Tampa Bay Estuary Program 2020 Habitat Master Plan Update
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CHARTING THE COURSE: THE COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION TAMPAAND BAY MANAGEMENT ESTUARY PROGRAM: PLAN 2020 HABITATFOR MASTERTAMPA BAY PLAN UPDATE AUGUST 2017 REVISION AUGUST 2020 Go to: TABLE OF CONTENTS | INDEX OF ACTIONS TAMPA BAY ESTUARY PROGRAM Habitat Master Plan Update TBEP Technical Report #07-20 Prepared for August 2020 4200 West Cypress Street Suite 450 Tampa, FL 33607 813.207.7200 esassoc.com Bend Orlando San Jose Camarillo Pasadena Santa Monica Delray Beach Petaluma Sarasota Destin Portland Seattle Irvine Sacramento Tampa Los Angeles San Diego Oakland San Francisco Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................ iv Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................ vi Section 1.0: Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 Section 2.0: Habitat Status and Trends ................................................................................................. 5 Section 3.0: Update of Existing Habitat Protection and Restoration Activities ................................... 49 Section 4.0: Habitat Protection and Restoration Paradigms ............................................................... 62 Section 5.0: Habitat Protection and Restoration Opportunities ........................................................... 75 Section 6.0: Habitat Protection and Restoration Targets .................................................................. 103 Section 7.0: Habitat Assessment and Monitoring .............................................................................. 114 Section 8.0: Linking Habitat Restoration and Compensatory Mitigation ........................................... 121 Section 9.0: References ..................................................................................................................... 129 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2-1 Seagrass Coverage (acres) in Tampa Bay for the Period 1950 – 2018 ............................ 10 Figure 2-2 Relative Seagrass Distribution by Bay Segment in 1950, 1982 and 2016 ........................ 12 Figure 2-3 Seagrass Coverage Trends in Hillsborough Bay ............................................................... 13 Figure 2-4 Ecosystem Benefits Provided by Oysters .......................................................................... 17 Figure 2-5 Graphical Depiction of Tidal Tributaries in a Typical Estuary ............................................ 24 Figure 2-6 Continuum of Shoreline Stabilization and Enhancement Techniques ............................... 26 Figure 2-7 Conceptual Schematic of Sea Level Rise on Natural vs. Hardened Coastline ................. 42 Figure 2-8 Simulated Seagrass and Mangrove Migration in Middle Tampa Bay........................... 44 Figure 2-9 Projected New Development in the Tampa Bay Region by 2050 ...................................... 48 Figure 3-1 CLIP Version 4.0 Database Hierarchy (Oetting et al., 2016) ............................................. 53 Figure 4-1 Landward Expansion of Mangroves into a Historically Monotypic Juncus Marsh ............. 65 Figure 5-1 Flow Chart for Step 1 of the Opportunity Assessment Process ........................................ 76 Figure 5-2 Flow Chart for Step 2 of the Opportunity Assessment Process ........................................ 79 Figure 5-3 Flow Chart for Step 3 of the Opportunity Assessment Process ........................................ 84 Figure 5-4 Flow Chart for Step 4 of the Opportunity Assessment Process ........................................ 86 Figure 5-5 McKay Bay Dredge Hole Restoration Project Under Construction.................................... 92 Figure 5-6 Tropical Fish Farm Restoration Site in Hillsborough Bay .................................................. 94 Figure 5-7 The Rocks Ponds Ecosystem Restoration Project ............................................................ 95 Figure 5-8 Conceptual Plan for the Lake Tarpon Outfall Canal Habitat Improvement Project ........... 99 Figure 5-9 LiDAR Topographic Map of Alafia River State Park ........................................................ 102 LIST OF MAPS Map ES-1 Combined Opportunity Areas in the Tampa Bay Watershed…………………………….xv Map 2-1 Tampa Bay Watershed with Major Basin and Bay Segment Boundaries ....................... 6 Map 2-2 2019 Distribution of Hard Bottom ..................................................................................... 8 Map 2-3 2018 Distribution of Seagrasses .................................................................................... 11 Map 2-4 2018 Distribution of Tidal Flats and Oyster Bars ........................................................... 18 Map 2-5 2017 Distribution of Emergent Tidal Wetlands .............................................................. 22 Map 2-6 2020 Distribution of Tidal Tributaries ............................................................................. 25 Table of Contents Map 2-7 2020 Distribution of Artificial Reefs and Living Shorelines ............................................ 28 Map 2-8 2017 Distribution of Freshwater Wetlands ..................................................................... 30 Map 2-9 2017 Distribution of Native Upland Habitats .................................................................. 33 Map 2-10 2017 Development in the Tampa Bay Watershed ......................................................... 46 Map 3-1 Existing Conservation Lands in the Tampa Bay Watershed ......................................... 51 Map 3-2 Proposed Conservation Lands the Tampa Bay Watershed .......................................... 55 Map 3-3 Existing Habitat Restoration Sites in the Tampa Bay Watershed ................................. 58 Map 4-1 Habitat Spatial Strata in the Tampa Bay Watershed ..................................................... 72 Map 5-1 Native and Restorable Habitats on Existing Conservation Lands ................................. 80 Map 5-2 Distribution of Xeric and Mesic/Hydric Soils in the Tampa Bay Watershed .................. 82 Map 5-3 Restoration Potential by Major Habitat Type on Existing Conservation Lands ............. 83 Map 5-4 Native and Restorable Habitats on Proposed Conservation Lands .............................. 85 Map 5-5 Native and Restorable Habitats on Proposed Reservation Lands ................................ 87 Map 5-6 Combined Opportunity Areas in the Tampa Bay Watershed ........................................ 90 Map 5-7 Living Shoreline Suitability Model .................................................................................. 96 Map 5-8 Reclaimed Mined Lands in the Tampa Bay Watershed .............................................. 100 LIST OF TABLES Table ES-1 Summary of Current Extent of TBEP Habitats ................................................................. viii Table ES-2 Enhancement and Restoration Projects in Tampa Bay .................................................... ix Table ES-3 Summary of the Opportunity Assessment Analysis .......................................................... xi Table ES-4 Summary of Recommended 2030 Targets and 2050 Goals ............................................ xiv Table 2-1 Summary of Current Extent of TBEP Habitats .................................................................... 34 Table 2-2 Summary of Subtidal Habitat Change Analysis .................................................................. 37 Table 2-3 Summary of Intertidal and Supratidal Habitat Changes Analysis ....................................... 38 Table 2-4 Existing Development FLUCCS Codes ............................................................................... 45 Table 3-1 Acres and Relative Proportions of Private Conservation Lands ......................................... 52 Table 3-2 Enhancement and Restoration Projects in Tampa Bay (1970-2019 and 2010-2019) ........ 59 Table 3-3 Restoration Project Number and Coverage by Lead Partner ............................................. 60 Table 4-1 Faunal Guilds Identified for the Restoring the Balance Paradigm ...................................... 63 Table 5-1 Restorable Habitats FLUCCS Codes .................................................................................. 77 Table 5-2 Native Habitats FLUCCS Codes ......................................................................................... 78 Table 5-3 Summary of the Opportunity Assessment Analysis ............................................................ 89 Table 6-1 Summary of Recommended 2030 Targets ....................................................................... 112 APPENDIX Appendix A: Habitat Restoration Database Acknowledgements ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project was cooperatively funded by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (Grant No. 17PO0000368) and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. This document was prepared by Environmental Science Associates (ESA) under contract to the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. The primary ESA project team consisted of the following: • Doug Robison – Project Manager, lead author of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program 2020 Habitat Master Plan Update document; • Thomas Ries – lead author of the Tampa Bay Habitat Restoration: Best Management Practices Manual (standalone document); • Justin Saarinen – geospatial data analysis lead;