Loxahatchee River National Wild and Scenic River Management Plan Ensures That Special Consideration and Review Is Given to the Watershed Surrounding the River
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Loxahatchee River National Wild and Scenic River Management Plan Plan Update 2010 Florida Department of Environmental Protection South Florida Water Management District This document is the result of a successful partnership of the Loxahatchee River Management Coordinating Council members and many other interested stakeholders. Loxahatchee River Management Coordinating Council Members *Rebecca Elliott, FDACS *Sean Sculley, SFWMD *Chad Kennedy, FDEP Gale English, SIRWCD *Dianne Hughes, FDEP, Alternate David J. Beane, SIRWCD, Alternate *Ann Broadwell, FDOT *Wendy Harrison, Town of Jupiter *Lynn Kelly, FDOT, Alternate Robert Friedman, Town of Jupiter , Alternate Chuck Collins, FFWCC *Peter Merritt, TCRPC Tom Howard, JID Michael Busha, TCRPC, Alternate George Gentile, JID, Alternate Bruce Dawson, DOI , Bureau of Land Management *Albrey Arrington, LRECD Darla Fousek, USFWS Clinton R. Yerkes, LRECD, Alternate Brad Rieck, USFWS, Alternate Sarah Heard, Martin County BOCC Vince Arena, Village of Tequesta *Paul Millar, MC, Alternate Susan Kennedy, VOT, Alternate Samuel Payson, NPBID Pat Magrogan, Gulfstream Council, Inc Tanya Quickel, NPBID, Alternate David Nickerson, GC, Inc., Alternate Richard Walesky, PBC ERM *Herb Zebuth, Florida Native Plant Society Karen Marcus, PBC BOCC, Alternate Cynthia Plockelman, FNPS, Alternate Melanie Peterson, Palm Beach County Farm Bureau *Richard Roberts, Martin County Audubon Society David Levy, City of Palm Beach Gardens Jim Ostrander, Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club Annie Marie Delgado, City of PBG, Alternate *Denotes LRMCC members that provided written comments to the development of the plan. Many thanks to other stakeholders that contributed to the plan: John Outland, FDEP Jennifer Gihring, FDEP Rob Rossmanith, FPS, District 5 Paul Rice, FPS, District 5 Mark Nelson, FPS, District 5 Ernest Cowan, FPS, District 5 Tom Reinert, FWRI Kelsey Cupples, GCI Boyd Gunsalus, SFWMD Scott Lynch, PBCERM Randall Porch, GCI Rod Braun, SFWMD Melissa Tolbert, PBCERM Steve Bergkamp, PBC Yongshan Wan, SFWMD Greg Braun, MC Audubon Inger Hansen, FDEP Paul Linton, SFWMD Alex Perez, SFWMD Marion Hedgepeth, SFWMD Mark Elsner, SFWMD David Kemp, TOJ Geoff Shaughnessy, SFWMD Massimo Bosso, City of PBG Special thanks to the following individuals for their technical assistance: Cecelia Conrad, SFWMD Jerilyn Krug, FDEP Mark Nelson, FPS, District 5 Robyn James, FDEP Michael Jenkins, DOACS Dianne K. Hughes, FDEP, Editor ii Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................. vi Chapter 1 ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................................... 1 MANAGEMENT POLICIES .......................................................................................................................... 1 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 ....................................................................................................... 1 Wild and Scenic Eligibility, Classification and Management Guidelines ............................................... 3 Loxahatchee River Resolution of 1983 ..................................................................................................... 3 Loxahatchee River Wild and Scenic Designation and Preservation Act ................................................ 3 MANAGEMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................................... 4 DESCRIPTION OF THE RIVER CORRIDOR ................................................................................................... 6 National Wild and Scenic Loxahatchee River Boundaries..................................................................... 7 River Area or River Corridor Delineation .............................................................................................. 7 PERMITS AND RULEMAKING AUTHORITY ............................................................................................... 11 ROLE OF THE LOXAHATCHEE RIVER MANAGEMENT COORDINATING COUNCIL .................................... 11 PLAN MANAGEMENT .............................................................................................................................. 11 LEAD AGENCIES AND AUTHORITY ........................................................................................................... 12 Florida Department of Environmental Protection .............................................................................. 12 South Florida Water Management District ......................................................................................... 14 LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ........................................................................................................................... 16 Palm Beach County ............................................................................................................................. 16 Martin County ..................................................................................................................................... 17 Town of Jupiter ................................................................................................................................... 17 Village of Tequesta .............................................................................................................................. 18 City of Palm Beach Gardens ................................................................................................................ 18 FEDERAL AGENCIES ................................................................................................................................. 18 National Park Service .......................................................................................................................... 18 United States Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management ................................................ 18 United States Fish and Wildlife Service .............................................................................................. 19 United States Army Corps of Engineers .............................................................................................. 19 iii OTHER STATE AGENCIES ......................................................................................................................... 19 Florida Department of Community Affairs ......................................................................................... 19 Florida Department of State ............................................................................................................... 20 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ........................................................................... 20 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services ............................................................... 20 Florida Department of Transportation ............................................................................................... 21 Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council .......................................................................................... 22 SPECIAL DISTRICTS .................................................................................................................................. 22 Loxahatchee River Environmental Control District ............................................................................. 22 Jupiter Inlet District ............................................................................................................................. 23 DRAINAGE DISTRICTS .............................................................................................................................. 23 Hobe-St. Lucie Conservancy District ................................................................................................... 23 Indian Trail Water Control District ...................................................................................................... 23 Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District .......................................................................... 24 North Palm Beach Heights Water Control District .............................................................................. 24 Pal-Mar Water Control District ........................................................................................................... 24 South Indian River Water Control District .......................................................................................... 24 Chapter 2 ..................................................................................................................................................... 25 RESOURCE DESCRIPTION & ASSESSMENT .............................................................................................. 25 The Loxahatchee River Watershed ..................................................................................................... 25 The Wild and Scenic Northwest Fork Drainage Basin ......................................................................... 31 River Hydrology ................................................................................................................................... 34 Water Quality in the Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee