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Lake Istokpoga Watershed Management Plan

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Lake Istokpoga Watershed Management Plan Lake Istokpoga Watershed Management Plan Lake Istokpoga Watershed Management Plan – A Long-Term Strategic Plan to Protect Lake Istokpoga and its Watershed Prepared by the Lake Istokpoga Management Committee For the Highlands County Board of County Commissioners 2019 Page 1 of 43 May 2018 Lake Istokpoga Watershed Management Plan Table of Contents Acronyms / Glossary __________________________________________________________ 3 Executive Summary ___________________________________________________________ 4 Preamble to the Watershed Management Plan for Lake Istokpoga: _______________________ 4 MISSION STATEMENT for the LAKE ISTOKPOGA MANAGEMENT PLAN: ___________ 5 Chapter 1 - Introduction _______________________________________________________ 6 The Management Plan _____________________________________________________________ 6 Structure of the Plan ______________________________________________________________ 6 Lake Description and Regional Hydrology ____________________________________________ 8 Brief Lake History ________________________________________________________________ 9 1. 1936-1962 – Pre Flood Control _________________________________________________________ 9 2. 1963-1989 ________________________________________________________________________ 11 3. 1989 - present _____________________________________________________________________ 13 Regional Trends from present through year 2020 _____________________________________ 15 1. Population growth __________________________________________________________________ 15 2. Water use _________________________________________________________________________ 16 3. Exotic plants and animal _____________________________________________________________ 16 4. Budgets __________________________________________________________________________ 16 5. Climate Change ____________________________________________________________________ 16 6. Lake Regulation Schedule ____________________________________________________________ 17 Chapter 2 – Summary of Objectives ________________________ Error! Bookmark not defined. Chapter 3 – Habitat Management Objective (#1) ______________ Error! Bookmark not defined. Chapter 4 – Water Resources Management Objective (#2) ______ Error! Bookmark not defined. Chapter 5 - Watershed Management Objective (#3)____________ Error! Bookmark not defined. Chapter 6 – Local Economy Objective (#4) __________________ Error! Bookmark not defined. Chapter 7 – Social Education Objective (#5) _________________ Error! Bookmark not defined. Chapter 8 – Implementation of the Plan _____________________ Error! Bookmark not defined. REFERENCES _____________________________________________________________ 28 ATTACHMENT A: MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 17, 1998 LIMC MEETING _______ 29 ATTACHMENT B: MAJOR AREAS OF CONCERN ______________________________ 36 ATTACHMENT C: TEXT OF LETTER FROM FWC’S LAKE ISTOKOPOGA STANDING TEAM _____________________________________________________________________ 38 ATTACHMENT D – LONG TERM PLANT MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES __________ 40 Page 2 of 43 May 2018 Lake Istokpoga Watershed Management Plan Acronyms / Glossary The variety of organisms, habitats and ecosystem functions (eg. plants, Biodiversity plant eating animals, animal eating animals, scavengers and decomposers) that create a sustainable ecosystem in a given area BMP Best Management Practice CFRPC Central Florida Regional Planning Council FDACS Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services FDEP Florida Department of Environmental Protection FOI Friends of Istokpoga FWC Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Industrial Development Authority – Economic Development IDA – EDC Commission KRR Kissimmee River Restoration LDRs Land Development Regulations LIMC Lake Istokpoga Management Committee MS4 Multiple Separate Storm Sewer System NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System SFWMD South Florida Water Management District SMART Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Related to the key issue, and Time Goals specific Goals SWFWMD Southwest Florida Water Management District TDC Tourist Development Council USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Page 3 of 43 May 2018 Lake Istokpoga Watershed Management Plan Executive Summary Preamble to the Watershed Management Plan for Lake Istokpoga: The purpose of this plan is to communicate and educate the community on the objectives and goals of the Lake Istokpoga Management Committee (LIMC) regarding management of Lake Istokpoga and its watershed. The plan does not replace existing plans or usurp legislatively mandated activities from legitimate agencies. However, as has been the function of the Lake Istokpoga Management Committee in the past, this plan will provide citizens of Highlands County with a greater opportunity to influence management activities in the Istokpoga watershed. The LIMC is the only organization consisting of interested citizen groups, both private and non-governmental, that has been authorized by the Highlands County Board of County Commissioners to develop, present and seek approval of a management master plan for Lake Istokpoga. This plan is being recommended to the Highlands County Board of County Commissioners for approval and adoption. The purpose of this plan is to help develop mechanisms to manage a renewable and sustainable Istokpoga ecosystem, restoring the long-term ecological health of the lake. The plan will achieve this by examining the recent history of the lake, identifying current and future trends in the ecology of the lake and building consensus within the LIMC as to key aspects of the lake. The plan must also acknowledge the importance of lake front residents and lake-dependent businesses; without the support of the first and without supporting the second, the plan will lose its most important constituents. The plan will act as a clearinghouse to identify agency responsibilities, as well as existing and future management plans from other agencies. The LIMC has approved a mission statement, objectives to address this mission statement, goals to meet these objectives, and identified measurable actions to achieve these goals for long-term, sustainable management of Lake Istokpoga. Page 4 of 43 May 2018 Lake Istokpoga Watershed Management Plan MISSION STATEMENT for the LAKE ISTOKPOGA MANAGEMENT PLAN: To influence and support the efforts of state and regional plans to manage a renewable and sustainable Istokpoga ecosystem and restore long-term ecological health of the lake while preserving the lake’s economic value. Objectives: 1. Habitat management: Influence, support and assist in the coordination of agency and private enterprise habitat management activities emphasizing long-term habitat management for Lake Istokpoga 2. Water resources management: Assist in the protection of current water resource uses and future water resource needs and provide goals that either can be implemented locally, or can influence water resource policies relative to Lake Istokpoga. 3. Watershed Management: Support and improve current watershed management activities while strengthening efforts to protect the water entering the lake from pollutant loading and habitat impairment. Agencies involved in regulating watershed management activities for Lake Istokpoga include the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the South Florida Water Management District, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Highlands County. 4. Local Economy: Support a local economy that fits with the other objectives particularly in terms of sustainable lake-dependent businesses. 5. Social Education: Create awareness of existing rules, guidelines and policies regarding use of the lake and associated facilities. Through the adoption of this plan by the Highlands County Board of County Commissioners, the Lake Istokpoga Management Committee is striving to protect Istokpoga and its watershed. This plan calls for working with partners to ensure that these objectives are coordinated with both local and regional planning efforts that will affect the watershed. This plan will be implemented by way of ongoing educational campaigns, effecting modifications to the Highlands County Comprehensive plan and other regulatory agency plans, as provided by law, and obtaining support and leverage from non- regulatory groups and entities to accomplish the goals of these objectives. Page 5 of 43 May 2018 Lake Istokpoga Watershed Management Plan Chapter 1 - Introduction The Management Plan The purpose of this plan is to communicate and educate the community on the objectives and goals of the Lake Istokpoga Management Committee regarding management of Lake Istokpoga and its watershed. The plan does not replace existing plans or usurp legislatively mandated activities from legitimate agencies. However, as has been the function of the Lake Istokpoga Management Committee done in the past, this plan will provide citizens of Highlands County, with a greater opportunity to influence management activities. The LIMC is the only organization consisting of interested citizen groups, both private and non-governmental, that has been authorized by the Highlands County Board of County Commissioners to develop, present and seek approval of a management master plan for Lake Istokpoga. This plan is being developed for recommendation to the Highlands County Board of County Commissioners. The purpose
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