1 through Sept. As an independent, special taxing district, the water 30, and public hearings are held each summer and fall management district is not a state agency and its work is before the Board adopts the final budget. Once a budget is not funded like the work of a state department. In 1976, adopted, planning for the next year’s budget begins almost the state’s voters approved a measure allowing the districts’ immediately. governing boards to levy a property tax to pay for the districts’ work, setting a limit of one mill (no more than $1 Determining what is to be included in the budget is done for each $1,000 of assessed property value). The St. Johns in several ways. The governor, the state Legislature and the District’s rate was capped by the Legislature at 0.6 mills, or District’s Board set the priorities for the District’s work, 60 cents per $1,000. which shape the budget. The Board seeks public comment through public hearings.

Vicki Kroger, at right, director of the District’s Office of Budget and Management Reporting, goes over budget figures with Yaping Wang, a senior management analyst.

Overview 13 Outreach

Outreach activities keep the information flowing

Keeping the public informed about the work of the St. Staff also communicate the District’s mission and its work Johns River Water Management District and how that work through a variety of printed and online materials on topics directly or indirectly impacts their lives is a task shared by such as water conservation, water supply planning and basin District staff and volunteers. restoration projects.

Outreach to the public Outreach and assistance to local governments

District communications specialists continuously seek Part of the District’s outreach efforts focus on building opportunities to provide the public and news media with positive working relationships with local elected officials and timely and accurate information about the District’s work. local government staffs. The fostered partnerships benefit Communications specialists give presentations to a variety the District and the local governments, and the public that of groups; provide written information for use in print, radio we collectively serve. and television media, and on the District’s Web site; pitch news story ideas to reporters and editors; arrange for site Intergovernmental coordinators work with more than 119 visits and tours of District properties; work to communicate city and county governments, state and regional agencies complex information in layman’s terms using a variety of and private/civic groups. Our assistance focuses on tools including social networking Internet sites such as providing information and technical assistance with various Blogspot and Twitter. water resource issues, such as water supply, stormwater management and flood protection. Intergovernmental Around the clock, the District makes information available to coordinators provide tours of District project areas for elected the public and media through its Internet site (floridaswater. officials and governmental staff; assist with development com), where general and technical information are available. of local ordinances to protect water resources; and provide The site is continually updated, providing interactive information on grants or other assistance programs that are pages for adults and children. Staff members promote the available through the District. informational site on a daily basis through their media contacts and interaction with the public. With the passage of Florida Senate bills 360 and 444 in the 2005 legislative session, the District expanded its assistance to local governments to improve the linkage between land use planning and water supply planning. District staff provide technical assistance to local governments’ comprehensive planning processes.

In Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., District officials work with lawmakers, providing input on legislation to help protect water resources and to identify the funding to carry out the District’s legislatively mandated mission.

Intergovernmental Coordinator Nancy Christman is one of the District staff who work with local governments. Here, she greets officials at a water supply planning meeting.

14 St. Johns River Water Management District Education and Volunteer Programs

Learning, service can be rewarding

Water resource education Volunteer opportunities

St. Johns River Water Management District staff and trained Through the District’s Watershed Action Volunteer volunteers work throughout the year in the classroom and (WAV) Program, hundreds of people give a few hours each in the field with children, youths and adults to provide month to survey waterways for sources of pollution, plant information on how to protect water resources. Programs vegetation in water bodies, clean up shorelines, and help out are available on water conservation, waterwise landscaping, in the field, in laboratories and in offices. protecting water quality and proper maintenance of neighborhood stormwater ponds. On a regular basis, other volunteer groups survey District lands, gathering data on bird and other wildlife species and Staff and volunteers give presentations and conduct populations, and on types of vegetation. workshops for homeowners’ associations, students and educators, professional organizations, civic clubs, and similar For more information: floridaswater.com/education. groups.

For youth, the District is making water resource stewardship an adventure, while assisting the state’s educators, with The Great Water OdysseySM, a computer software curricula for third-, fourth- and fifth-graders that emphasize reading, math, science and other skills while introducing students to the world of water. The curricula are standardized to meet Florida’s Sunshine State Standards and provide learning prompts for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

Other District educational components used in elementary and middle schools include programs such as Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) that provides Florida- specific water resource information. Educational materials focus on teaching on topics such as the importance of water, water quality and monitoring, and preventing pollution.

High school students and educators give their time through the Legacy Program to help improve public property by building picnic areas and inventorying plants and animals, and put to use skills learned in the classroom. The students also become teachers to other students, sharing what they learn through the program with their peers.

At top, WAV Coordinator Toni Lang, second from left, gives a demonstration on the use of an EnviroScape model. With her are, from left, Amanda Mattson, Cheryl Bell Abbott and Brett Cogswell. In bottom photo, Eileen Tramontana, education and volunteer manager, watches as a student makes his way through a lesson in The Great Water OdysseySM.

Overview 15 16 St. Johns River Water Management District Project Areas

4 Upper St. JohnsNew Smyrna Beach River Basin

Sponsored by the St. Johns River Water Management

VOLUSIA COUNTY District and constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Lake (USACE), the Upper St. Johns River Basin Project is Harney 95 a massive, multi-purpose endeavor that addresses flood SEMINOLE N COUNTY 46 protection and environmental and economic concerns in S t . J Titusville o Orlando h Indian River, Brevard, Osceola and Okeechobee counties. n s 50 R i ORANGE v

e COUNTY r Working with the public, the District developed a plan to 528 1 use former floodplain marshes for stormwater storage. The 520

Lake Cocoa marshes provide improved water quality, reduce the flow Poinsett of storm water into the Indian River Lagoon, and address

BREVARD COUNTY concerns for reliable flood control and water supply.

95 Lake Washington The project stretches 70 miles and encompasses about 192 Melbourne 91 OSCEOLA 150,000 acres (235 square miles) of restored and reclaimed COUNTY Palm Bay wetlands. The majority of the project is open for public 441 recreation. 507 To build the project, the District acquired the property and

Blue Cypress 512 the Jacksonville District of USACE designed and is building Lake INDIAN RIVER COUNTY the flood control components. The project is nearing 60 completion, after which the District will be responsible for Vero Beach OKEECHOBEE the project maintenance. COUNTY ST. LUCIE COUNTY 91 Fort Pierce For more information: floridaswater.com/upperstjohnsriver.

Water control structures at Canal 54 channel water near the Stick Marsh.

Overview 17 Project Areas

Indian River Lagoon

Stretching 156 miles along Florida’s east coast from Volusia 4 Ponce de Leon County to Palm Beach County, the Indian River Lagoon is Inlet one of the most biologically diverse estuaries — a blend of New Smyrna Beach fresh and salt water — in North America, supporting more N than 4,300 species of plants and animals. VOLUSIA COUNTY

However, the lagoon is a water body threatened by: Lake Harney • Wastewater runoff and stormwater discharges that deposit freshwater and pollutants into the estuary, harming sea 46 S t . J Titusville o grasses and promoting algae growth. h n s 50 R • Dikes and impoundment areas built for mosquito control ORANGE i v

COUNTY e

r in the 1950s and 1960s that cut off 75 percent of the 528 1

lagoon’s salt marshes and wetlands, eliminating valuable 520 Port Lake Cocoa Canaveral grounds for juvenile fish nursery. Poinsett

• Shoreline destruction and the loss of hundreds of acres of A1A BREVARD mangroves, critical for preventing shoreline erosion and COUNTY 95 Lake protecting water quality. Washington 192

OSCEOLA Melbourne COUNTY The St. Johns River Water Management District has Palm Bay taken steps to protect the lagoon and the more than $1 441 Sebastian Inlet billion annual economic impact the estuary has on Florida’s 1 91 507 economy. Since 1987, the District has partnered with

federal, state and local agencies to implement restoration and Blue Cypress 512 Lake enhancement projects. INDIAN RIVER COUNTY 60 With its partners, the District is working to: Vero Beach Fort Pierce • Implement local and regional stormwater treatment Inlet A1A OKEECHOBEE 91 Fort systems. COUNTY Pierce • Remove harmful “muck” sediment deposits. 70 • Plant native shoreline mangrove vegetation. 95 ST. LUCIE COUNTY St. Lucie • Reconnect impounded marshes and wetlands. 1 Inlet • Purchase environmentally sensitive land for preservation. Stuart • Educate residents and visitors about the lagoon’s 91 GLADES MARTIN COUNTY biodiversity and economic importance. COUNTY Jupiter Inlet

Lake The public is also involved through many volunteer projects Ockeechobee

and through the purchase of the Indian River Lagoon PALM BEACH “snook” auto license tag, which has raised more than $4 COUNTY million for the lagoon’s restoration.

For more information: itsyourlagoon.com.

18 St. Johns River Water Management District Project Areas

Lake Apopka

Still early in its restoration, Lake Apopka has seen significant

improvements. 46 r

N e

Mount v i

Lake Dora Dora R

Lake v

Since 1995, St. Johns River Water Management District Harris e scientists have observed a 56 percent decline in phosphorus W 441 4 in the lake’s water and a 54 percent increase in water clarity. Astatula SEMINOLE COUNTY The improvements have resulted in a documented growth of 19 Apopka 561 beneficial eelgrass around the lake. 436 LAKE COUNTY Lake Apopka, located in Orange and Lake counties, was Lake Apopka ORANGE 17 Florida’s most polluted large lake. In the late 1940s, farms COUNTY 91 441 were established on the lake’s northern shore by draining Winter Garden 50 wetlands. Nutrient-rich discharges from the farms were the 419 principal source of pollutants to the lake, causing a chronic 27 algal bloom. 4

In 1985, the Florida Legislature directed the District to 91 restore the lake and in 1996 mandated the purchase of the farms. With approximately 20,000 acres of former farms returning filtered water to both Lake Apopka and now out of production, further application of pesticides and downstream lakes. An annual harvest of shad begun in 1993 fertilizers has stopped and the District is returning former has removed more than 15 million pounds of rough fish that croplands to wetlands. Approximately 2,000 acres have been are detrimental to the lake’s water quality. In addition, the reflooded. District has implemented stringent stormwater rules to reduce the impact of new development in the watershed. The marsh flow-way, a recirculating wetland filter, is removing particulate nutrients from the lake water and For more information: floridaswater.com/lakeapopka.

Former farmlands have been returned to marsh and now treat Lake Apopka’s water.

Overview 19 Project Areas

Lower St. Johns River Basin

The Lower St. Johns River Basin — the northernmost 100 miles of the river — plays a key role in the lives of the people N of northeast Florida.

Jacksonville Baldwin The basin is rich in history, provides many economic 10 295 DUVAL opportunities and is enjoyed for its aesthetic and recreational COUNTY aspects. But the river also has experienced stress from Orange Park industrial and domestic wastewater discharges, stormwater 301 17 21 runoff from urban areas, and agricultural runoff from Green 95 1 Cove farming areas. Springs 16 16 CLAY COUNTY S To reverse negative trends in river water quality and to t ST. JOHNS .

J COUNTY o h preserve areas in good health, St. Johns River Water n s R iv Keystone e Management District staff are engaged in projects addressing Heights r 207 PUTNAM COUNTY 206 undesirable algal blooms, determining light needs of aquatic 100 Hastings Palatka grasses and reducing excess nutrients from entering the 20 river. 17 FLAGLER COUNTY Staff also developed a water quality model that served Bunnell 100 19 Crescent Crescent Lake as the basis for pollutant load reduction goals, recently City adopted as the nutrient total maximum daily load (TMDL). 11

MARION This TMDL is being implemented through a state-led COUNTY Lake George load allocation process and through analysis with the goal of lowering point sources of pollution beyond the limits VOLUSIA 40 COUNTY established for the TMDL.

DeLand Through collaborative restoration efforts, better use of science and increased public involvement, implementing a TMDL program for the St. Johns River will lead to cleaner water.

For more information: floridaswater.com/lowerstjohnsriver.

Cypress trees stand as silent sentinels along the St. Johns River in northeast Florida.

20 St. Johns River Water Management District Project Areas

Middle St. Johns River Basin

S t As in other areas of Florida, the waterways in central MARION . J COUNTY oh ns 4 R Florida — those in the Middle St. Johns River Basin — i DeLand ve have been degraded by stormwater runoff and the pollutants 19 r 44 17 and sediments storm water carries from this high-density VOLUSIA 415 urbanized region. Discharges from agriculture and dairy and COUNTY LAKE 44 from wastewater treatment plants also have degraded water COUNTY Lake quality. Monroe 46 Sanford

Lake The middle basin is a region stretching from the Harney Lake 4 Jesup 46 Econlockhatchee River in Osceola, Orange and Seminole 441 Apopka Altamonte SEMINOLE counties northward into Lake and Volusia counties, covering Springs COUNTY Lake N approximately 1,204 square miles. Apopka

Orlando The basin includes the meeting of the St. Johns River with ORANGE the Econlockhatchee River, Lake Harney, the Deep Creek 91 COUNTY tributary, Lake Jesup, Lake Monroe and the Wekiva River.

In some of these water bodies, the natural flow of water has been altered for roads, flood control, aesthetics, erosion

OSCEOLA control or water level maintenance. These alterations limit COUNTY the ability of the waterways to naturally cleanse themselves, which further aggravates the degraded water conditions. • Prioritizing stormwater retrofit programs for older The St. Johns River Water Management District has developments worked with many partners to begin to reverse the ill effects • Seeking funding and providing assistance to local on the watershed and has achieved the following: governments to implement stormwater master plans, • Developed stormwater regulation and wetland protection especially in watersheds with multiple jurisdictions rules that preserve habitat and reduce flow rates and • Successfully implementing erosion control projects and improve the quality of water draining into water bodies various water quality improvements • Expanding water quality modeling and compliance • Buying environmentally sensitive land for preservation • Developing pollutant load reduction goals for the Wekiva River and other area waterways For more information: floridaswater.com/middlestjohnsriver.

As a form of erosion control, rock-filled baskets, known as gabions, support the banks of the Little Wekiva River.

Overview 21 Project Areas

Upper Ocklawaha River Basin

The upper Ocklawaha River once wound through sawgrass marshes and swamp forests from the Ocklawaha Chain

17 of Lakes in Lake County to the Silver River in Marion 40 Ocala County. O ck la w a Over the years, the river was diverted into a canal for Belleview h a R i v e MARION navigation and flood control, and its marshes were drained r COUNTY 19 Lake for “muck” farming. The upper Ocklawaha River and the Weir 42

Harris Chain of Lakes gradually became polluted from 441 75 27 Lake nutrients discharged by farms and lakeside communities. Yale 44 Lake Griﬃn Lake Eustis Eustis Restoration of the upper Ocklawaha River and its wetlands 44 Leesburg by the St. Johns River Water Management District began 91 Lake with the purchase of 15,000 acres of farms. At the Sunnyhill Harris

and Ocklawaha Prairie restoration areas, more than 5,800 SUMTER 441 COUNTY Apopka LAKE acres of former floodplain wetlands are being restored. COUNTY Lake Another 7,500 acres of aquatic and wetland habitats are Apopka ORANGE COUNTY Orlando being restored at the Emeralda Marsh and Lake Harris 50 Winter conservation areas and at Pine Meadows Restoration Area. Garden 27

At Lake Griffin, the harvest of overabundant rough fish that 91 are detrimental to the lake’s water quality continues and 4

restored portions of Emeralda Marsh are being reconnected N to the lake.

POLK COUNTY Water quality in the upper Ocklawaha River and its headwater lakes has improved through restoration of the former farmland and partnerships with local governments to reduce nutrients entering the lakes.

For more information: floridaswater.com/upperocklawahariver.

An aerial view of the historic Ocklawaha River channel at Ocklawaha Prairie Restoration Area.

22 St. Johns River Water Management District Project Areas

Northern Coastal Basin

As more people move to coastal communities, demands on land and water resources increase the impact to wildlife, DUVAL Orange COUNTY fisheries and ecological systems. Park N Through its Northern Coastal Basin (NCB) program, the

Green Cove 1 St. Johns River Water Management District is working with Springs 16 local governments and agencies to restore and protect the coastal watersheds of northeast and east-central Florida. CLAY S t St. Augustine COUNTY .

J o h 95 n ST. JOHNS s 17 R COUNTY To evaluate the effects of growth and management on coastal i v e r PUTNAM 207 watersheds, NCB staff work with other entities to establish COUNTY 206 and monitor water quality, estuary wetlands and other environmental resource baselines. Palatka A1A

Palm Coast The District is working with St. Johns, Flagler and Volusia FLAGLER 19 COUNTY counties to develop regional stormwater management plans,

100 Bunnell implement flood relief and water quality initiatives and Crescent Lake secure matching funds to augment more than $7 million 1 generated annually from local stormwater utilities in those counties. 11 Lake George 17 Ormond Beach MARION The District is involved in a multi-agency enhancement and COUNTY 40 95 Daytona restoration program in the Rose Bay watershed with the city VOLUSIA Beach COUNTY of Port Orange, Volusia County, the Florida Department of

17 Transportation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In DeLand the Guana River watershed, the District is continuing work LAKE 44 COUNTY 4 with St. Johns County on flood relief projects, water quality enhancements and septic tank removal initiatives.

For more information: floridaswater.com/northerncoastalbasin.

The ongoing restoration of Rose Bay included the replacement of the U.S. 1 causeway. Water flows better under the U.S. 1 bridge now that the causeway has been replaced.

Overview 23 Project Areas

Orange Creek Basin

The 600-square-mile Orange Creek Basin is located in the lower Ocklawaha River system in Alachua, Marion and CLAY Waldo COUNTY Putnam counties.

24 100 To protect and restore water resources throughout this basin, 26 Melrose 315 the primary St. Johns River Water Management District Gainesville Newnans 21 Lake ALACHUA effort involves development and adoption of pollutant load COUNTY Interlachen 24 Paynes 20 reduction goals, also known as PLRGs, for the major basin Prairie Hawthorne 75 PUTNAM COUNTY lakes. This assessment and modeling work will provide 301

Lake Rodman an estimate of reductions needed in pollutant loadings to Lochloosa Reservoir 121 441 restore receiving water bodies. This work is a critical step in Orange Lake improving Orange, Lochloosa and Newnans lakes because O

318 c k l a it determines why the lakes declined and how they may be w N 315 a h a restored.

MARION v e COUNTY r In addition, management of the Orange Creek Restoration Area, a former 1,500-acre muck farm that was recently restored to wetlands, continues to provide many benefits.

Ocala Improvements in water quality and fish and wildlife habitat have begun to reestablish the property’s regional ecological significance.

For more information: floridaswater.com/orangecreekbasin.

Newnans Lake Conservation Area, near Gainesville.

24 St. Johns River Water Management District How to Contact the District

Helpful telephone numbers

Altamonte Springs Service Center ...... (407) 659-4800 Altamonte Springs Service Center ...... toll-free (877) 228-1658 Executive Office information ...... (386) 329-4262 General Information ...... (386) 329-4500 Human Resources ...... (386) 329-4246 Jacksonville Service Center ...... (904) 730-6270 Jacksonville Service Center ...... toll-free (800) 852-1563 Local Government Assistance ...... (386) 329-4296 Office of Communications and Governmental Affairs ...... (386) 329-4540 Palatka Headquarters ...... (386) 329-4500 Palatka Headquarters ...... toll-free (800) 451-7106 Palm Bay Service Center ...... (321) 984-4940 Palm Bay Service Center ...... toll-free (800) 295-3264 Permits ...... (386) 329-4513 Project Management ...... (386) 329-4323 Resource Management ...... (386) 329-4240 Telecommunications Devices for the Hearing-Impaired (Palatka) ...... (386) 329-4450 Use of Public Lands ...... (386) 329-4404 For more information, please contact: St. Johns River Water Management District Office of Communications and Governmental Affairs 4049 Reid Street • P.O. Box 1429 • Palatka, FL 32178-1429 Phone (386) 329-4540

This free publication was produced by the St. Johns River Water Management District.

Visit us on the Internet at floridaswater.com.

June 2009