Rainbow River SWIM Plan, It Is Much More Than That

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Rainbow River SWIM Plan, It Is Much More Than That Rainbow River Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plan A Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan November 2015 I Springs Coast Steering Committee Members Each spring system in the Springs Coast region is a unique, complex system with different sets of challenges. To address these issues, the Springs Coast Steering Committee (SCSC) was formed of local, regional and state agencies. The first goal of the SCSC is to develop management plans tailored for each spring system to identify issues, objectives, projects and responsibilities. This document serves as satisfaction of that first goal for Rainbow River. The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) does not discriminate on the basis of disability. This nondiscrimination policy involves every aspect of the District’s functions, including access to and participation in the District’s programs and activities. Anyone requiring reasonable accommodation as provided for in the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the District’s Human Resources Bureau Chief, 2379 Broad Street, Brooksville, FL 34604-6899; telephone (352) 796-7211 or 1-800-423-1476 (FL only), ext. 4703; or email [email protected]. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1-800-955-8771 (TDD) or 1-800-955-8770 (Voice). II Table of Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. v List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. vi Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 The Springs Coast ..................................................................................................................... 1 Springs Coast Steering and Management Committees ............................................................. 2 Springs Coast Technical Working Group ................................................................................. 4 The SWIM Act & SWIM Priority Water Bodies...................................................................... 4 What Makes a Healthy Spring? ................................................................................................ 5 Rainbow River System Description .......................................................................................... 6 Geology ............................................................................................................................... 6 Hydrology ........................................................................................................................... 7 Ecology ............................................................................................................................... 9 Historical Context ................................................................................................................... 11 Land Use ................................................................................................................................. 12 Issues and Drivers ......................................................................................................................... 14 Water Quality .......................................................................................................................... 14 Water Quantity ........................................................................................................................ 20 Natural Systems ...................................................................................................................... 25 Management Actions .................................................................................................................... 27 Quantifiable Objectives .......................................................................................................... 27 Water Quality .......................................................................................................................... 28 Water Quantity ........................................................................................................................ 30 Natural Systems ...................................................................................................................... 31 Projects and Initiatives .................................................................................................................. 34 Ongoing Projects and Initiatives ............................................................................................. 34 III Water Quality .................................................................................................................... 34 Water Quantity .................................................................................................................. 44 Natural Systems ................................................................................................................ 52 Proposed Priority Projects and Initiatives ............................................................................... 55 Water Quality .................................................................................................................... 55 Water Quantity .................................................................................................................. 58 Natural Systems ................................................................................................................ 59 References ..................................................................................................................................... 60 Appendix A: Technical Working Group Membership List ....................................................... A-1 Appendix B: Permitted Point Sources within Rainbow River Springshed ................................ B-1 Appendix C: Jurisdictional Authority within the Rainbow River Springshed .......................... C-1 Appendix D: List of Acronyms.................................................................................................. D-1 Appendix E: Partners and Programs ........................................................................................... E-1 Appendix F: Draft Potential Projects and Initiatives .................................................................. F-1 Appendix G: Results of Project Identification Exercises .......................................................... G-1 IV List of Figures Figure 1: Water Quality Projects per Management Action Category ...................................... ES-4 Figure 2: Water Quantity Projects per Management Action Category .................................... ES-5 Figure 3: Natural Systems Projects per Management Action Category .................................. ES-6 Figure 4: SWFWMD Major Springsheds ...................................................................................... 1 Figure 5: Rainbow River Watershed and Springshed Boundaries................................................. 2 Figure 6: Rainbow River Watershed and Springshed Boundaries................................................. 8 Figure 7: Phosphate Mining Operations (Florida State Library) ................................................. 11 Figure 8: Principal Land Uses in Rainbow Springshed ............................................................... 13 Figure 9: Selected SWFWMD Sampling Locations in the Upper Rainbow River ...................... 15 Figure 10: Nitrate Concentrations in the Headspring Area of the Rainbow River. ..................... 15 Figure 11: Relative Nitrogen Inputs to Groundwater in the Rainbow BMAP Area by Source Category ........................................................................................................................................ 17 Figure 12: Horizontal Secchi disk measurement at fixed stations along the river....................... 19 Figure 13: Rainbow River Optical Model - Horizontal Secchi Disk vs. Chlorophyll Concentration ................................................................................................................................ 19 Figure 14: Spatial Distribution of Water Transparency (Secchi Disk) and Chlorophyll Concentration ................................................................................................................................ 20 Figure 15: Regional Rainfall versus Rainbow River Flow .......................................................... 21 Figure 16: Groundwater Withdrawals within the Rainbow Springs Springshed from 1992-2012 ....................................................................................................................................................... 22 Figure 17: Groundwater Withdrawals by Category within the Rainbow Springs Springshed .... 22 Figure 18: Rainbow River Flow in Relation to a Nearby Groundwater Well ............................. 24 V List of Tables Table 1: Quantifiable Objectives ............................................................................................. ES-3 Table 2: Members of the Springs Coast Steering Committee........................................................ 3 Table 3: Members of the Springs Coast
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