f1004401.0003.02
Draft
Pensacola Bay System Surface Watershed Characterization
December 2016
Prepared by:
Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
This document was developed in support of the Surface Water Improvement and Management Program with funding assistance from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund.
ii Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Version History
Location(s) in Date Version Summary of Revision(s) Document
Initial draft Watershed Characterization (Sections 1, 2, 3, 09/23/2016 1 All 4, and 6) submitted to NWFWMD.
10/18/2016 2 Throughout Numerous edits and comments from District staff.
11/10/2016 3 Throughout Numerous revisions to address District comments.
11/23/2016 4 Throughout Numerous edits and comments from District staff.
12/8/2016 5 Throughout Numerous revisions to address District comments.
L:\Publications\4200-4499\4401-0001_NWFWD
iii Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
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iv Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT Table of Contents Section Page 1.0 Introduction ...... 1 1.1 SWIM Program Background, Goals, and Objectives...... 1 1.2 Purpose and Scope of 2017 SWIM Plan ...... 2 2.0 Watershed Description ...... 4 2.1 Introduction ...... 4 2.2 Geographic Characteristics...... 5 2.2.1 Geography ...... 5 2.2.2 Land Use and Population ...... 8 2.3 Physical Characteristics ...... 13 2.3.1 Physiographic Region ...... 14 2.3.2 Ecoregions ...... 15 2.3.3 Climate ...... 18 2.3.4 Geology ...... 19 2.3.5 Soils ...... 20 2.4 Hydrologic Characteristics ...... 22 2.4.1 Major Rivers and Tributaries ...... 22 2.4.2 Coastal Waterbodies ...... 23 2.4.3 Lakes ...... 26 2.4.4 Groundwater Systems ...... 26 2.5 Ecosystem Services ...... 27 2.5.1 Hydrologic Functions ...... 28 2.5.2 Nutrient Cycling ...... 30 2.5.3 Sediment Stabilization ...... 30 2.5.4 Commercially and Recreationally Important Fish and Wildlife ...... 30 2.5.5 Recreation and Aesthetic Value ...... 33 2.6 Ecological Resources ...... 34 2.6.1 Seagrass Beds ...... 35 2.6.2 Oyster Reefs ...... 35 2.6.3 Emergent Marsh ...... 36 2.6.4 Coastal Barrier Systems ...... 38 2.6.5 Palustrine, Riparian, and Floodplain Habitats ...... 38 2.6.6 Terrestrial Communities ...... 39 2.6.7 Migratory Bird Flyways ...... 40 3.0 Current Watershed Conditions and Water Resource Issues ...... 41
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3.1 Introduction ...... 41 3.2 Water Quality ...... 41 3.2.1 Impaired Waters ...... 42 3.2.2 Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Assessments ...... 46 3.2.3 Point Source Pollution ...... 53 3.2.4 Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution ...... 60 3.2.5 Ecological Indicators of Water Quality ...... 69 3.3 Habitat Quality in Receiving Waters ...... 71 3.3.1 Subtidal Communities ...... 71 3.3.2 Intertidal Communities ...... 73 3.3.3 Freshwater Systems ...... 73 3.4 Floodplains ...... 74 3.4.1 Flood Prone Areas ...... 75 3.4.2 Recent Flood Events ...... 75 3.4.3 Floodplain Management ...... 76 3.5 Unique Features and Special Resource Management Designations ...... 77 3.5.1 Conservation Lands ...... 77 3.5.2 Critical Habitat and Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas ...... 79 3.5.3 Aquatic Preserves ...... 80 3.5.4 Outstanding Florida Waters (OFWs) ...... 81 3.5.5 Gulf Ecological Management Sites (GEMS) ...... 83 4.0 Implementation and Achievements of the Previous SWIM Plan ...... 84 4.1 Previous SWIM Plan Issues and Priorities ...... 84 4.2 Progress Toward Meeting Plan Goals and Objectives ...... 86 5.0 Related Resource Management Activities ...... 90 5.1 Deepwater Horizon: RESTORE Act, Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), and NFWF Projects ...... 90 5.1.1 RESTORE ...... 90 5.1.2 National Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) ...... 91 5.1.3 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) ...... 93 5.1.4 The Nature Conservancy (TNC): Watershed Management Planning ...... 94 5.2 Water Quality Monitoring ...... 95 5.2.1 FDEP/NWFWMD ...... 95 5.2.2 FDEP Northwest District ...... 96 5.2.3 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) ...... 96
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5.2.4 Florida Department of Health (FDOH) ...... 96 5.2.5 Bream Fishermen Association (BFA) ...... 97 5.3 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Monitoring ...... 97 5.4 Water Quality Restoration and Protection Programs ...... 97 5.4.1 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) ...... 98 5.4.2 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permitting ...... 98 5.4.3 Domestic and Industrial Wastewater Permits ...... 100 5.4.4 Best Management Practices (BMPs) ...... 100 5.4.5 Florida Environmental Resource Permitting (ERP) Program ...... 101 5.4.6 Regional Mitigation for State Transportation Projects...... 101 5.4.7 Water Supply Planning/Water Resource Caution Areas ...... 101 5.4.8 FDEP Ecosystem Restoration Section ...... 103 5.4.9 Florida Forever Work Plan ...... 103 5.4.10 Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs) ...... 105 5.4.11 Natural Resource Management at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) ...... 105 5.4.12 Bay Area Resource Council (BARC) ...... 106 5.4.13 University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension (UF-IFAS) ...... 107 5.4.14 Other Programs and Actions ...... 107 6.0 References ...... 111
Appendices
Appendix Page Appendix A Geology and Soils in the Pensacola Bay Watershed ...... …………A-1 Appendix B Threatened and Endangered Species within the Watershed ...... …B-1 Appendix C Habitats and Natural Communities………………………… ...... ….....C-1 Appendix D 2014 FDEP Verified Impaired Waterbody Segments in the Pensacola Bay Watershed ...... …………………………………………D-1 Appendix E Conservation Lands within the Pensacola Bay Watershed ...... E-1 Appendix F Projects Funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in the Pensacola Bay Watershed ...... …………………….F-1
x Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT List of Tables
Table Page Table 2-1 2012-2013 Land Use within the Pensacola Bay Watershed ...... 12 Table 2-2 Population in the Pensacola Bay Watershed (Based on Census Blocks) ...... 13 Table 2-3 Hierarchy of USGS Physiographic Regions and EPA Ecoregions (Level 3 and 4) in the Watershed ...... 15 Table 3-1 TMDLs Adopted by FDEP...... 48 Table 3-2 Waterbody Segments Removed from the Impaired Waters List ...... 51 Table 3-3 Florida Solid Waste Facilities in the Pensacola Bay Watershed ...... 57 Table 4-1 1997 SWIM Plan Projects ...... 85
xi Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT List of Figures
Figure Page Figure 2-1 Proportion of the Pensacola Bay Watershed by State and Florida County ...... 5 Figure 2-2 Greater Pensacola Bay Watershed ...... 6 Figure 2-3 Features of the Pensacola Bay Watershed (Florida Portion) ...... 7 Figure 2-4 General land use of Greater Pensacola Bay Watershed (including Alabama) ...... 9 Figure 2-5 2012-2013 Land Use and Land Cover ...... 10 Figure 2-6 Population Trends of Florida Counties in the Pensacola Bay Watershed Counties ...... 12 Figure 2-7 Level 3 and 4 Ecoregions ...... 16 Figure 2-8 Hydric Soils in the Watershed ...... 21 Figure 2-9 Topography and Major Waterbodies ...... 25 Figure 2-10 Floodplains and Wetlands ...... 29 Figure 2-11 Recreational fishing is important draw for tourists to the watershed...... 30 Figure 2-12 Approved Shellfish Harvesting Areas ...... 32 Figure 2-13 Seagrass and Salt Marsh Coverage ...... 37 Figure 3-1 Currently Listed Impaired Waterbody Segments for Mercury ...... 44 Figure 3-2 Currently Listed Impaired Waterbody Segments for Pollutants other than Mercury ..... 45 Figure 3-3 Non-mercury TMDLs in the Watershed ...... 47 Figure 3-4 Permitted Wastewater Facilities within the Pensacola Bay Watershed ...... 55 Figure 3-5 Septic Tank Locations in the Pensacola Bay Watershed ...... 65 Figure 3-6 New Septic System Installations by Year ...... 66 Figure 3-7 Bioaccumulation of Methyl-Mercury ...... 68 Figure 3-8 Eutrophication Process ...... 70 Figure 3-10 Conservation Lands within the Pensacola Bay Watershed ...... 82
xii Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT Abbreviations and Acronyms List
AFB Air Force Base BARC Bay Area Resource Council BFA Bream Fishermen Association BMAP Basin Management Action Plan BMP best management practice BTF Bayou Texar Foundation cfs cubic feet per second CISMAs Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas CWA Clean Water Act DO dissolved oxygen ECK Emerald Coastkeeper ECUA Emerald Coast Utilities Authority EDC Economic Development Council EECT Environmental Education Coordination Team EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ERP Florida - Environmental Resource Permitting ESA Endangered Species Act °F Fahrenheit F.A.C. Florida Administrative Code FDACS Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services FDEC Florida Demographic Estimating Conference FDEP Florida Department of Environmental Protection FDNR Florida Department of Natural Resources FDOH Florida Department of Health FDOT Florida Department of Transportation FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FGS Florida Geological Survey FIRMs Flood Insurance Rate Maps FNAI Florida Natural Areas Inventory F.S. Florida Statutes FWC Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission FWRI Fish and Wildlife Research Institute GEBF Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund
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GEMS Gulf Ecological Management Site GIS Geographic Information System GSA Geologic Society of Alabama GWTV Groundwater Temporal Variability HABs harmful algal blooms IWR Impaired Surface Waters Rule LOST local option sales tax MFLs minimum flows and levels mgd million gallons per day MS4s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems NAS Naval Air Station NFWF National Fish and Wildlife Foundation NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NPL National Priority List NPS nonpoint source NRC National Research Council NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service NRDA Natural Resource Damage Assessment NWFWMD Northwest Florida Water Management District OFWs Outstanding Florida Waters OSTDS onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems PCB polychlorinated biphenyl PERCH Partnership for Environmental Research and Community Environmental Health RESTORE Act Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act RWSP Regional Water Supply Plan SAV submerged aquatic vegetation SEAS Shellfish Environmental Assessment Section SHCA Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas SIMM Seagrass Integrated Mapping and Monitoring SMZs Special Management Zones START Solutions To Avoid Red Tide STCM Storage Tank and Petroleum Contamination Monitoring
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SWIM Surface Water Improvement and Management SWFWMD Southwest Florida Water Management District SWTV Surface Water Temporal Variability TEEB The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity TMDL total maximum daily load TNC The Nature Conservancy UF-IFAS University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture USDOC U.S. Department of Commerce USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service USGS U.S. Geological Survey WBID waterbody identification number WFRPC West Florida Regional Planning Council WMA water management area WRCAs Water Resource Caution Areas WWTF wastewater treatment facility
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1.0 Introduction 1 This watershed characterization has been prepared in support of development of a Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) plan for the Pensacola Bay System watershed. The SWIM plan is intended to provide a framework for 1.1 SWIM Program resource management, protection, and restoration using a watershed approach. Background, The SWIM Program is administered through the Northwest Florida Water Goals, and Management District (NWFWMD) and includes management actions to address Objectives water quality, natural systems, and watershed functions and benefits. This plan is an update to the original plan developed in 1990 and updated in 1997 1.2 Purpose and (NWFWMD 1997). Scope of 2017 SWIM Plan The Pensacola Bay watershed (also referred to in this document as the system or the basin) begins in southern Alabama and includes Escambia Bay, Pensacola Bay, Blackwater Bay, and East Bay, as well as the Escambia, Blackwater, East Bay and Yellow rivers, and their tributaries, located primarily in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties (Figure 2-1). Although the northern extent of the watershed is within Alabama, the scope of this plan for implementation purposes is limited to the Florida portion.
1.1 SWIM Program Background, Goals, and Objectives
SWIM Plans have been developed pursuant to the SWIM Act, which was enacted by the Florida Legislature in 1987 and amended in 1989 through sections 373.451-373.459, Florida Statutes (F.S.). Through this Act, the Legislature recognized threats to the quality and function of the state's surface water resources. The Act authorized the state’s five water management districts to:
Develop programs to provide improved management of surface waters and associated resources; Develop plans identifying current conditions and processes affecting the quality of surface waters;
Identify strategies and management actions to restore and protect waterbodies; and
Conduct research to improve scientific understanding of the causes and effects of the degradation of surface waters and associated natural systems.
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The SWIM program addresses overarching goals and priorities through the identification In addition to the SWIM Act of 1987, the following and implementation of projects that are vetted Florida Statutes and administrative codes support and prioritized by the District and local and complement the SWIM program: stakeholders, with public input. Projects may Chapter 259, F.S.: Florida Forever Act: Land include stormwater treatment and floodplain Acquisitions and Capital Improvements for Conservation or Recreation; restoration for water quality improvement, wetland and aquatic habitat restoration, Chapter 375, F.S.: Land Acquisition Trust Fund; resource assessments, and public outreach and awareness initiatives, among others. Section 403.067(7)(A)4, F.S.: Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs); Surface Water Improvement Management Section 373.042, F.S.: Minimum Flows and Minimum Water Levels; Plans integrate complementary programs and activities to protect and restore watershed Chapter 62-302, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.): Surface Water Quality Standards; resources and functions. They are also designed to address water quality and natural systems Chapter 62-303, F.A.C.: Identification of Impaired Surface Waters; and challenges that are more generally outlined in Chapter 62-304, F.A.C.: TMDLs. the District’s strategic plan.
1.2 Purpose and Scope of 2017 SWIM Plan
Development of the 2017 Pensacola SWIM Plan update (hereafter called the 2017 SWIM Plan) is funded by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (GEBF), with the intent to further the purpose of the GEBF to remedy harm and eliminate or reduce the risk to Gulf resources affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The 1997 Pensacola Bay System SWIM Plan recognized three priority objectives that also address three of the NWFWMD’s statutory areas of responsibility relating to watershed management:
1. Water quality protection and improvement, focusing on prevention and abatement of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution in the upper reaches of the basin; 2. Natural systems protection, enhancement, and restoration, including stream, wetland, aquatic, and riparian habitat restoration on lands purchased for conservation in the lower basin; and 3. Protection and, if necessary, restoration of floodplain functions.
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This 2017 SWIM Plan assesses progress made toward the implementation of In the Pensacola Bay watershed, major stakeholders include: actions identified in the 1997 Plan, while The NWFWMD; also addressing new issues, ongoing challenges, and opportunities for Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP); achieving watershed protection and restoration. Further, the 2017 SWIM Plan Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC); describes the watershed’s physical
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer characteristics and natural resources, Services (FDACS); provides an assessment of the watershed’s
Florida Department of Economic Opportunity; current condition, and identifies priority challenges affecting watershed resources West Florida Regional Planning Council (WFRPC); and functions. The 2017 SWIM Plan also The Nature Conservancy (TNC); prescribes a set of management actions to The NFWF; meet those challenges and needs. The Trust for Public Lands; Management actions are generally limited Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton to those within the mission and scope of counties; the NWFWMD SWIM program, Municipalities including Pensacola, Jay, Gulf Breeze, recognizing the ongoing initiatives and Milton, Paxton, Mary Esther, Laurel Hill, and needs of local communities and other Crestview; agencies. Unincorporated communities including Pace, Ferry Pass, Bagdad, Holley, Navarre, Holt, Allentown, and For the purposes of the SWIM program, Century; watersheds are the logical ecological and And many others. geographical units for planning and managing restoration efforts along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Successful watershed management requires coordination and implementation of complementary programs and projects under the purview of all jurisdictions and agencies involved in the watershed. Among these are local, state, and federal regulatory and management agencies; conservation land management organizations; non- governmental organizations; and other interested stakeholders.
The 2017 SWIM Plan identifies projects and opportunities to leverage funding from many sources; integrating the efforts of local governments, state and federal agencies, and private entities to pool resources and achieve mutual objectives and goals; and to present innovative, sustainable solutions to watershed issues.
3 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 2.0 Watershed Description 2 2.1 Introduction The Pensacola Bay watershed covers approximately 4,480,000 acres and extends 2.1 Introduction from the Southern Plains physiographc region Pensacola Bay watershed 2.2 Geographic of Alabama through the central Panhandle of attributes: Characteristics Florida. Approximatley 35 percent of the Two states: Alabama and watershed (1,494,631 acres) is in Florida, Florida; 2.3 Physical while the remaining 65 percent falls within Four Florida counties; Characteristics Alabama. The basin includes six U.S. Six EPA Level 4 ecoregions; 2.4 Hydrologic Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 31 unique natural Characteristics Level 4 ecoregions and encompasses 31 communities; and habitat types recognized by the Florida Natural 4,480,000 acres. 2.5 Ecosystem Areas Inventory (FNAI). These habitats Services include freshwater lakes, streams, rivers, bays, 2.6 Ecological and estuaries. The Pensacola Bay system Resources includes three major river systems: the Escambia, Blackwater, and Yellow rivers, as well as the smaller East Bay River. These, in turn, discharge into the estuarine component of the watershed, which includes Escambia Bay, Pensacola Bay, Blackwater Bay, East Bay, and Santa Rosa Sound (NWFWMD 1997). The Escambia, Blackwater, and Yellow rivers begin as a surface water fed blackwater streams in southern Alabama. The Escambia River, the largest river in the watershed, is known as the Conecuh River in Alabama’s portion of the watershed. The Pensacola Bay system covers approximately 187 square miles and is influenced by the aforementioned riverine systems, smaller tributaries of these rivers, and smaller bayous and embayments.
The unique ecosystems comprising the Pensacola Bay watershed fall under the jurisdiction of multiple county and local governments, regional agencies, and state and federal agencies (WFRPC 2016a). These entities manage natural resources, establish conservation lands, and implement land use and land management plans and regulations.
This section provides an overview of the physical, hydrological, and ecological characteristics, as well as the land use and population dynamics of the Pensacola Bay watershed.
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2.2 Geographic Characteristics
2.2.1 Geography
The Pensacola Bay system includes the interconnected estuarine systems of Escambia Bay, Pensacola Bay, Blackwater Bay, East Bay, and Santa Rosa Sound in Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties, Florida (Figure 1), and the watersheds of the Escambia, Blackwater, East Bay and Yellow rivers. These rivers drain a majority of Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties, the northwest quadrant of Walton County, and substantial portions of southern Alabama and ultimately discharges into to the Gulf of Mexico (see Figures 2-1 and 2-2). The watershed covers approximately 4,480,000 acres. Thirty-five percent of the watershed is in the central Florida Panhandle, with the remaining 65 percent in southern Alabama (NWFWMD 1997). Within Florida, approximately 45 percent of Escambia County, 75 percent of Okaloosa County, and nearly all of Santa Rosa County fall within the Pensacola Bay watershed (NWFWMD 1997). In Alabama, the watershed is mostly located in Covington, Escambia, and Conecuh counties; with smaller areas in Butler, Crenshaw, Pike, Montgomery, and Bullock counties.
Source: NWFWMD 1997. Figure 2-1 Proportion of the Pensacola Bay Watershed by State and Florida County
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Source: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 2014 (roads); National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ([NOAA] counties) 2015a (counties); U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 2015 (waterbodies, rivers), 2016a (creeks). Figure 2-2 Greater Pensacola Bay Watershed
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Source: FHWA 2014; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a. Figure 2-3 Features of the Pensacola Bay Watershed (Florida Portion)
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The greater Pensacola Bay system covers approximately 144 square miles and is comprised of five major waterbodies: Blackwater Bay, East Bay, Escambia Bay, Santa Rosa Sound, and Pensacola Bay. The northernmost reaches of the system are located approximately 20 miles northeast of the mouth of Pensacola Bay. Pensacola Bay, with a surface area of 54 square miles, collects water from the other four major waterbodies in the system before discharging directly into the Gulf of Mexico (NWFWMD 1990). Blackwater Bay is the smallest bay, spanning approximately ten square miles. The three major river systems of the Pensacola Bay watershed begin as blackwater streams in southern Alabama. Of the major riverine systems, the Escambia River is the largest, extending 240 miles from the north end of Escambia Bay to Pike County, Alabama, and draining over 4,200 square miles across both states (90 percent of the basin is within Alabama) (NWFWMD 1990). The Yellow River extends approximately 110 miles from the eastern side of Blackwater Bay to a point northeast of Andalusia, Alabama. The Yellow River is joined by its major tributary, the 33- mile Shoal River, near the City of Crestview (FWC 2016a). The entire Yellow River drainage basin covers 1,365 square miles with 64 percent located in Florida’s portion of the watershed. The Blackwater River flows 60 miles and drains a total area of 860 square miles, of which 81 percent is in Florida's Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties (NWFWMD 1990). East Bay River, a smaller 15-mile river located in coastal Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties, enters East Bay near Navarre and Eglin Air Force Base (AFB). Surface water features of the watershed are shown in Figure 2-3.
Like many other watersheds in the NWFWMD, development is mostly heavily concentrated in the coastal portion of the watershed. This includes the majority of the Pensacola metropolitan area, the watershed’s largest city, and the heavily populated corridor between Pace and Milton, Florida.
2.2.2 Land Use and Population
Land use in the northern portion of the watershed, north of Interstate 10, consists of a mixture of agricultural land uses and upland forests that are heavily managed for silviculture (Figures 2-4, 2-5, and Table 2-1). In Florida, urban development is concentrated in the southern and southwestern portion of the watershed, within the Pensacola metropolitan area. This development extends south and east from the City of Pensacola, to include Navarre, Pace, Pensacola Beach, Milton, and Gulf Breeze. Urban development in the northern portion of the watershed is mostly localized around the City of Crestview in Okaloosa County. Counties and municipalities within the watershed guide land uses through the development of comprehensive plans, future land use maps, and land development regulations which are updated regularly.
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Industrial land use and warehousing are located predominantly along the waterfront and along railroad lines, including chemical manufacturing complexes located along Bayou Chico (NWFWMD 1990). In Alabama’s portion of the watershed, land uses include silviculture, agriculture, and the conservation lands of the Conecuh National Forest (Geological Survey of Alabama 2009).
In the sub-basin that drains the Blackwater River, major land cover changes indicate a shift in the forest structure and distribution. Conifer/hardwood, upland hardwood, and regenerating forest lands are increasing, but upland coniferous, hardwood wetland, and mixed wetland forestland are decreasing. Additionally, rangeland, high-density residential, and disturbed land cover areas are increasing, while coniferous plantation and cropland/pastureland cover is decreasing (FDACS 2013a).
Significant floodplains can be found along the Blackwater, Escambia, Yellow, and Shoal rivers and their tributaries, as well as other areas of low elevation, including Garcon Point, the Yellow River marsh, and Jones Swamp.
Portions of the watershed are designated conservation lands, including Blackwater, Escambia, and Yellow River WMAs, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Blackwater River State Forest, large tracts of Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Source: Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) 2015a, USGS 2011. Field, as well as several state parks. Figure 2-4 General land use of Greater Pensacola These lands provide a buffer system Bay Watershed (including Alabama) that helps protect water quality, provide flood protection, and sustain integrated terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Conservation areas including parks, management areas, and preserves, are discussed in more detail in Section 3.5.
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Source: FDEP 2015a; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a Figure 2-5 2012-2013 Land Use and Land Cover
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The U.S. Department of Defense (Navy and Air Force) have a major presence in the Pensacola Bay watershed, with three facilities in Florida’s portion of the watershed encompassing over 240,000 acres including:
Eglin AFB; Whiting Field; and Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola.
NAS Pensacola covers approximately 5,600 acres in Escambia County on the western shore of Pensacola Bay, while Whiting Field occupies approximately 3,595 acres in Santa Rosa County. The Navy manages natural resources on its lands consistent with the accomplishment of its missions and is also responsible for stormwater management, wastewater treatment, and other resource protection functions (NWFWMD 1997).
Eglin AFB occupies over 470,000 acres within Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties and has influenced the land use within the eastern Pensacola Bay basin by serving as a constraint on urban expansion. The primary mission performed at Eglin AFB is development and testing of conventional munitions and sensor tracking systems (Eglin AFB 1993). Hurlburt Field is the home of the Air Force Special Operations Command. Eglin AFB has a natural resource program that strives to "support the Air Force's mission through responsible stewardship of the installation's natural resources, utilizing integrated natural resources management, and principles of ecosystem management to ensure ecosystem viability and biodiversity, while providing compatible multiple uses" (Eglin AFB 1993). Eglin AFB has made significant accomplishments in restoring and protecting endemic natural communities. In addition, conservation lands of the AFB support multiple uses that complement the military mission including forestry and outdoor recreation.
As is the case across much of northwest Florida, the Pensacola Bay watershed has experienced considerable population growth (Figure 2-6 and Table 2-2). This growth has resulted in the transformation of land use in many areas from rural and agricultural to urban/suburban in character. Typical effects of urbanization include increased NPS pollution, the generation of additional wastewater and stormwater, and habitat loss and fragmentation. The University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research projects the largest increases in population within the watershed to occur in Santa Rosa and Walton counties (Florida Demographic Estimating Conference [FDEC] 2015). Along with this population growth, increases in development, waste production, use of recreational areas, as well as land use changes are anticipated.
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Table 2-1 2012-2013 Land Use within the Pensacola Bay Watershed
General Land Use Estimated Square Percent of Basin Category Miles (Florida Portion) Agriculture 330.5 14.2 Developed 315.4 13.5 Open Land 38.1 1.6 Upland Forests 1161.0 49.7 Water 27.3 1.2 Wetlands 462.5 19.8 Source: FDEP 2015a
Escambia County includes the portion of the Pensacola Bay watershed in Florida lying west of the Escambia River. Although Escambia County occupies the second smallest proportion (211,840 acres) or approximately 14 percent of the watershed in Florida, it contains the watershed’s largest city, Pensacola. Projected growth rates for the county show a 2.89 percent increase from 2015-2025 and 3.25 percent increase from 2025- 2040 (FDEC 2015). Land use change has continued in the Pensacola metropolitan area since the 1997 SWIM Update.
Santa Rosa County is the largest county within the Florida watershed, occupying approximately 43 percent (650,240 acres) of the basin’s land area. Santa Rosa County includes portions of Escambia and Pensacola bays, East Bay, most of Santa Rosa Sound, and portions of Blackwater and Yellow river basins. The coastline of Santa Rosa County Source: FDEC 2015. makes up the majority of the watershed’s total Figure 2-6 Population Trends of Florida coastal area. The cities of Gulf Breeze and Milton Counties in the Pensacola Bay Watershed are Santa Rosa County’s largest urban areas, and Counties they are located adjacent to the Pensacola Bay and the Blackwater River, respectively. The Town of Jay is located in northwestern Santa Rosa County (NWFWMD 1997). The population of Santa Rosa County is anticipated to continue
12 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT increasing; with population projections for 2015–2025 showing an increase of 17.8 percent and projections for 2025–2040 showing an increase of an additional 19.2 percent (FDEC 2015).
Okaloosa County occupies approximately 479,360 acres, or 32 percent, of the Pensacola Bay watershed in Florida, making it the second largest county in the watershed. Okaloosa County encompasses portions of the Yellow and Shoal rivers and their tributaries and the eastern portion of Santa Rosa Sound. Incorporated Okaloosa County cities within the Pensacola Bay watershed include Mary Esther, Laurel Hill, and Crestview. Population projections for 2015–2025 show an increase of 8.00 percent and projections for 2025–2040 show an increase of an additional 8.5 percent (FDEC 2015).
Walton County occupies the smallest portion (11 percent) of the watershed, including approximately 160,000 acres. Walton County is adjacent to Okaloosa County and includes a portion of the Shoal River and a number of its tributaries. Walton County has the second largest projected population increase in the watershed. Population projections for 2015–2025 show an increase of 7.52 percent countywide, and projections for 2025–2040 show an increase of an additional 25.0 percent, much of which is anticipated to occur outside of the watershed (FDEC 2015). The Town of Paxton is the only incorporated municipality in Walton County’s portion of the watershed (NWFWMD 1997).
Table 2-2 Population in the Pensacola Bay Watershed (Based on Census Blocks)
County Population 2010
Escambia 178,766 Okaloosa 84,867 Santa Rosa 151,372 Walton 9,481 Total 424,486 Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2010. 2.3 Physical Characteristics
The Pensacola Bay watershed can be characterized geographically by its physiographic regions and ecoregions. First introduced by Nevin Fenneman and extensively mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), physiographic regions are based on landforms and the geologic formations responsible for their expression across the landscape. Defined by the EPA, ecoregions are geographic areas with similar ecosystems that are used for research, management, monitoring, and assessment. Ecoregions can be similar in extent to physiographic regions due to
13 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT the interactions between geology, hydrology, and ecology, but unlike physiographic regions, are defined by both their biotic and abiotic characteristics. Ecoregions are identified by analyzing patterns in soils, vegetation, climate, land use, wildlife, and hydrology, as well as geology and landforms (EPA 2016a).
2.3.1 Physiographic Region
Gulf Coastal Plain
The Pensacola Bay watershed, including Alabama’s portion, lies within the Gulf Coastal Plain physiographic region, which is characterized by gently rolling hills, sharp ridges, prairies, and alluvial floodplains underlain by sediments of sand, gravel, porous limestone, chalk, marl, and clay (NWFWMD 1990). Within this greater physiographic region, the Florida portion of the Pensacola Bay watershed contains two localized physiographic regions: the Western Highlands and the Gulf Coastal Lowlands (USGS 2013).
The Escambia, Blackwater, and Yellow river basins, which constitute much of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties, are within the Western Highlands subsection of the Northern Highlands, which spans the northern Panhandle. The Northern Highlands region is characterized by greater topographic relief (five to 12 percent slopes) than the Gulf Coastal Lowlands and contain extensive clay deposits overlying limestone bedrock of the Citronelle formations, ancient delta deposits of clays, clayey sands, and gravel (NWFWMD 1997). The Western Highlands extending from a height of 378 feet in elevation in Alabama down to a relict marine of approximately 100 feet (Rupert 1993). The rolling hills of the Western Highlands have sandy soils and generally dry conditions, with groundwater emerging from lower slopes to create hillside seepage bogs (Wolfe et al. 1988).
The estuarine embayments of the watershed are located within the Gulf Coastal Lowlands region; a series of successively higher, parallel terraces rising from the coast. Terraces of the Gulf Coastal Lowlands formed during the Pleistocene Epoch (Great Ice Age) when fluctuating sea levels were associated with the growth and melting of ice caps. Dunes, barrier islands, beach ridges, and other topographical features were stranded inland as seas receded. Land surfaces of the lowlands are generally level and less than 100 feet above sea level. Substantial areas are less than 30 feet above sea level and are characterized by extensive wetlands. Higher elevations are present in the general area of Pensacola, on the west side of Escambia bay and the north side of Pensacola Bay (NWFWMD 1997).
Additional details on the geology and soils of these physiographic regions can be found in Appendix A.
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2.3.2 Ecoregions
Southeastern Plains and Southern Coastal Plain
Two EPA Level 3 ecoregions occur in the Pensacola Bay watershed: the Southeastern Plains and Southern Coastal Plain (Omernik 1995). Level 4 ecoregions are smaller divisions of Level 3 ecoregions with more detailed descriptions. Divisions at this scale allow for the identification of locally defining characteristics and the formulation of specific, locally oriented management strategies (Omernik 1995). The portion of the watershed lying within the Southeastern Plains ecoregion (Level 3) is further classified as three Level 4 sub-regions: the Dougherty Plain, the Southern Pine Plains and Hills, and the Southeastern Floodplains and Low Terraces. The portion of the watershed located in the Southern Coastal Plain ecoregion (Level 3) includes three Level 4 sub-regions: the Gulf Coast Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces, and the Gulf Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes (Table 2-3 and Figure 2-7) (EPA 2013a, 2013b, 2013c; Griffith et al. n.d.).
Table 2-3 Hierarchy of USGS Physiographic Regions and EPA Ecoregions (Level 3 and 4) in the Watershed
USGS Physiographic Region Sub-Regions
Gulf Coastal Plains Northern Highlands Gulf Coastal Lowlands
EPA Level 3 Ecoregion Level 4 Ecoregion Dougherty Plain Southeastern Plains Southern Pine Plains and Hills Southeastern Floodplains and Low Terraces Gulf Coast Flatwoods Southern Coastal Plain Gulf Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes Floodplains and Low Terraces
Source: EPA 2013b, 2013c.
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Source: EPA 2013b, 2013c; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a. Figure 2-7 Level 3 and 4 Ecoregions
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Southeastern Plains and Sub-regions
The Southeastern Plains Level 3 ecoregion makes up the northern portion of the Pensacola Bay watershed. As the largest Level 3 ecoregion in the eastern U.S., the Southeastern Plains extend from near the Gulf of Mexico in the south to Maryland in the north. This expansive ecoregion is covered by a mosaic of cropland, pasture, forest, and wetland. Prone to abundant rainfall and a long growing season, relatively poor sandy soils found in much of the ecoregion limit agricultural competitiveness with many other regions. Natural forests of pine, hickory, and oak once covered most of the ecoregion, but much of the natural forest cover has been replaced by heavily managed timberlands.
Three Level 4 subcategories of the Southeastern Plains ecoregion are found within the Pensacola Bay watershed:
Dougherty Plain. The Dougherty Plain makes up the northeastern-most reaches of the watershed in Walton County. The Dougherty Plain is a generally flat to gently rolling area of karst topography, largely influenced by limestone near the soil surface. Numerous sinkholes interrupt the karst topography and are the sites of numerous ponds and marshes, with relatively few streams in the flatter part of the plain. Land-cover is primarily cropland and pasture with some smaller areas of mixed forest.
Southern Pine Plains and Hills. The Southern Pine Plains and Hills sub-region can be found throughout the northern half of the watershed. Once described as almost all southern mixed forest and longleaf pine forests, this ecoregion has since been replaced mostly by slash and loblolly pine plantations. Soils are well- to moderately-drained ultisols and alfisols with fine sandy loam or silt loam surface texture.
Southeastern Floodplains and Low Terraces. The Southeastern Floodplains and Low Terraces can be found along the floodplain of the upper Escambia River in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and the upper Yellow River in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties. This riverine ecoregion is described as having large sluggish rivers and backwaters with ponds, swamps, and oxbow lakes, which are prevalent along the watershed’s major rivers and tributaries. River swamp forests of cypress and tupelo and oak-dominated bottomland hardwood forests provide important wildlife corridors and habitat. In the Pensacola Bay watershed, much of the Southeastern Floodplains and Low Terraces region is conservation land, including the Lower Escambia River WMA and the Yellow River WMA.
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Southern Coastal Plain and Sub-regions
The Southern Coastal Plain Level 3 ecoregion makes up the southern portion of the Pensacola Bay watershed, from just north of Escambia and Blackwater bays to the coast. This ecoregion is generally lower in elevation, with less relief and wetter soils than the Southeastern Plains. It consists primarily of flat plains with such features ranging from coastal lagoons, marshes, and swampy lowlands, to upland pine forests, as well as barrier islands along the coast. The following Level 4 subcategories of the Southern Coastal Plain ecoregion are found within the Pensacola Bay watershed:
Gulf Coast Flatwoods. The Gulf Coast Flatwoods make up the majority of the Southeastern Coastal Plains including much of the southern Pensacola Bay watershed. This ecoregion occurs extensively in southeastern Escambia County; as well as in Santa Rosa County between Escambia and Blackwater bays and in Okaloosa County adjacent to East Bay. The Gulf Coast Flatwoods ecoregion is a narrow region of nearly level terraces and alluvial and deltaic deposits composed of Quaternary sands and clays. The wet sandy flats and broad depressions of this ecoregion are typically poorly drained and swampy in nature. Many of the more well-drained areas in the ecoregion have been cleared for use as pasture or cropland.
Floodplains and Low Terraces. Floodplains and Low Terraces occur on the floodplain of the lower Escambia River and river delta in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and along the lower Yellow River and river delta in Santa Rosa County. This ecoregion is a continuation of the Southeastern Floodplains and Low Terraces and is primarily composed of stream alluvium and terrace deposits of sand, silt, clay, and gravel, along with some organic muck and swamp deposits.
Gulf Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes. The Gulf Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes region makes up the entire coastline of the Pensacola Bay watershed adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico. This region contains salt and brackish marshes, dunes, beaches, and barrier islands. Cordgrass (Spartina spp.) and saltgrass (Distichlis spp.) are common in the intertidal zone, while xeric coastal strand and pine scrub vegetation occurs on parts of the dunes, spits, and barrier islands.
2.3.3 Climate
The climate of the Pensacola Bay watershed is largely determined by its subtropical latitude (30.9°-30.3°N) and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. Daily temperature variations tend to be less
18 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT along the coast relative to areas of the watershed further inland, which are less moderated by the Gulf. Summers are often hot and humid and winters cool and dry. At the National Weather Service Forecast Office, Mobile/Pensacola Station, from 1981-2010, the mean minimum temperature was 41.6 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) in January and the mean maximum was 89.9°F in July (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] 2014a). The average annual temperature is approximately 64°F with an average annual precipitation of approximately 64 inches (Geologic Society of Alabama [GSA] 2009; University of Florida Conservation Clinic 2010). Summer is the wet season with one-third to one-half of all precipitation in the basin falling during this time. Fall is the driest season receiving less than 20 percent of the annual precipitation (U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] 1980, 1989, 1995).
Wind conditions are typically northerly through the winter and southerly during the summer months, but vary with the passage of major air masses and thermal convection (sea breezes). Hurricanes and tropical storms occasionally influence the summer and fall weather of the watershed, bringing extremes in wind, rainfall, and tides. Hurricanes occur in the watershed approximately once every eight years (USDA 1980, 1989, 1995).
2.3.4 Geology
The Pensacola Bay watershed follows much of the general stratigraphy of the western Florida Panhandle. Much of the watershed’s geologic features are a product of prehistoric marine deposition during periods when sea level was higher than the present. Near-surface formations within Florida’s portion of the watershed include dolomitic limestones, sandy clayey limestones, and finally, shell beds, clayey sands, and sands (Scott 2001). Overlying most geologic formations in the watershed are unconsolidated Holocene siliciclastic sediments (nearly pure quartz sands with minor heavy mineral sands) (Smith 2001). These sands were deposited during sea level fluctuations, and are presently found on the watersheds’ barrier islands.
In the upper portion of the watershed, the Citronelle Formation forms the stream-incised hills of the Western Highlands Zone and forms a distinct bluff at Bay Bluff, along the western shore of Escambia Bay (USDA 2004). Additionally, the Miocene Alum Bluff Group is found along the upper reaches of the Yellow and Shoal rivers.
Most of the southern boundary of Escambia and East bays is formed by the Fairpoint Peninsula, a sandy coastal barrier feature. The southern boundary of the entire system (including Santa Rosa Sound) is formed by Santa Rosa Island, which is approximately 50 miles long and varying between approximately 1,000-1,500 feet wide (Morang 1992). The island is made up of
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Holocene quartz sands, between 15 and 30 feet thick, overlying a Pleistocene core (NWFWMD 1997).
More details on the geology of the watershed are provided in Appendix A.
2.3.5 Soils
In addition to serving a critical role in forest and agricultural production and management, soils intercept and absorb surface water runoff; thereby, preventing erosion and water quality impairments when properly managed. There are eight major types of soils in the Pensacola watershed, ranging from excessively drained soils that contain large amounts of sand, to poorly drained soils that consist mostly of organic material and clay (NWFWMD 1990). Qualities of the soil, such as erodibility and permeability, greatly influence factors such as runoff or groundwater recharge and the potential for groundwater contamination. The pH and clay content of the soil also influence soil cation exchange capacity and potential to retain certain nutrients and contaminants. Additionally, carbon in soil decreases the concentration of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. On a global scale, soil can store four times more carbon than living biomass (trees, grasses, etc.) (Vasques and Grunwald 2007).
When soils erode from the landscape, they contribute sediment to surface waters, which changes hydrology of streams and impacts habitat and water quality. The effects of sedimentation and erosion on water quality are further discussed in Section 3.2. However, well managed soils can contribute to improved water quality. Soils store rainwater, runoff, and stormwater in pore spaces, which regulates groundwater recharge, helps mitigate flooding, and increases the duration that water is available for plant uptake. Soils can be amended with organic material to create agricultural benefits, but unlike the vegetation they support, mature soils are not generally considered to be renewable resources on human time scales. The formation of soils that can support ecologically distinct communities can take anywhere from hundreds to thousands of years, depending on the environment.
The most permeable soils are located south of Pensacola and extend eastward to the northeast corner of Santa Rosa County. The soils in this area, with the exception of those found in the river valleys, are characterized by a predominantly sandy composition. Soils in the northern reaches of the watershed typically contain more organic matter and are of moderate permeability. Low permeability soils can be found in low lying areas including the freshwater swamps along the Escambia River, Yellow River, and East Bay River; the saltwater tidal marshes located at the head of Blackwater Bay; and on Garcon Point. Detailed information about soils within the watershed is provided in Appendix A.
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Source: USDA 2013; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a Figure 2-8 Hydric Soils in the Watershed
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Forest production and crop/pasture land are major uses of soil in the Pensacola Bay watershed. Over 165,000 acres of land in Florida’s portion of the Pensacola Bay watershed are used for crops and pasture, while about 300,000 acres are used for timber production (FDEP 2015a). Qualities of the soil, such as erodibility and permeability, greatly influence factors such as groundwater recharge and the potential for groundwater contamination.
Hydric soils, which are common throughout the watershed, are defined as soils “formed under conditions of saturation, flooding, or ponding long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part” (Figure 2-8) (USDA 2016). Soils that exhibit hydric properties are important indicators of wetlands and floodplains. Hydric soils, in conjunction with hydrophytic vegetation and hydrologic properties, are used to define the jurisdictional boundaries of wetlands in the National Food Security Act Manual (USDA 2010) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Wetlands Delineation Manual (USACE Environmental Laboratory 1987). Understanding the distribution of hydric soils is useful for agricultural purposes, land-use planning, conservation planning, and assessment of potential wildlife habitat (USDA 2016). Hydric soils are predominantly found along the floodplains of the watershed’s major rivers and tributaries. Hydric soils occur extensively throughout the Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve, adjacent to the East Bay River, and through the Garcon Point WMA.
2.4 Hydrologic Characteristics
The Pensacola Bay system includes five interconnected estuarine embayments, including Escambia Bay, Pensacola Bay, Blackwater Bay, East Bay, and Santa Rosa Sound, and three major river systems: the Escambia, Blackwater, and Yellow rivers. The entire system discharges into the Gulf of Mexico, primarily through a narrow pass at the mouth of Pensacola Bay. The Pensacola Bay watershed contains many ecologically unique surface waters, including freshwater lakes, streams, salt marshes, and freshwater wetlands.
2.4.1 Major Rivers and Tributaries
Originating as the Conecuh River in Alabama, the Escambia River is a large alluvial river that flows south 240 miles before discharging into Escambia Bay (WFRPC 2005). The annual discharge of the Escambia River is 6,300 cubic feet per second (cfs), which accounts for 65 percent of the total freshwater input into Pensacola Bay (Hagy et al. 2006). The Escambia River has numerous tributaries including Pine Barren Creek, Canoe Creek, Mitchell Creek, Little Pine Barren Creek, McDavid Creek, Bray Mill Creek, Big Escambia Creek, Holland Branch, and Blue Water Creek.
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With headwaters originating west of the Escambia River, Pine Barren Creek, Canoe Creek, and Blue Water Creek discharge directly into the Escambia River, with smaller tributaries entering the Escambia River from the east and north.
The Blackwater River starts north of Bradley, Alabama, and flows approximately 59 miles (95 kilometers) to Blackwater Bay. Draining roughly 860 square miles (1,384 kilometers2) of acidic flatwoods, water of the Blackwater River has a characteristically reddish brown color (WFRPC 2005). Like the Escambia River, the Blackwater River has numerous tributaries, including Big Coldwater Creek (East and West Forks), Pond Creek, Juniper Creek, Panther Creek, and Sweetwater Creek.
The Yellow River discharges into eastern Blackwater Bay along the border of Eglin AFB. The river is roughly 92 miles long and drains an approximately 1,365-square-mile basin (WFRPC 2005). The Yellow River has its headwaters in Covington County, Alabama, in the Conecuh National Forest. The river enters Florida near Laurel Hill and flows southwesterly through Okaloosa County where it is joined by its major tributary, the Shoal River, five miles below Crestview (Gardner 1991). The Shoal River lies entirely within Florida with a length of 33 miles (FWC 2016a). Major tributaries of the Yellow River include Murder Creek, Gum Creek, Titi Creek, and the Shoal River. Located in central Okaloosa and Walton counties, the Shoal River travels 27 miles before flowing into the Yellow River southwest of Crestview (WFRPC 2005). Like the Yellow River, the Shoal River has clear, tannic waters (Florida Rivers Assessment 1989). The River basin covers roughly 478 square miles and is fed by Turkey Creek, Juniper Creek, Pond Creek, and Long Creek from the north, and Gum Creek and Titi Creek to the east.
2.4.2 Coastal Waterbodies
Estuarine waters of the Pensacola Bay system (Pensacola Bay, Escambia Bay, Blackwater Bay, East Bay, and Santa Rosa Sound) exhibit low tidal ranges and variable flushing times that average approximately 18 days for the entire system (NWFWMD 1990). Stratification is evident in both the salinity and temperature gradients of the system and all four bays are heavily influenced by flows of the Escambia, Blackwater, and Yellow Rivers (NWFWMD 1990).
Pensacola Bay consists of roughly 126,000 acres, including 550 linear miles of coastline and 144 square miles of open water (Schwenning et al. 2002). It is located in both Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and has an approximately one-half mile wide outlet to the Gulf of Mexico which is maintained at a depth of approximately 40 to 50 feet (NWFWMD 1990; WFRPC 2005). Escambia and East Bays adjoin Pensacola Bay, along with bayous Texar, Chico, and Grande (Schwenning et al. 2002).
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Escambia Bay is roughly 36 square miles and is located between Garcon Point to the east and Magnolia Point to the west. Its primary fresh water inputs are from the Conecuh-Escambia River system, Mulatto Bayou, and Pace Mill Creek (WFRPC 2005).
Located at the mouth of the Blackwater River, Blackwater Bay is 9.8 square miles and has the lowest salinity of any of the other embayments in the watershed (WFRPC 2005).
East Bay is bounded by Blackwater Bay to the north (at Escribano Point), and by its receiving water, Pensacola Bay (between Garcon Point and Redfish Cove). The shoreline along Escribano Point and areas of Garcon Point are largely undeveloped, unlike most of the other bays.
Santa Rosa Sound connects the Choctawhatchee and Pensacola Bays and is a 42.2-square-mile lagoon, with portions near the National Seashore (WFRPC 2005). It is bordered to the north by the Fairpoint Peninsula and Santa Rosa Island to the south.
Bayou Chico is situated between downtown Pensacola and Bayou Grande and has had years of documented water quality issues associated with urban runoff and industrial development (Lewis et al. 2016). Bayou Grande is located near the opening of Pensacola Bay and the Gulf of Mexico and is directly north of the Pensacola NAS Facility/Sherman Field. Located just north of Pensacola, Bayou Texar has had years of documented water quality issues and a history of recurring fish kills and bacterial contamination.
The Pensacola Bay system includes thousands of acres of seagrass beds, predominantly within Santa Rosa Sound, and many miles of coastline consisting of nearshore marshes. These natural communities serve as nursery and foraging grounds for sea turtles, shrimp, birds, inshore species such as speckled trout (Cynoscion nebulosus), redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus), and other important commercial and recreational fish and shellfish species. Seagrass beds are further discussed in Section 2.5.1 and Section 3.3.1.
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Source: FGS 2015; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a, 2016b. Figure 2-9 Topography and Major Waterbodies
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2.4.3 Lakes
The Pensacola Bay watershed has approximately 250 lakes, with the most noteworthy being Bear Lake and Hurricane Lake (Figure 2-9). Located in northeast Santa Rosa County within Blackwater State Forest, Bear Lake, a 107-acre man-made impoundment, was constructed in 1959 and has been designated as a Fish Management Area (FDACS 2016a). Much larger in size, Hurricane Lake is a 318-acre man-made lake located on Hurricane Creek. The Lake was constructed in 1971 and opened to the public for fishing in 1973 (FDACS 2016a). Lake Karick, also a man-made impoundment, is much smaller (65 acres) and is located on Deadfall Creek in northern Okaloosa County. Lake Karick was constructed in 1965 and opened to fishing in 1966 (FDACS 2016a).
2.4.4 Groundwater Systems
Groundwater fills the pores and interstitial spaces in subsurface rocks and sediments, with higher recharge generally occurring in areas where the aquifer is unconfined. Groundwater discharges can occur in areas with lower elevations, such as along streams, bays, and the Gulf of Mexico. There are two major sources of groundwater for the Pensacola Bay watershed: the surficial aquifer system, also referred to as the sand-and-gravel aquifer, and the Floridan aquifer system. The hydrogeology of the Pensacola Bay watershed is characterized by the complex interaction between surface water and groundwater, due to the permeable sandy surface sediments and limestone bedrock below the region.
The sand-and-gravel aquifer is the uppermost aquifer and is comprised of discontinuous mixtures of Pleistocene and recent alluvium and terrace deposits. Major tributaries of the Pensacola Bay system are incised into the sand-and-gravel aquifer. Groundwater flow from this aquifer discharges to these tributaries and to the bay (NWFWMD 1997). Water in the sand-and-gravel aquifer is recharged through direct infiltration of rainwater and; therefore, fluctuates in elevation due to droughts or seasonal differences in rainfall (NWFWMD 2013).
The sand-and-gravel aquifer is the primary source of drinking water for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties (NWFWMD 2013). Historical pollution has impacted the surficial zone of the sand-and-gravel aquifer in the southern half of the watershed. Because the main-producing zone is recharged from the surficial zone, contamination at the surface has spread to the main- producing zone (Roaza et al. 1991). Nearly half of the public supply wells in southern Escambia County have documented the presence of contaminants, including chlorinated solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons, and pesticides (Ma et al. 1999). Water from these wells is treated before being introduced into the water distribution systems (NWFWMD 2013).
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The Floridan aquifer underlies the entire Pensacola Bay watershed. As described by the NWFWMD (2014), the Floridan aquifer system consists of a thick sequence of carbonate sediments of varying permeability, the top of which dips from the northeast to the southwest, with the elevation of the top of the system ranging from approximately 100 feet above sea level to more than 1,450 feet below sea level, where it discharges into the Gulf of Mexico (NWFWMD 2013).
In southwestern Santa Rosa County and southern Escambia County, the upper beds of the Floridan aquifer are deep (1,000 to 1,450 feet below sea level) and highly mineralized; therefore, this portion of the aquifer is unfit for drinking water use. East of Santa Rosa County, the sand- and-gravel aquifer is generally used for non-potable purposes.
In Okaloosa and Walton counties, the upper limestone beds of the Floridan aquifer system are the primary source of potable water (NWFWMD 2013). In 2010, groundwater from the sand- and-gravel aquifer system provided about 41 percent of the water used in the District’s Water Supply Planning Region II which encompasses Walton, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties. The coastal Floridan aquifer provided about 26 percent of water used in the region, and the Inland Floridan aquifer provided about 30 percent. The remaining three percent consisted of surface water and water from the surficial and intermediate aquifers (NWFWMD 2013).
2.5 Ecosystem Services
The Pensacola Bay watershed supports ecological resources and provides many benefits and services for people within the watershed. The ecological Services provided by healthy ecosystems of the Pensacola Bay resources include the watershed’s associated watershed: rivers, streams, and bays, as well as upland forests Water purification; and wetlands, which provide habitat for various plant and wildlife species, many of which are rare Flood control; and protected. Human benefits include tourism, Streambank stabilization; recreational opportunities, fisheries, and the Buffering of coastal storms; economic benefits related to each. Nutrient cycling;
Fish and wildlife resources; Watersheds, and the unique ecosystems that and comprise them, play an important part in the global Long-term resiliency. hydrological cycle (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity [TEEB] 2016). Healthy watersheds provide services such as water
27 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT purification, groundwater and surface flow regulation, erosion and flood control, and streambank stabilization. Healthy watersheds can be financially valuable when the cost of protecting ecosystems for improved water quality is compared with investment in major restoration efforts; oftentimes investing in the management of natural resources for improved water quality is less expensive and more efficient than infrastructure (USDA 2015). Healthy watersheds also provide significant value through their role in production of fish and wildlife resources. Based on ecological services research across various coastal systems, the mean economic value for marshlands is approximately $3,900 per acre. Consequently, the total current value of ecological goods and services for salt marsh coverage (6,601 acres based on 2010 NWFWMD land cover data) and tidal wetland coverage (8,579 acres based on 2014 National Wetland Inventory data) for the Pensacola Bay watershed are approximately $26.1 million and $33.5 million, respectively (Lewis et al. 2016).
2.5.1 Hydrologic Functions
Interrelated functions performed by wetlands and associated natural systems are widely recognized and have been described by numerous authors (National Research Council [NRC] 2001; Novitzki et al. n.d.). Wetland functions can be grouped into three general categories: hydrologic, water quality protection and improvement, and fish and wildlife habitat (Abbruzzese and Leibowitz 1997). Hydrologic functions include water storage, flood attenuation, and regulation of discharge to surface and groundwaters.
Floodplains along the watershed’s rivers and other tributaries reduce runoff energy, which in turn reduces erosion and protects water quality downstream. Healthy riparian ecosystems within the watershed support vegetative communities that can aid in the absorption of potential flooding, and attenuate and reduce wave energy during storms (Conservation Tools 2016; TEEB 2016). Figure 2-10 shows the correlation between the location of Special Flood Hazard Areas and floodplains. While floodplains have extensive ecological benefits, development within floodplains can be detrimental to both the hydrologic cycle of the watershed and to the buildings and structures within the floodplain.
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Source: FEMA, FDEP, and USFWS 2016*; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a. *Note: Data compiled in 2016 by NWFWMD staff using 2015 FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area data, 2016 preliminary FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area data (for Okaloosa County), 2013 wetlands land use data, and 2014 National Wetlands Inventory data. Figure 2-10 Floodplains and Wetlands
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2.5.2 Nutrient Cycling
Wetlands, floodplains, and riparian areas aid in distributing nutrients from their overstory vegetation litter to the wider ecosystem during flooding events. Wetland and riparian vegetation and associated root systems also aid in the attenuation of excess nutrients in stormwater runoff from upland areas, as well as reduce the amount of exposed soil, thus reducing the potential for erosion and downstream sedimentation.
2.5.3 Sediment Stabilization
Coastal features, including the watershed’s extensive salt marshes, oyster reefs, and barrier islands and peninsulas (e.g., Santa Rosa Island), aid in the buffering of storm impacts, shoreline erosion, and sedimentation. During coastal storms, these features help protect the mainland by acting as wind buffers and absorbing potential flooding (Conservation Tools 2016; Florida Division of Recreation and Parks 2016a). Among the essential functions of natural coastal features is to ensure long-term resiliency, including adapting to coastal change and protecting human communities and natural systems from shoreline erosion.
2.5.4 Commercially and Recreationally Important Fish and Wildlife
The numerous waterbodies and wetlands within the Pensacola Bay watershed are critical to the health of economically important fisheries in the area. Freshwater rivers, streams, and some swamps within the watershed provide a variety of recreational fishing opportunities as they support popular species such as freshwater catfish (Ictalurus spp.), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), and redear sunfish (shellcracker) (Lepomis microlophus) (Florida Division of Recreation and Parks 2016b; FWC 2016b; University of Florida Conservation Clinic 2010). Freshwater systems also provide habitat for many species of migratory waterfowl of interest to recreational hunters in the region, including rails, common moorhen, snipe, ducks, geese, coot, and woodcock (FWC 2015a). Source: Photo by Doug Heatwole. In addition to the commercial shellfish (Figure 2- Figure 2-11 Recreational fishing is 11) and seafood industries, recreational fishing important draw for tourists to the generated $691,547 in total sales in Gulf Coastal watershed.
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Florida, making it a major economic driver in the region (U.S. Department of Commerce [USDOC] 2012).
Waterbodies within the Pensacola Bay watershed also support local subsistence fisheries. Subsistence fishing refers to fishing carried out primarily for the purpose of obtaining food (or money for food), rather than participation in the commercial or strictly recreational fishing industry. A study sponsored by Impact Assessment, Inc., under contract from the National Marine Fisheries Service in 2003, focused on Florida’s west coast, investigating fishing- dependent communities (Huang 2003). Since the late 1970s, subsistence communities throughout the Panhandle have experienced a population decline due to increases in shoreline development, overfishing, and permit requirements (Huang 2003). The health and public access of the waterbodies within the Pensacola Bay watershed (and other Florida watersheds) are essential for those utilizing fisheries for subsistence. The Bream Fishermen Association, further discussed in Section 6.2.5, is an officially chartered non-profit organization of local fishermen that monitors water quality across Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties to help protect and maintain the natural resources that support fishing and hunting within the watershed.
Surface waters within the Pensacola Bay watershed are classified by the state of Florida (FDEP) as either Class II or III. Portions of Pensacola Bay, Santa Rosa Sound, and Blackwater Bay and most or all of Escambia Bay and East Bay, including some of their tributaries, are designated as Class II or shellfish propagation/harvesting waters because they include commercially viable oyster beds that are safe for harvesting due to suitable water quality. Class II waterbodies are afforded the second highest degree of water quality protection from the state. Although shellfish harvesting is prohibited in the Blackwater Bay, restoration and maintenance of the oyster beds, seagrasses, and wetland areas will improve water quality before it reaches the shell fishing areas of the southern portion of the basin (University of Florida Conservation Clinic 2010). All other waters in the Pensacola Bay watershed are designated Class III or recreation/propagation/fish and wildlife waters as they do not meet the same water quality standards as Class II waters (NWFWMD 1990). Recreational fishing occurs throughout the Pensacola Bay watershed including the Gulf Islands National Seashore; however, commercial fishing, including shrimping and crabbing, is prohibited within waters of the National Seashore (National Parks Service 2016).
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Source: FDACS 2016b, NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a. Figure 2-12 Approved Shellfish Harvesting Areas
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The watershed contains significant areas that are approved or conditionally approved for shellfish harvesting (see Figure 2-12). All waters in the Blackwater River, the Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve, Fort Pickens Aquatic Preserve, and Gulf Islands National Seashore, are designated “Outstanding Florida Waters” and receive additional protection to maintain ambient conditions with no degradation. Some commercially and recreationally important fish and shellfish of the Pensacola Bay watershed include shrimp (Penaeus spp.), eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus), Bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli), red drum or redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus), blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), Gulf flounder (Paralichthys albigutta), striped mullet (Mugil cephalus), and white mullet (Mugil curema). Shrimp harvests within the watershed are reduced from historical levels, and the scallop population predominantly in Santa Rosa Sound, which peaked during the late 1960s, is virtually non- existent today (Lewis et al. 2016).
2.5.5 Recreation and Aesthetic Value
The waterbodies and wetlands within the Pensacola Bay watershed offer other important recreational values besides fishing, as tourists are attracted to the Florida Panhandle for the mild climate, beaches, golfing, hunting, boating, and other water sports (FWC 2014). Increases in visitors utilizing water resources leads to economic growth of surrounding communities, as visitors will financially contribute not only to recreational activities associated with the water, but also to hotels, restaurants, and retail establishments.
As observed in many coastal areas, ecotourism is becoming an increasingly essential component of the economic health of communities within the watershed. Public and private entities such as state and national parks, preserves, conservation lands, and management areas (described in Section 3.3) attract tourists, leading to increased awareness and protection of valuable natural resources. The presence of diverse habitats, as well as rare, imperiled, endemic, and protected species, are additional drivers for people to visit and contribute to the watershed. In 2014, the Escambia County and Santa Rosa County extension offices launched a program called Naturally EscaRosa to help both locals and visitors locate both agritourism and ecotourism opportunities in the area (University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences [UF-IFAS] 2016a). According to the Florida State Parks System Direct Economic Impact Assessment, the Blackwater Heritage Trail and Blackwater River State Park hosted a cumulative total of 175,881 visitors in the 2013/2014 fiscal year and generated total economic impacts ranging from $5–$7 million while directly supporting nearly 200 jobs (FDEP 2014a). Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park also saw an increase in annual visitors from 283 to 4,677 total visitors between 2010
33 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT and 2014 (FDEP 2011a, 2014a). This suggests that there is a high demand for pristine natural areas for recreation visits in the Pensacola Bay watershed.
The Pensacola Bay watershed also provides visual aesthetics; thereby, facilitating local art and community-based activities. Nature has always played a role in creative expression and Florida, in particular, has influenced countless artists (both local and visiting). By working to conserve natural areas, communities can nurture the artistic spirit and promote future generations to continue preserving and utilizing nature for artistic expression (TNC 2016a). Museums, fishing tournaments, and festivals revolving around local art, seafood, and other cultural affairs are important economic drivers, as well as opportunities to bring communities together around heritage and the unique natural environment found in the area. Some of these events include the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival, Galley Nights, and Feature Artist Shows in Pensacola, and various fresh and saltwater fishing tournaments such as the Pensacola Fishing Rodeo (Pensacola Big Game Fishing Club 2016). In Florida, arts and culture are the number one driver for in-state tourism and the number two driver for out-of-state tourists (Destination Analysts 2015).
2.6 Ecological Resources
The Pensacola Bay watershed supports a diversity of natural habitats, including upland, coastal, transitional, wetland, aquatic, estuarine, and marine communities (FNAI 2010). Natural Communities are characterized and defined by a combination of physiography, vegetation structure and composition, topography, land form, substrate, soil moisture condition, climate, and fire. They are named for their most characteristic biological or physical feature (FNAI 2010). Based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis of the Pensacola Bay watershed, there are 31 unique natural communities within 15 broader community categories recognized by the FNAI.
Among these natural communities are aquatic systems with a wide range of salinity levels that support a wealth of biological diversity, including a number of rare and/or endemic species. The Pensacola Bay system currently supports at least 1,400 estuarine plant and animal species, in addition to migratory species, which are not dependent upon the bay system. Migratory species make up a substantial part of the basin’s biological resources (Lewis et al. 2016). Approximately 342,800 acres, or 23 percent, of the watershed is comprised of wetlands providing habitat for species that depend on wetlands for all or a portion of their lifecycle (FDEP and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS] 2016). Aquatic habitats within the watershed include salt marshes, seagrass beds, and oyster reefs. These habitats support wintering migratory waterfowl and many marine organisms, including juvenile sea turtles and commercially and recreationally important fish and shellfish. More than 200 species of fin and shellfish have been reported in the waters of
34 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT the Pensacola Bay system, including five diadromous species: Alabama shad (Alosa alabamae), skipjack herring (Alosa chrysochloris), hogchocker (Trinectes maculatus), Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus oxyrhynchus), and American eel (Anguilla rostrate) (FDACS 2013b; University of Florida Conservation Clinic 2010).
This section provides a summary of habitats and natural communities found in the watershed, particularly those most-influenced by surface water management activities, as well as information about some of the more important biological resources associated with them. More detailed information on the habitats and natural communities observed in the Pensacola Bay watershed, as well as the species those habitats support, are described in Appendices B and C (FNAI 2010, 2016a, 2016b, 2016c).
2.6.1 Seagrass Beds
Seagrass beds in the Pensacola Bay watershed (Figure 2-13) are considered extremely important as they provide crucial protective and foraging habitat for many marine species and are critical to the spawning cycle of many fish and invertebrate species, many of which are of great commercial and recreational significance to the area. Among these are shrimp, eastern oysters, spotted seatrout, Gulf menhaden, red drum or redfish, blue crab,, Gulf flounder (Paralichthys albigutta), striped mullet (Mugil cephalus), and white mullet (Lewis et al. 2016). Seagrass meadows are largely limited to Santa Rosa Sound (Lewis et al. 2016). Seagrass beds are a protected habitat recognized by both the state and federal agencies. Five species of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) have been found in Pensacola Bay and include: widgeon grass (Ruppia maritime), shoal grass (Halodule wrightii), manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme), star grass (Halophila engelmannii), and turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) (Schwenning et al. 2002).
2.6.2 Oyster Reefs
The availability of hard substrate for colonization is a determining factor for the establishment of oyster reefs. Although hard substrate is not particularly common in the Pensacola Bay system, East Bay has historically supported healthy oyster populations. Oyster reefs have been widely demonstrated to improve water quality, protect shorelines by abating wave energy, stabilize bottom sediments, and provide habitat for fish, crab, and other invertebrates (Lewis et al. 2016). The most current assessments report approximately 235 to 245 acres of oyster reef habitat within the Pensacola Bay system, including reefs that are closed for harvesting. Of this total area, it is estimated that approximately 75 percent of oyster reefs occur in East Bay (Lewis et al. 2016).
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2.6.3 Emergent Marsh
In the salt marshes and nearshore tidal areas, species are adapted to the highly variable temperatures and salinities. Some species migrate in and out as necessary to take advantage of the food and shelter derived from the primary coastal habitats such as oyster reefs, marshes, and seagrasses (Lewis et al. 2016). Salt marsh communities within the Pensacola Bay watershed include both tidal marsh and floodplain marsh. Marsh species composition is influenced by a combination of salinity tolerance and differences in soil type, elevations, and competitive interactions. Salt marshes are similar to brackish marshes in that they serve as a transition between terrestrial and marine systems. Generally, salt marshes are intertidal and develop along relatively low energy shorelines. Unlike brackish marshes, they may be found under significantly more saline conditions. Salt marshes in the Florida Panhandle are usually characterized by large, fairly homogeneous expanses of dense black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus). Often, they are accompanied on the water-ward side by smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). The Juncus and Spartina zones are very distinctive and can be separated easily by elevation.
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Source: FWC 2011, 2015b; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a Figure 2-13 Seagrass and Salt Marsh Coverage
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Salt marshes are among the most productive plant communities on Earth (Fernald and Purdum 1998). Among the most abundant and productive species found in salt marshes are mussels, oysters, fiddler crabs (Uca sp.), marsh periwinkles (Littoraria irrorata), crown conchs (Melogena corona), mullet, and blue crabs. Emergent freshwater and brackish marshes are dominated by sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense), maidencane (Panicum hemitomon), giant cutgrass (Zizaniopsis miliacea), and cattails (Typha spp.), but may contain large interspersed patches of black needlerush. In contrast with more coastal salt marshes, these sites lack the extensive salt flats of saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), glasswort (Salicornia spp.), and salt barrens. Thirteen species of common waterfowl also winter in Pensacola Bay salt marshes (Lewis 1986).
Floodplain marsh occurs in the floodplains of the watershed’s major river systems. These marshes are seasonally inundated and are dominated by maidencane, pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), sagittaria, buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), wax myrtle (Myrica spp.), and other mixed emergent vegetation. Floodplain marsh covers approximately 2,400 acres at the mouth of the Yellow River. In addition to the marsh species, patchy stands of hardwoods and water tolerant pine trees have become established on small "islands" of higher elevation in the marsh (Gardner 1990).
2.6.4 Coastal Barrier Systems
The Pensacola Bay watershed has a coastal barrier system consisting of Santa Rosa Island. The barrier system consists of many unique habitats and natural systems including beaches, foredune and relic dunes habitat, tidal marsh, brackish ponds and lagoons, coastal grasslands, and upland forest and scrub communities (National Park Service 2014). Barrier islands and peninsulas buffer adjacent bays and coastal areas from storm impacts and create calm saline conditions in landward waters, which promotes seagrass establishment. The majority of Santa Rosa Island is managed by the National Parks Service as part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach are pubic beaches that divide tracts of National Park Service land on the island (National Park Service 2014).
2.6.5 Palustrine, Riparian, and Floodplain Habitats
The Pensacola Bay watershed includes globally rare shifting white sand bottom river systems, such as the Blackwater and Yellow Rivers. The Blackwater River and Blackwater Bay are home to three threatened fish species including the Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhinchus desotoi), the Alabama shad, and the blackmouth shiner (Notropis melanostomus) (FDACS 2013b). The Escambia River supports 85 species of fish, the most for any Florida river (FWC 2016c).
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Riparian habitats include those areas along waterbodies that serve as an interface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Riparian areas are important fish and wildlife habitats that promote ecological diversity and assist in mitigating or controlling NPS pollution. Riparian vegetation can be effective in removing excess nutrients and sediment from surface runoff and shallow groundwater and in shading streams to optimize light and temperature conditions for aquatic plants and animals. Riparian vegetation, especially trees, is also effective in stabilizing streambanks and slowing flood flows, resulting in reduced downstream flood peaks. Major floodplains within the watershed are found along the Escambia, Yellow, Shoal, and Blackwater rivers.
Pitcher plant bogs can be found scattered throughout the Blackwater River State Forest, Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park, and Garcon Point Water Management Area (FDACS 2013b; Florida Division of Recreation and Parks 2016c; FNAI 2010). They occur in isolated depressions of somewhat poorly drained soils and contain a high diversity of rare plants. American chaffseed (Schwalbaea americana), a federally endangered species, has been documented at one of the seepage slopes in the Blackwater State River Forest (FDACS 2013b).
The Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park includes tracts of wet prairie, which are classified by the FNAI as imperiled habitats in the State of Florida because of their rarity (Florida Division of Recreation and Parks 2016c; FNAI 2010). Nearly 20 rare and endangered species of plants and animals make their homes in the wet prairies, dome swamps, and flatwoods of the park. Wet prairies support some of the most diverse plant communities in the southeast including a population of unique carnivorous plants (Florida Division of Recreation and Parks 2016c).
2.6.6 Terrestrial Communities
Terrestrial habitats within the Pensacola Bay watershed include bluffs, mesic flatwoods, sandhill and scrub communities, scrubby flatwoods, slope forests, upland hardwood forests, wet flatwoods, and xeric hammock. The conditions of these habitats vary widely across the watershed, depending on land use, land management, and other factors.
Many of the native pine forests have been cut for timber, cleared for agriculture, or intensively managed for silviculture. As a result, the watershed’s uplands are now a mosaic of natural regeneration forests, pine plantations, agricultural lands, and developed areas (NWFWMD 1990). Terrestrial communities also support a number of threatened and endangered species. Federally listed species within the watershed include the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), gopher frogs (Rana capito), the reticulated flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma bishopi), the eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi), and the red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides
39 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENTDOCUMENT borealis), all of which have been documented on the watershed’s conservation lands including the Blackwater River State Park (FDEP 2016a). The Blackwater River State Forest is part of a series of contiguous conservation lands, including the Conecuh National Forest and Eglin AFB. Together, these lands constitute the largest remaining contiguous area of the mature longleaf pine forest ecosystem in the world and support one of the largest populations of red-cockaded woodpecker habitat on state-owned lands (FDACS 2013b).
2.6.7 Migratory Bird Flyways
The Florida Panhandle falls within two major migratory bird biological flyways; the Atlantic Flyway, and the Mississippi Flyway. “Biological” flyways delineate the major migration corridors, while “administrative” flyways are based on the state jurisdictional boundaries that best mimic biological flyways for management purposes. The state of Florida falls within the Atlantic administrative flyway, and the Pensacola Bay watershed is within the Mississippi biological flyway. This migratory route generally follows the Mississippi River on the west and the Appalachian Mountains on the east (Bird Nature 2001). Millions of individuals representing over 325 bird species use this route to travel from their breeding grounds in the northern U.S. and Canada to their wintering grounds along the Gulf of Mexico and in Central and South America (Audubon 2011). Many of these species, including least terns (Sternula antillarum), Wilson’s plover (Charadrius wilsonia), piping plovers (Charadrius melodus), American oystercatchers (Haematopus palliates), and others, occur throughout the Pensacola Bay watershed and across a wide variety of habitats. Many of these are area transients, using this area as a resting/feeding ground for summer or winter migrations. Others are accidental visitors, far from their native ranges. Many of those birds and their critical habitats were affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (Audubon 2011).
Twenty-three USFWS-designated Birds of Conservation Concern have been surveyed on Blackwater River State Forest (FDACS 2013b). A list of protected species occurring within the watershed is contained in Appendix B. Among these resources are expansive seagrass beds and other habitats supporting diverse populations of fish and invertebrates, migratory birds utilizing the Mississippi Flyway, and a multitude of commercial and recreationally important fish and shellfish species.
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3.1 Introduction 3.1 Introduction Increasing population, industrialization, and development in northwest Florida 3.2 Water Quality and southern Alabama are correlated with land use changes and an increased 3.3 Habitat Quality need for added infrastructure. The Pensacola Bay watershed experiences water in Receiving quality challenges across both states. Because it is both large and heavily Waters developed in certain areas, the Pensacola Bay watershed has a wide variety of water quality concerns, as well as a history of poor water quality resulting from 3.4 Floodplains large industrial and municipal discharges. Agricultural and silvicultural 3.5 Unique Features activities that generate NPS pollution are concentrated in the upper reaches of and Special the watershed, while urban point and NPS pollution are long-term challenges in Resource the southern portion of the watershed. With proper planning and management Management practices, the impacts of human activities and development that can diminish Designations the overall health of the ecosystem and its many benefits for the people and communities can be reduced.
The following summary of issues related to water quality, point and NPS pollution, eutrophication, harmful algal blooms (HABs), conserved and managed lands, and floodplains should inform future planning, development, preservation, and restoration efforts within the watershed.
Further discussion on management activities for water quality protection and improvement, such as best management practices (BMPs), land use planning, and other water quality protection and improvement techniques, can be found in Section 6.0.
3.2 Water Quality
The Pensacola Bay watershed has a history of poor water quality. Notably in the 1970s, Escambia Bay was analyzed by the EPA after large industrial and municipal discharges occurred, including a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) spill in 1969 and fish kills from DO depletion in Escambia and Pensacola Bay systems (Duke et al. 1970; EPA 1972; Olinger et al. 1975). Recent tissue analysis of shellfish and mullet in Escambia Bay detected the presence of PCBs, polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, and polychlorodibenzofurans more than 20 years after initial releases of pollutants such as PCBs, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), dioxins, and furans
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(Karouna-Renier et al. 2007; Liebens and Morherr 2015). The following discussion identifies impaired waterbodies (per FDEP) throughout the Pensacola Bay watershed, the potential sources of pollution responsible for those impairments, and ecological indicators of water quality.
3.2.1 Impaired Waters
All states are required to submit lists of impaired waters (waters too polluted or degraded to meet state water quality standards, including applicable water quality criteria and designated uses, such as drinking water, recreation, and shellfish harvesting) to the EPA under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) (EPA 2016b). In Florida, the FDEP is responsible for identifying impaired waters and submitting the lists to the EPA.
Of the 350 waterbody segments in Florida’s portion of the Pensacola Bay system, the FDEP has identified 74 impaired segments with 97 total impairments, including 57 segments for mercury in fish tissue, 34 segments for bacteria (17 for fecal coliforms, nine for beach advisories, eight for shellfish harvesting classification), five segments for nutrients, and one segment for dissolved oxygen (DO) (FDEP 2014b). Since some of the segments are impaired for more than one pollutant, the number of impairments exceeds the total number of impaired segments. The impaired waters and the pollutant causing the impairment are shown in Figure 3-1 and Figure 3- 2. The list of impaired waters, including the pollutant causing the impairment, can be found in Appendix D. The list is based on data current through June 2012 (FDEP 2014b). The state is scheduled to adopt an updated list of impaired waters for the watershed, with data current through June 2017, in late 2018.
Authorities in Florida issue human fish consumption advisories for mercury in fish tissue. The advisories are issued by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) in cooperation with the FWC and the FDEP. Current fish consumption advisories within the Pensacola Bay watershed can be found at the FDOH website (www.floridahealth.gov). Health advisories prohibiting the harvesting of shellfish due to potential bacterial contamination are issued by FDACS. Shellfish advisories and seasonal closures within the Pensacola Bay watershed can be found on the FWC website (www.myfwc.com), and the FDACS website (http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Aquaculture/Shellfish-Harvesting-Area- Classification). The FDEP identified eight waterbody segments as verified impaired for bacteria in the Pensacola Bay watershed, based on shell fish classifications issued by the FDACS (FDEP 2014b):
Escambia Bay North (waterbody identification number [WBID] 548AC; Escambia Bay (South Segment) (WBID 548B;
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Pensacola Bay (North Segment) (WBID 548C); Blackwater Bay (South Segment (WBID 548GB); East Bay (WBID 548H); East Bay River (Marine Portion) (WBID 701A);
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Source: FDEP 2014b; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a. Figure 3-1 Currently Listed Impaired Waterbody Segments for Mercury
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Source: FDEP 2014b; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a. Figure 3-2 Currently Listed Impaired Waterbody Segments for Pollutants other than Mercury
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Tom King Bayou (WBID 833A); and Santa Rosa Sound (WBID 915).
County health departments in the state of Florida monitor beaches and other public swimming areas for bacterial contamination and issue health advisories closing beaches when bacterial counts are too high. Beaches that have more than 21 beach closures in a year are identified as impaired by FDEP. The FDEP identified nine beach segments as verified impaired for bacteria in the Pensacola Bay system, based on beach closures by local health departments (FDEP 2014a):
Bay Bluffs Park (WBID 548BB); Navy Point (WBID 548FB); Bayview Park Pier (WBID 738AB); Bayou Chico Beach (WBID 846CB); Sanders Beach (WBID 848DA); Woodlawn Beach (WBID 915A); Navarre Park Highway 98 (WBID 915B); Liza Jackson Park (WBIB 915C); and Marler Park (WBID 915D).
3.2.2 Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Assessments
A TMDL represents the maximum amount of a given pollutant a waterbody can assimilate and still meet water quality standards, including its applicable water quality criteria and designated uses (such as drinking water, recreation, and shellfish harvesting). TMDLs are developed for waterbodies that are verified as not meeting adopted water quality standards to support their designated use. TMDLs provide important water quality restoration goals to guide restoration activities. They identify the reductions in pollutant loading required to restore water quality.
Figure 3-3 and Table 3-1 shows the TMDLs adopted by FDEP in the Pensacola Bay system: 12 for fecal coliform, four for nutrients, one for DO, and 81 for mercury (FDEP 2016b). FDEP is scheduled to develop TMDLs for the remaining impairments over the next ten years (FDEP 2012b, 2012c, 2012d, 2012e, 2012f, 2013a, 2014a).
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Source: FDEP 2016c; NOAA 2015; USGS 2015, 2016a. Figure 3-3 Non-mercury TMDLs in the Watershed
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Table 3-1 TMDLs Adopted by FDEP
Waterbody Name WBID(s) Fecal Coliform Bayou Chico 846 Jones Creek 846A Jackson Creek 846B Bayou Chico Beach 846CB Sanders Beach 848DA Escambia River 10F Texar Bayou 738 Carpenter Creek 676 Blackwater River (Tidal) 24AB Yellow River 30 Turkey Creek 117 East Bay River (Marine Portion) 701A Nutrients North Escambia Bay 548AA Judges Bayou 493B Bayou Chico 846 Bayou Chico 846C Dissolved Oxygen Judges Bayou (WBID 493A) 493A Mercury Blackwater River 24 Blackwater River 24A Blackwater River (Freshwater Segment) 24AA Blackwater River (Tidal) 24AB Blackwater River 24B Blackwater River 24C Blackwater River 24D Escambia River 10A Escambia River 10B Escambia River 10C Escambia River 10D Escambia River 10E Woodbine Springs Lake 10EA Escambia River 10F Escambia River 10G Judges Bayou (Tidal Segment) 493B Jakes Bayou (Marine Portion) 537 Mulatto Bayou 539
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Escambia Bay (N) 548A Escambia Bay (North Segment) 548AA Escambia Bay North (Shellfish) 548AC Escambia Bay (South Segment) 548B Pensacola Bay (North Segment) 548C Pensacola Bay (Middle Segment) 548D Pensacola Bay (Mouth) 548E Bayou Grande 548F Blackwater Bay 548G Blackwater Bay (North Segment) 548GA Blackwater Bay (South Segment) 548GB East Bay 548H Direct Runoff to Bay 600 Indian Bayou 649 Trout Bayou 694 Texar Bayou 738 Bayou Grande 740 Gulf of Mexico (Escambia County; Pensacola Bay) 8002 Gulf of Mexico (Escambia County; Santa Rosa Island) 8003 Gulf of Mexico (Escambia County; Santa Rosa Island) 8004 Gulf of Mexico (Santa Rosa County; Santa Rosa Island) 8005 Gulf of Mexico (Okaloosa County; Santa Rosa County) 8006 Gulf of Mexico (Okaloosa County; Choctawhatchee Bay) 8007 Direct Runoff to Bay 829 Tom King Bayou 833A Direct Runoff to Bay 834 Bayou Chico 846 Bayou Chico Drain 846C Williams Bayou 864 Direct Runoff to Bay 893 Santa Rosa Sound 915 Direct Runoff to Bay 925 Direct Runoff to Gulf 930 Yellow River 30 Yellow River 30A Yellow River 30B Yellow River 30C Yellow River 30D Yellow River 30E Rock Creek 23 Hickory Hammock Creek 502 Floridatown Park 548AB
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Bay Bluffs Park 548BB Garcon Point 548CB Redfish Point 548CC Navy Point 548FB Bayview Park Pier 738AB Fort Pickens 8002A Sabine Yacht And Racket 8003D Pensacola Beach 8003E Santa Rosa Island Park 8004B County Park East 8004C Navarre Beach Pier 8006A El Matador 8007A Tom King Creek 833 Bayou Chico Beach 846CB Sanders Beach 848DA Woodlawn Beach 915A Navarre Park Highway 98 915B Liza Jackson Park 915C Marler Park 915D Quiet Water Beach 915E Shoreline Park 915F Source: FDEP 2016b.
The FDEP has adopted a statewide TMDL for reducing the human health risks associated with consuming fish taken from waters impaired for mercury. Mercury impairments are based upon potential human health risks (fish consumption advisories), not exceedances of water quality criteria. There are no known relationships between environmental and ecological conditions and mercury levels in fish. The primary source of mercury is atmospheric deposition with 30 percent from natural sources and 70 percent from anthropogenic international sources outside of North America. It is estimated that approximately 0.5 percent of mercury from anthropogenic sources is from Florida (FDEP 2013b). Only a very small part of mercury in the environment is in the form of methylated mercury, which is biologically available and able to enter the food chain. For these reasons, the statewide TMDL that FDEP has adopted for mercury includes a reduction target for fish consumption by humans and by wildlife and an 86 percent reduction in mercury from mercury sources in Florida (FDEP 2013b).
TMDLs are implemented through the development and adoption of Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) that identify the management actions necessary to reduce the pollutant loads. A BMAP was adopted by FDEP in 2011 to implement five fecal coliform TMDLs and restore water quality in Bayou Chico, which is located in the southern end of Escambia County, just east of Blue Angel Parkway and north of Bayou Grande (FDEP 2011b, 2016d). The waterbodies
50 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT addressed by the BMAP include Bayou Chico, which discharges directly to Pensacola Bay, and the following six waterbody segments, all of which flow into Bayou Chico and the bay: Jones Creek (WBID 846A), Jackson Creek (WBID 846B), Bayou Chico Drain (WBID 846C), Bayou Chico Beach (at Lakewood Park) (WBID 846CB), Bayou Chico proper (WBIDs 846), and Sanders Beach (WBID 848DA) (FDEP 2008a, 2008b, 2011b).
The BMAP was developed in partnership with the City of Pensacola, Escambia County; the Escambia County Health Department, the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA); the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT); the Bayou Chico Association; the U.S. Navy, and the Bay Area Resource Council. As discussed in Section 6.1.3, the NFWF, in partnership with the FDEP, ECUA, and City of Pensacola, is contributing $11,032,300 toward the restoration of Bayou Chico.
Following re-evaluation of the original analysis, a number of segments were removed from the state’s impaired waters list because available data indicated that the water in each segment does not meet the criteria for listing established in Rule 62-303.420, F.A.C.. Fifty-five impairments have been removed from the list based on new data showing that the waters are no longer impaired for the pollutant for which they were originally listed (Table 3-2) (FDEP 2014c).
Table 3-2 Waterbody Segments Removed from the Impaired Waters List
Water Segment Name WBID1 Parameter that is No Longer Impaired Big Escambia Creek 10 Fecal Coliform Big Escambia Creek 10 Turbidity Big Escambia Creek 10 Turbidity Murder Creek 107 Dissolved Oxygen Murder Creek 107 Fecal Coliform Escambia River 10C Turbidity Escambia River 10D Turbidity Escambia River 10E Turbidity Escambia River 10F Turbidity Turkey Creek 117 Turbidity West Fork 11A Nutrients (Chlorophyll-a) Manning Creek 127 Fecal Coliform Manning Creek 127 Turbidity Manning Creek 127 Turbidity Little Creek 144 Fecal Coliform Big Coldwater Creek 18 Turbidity East Fork 18A Turbidity Blackwater River (Tidal) 24AB Turbidity Blackwater River 24B Fecal Coliform
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Blackwater River 24D Fecal Coliform Crooked Creek 316 Dissolved Oxygen Crooked Creek 316 Fecal Coliform Crooked Creek 316 Nutrients (Chlorophyll-a) Crooked Creek 316 Turbidity Crooked Creek 316 Turbidity Bray Mill Creek 36 Nutrients (Chlorophyll-a) Pace Mill Creek 420 Fecal Coliform Pace Mill Creek 420 Turbidity Pace Mill Creek 420 Turbidity Judges Bayou (Tidal Segment) 493B Dissolved Oxygen Mulatto Bayou 539 Dissolved Oxygen Mulatto Bayou 539 Fecal Coliform Escambia Bay (North Segment) 548AA Fecal Coliform Escambia Bay (North Segment) 548AA Turbidity Escambia Bay (North Segment) 548AA Turbidity Escambia Bay North (Shellfish) 548AC Dissolved Oxygen Escambia Bay North (Shellfish) 548AC Turbidity Escambia Bay North (Shellfish) 548AC Turbidity Escambia Bay (South Segment) 548B Turbidity Pensacola Bay (Mouth) 548E Copper Pensacola Bay (Mouth) 548E Dissolved Oxygen Pensacola Bay (Mouth) 548E Lead Pensacola Bay (Mouth) 548E Turbidity Bayou Grande 548F Dissolved Oxygen Indian Bayou 649 Dissolved Oxygen Indian Bayou 649 Fecal Coliform East Bay River (Marine Portion) 701A Turbidity Jones Creek 846A Nutrients (Chlorophyll-a) Jackson Creek 846B Dissolved Oxygen Jackson Creek 846B Turbidity Bayou Chico Drain 846C Turbidity Bayou Chico Drain 846C Turbidity Little Pine Barren Creek 87 Fecal Coliform Little Pine Barren Creek 87 Turbidity Mare Creek 88 Turbidity Source: FDEP 2014a. Key: 1 – Waterbody ID Number
To restore waterbodies with impaired water quality, protect public health, preserve valuable habitat, natural resources, and ecosystem services, and ensure long-term sustainability and resilience, it is critical to identify sources of point and NPS pollution, causes of degradation, and
52 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT the current status and health of natural systems and floodplains within the watershed. A comprehensive understanding of watershed conditions and resource issues will inform and facilitate management actions, including planning and permitting.
3.2.3 Point Source Pollution
The EPA defines point source pollution as any discernible, confined, and discrete conveyance from which pollutants are or may be discharged including, but not limited to, any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, concentrated animal feeding operation, or vessel or other floating craft (EPA 2015a). Examples of point sources include industrial facilities, landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, mines and borrow pits, military sites, and marinas, among others. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), administered by the EPA, is the permitting program authorized to regulate point source pollution. Within Florida, this permitting has been delegated to the FDEP.
Permits for point source facilities are reviewed and renewed at designated intervals. Specific permits are issued based on the results of water quality-based effluent limit studies. The NPDES Permit Writers’ Manual encourages permit writers to consider the impact of every proposed surface water discharge on the quality of the receiving water.
There are currently 1,203 Florida facilities permitted through the NPDES in the Pensacola Bay watershed, including construction permits and other discharges. Together, these facilities hold a total of 1,340 permits, with some facilities holding multiple permits for multiple types of discharges. For example, a wastewater treatment facility may be registered in two different NPDES databases and hold a permit for both bio-solids and stormwater.
The majority of permitted facilities are concentrated in the coastal areas of the watershed, primarily in the incorporated area of Pensacola. Of the watershed’s total permits, approximately one third are for activities within the Pensacola metropolitan area. Other major centers of NPDES activities are located near Milton, Navarre Beach, Gulf Breeze, Fort Walton Beach, DeFuniak Springs, and Crestview. Military installations, including Hurlburt Field and Eglin AFB, hold a total of 66 NPDES permits in the watershed.
Wastewater Treatment Facilities
Wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF), particularly those near streams, rivers, and the coast, as well as those constructed on highly permeable soils are potential sources of point source pollution. Wastewater discharges can introduce nutrients, bacteria, and other pollutants to surface
53 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT and groundwaters. There are 39 permitted domestic wastewater facilities and 33 industrial wastewater facilities active within the watershed, as well as one power plant. (Figure 3-4)
54 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Source: FDEP 2015b; NOAA2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a. Figure 3-4 Permitted Wastewater Facilities within the Pensacola Bay Watershed
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There is some concern from stakeholders that the town of Milton Wastewater Treatment facility could be a potential source of contaminants including nutrients and bacteria to the Blackwater River. Although there were upgrades to the plant in 2006 (City of Milton 2010), there are portions of the plant that are much older and under high flow conditions, could leak or overflow (University of Florida Conservation Clinic 2010).
Prior to 2010, ECUA’s Main Street WWTF in downtown Pensacola was permitted to treat 20 million gallons per day (mgd), with effluent discharge directly into Pensacola Bay. Although plans were made in 2003 to replace the aging WWTF with a new facility at a different location, Hurricane Ivan struck in 2004, causing significant damage before a new facility was built (Haag 2009). Prior to Hurricane Ivan, the Main Street WWTF did not have emergency generators, a lack of infrastructure which caused flooding and sewage leakages in downtown Pensacola during the storm (Haag 2009). A new Advanced Wastewater Treatment Central Water Reclamation Facility was built in Cantonment following Hurricane Ivan. This facility, which is located at an elevation above the Category 5 storm surge level, began operation in 2010 (Haag 2009).
The Pensacola Beach WWTF is located on Via de Luna Drive on Pensacola Beach and has a permitted capacity of 2.4 mgd. Currently, the ECUA, in partnership with the Santa Rosa Island Authority, has a reuse program for using effluent to irrigate portions of the medians on Via de Luna and minimize disposal to Pensacola Sound. This reuse will reduce the draw on the community’s potable water source and eliminate some of the effluent discharge into local surface waters (ECUA 2016a, 2016b).
South Santa Rosa Utility System provides water and sewer service for developments east of the City of Gulf Breeze. The wastewater treatment facility has a 2.0 mgd capacity and supplies reuse water to both residential and commercial customers (City of Gulf Breeze 2016). The City of Milton’s WWTF, which discharges effluent into the Blackwater River, was upgraded in 2006 (ECUA 2016a, 2016b).
In 2010, 32 percent (or 8.8 mgd) of the total 27.3 mgd wastewater flows generated in Okaloosa, Walton, and Santa Rosa counties was reused to replace potable quality water. In 2010, approximately 1.18 mgd, or five percent, of the wastewater generated in Escambia County was reused at wastewater treatment facilities (NWFWMD 2013).
Public access reuse across the area included irrigation of golf courses, residential lawns, and landscapes. The majority of reclaimed water (14.3 mgd) was discharged to sprayfields, infiltration basins, and absorption fields. Approximately 3.9 mgd of reclaimed wastewater was disposed to surface waters and used for wetland augmentation. Holley-Navarre and South Santa
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Rosa Utility System reclaim nearly 100 percent of their wastewater and use it to replace potable quality water. Escambia County wastewater was reused at multiple wastewater treatment facilities, including the ECUA and Pensacola Beach WWTFs. In 2010, ECUA’s Central Water Reclamation Facility WWTF came online to replace the Main Street facility. The ECUA’s Central Water Reclamation Facility is expected to provide up to 31.85 mgd of reclaimed water (NWFWMD 2013).
Wastewater reclamation that supports beneficial reuse has the potential to further decrease pollution in surface waters, while also limiting or reducing potable water demand (NWFWMD 2013). For facilities that already have reuse programs, finding additional recipient sites could reduce non-domestic surface discharge into the watershed, as well as the demand for potable water. Potential recipient sites include irrigated public areas such as recreational fields and landscaped areas of public facilities, roadway medians, greenway trails, and irrigated agricultural fields, as well as golf courses and cooling towers.
Landfills and Solid Waste Disposal Facilities
Landfills and solid waste disposal facilities are a potential source of contamination to surface and groundwaters through the percolation of rainwater into waste materials and the leaching of soluble toxins. In the Pensacola Bay Table 3-3 Florida Solid Waste Facilities in the watershed, there are a total of 101 landfills and solid waste disposal Pensacola Bay Watershed facilities recognized by the FDEP, Type of Landfill/Solid Waste Number of including landfills, yard waste disposal Facility Facilities facilities, and construction and debris disposal landfills (Table 3-3). Many of Active Sites 26 these facilities are closed or inactive, Not Permitted/Registered 4 but may still pose a threat to water Inactive (Registered and Non- quality through the leaching of capped 52 Registered) waste if not managed properly. Replacing conventional covers with No-Further Action Facilities 13 evapotranspiration tree covers may offer Registered (No Further an effective means of protecting 5 Information) groundwater from contamination by landfill leachates (Abichou et al. 2012). Not Yet Determined 1
Source: FDEP 2016e. The majority of landfills and solid waste disposal facilities are located in the coastal reaches of the watershed in close proximity to the
57 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT major developed areas within and surrounding Pensacola, Milton, and on the Fairpoint Peninsula (Table 3-3). A comprehensive list of the solid waste facilities, their location, and status is maintained by the Solid Waste Section of the FDEP (FDEP 2016e).
Mines and Borrow Pits
Mining and extraction activities near waterbodies can cause turbidity, sedimentation, and smothering, if not managed appropriately. Mining activities within the watershed are largely associated with the Town of Century, on the northern Escambia-Santa Rosa county boarder, in the Pensacola metropolitan area, and just south and southeast of Milton. The USGS recognizes nine major mining operations within the Pensacola Bay watershed, including one perlite mine, two sulfur mines, and six sand and gravel mines.
FDEP identifies 59 mines and borrow pits within the watershed, many of which are located near streams, creeks, tributaries, and other waterbodies (FDEP 2014d, 2015c). Of these 59 mines, there are 42 sand mines, four clay mines, and 13 sand and clay mines.
Industrial Facilities and Superfund Sites
The extensive and historical industrial and manufacturing facilities located within the Pensacola urban area have had a profound effect on the bay system. Degradation of water and/or sediment by toxic chemicals, such as those used in industrial and manufactural processes, can cause significant impacts to surface water quality and the health of associated upland and aquatic habitats and generate contaminated food chains in which top predators are most significantly harmed. Chemical contaminants can also be harmful to humans, particularly through consumption of seafood containing elevated quantities of mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxin, and other harmful chemicals. Public health agencies monitor concentration levels of undesirable chemicals that occur in public natural resource land and recreational waters (EPA 2015b, 2015c).
Due to its large size and high amount of human disturbance, the Pensacola Bay watershed has multiple water quality concerns. In Florida’s portion of the Pensacola Bay watershed, there are 28 hazardous waste facilities registered as EPA Biennial Reporter facilities, 14 of which are in Pensacola. EPA Biennial Reporter facilities handle hazardous waste and are required to report to the EPA Administrator at least once every two years (EPA 2016c).
Additionally, 708 closed, four abandoned, and 389 active petroleum contamination tracking sites within the watershed are registered with the Storage Tank and Petroleum Contamination Monitoring (STCM) database. There are 32 contaminated dry cleaning sites eligible for the state-
58 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT funded Dry Cleaning Solvent Cleanup Program within the basin. The majority of STCM and dry cleaning sites are located in historically developed areas in the southern portion of the watershed in Pensacola and Milton, with additional sites in other developed areas including Crestview, Jay, Gulf Breeze, Baker, and other unincorporated communities.
There are currently five EPA National Priority List (NPL) Superfund sites within the Pensacola Bay watershed including:
NAS Pensacola; American Creosote Works, Inc.; Agrico Chemical Co.; Escambia Treating Co.; and NAS Whiting Field.
There are also 19 non-NPL Superfund sites located within the basin, 14 of which are located in Pensacola. A non-NPL site is a Superfund site that has not been placed on the NPL list through the EPA’s formal process for assessing hazardous waste sites; however, the EPA can take short- term cleanup actions on non-NPL sites under the emergency removal program.
The Agrico Chemical Company and Escambia Wood-Pensacola sites are located about one mile west of Bayou Texar. The primary aquifer underlying both sites is the sand-and-gravel aquifer, a 280-foot layer of poorly sorted, coarse-grained quartz sand. Horizontal and vertical permeability in this type of formation is very high, which facilitates the movement of contaminants into groundwater, as well as the movement of contaminated groundwater. Studies have shown that contaminated groundwater from these sites is migrating into Bayou Texar, which empties into Pensacola Bay (Mohrherr et al. 2005). The sand-and-gravel aquifer, which serves 13 Escambia County Utilities Authority wells within three miles of the site, is the primary source of drinking water for an estimated 114,000 people (EPA 1989, 2016e). The American Creosote Works site covers 1.5 acres in Pensacola, Florida, about 0.3 miles north of where Bayou Chico empties into Pensacola Bay. The USGS identified phenols in groundwater associated with American Creosote Works (USGS 1986).
The U.S. Navy has developed a program to monitor and control the environmental effects of activities involving hazardous substances at naval installations. According to the U.S. Navy and the EPA, the groundwater contamination at NAS Whiting Field does not pose a threat to people living and working near the site. Several short-term cleanups have significantly lowered contaminants levels (EPA 2016d). NAS Pensacola is bounded on the north by Bayou Grande and on the east and south by Pensacola Bay. The Navy has identified 34 areas potentially containing
59 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT hazardous waste. Some are now inactive and are largely without records. An estimated 15,000 people on NAS Pensacola and 30,000 customers of Peoples Water Company obtain drinking water from wells within three miles of hazardous substances on the NAS.
Marinas
Due to the location of marinas at the water's edge, there is a strong potential for marina waters to become contaminated with pollutants generated from the various activities that occur at marinas—such as boat cleaning, fueling operations, and marine head (sanitary sewage) discharge—or from the entry of stormwater runoff from parking lots and hull maintenance and repair areas into marina basins. Although some of these would be considered NPS pollution, many of them are point sources (e.g., hull painting, engine maintenance, etc.). Such facilities have the potential to release pollutants, including vessel wastewater, oil and grease, heavy metals, and other pollutants. Actual pollution from marinas can depend on the availability of pump-out facilities and the level and consistency of marina BMP implementation (FDEP 2015c, 2016d).
Marinas are common throughout the Pensacola Bay watershed, and range in size from large military-owned marinas to public facilities, and small, private marinas located on the watershed’s numerous bays and bayous. There are currently nine “Clean Marina” designations in the watershed including Whiting Park Marina NAS on Blackwater Bay, Santa Rosa Yacht and Boat Club on Santa Rosa Sound, five privately owned marinas on Bayou Chico, Hurlburt Field AFB Marina on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and NAS Pensacola Marina on Bayou Grande (FDEP 2015d).
A 1996 shellfish harvesting area survey of the Pensacola Bay system lists five major marinas in or adjacent to shellfish harvesting waters in the system, with four of them located on the northern shore of Pensacola Bay between Bayou Chico and Bayou Texar (Hudson and Wiggins 1996). A number of other docks and facilities used to serve boats are located throughout the system (NWFWMD 1997). Water quality will likely continue to improve if the uncertified marinas implement BMPs and become certified under the Florida Clean Marina Program.
3.2.4 Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution
Nonpoint source pollution is generated when stormwater runoff collects pollutants from across the landscape (lawns, pavement, highways, dirt roads, buildings, farms, forestry operations, and construction sites, etc.) and carries them into receiving waters. Pollutants entering the water in this way include nutrients, microbial pathogens, sediment, petroleum products, toxic metals, pesticides, and other contaminants. Pollutants entering the groundwater may also emerge in
60 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT surface waters via groundwater seepage and spring discharges. Typical categories of NPS pollution include surface runoff of stormwater from agricultural and urban lands, onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems (OSTDS) (e.g., septic tanks), as well as erosion and sedimentation from un-vegetated lands, including construction sites and unpaved roads. Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen, sulfur, mercury, and other toxic substances via fossil fuel combustion may also contribute to NPS pollution.
In addition to causing current water quality challenges, NPS pollution is likely to be one of the most significant threats to future environmental quality in the Pensacola Bay watershed. Increases in population and land use changes from rural to urban or suburban, especially in areas located near waterbodies, have the potential to increase stormwater runoff and associated pollutants into the watershed’s extensive estuarine system, as well as its three major riverine systems. Septic systems along the watershed’s river systems and coastal areas, stormwater runoff, and increased residential development may also contribute to nutrient loading downstream.
Basins dominated by upland forest, wetland-cover, and low densities of impervious surface tend to be associated with good water and habitat quality (Allan et al. 1997; Wang et al. 1997). Vegetation provides habitat, regulates runoff, maintains surface and surficial groundwater flow, prevents erosion, and moderates effects of floods and droughts. Wetland functions include floodwater storage, sediment and shoreline stabilization, and fish and wildlife habitat. Riparian and in-stream vegetation contribute to nutrient cycling and primary production, which may remove nutrient pollutants transported by stormwater, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, from surface water bodies. Urban areas typically have less vegetation and wetland areas that moderate flows and provide recharge, storage and treatment for runoff. Additionally, vegetated areas within urban zones tend to be heavily managed landscaped tracts where the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides pose additional concerns for NPS pollution and water quality (EPA 1993).
Urbanization and Stormwater
Stormwater is the main contributor to NPS pollution and is closely associated with land use. Urban land use, especially medium- to high-density residential, commercial, and industrial uses have the highest NPS pollution per acre due to increased impervious surface area that increases runoff and generates stormwater (EPA 2016e). In urban areas, lawns, roadways, buildings, and commercial and institutional properties all contribute to NPS pollution (EPA 2016e). Potential pollutants associated with stormwater include solids, oxygen-demanding substances, nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, pathogens, petroleum hydrocarbons, metals, and synthetic
61 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT organics (EPA 2016e). Urbanization causes the most severe environmental impacts associated with NPS pollution, including degraded water and sediment quality and physical degradation of benthic and littoral communities (Booth and Jackson 1997; Ferguson and Suckling 1990).
Intensive land use in the Pensacola Bay watershed is concentrated around the Pensacola metropolitan area, with additional development occurring around Milton, along the Fairpoint peninsula, and portions of Santa Rosa Island, and unincorporated communities, particularly in the coastal portion of the basin.
In the Pensacola Bay watershed, 16 municipalities currently hold Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System ([MS4] NPDES Stormwater) permits for stormwater conveyance (not combined with sewer) that discharges to waters of the state; including:
Hurlburt Field; Town of Mary Esther; Eglin AFB; Walton County; University of West Florida; City of Gulf Breeze; NAS Pensacola; City of Milton; City of Ft. Walton Beach; City of Pensacola; Santa Rosa County; Town of Century; and Okaloosa County; Escambia County.
In 1991, Escambia County established a Stormwater Master Plan Program to reduce the flooding frequency and to improve the water quality of runoff entering surface waterbodies (Curb 2011). Among the project needs identified were dirt road paving, restoring streams, constructing stormwater ponds, and installing stormwater retrofits in established neighborhoods. Projects have been funded primarily through the county’s local option sales tax (LOST); however, LOST funds alone will not be enough to implement all of the identified projects and conduct the remaining basin studies. The urbanized basins have over $100 million in unmet project needs (NWFWMD 2012).
The City of Pensacola commissioned several studies to suggest improvements within its own drainage basins. Results of these studies have been published on the City of Pensacola's website and cover such areas as Piedmont Road Area, Aragon Court, Downtown Pensacola, Long Hollow Basin, and others.
While existing urban areas contribute significantly to NPS pollution, the expansive urban-rural fringe, which hosts new development and construction sites, introduces new NPS pollution, and
62 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT expands the extent of impervious surfaces in the watershed. BMPs, green infrastructure, and the best available science must be utilized in the planning and construction of new facilities to maintain the hydrologic integrity of the Pensacola Bay watershed.
Silviculture and Agriculture
In northwest Florida, all forest products and services have been valued at approximately $1.21 billion (FDACS 2014). These forests also support recreational opportunities for residents and millions of visitors to the state, bolstering the tourism and ecotourism industries. In addition, managed forests provide important environmental services, such as biodiversity, hydrologic function, and mitigation of global climate change, by sequestering 5.8 million tons of atmospheric carbon per year statewide (FDACS 2014; Hodges et al. 2015).
Logging has played a key role in the history of the Pensacola Bay watershed, particularly in the Blackwater River basin. In the late 1800s, the sawmills around Blackwater Bay were the largest in Florida, producing millions of board feet of lumber for the world market (University of Florida Conservation Clinic 2010). To this day, the major land uses in Okaloosa and Walton counties are silviculture and agriculture. Woodland resources consist of large private plantations, small privately owned tracts, and large corporate ownerships. In 1998, it was estimated that timber production occupied 85 percent of the basin in Escambia County. Approximately 157,500 acres, or 63 percent, of the productive woodland in the county is managed for pine (USDA 2004). Today, Escambia County’s economy has shifted away from silviculture; however, pulp, paper, and allied products are still one of the county’s top five exports (FDACS 2013a; FDOT 2013a). Although agriculture and silviculture were not identified as Santa Rosa County’s top growing industries, lumber and wood products are the county’s number two export, at nearly 173,000 tons of lumber exported annually (FDOT 20013b). Similarly, lumber and wood products are Walton County’s number three export at nearly 93,000 tons of lumber exported annually (FDOT 2013c).
Silvicultural practices, such as ditching, landscape alteration, fertilizer application, road construction, and harvesting, can result in effects such as habitat fragmentation, stream channelization, erosion, sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, discharge of untreated runoff, as well as effects on water temperature, DO, and pH (Stanhope et al. 2008). Where appropriate, BMPs such as those developed and coordinated by FDACS, are employed; however, silviculture has been found to be consistent with the maintenance of excellent water quality (FDEP 1997; NWFWMD 1998). Silvicultural BMPs establish Special Management Zones (SMZs), which consist of specific areas associated with waterbodies within which certain activities are limited. Implementation of SMZs and other BMPs protect water quality by reducing discharges of
63 Pensacola Bay Watershed Characterization Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT sediments, nutrients, logging debris, and chemicals, as well as by reducing water temperature fluctuations and riparian habitat disturbance.
As urban growth spreads out from Pensacola into the Pensacola Bay watershed, agricultural lands in the central and southern parts of the county are being converted to suburban and urban land uses. However, in the northern parts of the watershed, agriculture maintains a strong, viable presence, particularly in northern Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties (USDA 2004). Agriculture in Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties consists largely of container ornamentals, field crops, and pasture/hay, while Escambia County grows primarily soybeans, cotton, small grain (wheat and oats), corn, and hay. Some vegetables and fruit crops are also grown across the region (NWFWMD 2013; USDA 2004). Water demand in Water Supply Region II (which includes Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties) is projected to remain constant at 6.54 mgd from 2010 through 2035, accounting for nine percent of the region’s total water use. Agricultural water use across Escambia County was estimated at 1.98 mgd in 2010 and is projected to increase 29 percent by 2015 (NWFWMD 2013).
Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems (OSTDS)
Onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems are widespread potential sources of nutrients and other pollutants. Significant concentrations of OSTDS can result in degraded water quality in groundwater and proximate surface waters. A well-designed and maintained septic system is effective for containing pathogens, surfactants, metals, and phosphorus. However, greater mobility of nitrogen in soils prevents complete treatment and removal of nitrogen. Dissolved nitrogen is frequently exported from drainfields through the groundwater (NRC 2000). Additionally, OSTDS in areas with high water tables or soil limitations may not effectively treat other pollutants, including microbial pathogens. These pollutants can enter surface waters as seepage into drainage ditches, streams, lakes, and estuaries (EPA 2015d; NRC 2000).
According to 2012 FDOH permitting data, there were at least 44,514 new or existing septic tanks in the Pensacola Bay watershed; however, at least 5,854 permits had been issued to abandon septic tanks, presumably due to connection to a centralized sewer collection system (FDOH 2012). Figure 3-5 shows the likely locations of septic tanks as of 2015.
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Source: FDOH 2015a; NOAA 2015a; USGS 2015, 2016a. Figure 3-5 Septic Tank Locations in the Pensacola Bay Watershed
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In the Pensacola Bay watershed, most rural and unincorporated communities and a number of suburban communities and subdivisions near Pensacola rely on OSTDS for wastewater treatment. Affected areas extend from the northern reaches of the watershed, where OSTDS systems are sparse, south to the more densely populated coastline where OSTDS systems are common, particularly near Gulf Breeze, Navarre, and Pensacola.
Across the watershed, new septic installations have declined since their peak use in the late 1970s. By the early 1990s, new septic installations in Escambia County had declined by 50 percent (Figure 3-6); however, other counties in the watershed have replaced septic systems more slowly. Walton County experienced Source: FDOH 2015b. a gradual increase in new septic installations from the Figure 3-6 New Septic System Installations by Year late 1960s until the late 1990s, while Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties did not experience significant declines in new OSTDS installations until after 2000 (FDOH 2015b).
Erosion and Sedimentation
Erosion and sedimentation are natural phenomena that can be significantly accelerated by human activities, with resulting undesirable water quality consequences. Natural factors such as highly- erodible soils, steep unstable slopes, and high rainfall intensities, are important factors in erosion and sedimentation (Reckendorf 1995). While natural erosion is typically a slow process, human- induced erosion can cause rapid increases in sediment inputs to surface waters resulting in major increases in sediment flux. Construction activities, unpaved roads, abandoned clay pits, and agricultural and silvicultural practices lacking proper BMPs are common sources of sedimentation. Accelerated stream bank erosion, caused by increased runoff associated with impervious surfaces, can also be a significant and increasing source of sedimentation into receiving waters.
66 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has calculated approximate rates of erosion for various land use types in the region including cropland (8.3 tons/acre/year), pasture/hayland (0.5 tons/acre/year), and forest land (0.8 tons/acre/year). The NRCS recognizes gullies and cropland as the largest erosion sources, followed by dirt roads, forest land, other uses, pasture, and streambanks (USDA and U.S. Forest Service 1993).
The annual sediment load estimated by the National Ocean Service (1987) is 1.08 million tons/year and its sediment inflow is 154.5 tons/year/square mile of drainage area (NWFWMD 1997).
Adverse impacts associated with sedimentation include smothering of SAV and other benthic habitats, degraded shellfish beds and tidal flats, fill in riffle pools, and increased levels of turbidity and nutrients in the water column. Additionally, increased sediment accumulation in surface waters changes the hydrology and holding capacity of waterbodies by reducing channel depth and accommodation space and altering channel morphology, which exacerbates flooding issues. Sediment accumulation in channels and waterways also impedes navigation and increases the need for costly dredging activities (Reckendorf 1995).
Dredging has occurred throughout the watershed’s bays and bayous to increase water depth and remove contaminated sediments. Repetitive dredging has occurred for the same areas, including Bayous Texar and Chico, since the 1980s because the sources of suspended solids and contaminants have not been properly managed. Long-term ecological studies and control of contaminant and sediment sources are needed prior to dredging to prevent costly repetitive dredging events (Lewis et al. 2016).
Atmospheric Deposition
While many impacts to water quality result from direct input to surface waters, either as point or NPS, some pollutants such as nitrogen and mercury can enter surface waters through atmospheric deposition.
Florida is particularly susceptible to mercury contamination of fish, due in part to the state’s latitude, geographical setting, and meteorology, which allows a high rate of mercury deposition from the atmosphere onto its lands and surface waters. Additionally, biochemical conditions in Florida waterbodies and sediment are conducive to the conversion of mercury from atmospheric deposition, to the more toxic and bio-accumulative methyl-mercury form (EPA 1997).
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Source: Adapted from USEPA South Florida Science Program. Figure 3-7 Bioaccumulation of Methyl-Mercury
Methyl-mercury is a toxic mercury compound that biomagnifies (Figure 3-7) as it moves up the aquatic food chain (EPA 1997). While agricultural, urban, and residential stormwater NPS are all potential sources of contaminants, atmospheric deposition, due to fossil fuel combustion, is the most significant source of mercury. Eighteen segments were removed from the impaired list for mercury in fish in 2014 due to the adoption of TMDLs for mercury (FDEP 2014c). To protect human health, fish consumption should be limited from segments with mercury TMDLs, as directed by the FDOH.
Nitrogen inputs from industry, sewage, and wastewater treatment discharges, and agriculture are most likely the primary point source discharges of nutrients to waterways in the Pensacola Bay watershed. However, atmospheric deposition of nitrogen from fossil fuel combustion may also be a source within the watershed. Most oxidized-nitrogen emissions are deposited close to the emission source and can especially impact surface water in urban areas within the watershed (Howarth et al. 2002a, 2002b, 2002c; NRC 2000).
Almost all of the monitored waterbodies within the Pensacola Bay watershed, including the Gulf of Mexico, are listed as impaired due to elevated mercury levels found in sampled fish tissue. Table 3-4 includes a list of all mercury impaired waterbodies in the Pensacola watershed.
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3.2.5 Ecological Indicators of Water Quality
Eutrophication
Eutrophication is defined as an increase in the rate of supply of organic matter to an ecosystem, characterized by excessive plant and algal growth due to the increased availability of one or more limiting growth factors needed for photosynthesis (Nixon 1995; Schindler 2006). Both point and NPS pollution have accelerated the rate and extent of eutrophication through increased loadings of limiting nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, into aquatic ecosystems (Chislock et al. 2013). Although nitrogen is necessary for the function of all ecosystems, in excess, it is also a nutrient pollutant that can cause damage to aquatic systems. Nutrient loading over-stimulates the production of planktonic algae (floating), epiphytic algae (those attached to surfaces), and macrophytes (large plants) leads to dense nuisance and toxic blooms.
Eutrophication is also associated with major changes in aquatic community structure as a result of changes in ratios of key plant nutrients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus). These changes result in food webs that are less efficient in supporting key fisheries and favor algal blooms, including those toxic to fish, marine mammals, birds, and people. Algal blooms can lead to low DO levels, loss of beneficial SAV, fish kills, and habitat degradation. These symptoms of eutrophication impact public health and the use of coastal ecosystems for recreation, tourism, and commercially important fisheries (Bricker et al. 1999). The estimated cost of damage caused by eutrophication in the U.S. alone is approximately $2.2 billion annually (Dodds et al. 2009). Figure 3-8 illustrates how the eutrophication process can occur.
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Source: Graphic by Ecology & Environment, Inc. Figure 3-8 Eutrophication Process
Eutrophication has been documented in several waterbodies across the Pensacola Bay watershed, primarily in the bays and estuaries of the watershed. Compared to other eutrophic estuaries, concentrations of nutrients within Pensacola Bay are relatively low (Bricker et al. 2007). Chlorophyll-a studies within the watershed can be found within a historical review of the ecological conditions of the Pensacola Bay system (Lewis et al. 2015). Some nutrient concentrations have been declining within the Pensacola Bay system, reaching levels below the concentrations of concern for aquatic vegetation that rely on nutrient concentrations (FDEP 2012a). FDEP-measured chlorophyll-a in the Pensacola Bay system is well above the state criterion (≤ 2 0 micrograms per liter) (FDEP 2010) even though portions of Escambia Bay, East Bay, and Bayou Chico are considered impaired due to nutrient levels (FDEP 2007). However, despite relatively low nutrient concentrations, Pensacola Bay exhibits classic eutrophication symptoms, including summer hypoxia, significant loss of sea grass habitat, and phytoplankton dynamics indicative of variations in freshwater flows (Caffrey and Murrell 2016).
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and Aquatic Life Mortality Events
Harmful algal blooms periodically occur in coastal Gulf of Mexico waters. Harmful algal blooms monitoring resources include federal and state advisories and bulletins. Although NOAA is the predominant national source for HAB monitoring data, the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research
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Institute (FWRI) also conducts Karenia brevis (K. brevis) HAB monitoring and currently maintains Florida's HAB Monitoring Database, one of the longest continually recorded datasets of red tide in the U.S., for more than 170 years. State- and county-level monitoring can also be a resource to citizens looking for HAB information and updates (NOAA 2014a).
Harmful algal blooms occur when colonies of certain types of algae grow at increased rates within the water column and produce toxins at concentrations that have harmful effects on marine life and humans (NOAA 2014b). Red tide, caused by the microscopic algae K. brevis, is one of the more common HABs in the bays and estuaries along the Gulf Coast of Florida (Solutions to Avoid Red Tide [START] 2016). K. brevis produces a neurotoxin that kills fish, shellfish, and marine mammals. This toxin, when airborne, also impacts people by causing respiratory and skin irritation (START 2016). Red tide is a natural occurrence; however, increased nutrient loading, pollution, food web alterations, introduced species, water flow changes, and climate change influence the frequency and duration of blooms (NOAA 2015b).
Scientists at NOAA monitor and study HABs to detect and forecast red tide blooms to warn communities in advance of possible environmental and health effects (NOAA 2014a). NOAA is authorized by the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act to assist in the control of possible HABs through research centers, labs, and funding (NOAA 2015b). Citizens can visit NOAA’s Harmful Algal Bloom Operational Forecast System Operational Conditions Reports for updates on any known HAB colonies from Southwest Florida to the Texas coastline (NOAA 2016). NOAA also posts HAB bulletins with conditions reports and analyses of HABs in the Gulf of Mexico.
3.3 Habitat Quality in Receiving Waters
3.3.1 Subtidal Communities
During surveys of the bottom of Pensacola Bay in 2008, seasonal hypoxia was observed in up to 25 percent of bottom area (FWC 2015c). Portions of Pensacola Bay, particularly areas near Pensacola Pass and Gulf Breeze, and locations in Santa Rosa Sound and Big Lagoon near the inlet to the Gulf of Mexico were repeatedly exposed to crude oil and weathered residue from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill during the summer of 2010.
Sedimentation is an issue in many portions of the Pensacola Bay watershed, due to poor flushing and the input of large sediment loads from stormwater runoff. One example is Carpenter Creek, which suffers from streambank erosion and channelization, and thus impacts the receiving waters of Bayou Texar. Additionally, current and historical land uses and industrial practices have left a legacy of polluted sediments in some areas. The areas of greatest concern for contaminated
71 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT sediments are Bayou Chico, lower Bayou Grande, upper Bayou Texar, mid and upper Escambia Bay, and Pensacola Bay, near the downtown Pensacola waterfront. Bayous Grande, Texar, and Chico are all heavily industrialized and/or urbanized. As a result of increased stormwater runoff associated with these land uses, water quality in these bayous has been significantly affected. Such effects include nutrient enrichment and sedimentation. Other effects include contamination by heavy metals, which have been found in sediments of Bayous Chico, Grande, and Texar; and in Pensacola and Escambia bays. Other contaminants such as pesticides, including many of the older, now banned chlorinated pesticides, have been found in all of these waterbodies.
Early studies demonstrated that Blackwater Bay and East Bay have poor circulation and low flushing rates. Because of this, the bays are not able to assimilate increased loads of nutrients and pollution from human activities (Olinger et al. 1975; Young 1981). Seagrass coverage is an indicator of water quality, due to their need for clear water to allow adequate sunlight. Eutrophication, or excessive plant and algal growth due to nutrient availability, has been demonstrated to negatively impact aquatic habitats, including seagrass beds (Nixon 1995; Schindler 2006). These losses equate to a total decrease of 5,067 acres of seagrass beds from 1960 to 2010 within the Pensacola Bay system, which has an estimated economic loss of approximately $104 million per year in ecosystem services (Lewis et al. 2016).
Between 1950 and 1980, about 95 percent of seagrass habitat disappeared from the Pensacola Bay system. Seagrass beds in the southern Santa Rosa Sound and Big Lagoon (along the Gulf Islands National Seashore) are prone to burial by sediment from unconsolidated sand carried in from nearby barrier islands (FWC 2015c).
Although seagrass coverage is still far less than its historic levels, some areas in the watershed have increased significantly, while others have seen slight declines. The 2015 Seagrass Integrated Mapping Monitoring (SIMM) project conducted by the FWC FWRI, compared seagrass coverage between 2003 and 2010 and found that coverage in Pensacola Bay in 2010 was approximately 1,053 acres, an increase of approximately 51 percent from 2003. However, coverage in Santa Rosa Sound was found to be 2,894 acres, representing a decrease of approximately 5 percent from 2003. While water quality was determined to be stable or improving, extensive propeller scarring near developed areas presents a significant stressor (FWC 2015c). FWRI is currently conducting a study to identify the roadblocks to seagrass recovery, which may be different from the causes for the loss of seagrasses.
Estimates of current oyster reef coverage (245 acres) in the Pensacola Bay system are significantly lower than published estimates from the 1970s – 1990s, which report oyster reefs coverage of several thousands of acres (Lewis et al. 2016). From the 1960s – 1980s, shellfish
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(primarily oysters) experienced significant declines and crashes in numbers, due to fungal parasites, poor water quality, heavy rainfall, and dredging activities. Personnel from the former Florida Department of Natural Resources (FDNR), now the FDEP, reported periodic crashes in oyster populations within the Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve, with near 100 percent mortality rate (Gardner 1991). It is anticipated that oyster reefs in the Pensacola Bay system will decrease with sea level rise and changes in local salinity levels (Lewis et al. 2016).
Restoration projects that are underway in the Pensacola Bay system are described in sections 6.1.2 and 6.1.3 of this report.
3.3.2 Intertidal Communities
Intertidal communities within the Pensacola Bay watershed include salt marsh and unvegetated intertidal mud flats, which occur throughout the bay system, including the coastal barrier complex.
Recent (2014) estimated coverage of salt marsh communities in the watershed span 6,697 acres (Lewis et al. 2016). Based on NWFWMD Land Use/Land Cover estimates for 1995, 2004, and 2010, salt marsh coverage has decreased from approximately 180 to 68 acres in Santa Rosa Sound during the past 20 years. However, other portions of the bay system have experienced increases in salt marsh coverage. Salt marsh coverage increased from 1,400 to 1,794 acres in Blackwater Bay, 3,750 to 4,519 acres in Escambia Bay and from 59 to 103 acres in Pensacola Bay. Coverage has remained relatively stable for East Bay. Total salt marsh coverage across the basin has increased 19 percent (1995-2010) and is expected to further increase due to sea level rise if not restricted by anthropogenic barriers such as roadways, and armored shorelines (Lewis et al. 2016).
3.3.3 Freshwater Systems
Because of the relatively low density of development at the headwaters of the watershed’s rivers, riverine communities within the basin, such as the Yellow and Blackwater rivers, are in relatively good condition. The headwaters of the Yellow River are in the Conecuh National Forest in Alabama. The Blackwater River flows from the Conecuh National Forest through the Yellow River WMA and the Blackwater River State Forest, before flowing into the Garcon Point WMA and Blackwater Bay (University of Florida Conservation Clinic 2010).
In rural areas, land clearing associated with agriculture, silviculture, and recreation, as well as dirt road erosion, have led to increased sedimentation in the Blackwater River drainage basin. The heavy use of vehicles on unpaved roads in Blackwater River State Forest has increased soil
73 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT erosion, leading to higher turbidity in streams and smothered aquatic habitat (FDACS 2013b). Agricultural land use, unpaved roads, and heavy rain events have also caused turbidity in Yellow river, which results in poor habitat conditions due to light penetration (FDEP 2016d).
Although it is not a primary component of the scope of this plan, it should be noted that the negative impacts of invasive plant species on native communities has been widely recognized (Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council 2005). The proliferation of non-native species poses a significant threat to biodiversity as non-native species modify ecosystem structure and contribute to the decline of native species, particularly in aquatic systems (Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council 2005; FWC 2015d; Mack et al. 2000; Vitousek 1986). The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Invasive Plant Management Section is the lead agency for coordinating control of invasive aquatic and upland plants on public conservation lands and surface waters.
3.4 Floodplains
Floodplains provide important functions for water resources, as well as for the human community. Properly functioning floodplains protect water quality by allowing storage of floodwaters, reducing runoff velocity, and preventing erosion and sedimentation. They also provide important habitat for many terrestrial and aquatic species.
In addition to impacting water resources, development and encroachment into flood-prone areas puts residents and property at significant risk. Floodplain encroachment decreases floodplain function by reducing the flood-carrying capacity, increasing flood heights and velocities, increasing flood hazards, and degrading natural systems in areas beyond the encroachment itself. Floodplains offer a way to attenuate potential flood effects, while also providing an ecological link between aquatic and upland ecosystems. Economic gain from floodplain development should be balanced against the resulting increase in flood hazard and associated costs (Federal Emergency Management Administration [FEMA] 2014a).
While severe rainfall events can lead to flooding and flood-related impacts on surface waters, drought can have severe impacts on water supply, aquifer recharge, water chemistry, DO concentrations, and other parameters that affect water quality and in-stream habitat. Maintaining the hydrological integrity of the floodplain can benefit surface water systems in drought conditions, as well as flood conditions. Floodplain vegetation reduces evaporation and increases soil water storage capacity. Riparian wetlands, marshes, and floodplain forest areas absorb high flows and stormwater runoff, then filter and slowly release it to streams and aquifers, moderating against dry times (TNC 2016b). Floodplain protection is important to support not only recharge
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3.4.1 Flood Prone Areas
Northwest Florida, with its extensive river networks and other water resources, has a long history of flooding events, which makes it clear that such events will re-occur and that it is necessary to plan accordingly. Riverine floods are significant and common in northwest Florida and tend to occur along major river systems and their tributaries. Within the Pensacola Bay watershed, major riverine systems, streams, wetlands, low-lying areas, coastal areas, and closed basins are subject to significant flooding. Flooding can be particularly problematic in high-growth and densely populated areas. Flooding impacts appear to be aggravated by inadequate public awareness of the potential for flooding events and associated consequences. Residents and visitors must be aware of the implications of building, living, working, and recreating in areas prone to flooding.
FEMA digital flood maps indicate that 269,577 acres (approximately 18 percent) of the Pensacola Bay watershed are delineated as Special Flood Hazard Area (Figure 2-10). Lands prone to flooding are predominantly on Santa Rosa Island, Garcon Point, Escribano Point, and along the major rivers.
The coastline within the Pensacola Bay watershed is protected by offshore barrier islands and peninsulas; however, the coastal areas of Santa Rosa, Escambia, and Okaloosa counties are subject to flooding from coastal surges associated with hurricanes (FEMA 2006; NWFWMD 1997). Another major flooding source is the East Bay River. Flooding in the Blackwater River Basin is caused by stream overbank flow and hurricane storm surges, and sometimes a combination of both. Riverine flooding occurs frequently and is prevalent throughout the reach of the river where the riverbanks are low and the floodplain is wide. The coastline in Santa Rosa County is subject to widespread flooding resulting from storm surges that accompany hurricanes and other severe storms from one or more of the following flooding sources: the Gulf of Mexico, East Bay, Escambia Bay, Pensacola Bay, Blackwater Bay, and Santa Rosa Sound (FEMA 2014).
3.4.2 Recent Flood Events
Hurricane Ivan made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane west of Perdido Key, Florida, in 2004. Storm surges, estimated at ten to 16 feet above normal tide levels, caused the most severe damage to homes, businesses, roads, and other infrastructure in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, particularly near the shorelines of Santa Rosa Sound, Pensacola Bay, and Escambia Bay. Ivan also caused flooding outside of Special Flood Hazard Areas shown on Flood Insurance
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Rate Maps (FIRMs) and exceeded the 100-year Base Flood Elevations depicted on the FIRMs by 2 to 4 feet (FEMA 2005).
In the spring of April 2014, areas within the Pensacola Bay watershed experienced over 20 inches of precipitation in two days (NOAA 2014c). Many low-lying inland areas within the watershed, that had never experienced flooding during historical tropical events, were completely inundated. The Longhollow-Delano Area of the Pensacola Bay Basin received large scale flooding, which affected several government facilities, including the Escambia Central Office Complex. A study is underway for this area and $4.4 million has been applied for in funding (SWAT County-Wide Stormwater Needs).
3.4.3 Floodplain Management
Flood protection needs within the Pensacola Bay watershed are closely related to stormwater management, as well as land use planning and land development regulation. Thus, for both retrofit and new development, flood protection and water quality treatment efforts must be closely coordinated through the protection of floodplains, wetlands, natural hydrology, and recharge. Where necessary and appropriate, both retrofit needs and stormwater management for new development should be addressed through the construction of facilities that provide both flood protection and water quality treatment.
To facilitate the protection of floodplain and wetland resources, the NWFWMD and FEMA have identified flood hazards through the Flood Hazard Map Modernization program (originally), the FEMA Risk MAP program (MAP = Mapping, Assessment, and Planning) currently, and county and watershed-based Flood Insurance Studies, the SWIM program, storm surge modeling, and other cooperative efforts. Additionally, land acquisition and management efforts serve to protect floodplains, wetlands, and associated public benefits. Restoration efforts implemented through SWIM and wetland mitigation also help restore natural hydrology, with benefits for flood protection, habitat, and water quality.
Finally, implementation of the Environmental Resource Permitting (ERP) program in northwest Florida helps ensure flood protection is addressed in an integrated manner with water quality protection. Florida’s ERP Program regulates activities that alter surface water flows, including activities in uplands that generate stormwater runoff, and dredging and filling in wetlands and surface waters. In addition to the state wetlands permitting process, Section 404 of the CWA establishes a federal wetlands program administered by the USACE.
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3.5 Unique Features and Special Resource Management Designations
3.5.1 Conservation Lands
The Pensacola Bay watershed system contains extensive conservation and protected lands, particularly along the Escambia, Blackwater, and Yellow rivers (Figure 3-7). Approximately 519,702 acres, or 12 percent, of the watershed consists of conservation lands which are listed with short descriptions in Appendix E (FNAI 2016a, 2016b). The Conecuh National Forest– Blackwater River State Forest–Eglin AFB corridor is rich in high quality habitats that support a diversity of wildlife. As long as this land remains undeveloped and is responsibly managed, this significant buffer will continue to provide protection to the rivers and coastal environment. However, coastal portions of the watershed are heavily developed and habitat quality has been degraded in the estuarine component of the basin due to human activities and associated water quality impacts.
The National Park Service owns and manages the Gulf Islands National Seashore, established in 1971, which spans 4,531 acres of Florida’s portion of the watershed. The seashore holds an abundance of natural resources, including fragile coastal dunes, scrub, and estuarine marsh ecosystems, as well as a plethora of marine species, birds, and the protected gopher tortoise (National Park Service 2016b). Additionally, 139 acres of the Choctawhatchee National Forest, owned and managed by the National Forest Service, lies within the Pensacola Bay watershed.
Extensive tracts of military lands within the watershed are managed as conservation areas, including 10,738 acres owned and managed by the U.S. Navy and 229,743 acres owned and managed by the U.S. Air Force (FNAI 2010).
The NWFWMD owns and manages over 211,000 acres across the District and protects an additional 12,403 acres through conservation easements. Approximately 56,935 acres of the total property controlled by the District lies within the Pensacola Bay watershed. The Yellow River WMA, Lower Escambia River WMA, and Blackwater River WMA are public lands that provide joint conservation and recreational use, while the Watson Conservation Easement does not allow public access and is solely for conservation purposes (FNAI 2010; NWFWMD 2016a). A conservation easement allows the landowner and the District to preserve and protect the land’s natural resource values, especially water resources, while still allowing the landowner to retain certain rights to the property.
The Yellow, Blackwater, and Escambia River WMA tracts are also managed by FWC as Wildlife Management Areas. FWC Wildlife Management Areas are managed to protect and restore wildlife habitat, while also providing an important resource for compatible public
77 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT recreation. Land-management activities include prescribed burning, timber management, groundcover restoration, reforestation, and other activities (FWC 2016d, NWFWMD 2016b). The FWC also manages the Lake Stone Fish Management Area in Escambia County.
Throughout the watershed are six state parks, preserves, and forests encompassing nearly 209,000 acres, the majority of which are managed by various branches of the FDEP and the FDACS (Figure 3-7). FDEP also manages a number of conservation easements within the watershed. State-funded land acquisitions have been important in securing conservation lands within the watershed. TNC of Florida has been instrumental in brokering many critical land acquisitions with state funding provided through various programs such as Preservation 2000 and Florida Forever (discussed further in Section 6.4.9).
Garcon Peninsula Mitigation Bank and Pensacola Bay Mitigation Bank are privately owned wetland mitigation banks within the Pensacola watershed that are managed by the FDEP. The Pensacola Bay Mitigation bank consists primarily of mixed hardwood and pine flatwoods and hosts a healthy population of carnivorous pitcher plants, while Garcon Peninsula Mitigation Bank consists primarily of pitcher plant prairie (Garcon Peninsula Mitigation Bank, LLC 2001; Westervelt Ecological Services 2016). The Garcon Peninsula Mitigation Bank is northwest Florida's first wetlands mitigation bank and now totals over 330 acres within the watershed (FNAI 2010, 2016a).
Jones Swamp Preserve was purchased by Escambia County in 1996 as part of the Bayou Chico restoration efforts to provide buffering and protection for water quality in the Pensacola Bay area. The Jones Swamp Wetland Preserve consists of over 580 acres within the Jones Creek watershed, at the urban interface within the Bayou Chico drainage (Escambia County 2016a). More than 60 percent of the Jones Swamp Preserve is covered by forested wetlands including hardwood swamp, bay swamp, cypress swamp, and mixed wetland forest communities. The Preserve is managed for wetland, groundwater, and surface water quality protection and restoration; hydrological restoration, including floodplain restoration; preservation and conservation of natural resources; environmental education; and outdoor recreation, including birding (Francis M. Weston Audubon Society 2012).
Another ongoing land conservation effort is the Northwest Florida Greenway Project. This project was established in 2001 through the partnership of the Economic Development Council (EDC) of Okaloosa County, Eglin AFB, the FDEP, and TNC (EDC 2016). The goal of the project is to protect and sustain existing military land and airspace, promote industry growth, preserve environmental quality and biodiversity, maintain economic viability of timber land, and create additional recreational value (EDC 2016). These goals will be obtained by creating a
78 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT corridor connecting the Apalachicola National Forest and the region including Eglin AFB Wildlife Management Area, Blackwater River State Forest, and Conecuh National Forest, that are already protected (Cooperative Conservation America 2016). The corridor will harbor common, protected, and endemic species, protect future water resources, provide storm buffers, and allow ecological adaptations to potential changes in sea level and rainfall (Blaustein 2008). Through ongoing efforts, the partner organizations and authorities are working to obtain the land necessary for the project’s completion.
3.5.2 Critical Habitat and Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas
The Pensacola Bay watershed contains numerous rare, endemic, federally and state- protected species, and/or species of special When considering what areas to designate as Critical Habitat for a given concern under the Endangered Species Act protected species, the USFWS considers (ESA). The ESA also provides special features of the environment that protection for Critical Habitat of certain provide the following: species, which may include an area that is not Space for individual and currently occupied by the species, but that will population growth and for normal behavior; be needed for its recovery. Cover or shelter; Certain natural areas within the watershed have Food, water, air, light, minerals, or been identified by the FWC as Strategic Habitat other nutritional or physiological requirements; Conservation Areas (SHCAs). SHCAs are important habitats in Florida that do not have Sites for breeding and rearing offspring; and conservation protection, which would increase Habitats that are protected from the security of rare and imperiled species if they disturbances or are representative were protected. Within the Pensacola Bay of the historical, geographical, and watershed, SHCAs have been identified for ecological distributions of a species. several species. Source: USFWS 2015.
SHCAs for numerous species are found along the major rivers, continuously wet spring- seepage ravines, along the coast, and elsewhere in the watershed (Endries et al. 2009).
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The Pensacola Bay watershed includes federally designated critical habitat for a variety of protected species, including the threatened Gulf sturgeon, the threatened piping plover, and the endangered reticulated flatwoods salamander. The Blackwater River system also supports the Species with SHCAs in the Pensacola endangered blackmouth shiner (University of Bay Watershed include: Florida Conservation Clinic 2010; USFWS 2016). Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii); Seal salamander (Desmognathus In deeper portions of the bay and adjacent to the monticola); Gulf of Mexico, habitat is present for three species Pine barrens tree frog (Hyla of threatened and endangered sea turtles. Adjacent andersonii); beach and dune communities provide nesting Cuban snowy plover (Charadrius grounds for sea turtles and habitat for the alexandrines tenuirostris); endangered Santa Rosa Beach mouse (Peromyscus Swallow-tailed kite (Elanoides polionotus leucocephalus) (USFWS 2016). forficatus forficatus); Louisiana seaside sparrow The FDACS publishes a list of the protected plants (Ammodramus maritimus. fisheri); of Florida, including those species listed as and federally threatened and endangered by the USFWS Florida black bear (Ursus (Weaver and Anderson 2010). The table in americanus floridanus). Appendix B provides a list of species that are Source: Endries et al. 2009. protected for the watershed, as well as their habitat requirements.
3.5.3 Aquatic Preserves
The state of Florida currently has 41 aquatic preserves, encompassing approximately 2.2 million acres of submerged lands that are protected for their biological, aesthetic, and scientific value (FDEP 2014). The Pensacola Bay watershed includes two aquatic preserves: the Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve, and the Fort Pickens Aquatic Preserve, totaling nearly 50,000 acres of submerged lands.
The Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve encompasses approximately 11,000 acres of the Yellow River, Blackwater Bay, and East Bay. The aquatic preserve is among the watershed’s least impacted natural areas and includes more than 3,000 acres of salt and freshwater marshes and approximately 5,000 acres of forested wetlands. The remainder of the preserve is open water. Eglin AFB and the NWFWMD manage almost half of the uplands adjacent to the preserve, which help buffer impacts to water quality (FDEP 2016f).
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Fort Pickens Aquatic Preserve, off the coast of Escambia County, includes 34,000 acres of submerged lands. The preserve is located adjacent to Gulf Islands National Seashore, and includes sandy bottom and seagrass bed habitat which is home to threatened and endangered species including the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), the southeastern snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus), the least tern, and the black skimmer (Rynchops niger). Fort Pickens Aquatic Preserve includes portions of Santa Rosa Sound, Pensacola Bay, and Big Lagoon, extending northward to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The preserve also includes submerged lands in the Gulf of Mexico up to three miles south of the coastline (FDNR 1992).
3.5.4 Outstanding Florida Waters (OFWs)
Of particular interest in the Pensacola Bay watershed are the waterbodies designated as OFWs. The FDEP designates OFWs (under Section 403.061[27], F.S.), which are then approved by the Environmental Regulation Commission. The FDEP defines an OFW as “a water designated worthy of special protection because of its natural attributes. This special designation is applied to certain waters, and is intended to protect existing good water quality” (FDEP 2015e). The Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve, Fort Pickens Aquatic Preserve, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Escambia Bay Bluffs, Blackwater River State Park, and Clear Creek between Milton and Whiting Field (a state-acquired tributary of the Blackwater River) are protected as OFWs (Rule 62-302.700 [9], F.A.C.; FNAI 2016c; Naval Facilities Engineering Command 2016).
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Source: FDEP 2011c; FNAI 2016b; NOAA 2015a; Texas A&M University 2103; USGS 2015, 2016a. Figure 3-9 Conservation Lands within the Pensacola Bay Watershed
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3.5.5 Gulf Ecological Management Sites (GEMS)
The watershed includes three GEMS: the Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve, a 16,435-acre aquatic preserve fringed by forested wetlands and freshwater marsh; and Fort Pickens State Park Aquatic Preserve, an approximately 30,000-acre aquatic preserve adjacent to Gulf Islands National Seashore. The GEMS Program is an initiative of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation, the EPA Gulf of Mexico Program, and the five Gulf of Mexico states (Gulf of Mexico Foundation 2015). Designated GEMS are considered high priority for protection, restoration, and conservation by state and federal authorities due to unique ecological qualities such as habitats significant to fish, wildlife, or other natural resources (Gulf of Mexico Foundation 2015).
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4.0 Implementation and 4 Achievements of the Previous SWIM Plan 4.1 Previous SWIM Plan Issues and Priorities 4.1 Previous SWIM Plan Issues and Priorities
4.2 Progress Toward The NWFWMD developed a SWIM Plan for the Pensacola Bay in 1988 and Meeting Plan updated the plan in 1990 and 1997. The updated plan expanded the watershed Goals and boundary to include the Escambia, Blackwater, Yellow, and Shoal rivers and Objectives the majority of Santa Rosa Sound (NWFWMD 1997). The plan recognized three priority objectives, which also address three of the NWFWMD’s statutory areas of responsibility relating to watershed management:
Water quality protection and improvement, focusing on prevention and abatement of NPS pollution in the upper reaches of the basin; Natural systems protection, enhancement, and restoration including stream, wetland, aquatic, and riparian habitat restoration on lands purchased for conservation in the lower basin; and Protection and, if necessary, restoration of floodplain functions.
The priority issues identified in the plan include the following (NWFWMD 1997):
Water and Sediment Quality. NPS pollution is carried into the Pensacola Bay system by stormwater runoff from such sources as urban and suburban lands, agricultural and forestry activities, dirt roads, pavement, construction sites, golf courses, and lawns. A number of point sources (industrial and domestic wastewater discharges) also discharge directly into waters of the Pensacola Bay system. This is a relatively low energy system with limited flushing, and pollutant loading has possibly been exceeding its assimilative capacity for decades. Following many years of such pollutant loading, sediments in portions of the system are altered in size and composition, enriched with nutrients, and contaminated with metals and toxic organic compounds. Habitat Quality. Benthic riverine and estuarine habitats have been, and continue to be, threatened by and degraded through sedimentation and deposition. Degraded water and sediment quality have also caused the degradation and loss of seagrass communities,
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other benthic habitats, and associated biological resources. Substantial areas of wetlands and other important habitats have been and continue to be lost throughout the watershed. These include tidal marshes, bayous, coastal strand communities, bottomland hardwood swamps, and other littoral and benthic habitats. Administration, Planning, and Coordination. The Pensacola Bay system watershed spans two states and is subject to the management and regulatory actions of numerous local governments and various state and federal agencies. Effective protection and restoration of the system requires coordination and cooperation with these entities, community organizations, and other resource management initiatives. Public Education and Awareness. If efforts to protect and restore the resource are to succeed, its values and vulnerabilities must be well understood by the public. This will both help individuals make informed personal decisions relevant to water resources and promote an understanding of resource management initiatives. This is particularly significant given the importance of voluntary participation and achieving consensus across diverse interests.
The 1997 SWIM plan identified 20 projects and proposed a spending plan to address these issues (see Table 4-1.). The spending plan was provided for planning purposes only, and the actual spending varied, depending on available funding.
Table 4-1 1997 SWIM Plan Projects ID Projects FY 1998-2000 Nonpoint source Program WSQ 1.0 Tributary monitoring $172,000 WSQ 2.0 Land use/loading rate analysis $80,000 WSQ 3.0 Bayou Chico restoration $258,000 WSQ 4.0 Septic tank impact assessment $20,000 WSQ 5.0 Bayou Texar retrofit $75,400 WSQ 6.0 Gulf Breeze Bayous $100,000 WSQ 7.0 Palafox/Cole restoration $55,400 WSQ 8.0 Role of bay sediments $92,100 WSQ 9.0 Pollutant load reduction goals $100,000 Habitat Program HAB 1.0 Tidal marsh preservation $60,000 HAB 2.0 Bottomland hardwood preservation $82,200 HAB 3.0 Biological Monitoring $67,300 HAB 4.0 Circulation study $0 Coordinating Program APC 1.0 Administration and planning $56,400 APC 2.0 Institutional and regulatory assessment $7,000
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ID Projects FY 1998-2000 APC 3.0 Interstate coordination $87,600 APC 4.0 GIMS integration and coordination $94,000 Public Education and Awareness Program ED 1.0 Strategy development $10,000 ED 2.0 Media and community relations $30,000 ED 3.0 WaterWays video $54,250 TOTAL Funding Fiscal Years 1998-2000 1,501,650 Source: NWFWMD 1997.
4.2 Progress Toward Meeting Plan Goals and Objectives
Since the 1997 SWIM Plan, significant progress has been made on addressing a number of the issues and priorities identified. Reflecting the shared responsibility inherent in watershed management, accomplishments should be recognized on the part of numerous watershed stakeholders, including local governments, state and federal agencies, academic institutions, and others. Among the noteworthy accomplishments are:
Escambia County Land Development Code and Comprehensive Plan for Wetlands and Environmentally Sensitive Lands – encourages activities that avoid or minimize adverse impacts and discourages development that may adversely affect wetlands and other sensitive areas. The county implemented a wetland ordinance in 2001 that provides protection standards, presents local permitting and mitigation programs, and establishes an environmental lands trust fund (Escambia County 2014). Santa Rosa County Land Development Code for Environmentally Sensitive Lands – avoids the degradation of environmentally sensitive lands to the maximum extent possible. Sensitive lands include aquatic preserves, OFWs, functioning wetlands, fish and marine habitats, habitats of threatened or endangered plants and animals, and potable wells (Santa Rosa County 2016). Escambia County Wellhead Protection Ordinance – restricts or prohibits certain land use activities within established buffers around protected wells or within the seven- or 20-year time of travel contours around protected wells. Protected wells are permitted at 100,000 gallons or more per day (FDEP 2007). Okaloosa County Wellhead Protection Ordinance – prohibits certain land use activities within a 200-foot radius buffer of public supply water wells with a permitted capacity of 100,000 gallons or more per day (FDEP 2007). Walton County Wellhead Protection – prohibits certain land uses in wellhead protection zones and/or aquifer recharge areas. Wellhead protection zones in Walton County protect a 400-foot radius around public potable water wells (FDEP 2007).
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Santa Rosa County Wellhead Protection – In Santa Rosa County, wellhead protection zones for public supply water wells are to consist of a 200-foot radius for those tapping into the Floridan aquifer and a 500-foot radius for those accessing the sand-and-gravel aquifer, measured from the center of the wellhead (FDEP 2007). East Milton Wellfield Protection Area Zoning Overlay District – wellfield protection zone designed to protect groundwater from contamination. The protection area covers almost 51 square miles from Persimmon Hollow Road to the Okaloosa County line (Santa Rosa County 2013). Escambia County Dirt Road Project – Under a section 319 Grant, FDEP and Escambia County evaluated alternative pavements for dirt roads to reduce sediment erosion and runoff to streams. As a result of the findings, about 54 miles of dirt roads in the watershed were paved as of February 2003, with another 70.5 miles scheduled for paving by 2007 (Hatch Mott MacDonald 2004). The paving was subsequently completed in 2011 at a cost of $3.5 million (Fabre Engineering and Surveying 2016). Clear Creek Restoration – restored a natural, meandering stream with a floodplain in a mile-long sand gully that has areas as large as 300 feet wide and 30 feet deep. Through the past 60 years, the gully eroded thousands of cubic yards of sand into Clear Creek, burying and ultimately destroying the creek’s submerged grasses downstream of the gully. Just upstream of the gully, the creek was approximately 4 to 5 feet deep and filled with lush submerged grasses. From the point of the gully downstream, the water depth decreased to approximately 6 inches, with no submerged or emergent grasses present. Clear Creek is a tributary to the Blackwater River, an OFW (FDEP 2007). Big Escambia Creek Restoration – About 40 years ago, a major storm rerouted the Big Escambia Creek from its original braided streams and floodplain through a series of sandpits. The new channel lacked a floodplain and stable riparian areas, thus, allowing increased velocity and sedimentation and reducing productivity. The sedimentation impacts reached several miles downstream in the watershed into the Escambia River and Bay. The USACE, in partnership with the states of Alabama and Florida, NWFWMD, Three Rivers Resource Conservation and Development Council, and the Alabama Rural Development Council, partnered in a large-scale project that diverted the creek back to its natural stream channel and restored the original stream flow through the wetland floodplain (FDEP 2009). Project GreenShores – two habitat restoration projects on the north shore of Pensacola Bay that created salt marsh, seagrass, and oyster reef habitat along the near shore. It is a partnership between the FDEP’s Northwest District Office Ecosystem Restoration Section, the City of Pensacola, the Ecosystem Restoration Support Organization, federal and local agencies, businesses, and community volunteers. The first habitat restoration
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site (Site I) provides eight acres of salt marsh habitat and seven acres of oyster reef. The second site (Site II), when completed, will provide an additional 14 acres of salt marsh and 13 acres of oyster reef habitat. Project GreenShores received the Coastal America Partnership Award for its extensive community involvement. Funding to construct a third living shoreline at Sanders Beach and add a third breakwater at Site II is discussed in Section 6.4.8 (FDEP Ecosystem Restoration Section) (FDEP 2016g). Dune Restoration Project – In January 2006, FDEP established a repository for the variety of native plant species that could be used for dune restoration and develop a protocol for dune restoration (FDEP 2007). Jones Creek Restoration – will remove deposited dredge material from the streamside allowing the reestablishment of the connection of Jones Creek with the adjacent wetland floodplain. Sheet flow will be restored through the floodplain wetland by filling in existing stormwater ditches allowing the rehydration of approximately 50 acres of floodplain wetlands that had been ditched and drained. The project is part of the $11 million Bayou Chico restoration effort (see Section 6.1.3 Bayou Chico Restoration) (FDEP 2016h). City of Pensacola Transportation/Stormwater Plan Projects – Numerous stormwater retrofits, reconstruction, drainage improvements, and other projects have been completed, as follows (City of Pensacola 2016): o Government Street Regional Stormwater Pond; o Guillemard Street Storm Sewer Reconstruction; o Long Hollow/Cervantes Street Stormwater Pond; o Carpenter Creek Retrofit; o 17th Avenue Park and Drainage Improvement; o Sewell Street Stormwater Drainage Easement Acquisition; o Chipley Street Drainage Improvement; o L and Zarrogossa Street Drainage Improvement; o Government Street/Jones Park Drainage Improvement; o Zarrogossa and C Street Drainage Improvement; o 9th Avenue Baars Drainage Improvement; o Sanders Beach Storm Sewer Reconstruction; o Longhollow Pond Reconstruction; o 9th Avenue and Texar Drainage Improvement; o Burgess Road and Sanders Drainage Improvement; o Carpenter Creek/Bayou Texar stormwater management assessment; o East Hill Drainage Improvement; o Publication of stormwater pollution prevention brochures; and
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o Adoption of tree protection ordinance. Emerald Coast Utilities Authority Septic Tank Abatement Program – (Navy Point and Bayou areas) (ECUA 2016c). Florida Section 319 Stormwater Management Projects – (FDEP 2016i): o Glynn Key Stormwater Wetland; and o 17th Avenue/L-Street Pond Alum Injection Stormwater Pilot Project. Bayou Chico Restoration Projects – Over the past 20 years, several water quality improvement projects have been undertaken by the FDEP’s Northwest District Ecosystem Restoration Section, Escambia County, NWFWMD, and Bayou Chico Association. Projects include the removal of the old Barrancas Street drawbridge, removal of the old CSX train trestle, construction of a sediment basin at W Street, construction of the Maggie’s Ditch stream restoration, and several emergent marsh restoration projects along the bayou’s shoreline. New funding for an $11 million restoration project in Bayou Chico is discussed in Section 6.1.3. A management plan that was adopted by FDEP to guide the restoration is discussed in Section 6.3.1 (FDEP 2016h). Wayside Park Restoration Project – The City of Gulf Breeze, FDEP, and the USACE constructed an offshore rock breakwater and seagrass/emergent marsh at the south end of Three Mile Bridge (FDEP 2007).
The District’s Consolidated Annual Reports (http://www.nwfwater.com/Data- Publications/Reports-Plans/Consolidated-Annual-Reports) provide listings and descriptions of specific projects that have been completed under the auspices of the SWIM and Florida Forever programs.
89 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT 5.0 Related Resource Management 6 Activities Over the years, management plans and activities in the Pensacola Bay 6.1 Deepwater watershed have been implemented to reduce wastewater discharges; reduce the Horizon: discharges of polluted stormwater from urban and agricultural areas; and RESTORE Act, protect, preserve, and restore special areas. This section describes historical and Natural Resource ongoing activities and programs to address natural resource issues and water Damage quality problems, including the impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil Assessment spill. (NRDA), and Much of the progress in restoring the watershed is attributable to coordinated NFWF Projects efforts on the part of local, state, and regional efforts, including the District, 6.2 Water Quality county and municipal governments, state agencies, and private initiatives. Many Monitoring plans and programs share common goals, and their implementation is based on multiple groups cooperating in planning, funding, managing, and executing 6.3 Submerged projects. The NWFWMD coordinates its efforts with these entities to facilitate Aquatic project implementation, as well as to obtain data, strengthen monitoring Vegetation (SAV) activities, and exchange information. Monitoring
6.4 Water Quality 5.1 Deepwater Horizon: RESTORE Act, Natural Resource Restoration and Damage Assessment (NRDA), and NFWF Projects Protection Programs The FDEP and the FWC are the lead state agencies in Florida for responding to the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the resulting restoration process. Restoration projects submitted through the FDEP are considered for funding under the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast Act (RESTORE Act), the NRDA, and the NFWF’s GEBF.
5.1.1 RESTORE
The RESTORE Act of 2012 allocates to the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund 80 percent of the CWA administrative and civil penalties resulting from the oil spill. The major means of allocation under the RESTORE Act are as follows:
Direct Component Funds (“Bucket 1”): Seven percent of these funds will be directly allocated to counties affected in Florida (5.25 percent to the eight disproportionately affected counties in
90 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT the Panhandle from Escambia to Wakulla counties; and 1.75 percent to the non- disproportionately impacted Gulf Coastal counties). To receive funds under the Direct Component, each county is required to submit a Multiyear Implementation Plan, subject to review by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, detailing the county’s plan to expend funds for a set of publically vetted projects and goals (FDEP 2016h).
Council-selected Projects (“Bucket 2”): A portion of RESTORE funds will go toward projects with a wider geographic benefit (multiple states). These projects are selected by the Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Council, which includes the five Gulf States and six federal agencies. Projects can be submitted by the Council members and federally recognized Native American tribes.
Spill Impact Component (“Bucket 3”): Each of the five Gulf states will receive these funds to implement a State Expenditure Plan. In Florida, this plan is being developed through the Gulf Consortium, which was created by the Florida Association of Counties. Projects will be submitted by each of the 23 counties on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
5.1.2 National Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)
The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 authorizes certain state and federal agencies to evaluate the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This legal process, known as NRDA, determines the type and amount of restoration needed to compensate the public for damages caused by the oil spill. The FDEP, along with the FWC, are co-trustees on the Deepwater Horizon Trustee Council.
The NRDA Trustees have, thus far, selected 12 restoration and recreational use projects in the Pensacola Bay system (FDEP 2016h):
Florida Gulf Coast Marine Fisheries Hatchery/Enhancement Center ($18,793,500, Bruce Beach, Pensacola) – construction and operation of a saltwater sportfish hatchery producing up to 5,000,000 sportfish annually. Pensacola Bay Living Shorelines ($11.6 million, State of Florida and NOAA) – two neighboring living shoreline projects in Escambia County—Project GreenShores Site II, which is located immediately west of Muscogee Wharf in downtown Pensacola, and Sanders Beach, which is three miles to the west, near the mouth of Bayou Chico. The projects will restore approximately 18.8 acres of salt marsh habitat and create four acres of reefs. Breakwaters will be constructed at both sites to protect the embayment and the created salt marsh habitat. Living shorelines protect and stabilize coastline while at the same time creating new habitat for fish, oysters, and birds.
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Artificial Reef Creation and Restoration ($11,463,587, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay counties) – will develop both deepwater “nearshore reefs” within nine nautical miles of shore and shallower “snorkeling reefs” within 950 feet of shore and at depths of less than 20 feet. Gulf Islands National Seashore Beach Enhancement ($10,836,055, Fort Pickens, Santa Rosa, and Perdido Key areas of Gulf Islands National Seashore, in Florida) – removal of asphalt and road-base material from roads damaged by multiple storms and hurricanes since 1995. The material is strewn over 14 miles in both vegetated and un- vegetated dune areas, and in flat open beaches. The fragments range in shape and size from 10-foot large slabs to brick and quarter-inch pea size. The total volume of materials proposed for removal is estimated at tens of thousands of cubic yards. Oyster Cultch Placement ($5,370,596, St. Andrew, Pensacola, Apalachicola bays) – will place 12,000 cubic yards of cultch material over 60 acres for the settling of oyster larvae and oyster colonization to foster reef development in Pensacola Bay. Gulf Islands National Seashore Ferry ($4,020,000, National Park Service) – will fund the purchase of up to three pedestrian visitor ferries for use between the City of Pensacola, Pensacola Beach, and the Fort Pickens area of Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida. Scallop Enhancement for Increased Recreational Fishing ($2,890,250, Pensacola Bay, Santa Rosa Sound, St. Andrew Bay) – will increase scallop populations to support recreational harvests in Pensacola Bay. Enhanced Recreational Opportunities on the Escribano Point Portion of the Yellow River Wildlife Management Area ($2,576,365, Santa Rosa County) – improvements include a one-time assessment and mapping activities necessary for developing the site for outdoor recreation purposes, hurricane debris removal and road repair, constructing an entrance kiosk, information facilities, parking facilities, a parking area, interpretive fishing facility, interpretive picnicking facilities, primitive camping sites, wildlife viewing areas, and bear-proof containers for trash and food storage. Navarre Beach Park Gulfside Walkover Complex ($1,221,847, Santa Rosa County) – will construct a dune walkover that will provide access to the beach, a restroom facility, and pavilions with boardwalk connections, an entrance, driveway, and parking area. Bob Sikes Pier, Parking, and Trail Restoration ($1,023,990) – will add solar lighting, implement minor modifications to the pier and rails, and renovate designated parking areas at the existing Bob Sikes fishing pier on Santa Rosa Island. Navarre Beach Park Coastal Access and Dune Restoration ($614,630, Santa Rosa County) – will restore one acre of degraded dune habitat, and construct two beach access
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boardwalks from the existing pavilion and parking lot areas to the Santa Rosa Sound and will construct a new canoe/kayak launch. Gulf Breeze Wayside Park Boat Ramp ($309,669, Santa Rosa County) – will repair the existing boat ramp and seawall cap, construct a public restroom facility, and repair and enhance the parking area to improve access to the existing boat ramp at Wayside Park located off of Highway 89 in the City of Gulf Breeze.
5.1.3 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
The NFWF established the GEBF to administer funds arising from plea agreements that resolve the criminal cases against BP and Transocean. The purpose of the GEBF, as set forth in the plea agreements, is to remedy harm and eliminate or reduce the risk of future harm to Gulf Coast natural resources. The plea agreements require the NFWF to consult with state and federal resource agencies in identifying projects. The FWC and the FDEP work directly with the NFWF to identify projects for the state of Florida, in consultation with the USFWS and the NOAA. From 2013 to 2018, the GEBF will receive a total of $356 million for natural resource projects in Florida. However, the allocation of funds is not limited to five years. NFWF funded the development of the 2017 SWIM plan updates through the GEBF. Additional projects currently funded by NFWF in the Pensacola Bay system include (FDEP 2016h):
Bayou Chico Restoration ($11,032,300, FDEP, ECUA, Pensacola) – stormwater treatment and stream restoration project to reduce sediment and nutrient loading to Bayou Chico, reduce turbidity, increase water clarity, and improve light penetration for photosynthesis to enable expansion of SAV habitat. Restoration and Management of Escribano Point Coastal Habitat – Phase II ($1,486,800, Trust for Public Land, FDEP, Florida Forest Service, Eglin AFB) – will complete strategic acquisition to improve the sustainability of, and provide long-term protection for, approximately 590 acres of coastal habitat in Pensacola Bay. The shoreline provides stopover and foraging habitat for migrating shorebird species, among which are listed species such as the piping plover, Cuban snowy plover, least tern, and black skimmer. This project will also protect the estuarine system and adjacent Blackwater Bay, which contains sea grass beds vital to fish and other marine species such as the listed Gulf sturgeon. Eastern Pensacola Bay Oyster Habitat Restoration – Phase I ($1,957,600, TNC) – first step in a comprehensive effort to design and construct oyster habitat along approximately eight miles of shoreline in East and Blackwater bays to enhance nursery habitat for commercially and recreationally important finfish and shellfish. Additional anticipated benefits include: decreased wave energy to minimize shoreline erosion;
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stabilization of sediments and decreased turbidity; and improvement of habitat for a suite of avian and fish species. Phase I includes pre-restoration monitoring, design and engineering, and permitting for the entire project area.
5.1.4 The Nature Conservancy (TNC): Watershed Management Planning
To achieve comprehensive and long-term success for Gulf restoration, TNC facilitated a community-based watershed management planning process in 2014 and 2015 along Florida’s Gulf Coast for the following six watersheds: Perdido Bay, Pensacola Bay, Choctawhatchee Bay, St. Andrew and St. Joseph bays, Apalachicola to St. Marks, and the Springs Coast. The process was designed to:
Develop watershed-based plans that identify the most pressing environmental issues affecting each watershed and solutions that address the issues, regardless of political jurisdiction and funding source; Create long-term partnerships among stakeholders in each watershed and across the regions to maximize effectiveness of project implementation and funding efforts; and Provide a screening tool to evaluate the project priorities of these watershed plans for potential funding by the communities, the FDEP, the FWC, the NFWF, and the Gulf Coast Restoration Council (TNC 2014).
The TNC Plan developed for the Pensacola Bay watershed identifies 43 projects to address seven major actions (TNC 2014):
Protect, restore, create and/or manage natural habitat and resources and increase buffer areas; Increase cooperation and coordination for management, monitoring, funding, implementation, outreach, and enforcement; Reduce impacts to groundwater and ensure adequate fresh water availability; Reduce and treat stormwater; Reduce nutrient loading; Reduce sedimentation; and Increase economic diversification.
To complete the planning process and ensure that all of the priority issues are identified and addressed, the plan recommended updating the 1997 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan—the subject of this report (TNC 2014).
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5.2 Water Quality Monitoring
The majority of the monitoring data in the Pensacola Bay system, including chemical and biological data, has been collected by the FDEP Northwest District staff and the Bream Fishermen Association (BFA) (FDEP 2007). Data-gathering activities include working with environmental monitoring staff in the NWFWMD and local and county governments to obtain applicable monitoring data from their routine monitoring programs and special water quality projects in the basin. All of the data collected by the FDEP and its partners is uploaded to the statewide water quality database for assessment.
Several water quality monitoring programs are ongoing in the Pensacola Bay watershed. These include the FDEP Trend and Status Networks; FDACS Shellfish Environmental Assessment Section (SEAS); the FDOH Florida Healthy Beaches monitoring program; and the BFA.
The following subsections provide an overview of these programs and some of their relevant findings.
5.2.1 FDEP/NWFWMD
Long-term trends in the water quality of Florida’s waters are monitored by FDEP’s Surface Water Temporal Variability (SWTV) and Groundwater Temporal Variability (GWTV) Monitoring Network. This is a statewide network of fixed sites selected to reflect the water quality impacts across the state. The SWTV network includes data collection at 78 fixed sites, including seven sites in the Pensacola Bay system (FDEP 2016j, 2016k):
Escambia River – two sites: one in Century, near the Alabama-Florida state line, and one downstream at a site that is representative of the watershed’s land use activities. Blackwater River – two sites: one in the upstream, undeveloped portions of the river. And one on Big Coldwater Creek, a tributary of the Blackwater River. Yellow River – two sites: one near the Alabama-Florida state line, and one downstream, near East Bay, at a site that is representative of the watershed’s land use activities. East Bay River – one site near East Bay that is representative of the watershed’s land use activities.
Parameters monitored include color alkalinity, turbidity, suspended and dissolved solids, nutrients, total organic carbon, chlorides, sulfate, metals (calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium), pH, conductivity, temperature, DO, total coliform bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, enterococci bacteria, and Escherichia bacteria (FDEP 016i, 2016j).
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The GWTV network includes data collection at 49 fixed stations (24 unconfined aquifer wells, 23 confined aquifer wells, and two spring vents), including one unconfined aquifer well sampled monthly, located north of Bayou Grande and the Pensacola NAS.
5.2.2 FDEP Northwest District
The FDEP’s Northwest District has collected considerable biological data and conducted biological evaluations of numerous stream and other aquatic habitat sites throughout the watershed (FDEP 2007). The biological data collected by the FDEP Northwest District includes Stream Condition Index, Wetland Condition Index, and Bioassessment data, all of which are reported and accessible in the STOrage and RETrieval (STORET) database. The data is included in the Impaired Surface Waters Rule (IWR) assessments, including the most recent assessment IWR run 50 which can be found on the FDEP website: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/watersheds/assessment/basin411.htm.
5.2.3 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)
To minimize the risk of shellfish-borne illness, the FDACS continually monitors and evaluates shellfish harvesting areas and classifies them accordingly. It also ensures the proper handling of shellfish sold to the public. Under the SEAS program, FDACS collects and analyzes data from 1,200 bacteriological sampling stations in 39 shellfish harvesting areas encompassing 1.4 million acres in Florida, including five shellfish harvesting areas in the Pensacola Bay system. The FDACS monitors bottom and surface temperature, salinity, DO, surface pH, turbidity, fecal coliform bacteria, water depth, and wind direction and speed at monitoring stations in Pensacola Bay, Escambia Bay, East Bay, East Bay River, and Blackwater Bay. The dataset begins in 1985 and continues to the present. These stations are monitored at least monthly and often more frequently (FDACS 2016b).
The FDEP identified eight waterbody segments as verified impaired for bacteria in the Pensacola Bay watershed, based on shell fish classifications issued by the FDACS (see Section 3.2) (FDEP 2014a).
5.2.4 Florida Department of Health (FDOH)
The Florida Healthy Beaches Program was begun by the FDOH as a pilot beach monitoring program in 1998 with expansion to include all the state’s coastal counties in August 2000 (FDOH 2005). The Escambia County and Santa Rosa County health departments participate in the program with weekly monitoring of beaches for enterococcus and fecal coliform bacteria at 14 local beaches. County health departments issue health advisories or warnings when bacterial
96 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT counts are too high (FDEP 2007). Beaches that have more than 21 beach closures in a year are identified as impaired by FDEP. The FDEP identified nine beach segments as verified impaired for bacteria in the Pensacola Bay system (see Section 3.2) (FDEP 2014a).
5.2.5 Bream Fishermen Association (BFA)
The BFA is an organization of local fishermen that has assisted the city, county, state, and region as an environmental steward in protecting northwest Florida and south Alabama waters by performing regular water quality assessments since the 1970s. The BFA, established in the mid- 1960s, was officially chartered as a non-profit organization in 1970. During the 1970s and 1980s, the BFA expanded their water sampling program to include 93 quarterly stations. Today, the BFA collects samples at 48 quarterly stations in Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties (BFA 2016).
5.3 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Monitoring
In the late 1990s, FDEP Northwest District’s Ecosystem Restoration Section conducted a study to monitor the health of seagrasses in Big Lagoon and Santa Rosa Sound. The study concluded with a management plan, which included recommendations for improving the health of SAVs in the study area (FDEP 2001). The USGS published a report on the status and trends of seagrasses along the Gulf Coast, including the Pensacola Bay system (USGS 2006). The FWC’s FWRI is assessing changes in the extent, density, and patchiness of seagrass in Pensacola Bay, Big Lagoon, and Santa Rosa Sound as part of the statewide SIMM program. The maps are generated through photointerpretation of high-resolution imagery. The general status of seagrasses for the bays is discussed in Section 3.3.1 (FWC 2015c).
5.4 Water Quality Restoration and Protection Programs
Water quality in the Pensacola Bay watershed is protected through several programs working together to restore water quality and prevent degradation. These programs include FDEP’s adopted TMDLs; BMPs for silviculture, agriculture, construction, and other activities related to land use and development; regulatory programs including NPDES, domestic and industrial wastewater permits, stormwater permits, and ERP; and local efforts to retrofit stormwater infrastructure to add or improve water quality treatment. Additionally, water quality is protected through a number of conservation, mitigation, and management programs that protect water resources, aquifer recharge areas, floodplains, and other natural systems within the watershed. These programs include Florida Forever Work Plan, regional mitigation for state transportation
97 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT projects, and spring protection and restoration. The following section provides an overview of these programs and their contribution to water quality restoration and protection.
5.4.1 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
Total maximum daily loads are developed for waterbodies that are verified as not meeting adopted water quality standards to support their designated use. They provide important water quality restoration goals to guide restoration activities. They identify the reductions in pollutant loading required to restore water quality. Total daily maximum loads are implemented through the development and adoption of BMAPs that identify the management actions necessary to reduce the pollutant loads. Basin Management Action Plans are developed by local stakeholders (public and private) in close coordination with the Water Management Districts and the FDEP. Although water segments with adopted TMDLs are removed from the state’s impaired waters list, they remain a high priority for restoration.
The FDEP has adopted 98 TMDLs in the Pensacola Bay system: 12 for fecal coliform, four for nutrients, one for DO, and 81 for mercury. A BMAP was adopted by FDEP in 2011 to implement five fecal coliform TMDLs and restore water quality in Bayou Chico, which is located in the southern end of Escambia County, just east of Blue Angel Parkway and north of Bayou Grande. Additional information on the adopted TMDLs and BMAPs can be found in Section 3.2.
The FDEP has developed specific guidance for implementing fecal coliform TMDLs that focuses on identifying and removing bacteria sources (FDEP 2011d). The FDEP has also developed the Nitrogen Source Inventory and Loading Tool to identify and quantify the major contributing nitrogen sources to groundwater in areas of interest. This GIS and spreadsheet-based tool provides spatial estimates of the relative contribution of nitrogen from various sources. It takes into consideration the transport pathways and processes affecting the various forms of nitrogen as they move from the land surface through soil and geologic strata that overlie and comprise the Upper Floridan aquifer (FDEP 2016b).
5.4.2 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permitting
All point sources that discharge to surface waterbodies require a NPDES permit. These permits can be classified into two types: domestic or industrial wastewater discharge permits, and stormwater permits. An NPDES permit includes limits on the composition and quantity of a discharge, monitoring and reporting requirements, and other provisions to ensure that the discharge does cause pose a threat to human health or quarter quality. All NPDES permits include “reopener clauses” that allow the FDEP to incorporate new discharge limits when a
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TMDL is established. These new limitations may be incorporated into a permit when a TMDL is implemented or at the next permit renewal, depending on the timing of the permit renewal and workload. For NPDES municipal stormwater permits, the FDEP will insert the following statement once a BMAP is completed (FDEP 2007):
The permittee shall undertake those activities specified in the (Name of Waterbody) BMAP in accordance with the approved schedule set forth in the BMAP.
The FDEP implements the NPDES stormwater program in Florida under delegation from the EPA. The program requires the regulation of stormwater runoff from MS4s generally serving populations of more than 10,000 and denser than 1,000 per square mile, construction activity disturbing more than one acre of land, and ten categories of industrial activity. An MS4 can include roads with drainage systems, gutters, and ditches, as well as underground drainage, operated by local jurisdictions, the FDOT, universities, local sewer districts, hospitals, military bases, and prisons. Escambia County, Pensacola, and Century are Phase 1 co-permittees with the FDOT District 3. Stormwater management for other local governments, military bases, and educational institutes within the Pensacola Bay system is covered under Phase 2 MS4 permits. Phase 2 permits are general permits and are not written for a specific local government. Phase 2 permit holders in the Pensacola Bay system include: Pensacola NAS, Eglin AFB, Hulbert Field (U.S. Air Force), University of West Florida, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties, and the cities of Niceville, Gulf Breeze, and Milton (FDEP 2007).
As part of the MS4 program, Escambia County’s Stormwater Program has delineated the county into 41 drainage basins. The basins have been numerically ranked based on the severity of water quality and drainage issues to establish an order of priority for remediation. A countywide Stormwater Master Plan has been completed (Hatch Mott MacDonald 2004). Countywide drainage plans have either been completed or are under way for 23 individual drainage basins. Each plan describes current stormwater structural controls and identifies and recommends water quality and drainage improvement projects. Funding for stormwater retrofits is provided by a local option sales tax, which was approved by Escambia County voters in 1992. The intent of the tax is to help pay for capital improvement projects that address flooding, improve access to residential and commercial properties (improve transportation), and improve stormwater quality. It became effective June 1, 1992, and was renewed by a voter referendum in 1999. It was reapproved by voters in 2008 and will be in effect until December 31, 2017. Revenue generated by the tax has provided money to pave dirt roads and improve drainage and transportation. As of February 2003, $37.3 million had been spent for projects to primarily improve drainage, $28.4 million to primarily improve transportation, and $16.2 million to pave dirt roads (Hatch Mott McDonald 2004).
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5.4.3 Domestic and Industrial Wastewater Permits
In addition to NPDES-permitted facilities, all of which discharge to surface waters, Florida also regulates domestic and industrial wastewater discharges to groundwater via land application. Since groundwater and surface water are so intimately linked in much of the state, reductions in loadings from these facilities may be needed to meet TMDL limitations for pollutants in surface waters. If such reductions are identified in the BMAP, they would be implemented through modifications of existing state permits (FDEP 2007).
5.4.4 Best Management Practices (BMPs)
Best management practices may include structural controls (such as retention areas or detention ponds) or non-structural controls (such as street sweeping or public education). Many BMPs have been developed for urban stormwater to reduce pollutant loadings and peak flows. These BMPs accommodate site-specific conditions, including soil type, slope, depth to groundwater, and the use designation of receiving waters (such as drinking water, recreation, or shellfish harvesting).
The passage of the 1999 Florida Watershed Restoration Act (Chapter 99-223, Laws of Florida) increased the emphasis on implementing BMPs to reduce NPS pollutant discharges from agricultural operations. It authorized the FDEP and the FDACS to develop interim measures and agricultural BMPs. While BMPs are adopted by rule, they are voluntary if not covered by regulatory programs. If they are adopted by rule and the FDEP verifies their effectiveness, then implementation provides a presumption of compliance with water quality standards, similar to that granted a developer who obtains ERP (FDACS 2016c).
Over the last several years, the FDACS has worked with farmers, soil and water conservation entities, the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and other interests to improve product marketability and operational efficiency of agricultural BMPs, while at the same time promoting water quality and water conservation objectives. In addition, programs have been established and are being developed to create a network of state, local, federal, and private sources of funds for developing and implementing BMPs. One example is the Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems program in the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). It is a public/private partnership that provides state and federal cost-share reimbursements to private farmers to implement conservation and alternative water supply BMPs for reducing groundwater withdrawals and impacts to surface waters (SWFWMD 2016).
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BMPs have been developed and adopted by rule for silviculture, row crops, container plants, cow calf, and dairies. The BMP manuals can be accessed on the FDACS website (FDACS 2016c). A draft BMP manual for poultry has been developed and adoption is expected by late 2016 (FDACS 2016c).
5.4.5 Florida Environmental Resource Permitting (ERP) Program
Florida established the ERP program to prevent stormwater pollution to Florida’s rivers, lakes, and streams, and to help provide flood protection. The ERP program regulates the management and storage of surface waters and provides protection for the vital functions of wetlands and other surface waters. Environmental resource permits are designed to obtain 80 percent average annual load reduction of total suspended solids. In northwest Florida, the ERP program is jointly implemented by the NWFWMD and the FDEP.
5.4.6 Regional Mitigation for State Transportation Projects
Under section 373.4137, F.S., the NWFWMD offers optional mitigation services for road projects to the FDOT when the use of private mitigation banks is not feasible and impacts to wetlands cannot be avoided. A regional mitigation plan (a.k.a., Umbrella Plan) has been developed, and is updated annually, to address mitigation needs submitted to the NWFWMD by FDOT. Components of the Umbrella Plan include the federally permitted “In-Lieu Fee Program” instrument and other mitigation projects (NWFWMD 2016a). The District’s mitigation plan is developed and implemented in consultation with the FDOT, FDEP, USACE, EPA, USFWS, U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, and FWC and is maintained and available for review at http://www.nwfwmdwetlands.com/.
Since 1997, the NWFWMD has implemented mitigation at 29 sites, including seven sites in the Pensacola Bay System: Bluff Springs (322 acres), Brewer (76 acres wetlands), Cotton Creek Road (6.49 acres forested wetland), Jones Swamp (55 acres wetland), Mystic Springs (5.5 acres forested wetland and abandoned sand pit), Rogers, and Yellow River Ranch (275 acres forested wetland and pasture) (NWFWMD 2016c).
5.4.7 Water Supply Planning/Water Resource Caution Areas
The NWFWMD is divided into seven Water Supply Planning Regions. In 1998, the District completed its first Water Supply Assessment to evaluate the sufficiency of water resources to meet projected demands over a 20-year planning horizon.
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Every five years, the District updates the Water Supply Assessment to evaluate whether existing and anticipated water sources are sufficient to meet future demands while sustaining water resources and associated natural systems. If the District determines that a region's water needs are likely to exceed available water sources in the next 20 years, the District will prepare a Regional Water Supply Plan (RWSP), which identifies alternatives for meeting the anticipated future water needs (as required by Section 373.709, F.S.).
The 2013 Water Supply Assessment Update extends water use projections through 2035 and includes updated resource assessments for each of the District’s planning regions. Based on these updated assessments and projections, the District’s Governing Board determined that RWSP efforts should continue in Regions II (Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties) and III (Bay and portions of Washington counties) (NWFWMD 2016d).
Under Section 373.036, F.S., and Subsection 62-40.520(1), F.A.C., each water management district in the state must identify Water Resource Caution Areas (WRCAs) in which potential water shortages, considerable reductions in water levels, saltwater intrusion, or other degradations may occur within 20 years, and must develop management plans to address their water resource problems. In these areas, existing and anticipated sources of water and conservation efforts may not be adequate to supply water for all existing legal uses and reasonably anticipate future needs, and still sustain water resources and related natural systems. Five constraints are considered in establishing these WRCAs (NWFWMD 2016d):
Impacts to native vegetation, primarily wetlands; Impacts to minimum flows and levels, primarily spring flows; Impacts to ground water quality in terms of increased saltwater intrusion; Impacts to existing legal users; and Failure to identify a source of supply for future development.
The NWFWMD has designated the coastal area of Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties as a WRCA. This designation subjects all non-exempt water withdrawals to increased and rigorous scrutiny to ensure that a proposed withdrawal does not cause unacceptable impacts to the resource (Bartel et al. 2000). In Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties, new or expanded use of the Floridan aquifer for non-potable purposes is prohibited. Current non-potable users must seek alternate water sources. Water levels in the Floridan aquifer have declined with water production; heads are presently below mean sea level in much of the coastal area of these three counties (NWFWMD 2016d).
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5.4.8 FDEP Ecosystem Restoration Section
The FDEP (through funding from the USFWS Coastal Program and other sources) has identified living shoreline restoration sites within the Pensacola Bay watershed to aid in shoreline stabilization, biodiversity, and water quality (FDEP 2015f). Living shorelines are constructed of oyster shells, limestone rock, or other substrate conductive to the natural environment. These created shorelines provide a physical barrier for the mainland during storms, and aid in sediment stabilization through the use of planted native vegetation (FDEP 2015f).
5.4.9 Florida Forever Work Plan
Florida Forever is Florida’s conservation and recreation lands acquisition program. Under section 373.199, F.S., and the NWFWMD Florida Forever 2016 Five Year Work Plan, a variety of projects may be implemented, including capital projects, land acquisition, and other environmental projects. Since its inception, the District’s land acquisition program has sought to bring as much floodplain as possible of the major rivers and creeks under public ownership and protection (NWFWMD 2016e). District land holdings and priorities for acquisition in the Pensacola Bay system are as follows (NWFWMD 2016c):
Escambia River – approximately 6,644 acres have been identified for possible acquisition. The Escambia River is broad and well drained in the upper reaches, and swampy areas below Molino, Florida. While the overall water quality is considered good, there are many point and NPS sources that empty into the river. The District currently owns 35,413 acres in the watershed. Priority purchases will be concentrated on parcels adjacent to existing District lands around the river mouth and designated tributaries. Garcon Point Peninsula – approximately 3,200 acres have been identified for possible acquisition of the peninsula, which borders Pensacola, Escambia, East and Blackwater bays. The lands are largely undeveloped and include a variety of natural communities that are in good to excellent condition. The tract provides considerable protection to the water quality of the surrounding estuaries, as well as harboring a number of rare and endangered species. A minimum of 14 endangered or threatened species are known to live in the area including the listed federally endangered reticulated flatwoods salamander. The northern wet prairie portion is known to be an outstanding pitcher plant habitat. Priority purchases will be concentrated on parcels adjacent to existing District lands. Currently the District owns 3,245 acres in fee simple on Garcon Point. Blackwater River – approximately 11,449 acres have been identified for possible acquisition. Originating in the Conecuh National Forest in Alabama, the Blackwater
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River has a large portion of its Florida watershed further protected by the Blackwater River State Forest. In all, nearly 50 miles of the river corridor is remote and undeveloped. As a result, the Blackwater River is considered one of Florida’s best preserved waterways. The acquisition area includes a large area of mature longleaf pine forest; considerable bottomland forest and marsh acreage; upland mixed forest; and blackwater stream and seepage slope communities. Priority purchases will be concentrated on parcels adjacent to existing District lands. Approximately 381 acres in fee simple have been acquired by the District along the Blackwater River immediately south of Milton in Santa Rosa County. Yellow River – approximately 39,140 acres have been identified for possible acquisition. The Yellow River has its headwaters in Conecuh National Forest in Alabama and forms the northern border of Eglin AFB across much of eastern Santa Rosa and western Okaloosa counties. The proposed acquisitions would bring much of the remainder of the Yellow River floodplain in Florida under public ownership. Included in the project is a segment of the lower Shoal River, the largest tributary to the Yellow River. Large private landowners own a majority of the floodplain in the proposed area, but considerable areas of the bordering and buffer lands are being sought to ensure effective management and protection of water resources. Highest priority will be given to tracts in the western portion of the project within the 100-year floodplain. Priority purchases will be concentrated on parcels adjacent to existing District lands. Currently the District owns 16,553 acres in fee simple along the river. Purchase of lands northwest of Eglin AFB, along the Interstate 10 corridor, would provide approximately 52,000 acres of land that has the potential for future water resource development to supplement the strained potable water sources in southern Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties. Acquisitions in this area are recommended by the District Regional Water Supply Plan for Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties to protect future supply sources.
In 2015, voters in the state passed the Florida Land and Water Conservation Amendment (Amendment 1). The amendment funds the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to acquire, restore, improve, and manage conservation lands, including wetlands and forests; fish and wildlife habitat; lands protecting water resources and drinking water sources, including the Everglades, and the water quality of rivers, lakes, and streams; beaches and shores; outdoor recreational lands; working farms and ranches; and historic or geologic sites, by dedicating 33 percent of net revenues from the existing excise tax on documents for 20 years. In 2016, the Florida legislature appropriated $15 million to Florida Forever for conservation easements and increasing water supplies.
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5.4.10 Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs)
A minimum flow or minimum water level for a given waterbody (surface water or groundwater) is the limit below which further withdrawals would be significantly harmful to the water resources or ecology of the area (Section 373.042, F.S.). MFLs are calculated using best available data and consider natural seasonal fluctuations; non-consumptive uses; and environmental values associated with coastal, estuarine, riverine, spring, aquatic, and wetlands ecology as specified in Section 62-40.473, F.A.C. (NWFWMD 2016d). MFLs for aquifers, including the Floridan aquifer, are adopted to protect potable water supplies from potential saltwater encroachment (Bartel et al. 2000).
The process of establishing an MFL involves a series of steps including identification of priority waterbodies, data collection, technical assessments, peer review, rule-making, and rule adoption. Adopted MFLs are considered when reviewing consumptive use permit applications. A recovery or prevention strategy must be developed for any waterbody where consumptive uses are currently or anticipated to result in flows or water levels below an adopted MFL.
An MFL for the inland sand-and-gravel aquifer in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties was initiated in 2014. The Yellow River MFL and Shoal River MFL are scheduled for development in 2017 (NWFWMD 2016f).
5.4.11 Natural Resource Management at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB)
The U.S. military, represented by the Air Force at Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field, and the Navy at NAS Pensacola and Whiting Field, occupies about 241,000 acres in the Pensacola Bay system. Eglin AFB is the largest forested military reservation in the U.S. and provides habitat for 106 rare and endangered species including animals such as the red-cockaded woodpecker and reticulated flatwoods salamander, as well as 55 state-listed plant species. The AFB spans 20 miles of the Gulf of Mexico shoreline, and includes 55 acres of lakes and 186 miles of streams. The property also hosts 34 of the FNAI recognized natural communities (FWC 2016e; Secretary of Defense 2013). Consequently, management actions on Air Force property have the potential to substantially influence water and habitat quality at the scale of the drainage basin.
Large tracts of Eglin AFB are managed for habitat conservation and the protection of endangered species. Extensive tracts of mature longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forest are still present, particularly in the Conecuh National Forest–Blackwater River State Forest–Eglin AFB corridor (FDEP 2007).
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Since 2009, TNC and Eglin AFB, with funding from the Legacy Program, have worked with military bases in Florida to establish six Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas (CISMAs). These CISMAs are designed to help to decrease the re-infestation from invasive species at six Florida bases (U.S. Department of Defense [DOD] 2011). As a result of this initiative, a report called Utilizing Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas (CISMAs) to Effectively Reduce Re-infestation of Invaders on Six (6) Military Bases and Adjacent Lands in Florida was developed. The report details the development of the CISMAs, their accomplishments, project monitoring, and strategic plans.
404,000 acres of Eglin AFB are managed under the Base’s Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan, which is updated every five years and is signed by Eglin, the FWC, and the USFWS. Additionally, the Jackson Guard maintains an interactive web-based Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan that functions as an adaptive management tool (Secretary of Defense 2013). In 2013, Eglin’s Natural Resources Team exceeded the goal of rehabilitating wetland riparian and 20 threatened and endangered species sites as specified in the Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan Erosion Control Component Plan. Other ongoing initiatives at the AFB include fish and wildlife management, invasive species control and pest management, and forest management using prescribed fires and other BMPs (Secretary of Defense 2013).
5.4.12 Bay Area Resource Council (BARC)
The BARC was created from the Escambia/Santa Rosa Coast Resource Planning and Management Committee formed in February 1985 by then Governor Bob Graham. An interlocal agreement between Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, and the cities of Pensacola and Gulf Breeze was established in May 1987 to solidify the organization into an entity that could accept funding and promote the goals of the committee. The City of Milton has since joined the BARC. Advisory committees for citizens and scientists were established to begin the development of a management plan for the Pensacola Bay system. The Pensacola Bay Watershed Management Guide, completed in 1998, contained 50 action plans. The BARC Technical Advisory Committee completed an update of the plan in late 2004 (Pensacola Bay Watershed Partnership and BARC 2005). The BARC’s goal is improving the area’s quality of life and the waters of the Pensacola Bay Basin through community participation and coordination with local governments, citizens, academia, and the private sector. The WFRPC serves as staff to the BARC (WFRPC 2016b).
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5.4.13 University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension (UF- IFAS)
The UF/IFAS is a federal-state-county partnership that focuses on research, teaching, and extension to “develop knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhance and sustain the quality of human life by making that information accessible.”
Many UF/IFAS programs and partnerships help protect water resources across the Pensacola Bay watershed and the state of Florida. Such programs and partnerships include the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences and Marine Sciences Program, the Aquatic and Invasive Plants Center, the Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit., the Florida Partnership for Water, Agriculture and Community Sustainability, the Natural Resources Leadership Institute, the Wetland Biogeochemistry Laboratory, and the Shellfish Aquaculture Extension among others.
To promote environmentally sound forestry practices, the UF/IFAS offers the voluntary Forest Stewardship Program, which seeks to help private landowners develop a plan to increase the economic value of their forestland while maintaining its environmental integrity (UF-IFAS 2016b). The Extension also works with farmers and property owners across the state to minimize the need for commercial pesticides and fertilizers, through environmentally friendly BMPs.
5.4.14 Other Programs and Actions
As described in the preceding section, local governments and organizations are active participants in the restoration projects being or expected to be funded through the RESTORE Act, the NRDA, and the NFWF. These organizations have been longstanding partners in monitoring water quality and environmental health throughout the watershed. They have also been key partners in developing stormwater master plans and retrofit projects to reduce and treat stormwater, as well as building community support for watershed protection through the creation of citizen advisory councils and volunteer organizations.
Numerous citizen or citizen-government groups with a primary interest in protecting or enhancing water resources are active in the Pensacola Bay system. Most organizations have a specific geographic focus at either the watershed or waterbody level. Identified groups and their activities are as follows:
Bayou Texar Foundation – The Bayou Texar Foundation (BTF) boasts a membership of nearly 300 residents in the Bayou Texar watershed. The organization’s mission is to protect and improve the bayou. Its members have worked tirelessly with the City of
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Pensacola to implement a stormwater utility to fund stormwater retrofits. The Foundation has educated its members and other area residents about stormwater runoff and what each citizen can do to improve the water quality of this urban bayou (BTF 2016). Bayou Chico Association – The Association is involved in educating the public, seeking grants, and initiating various projects to promote the restoration and preservation of Bayou Chico, an estuary located off Pensacola Bay, in southwestern Pensacola (BCA 2016). Environmental Education Coordination Team (EECT) – A partnership of representatives from more than 20 public and private organizations, as well as individual community members, formed to consolidate the efforts of members’ environmental education activities in the community. In 2002, the EECT became a subcommittee on the BARC Technical Advisory Committee (WFRPC 2016b). EPA Gulf Ecology Division – The EPA, Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory in Gulf Breeze, Florida, is a primary research facility of the EPA’s Office of Research and Development National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory. The lab assesses the ecological condition, ecological services and values of estuaries, coastal wetlands, SAV, and coral ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern U.S.; determines causes of ecological impairment; predicts future risk to populations, communities and ecosystems from multiple aquatic stressors; supports the development of criteria to protect coastal environments; and transfers scientific technology to federal and state agencies, industry, and the public (EPA 2016g). Pensacola Environmental Advisory Board (EAB) – The Pensacola City Council created this group of appointed citizen volunteers in November 2001 to provide policy advice and recommendations on environmental matters to the City Council and city staff (Pensacola EAB 2016). Escambia County Citizens Environmental Committee – The Escambia County Citizens Environmental Committee provides professional advice, based on citizen input, to Escambia County through its Board of County Commissioners on matters of environmental concern (land, air, and water). The County Administrator appoints one member and each commissioner appoints two members, with their terms running concurrently with that of the commissioner who appointed them. Monthly meetings are open to the public (FDEP 2007). Escambia County Storm-Water Advisory Team – In response to the large flooding event in April 2014, the Storm-Water Advisory Team was created to identify conditions associated with the April 2014 flooding and to assist Escambia County staff. The rainfall caused damage to both public and private stormwater facilities across the county, but
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mostly in the southern area. A needs assessment and a county-wide stormwater recommendation report were drafted to rank priority drainage projects and provide recommendations for stormwater within Escambia County (Escambia County 2016b). Emerald CoastKeeper – The Emerald CoastKeeper (ECK) is a part of the Water Keeper Alliance group composed of 50 Keeper programs throughout North America. The Keeper philosophy is based on the notion that the protection and enjoyment of a community’s natural resources requires the daily vigilance of its citizens. The Keeper movement is an environmental “neighborhood watch” program—a citizen’s patrol to protect the community’s waters. A Keeper is a full-time, privately funded, non- governmental ombudsperson whose special responsibility is to be the public advocate for a waterbody. It is the Keeper’s job to advocate compliance with environmental laws, respond to citizen complaints, identify problems that affect his or her body of water and devise appropriate remedies, serve as a living witness to the condition of the ecosystem, and be an advocate for the public’s right to protect and defend the environment. Within those parameters, each Keeper program is expected to represent the unique circumstances and needs of the Keeper’s community waterway (ECK 2016). Partnership for Environmental Research and Community Environmental Health (PERCH) – This group, funded by federal appropriation grants, was formed to provide input to the University of West Florida regarding environmental health studies, and investigate questions pertaining to environmental pollution and how it may affect human health (University of West Florida PERCH 2016). Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership – Formed in 1996, this is a cooperative environmental management partnership between the NWFWMD, Blackwater River State Forest, Conecuh National Forest, Nokuse Plantation, Eglin AFB, International Paper, FDEP, and TNC. The group’s initial focus was to restore and protect longleaf pine habitat. The partners currently manage more than 950,000 acres in northwest Florida and southern Alabama, including the Pensacola Bay basin, to protect listed species and to restore and protect connected ecosystems (The Longleaf Alliance 2016). The partnership provides a collaborative approach to the preservation and management of natural lands through a set of land management principles directed at ecosystem preservation including prescribed burning, recovering listed species, restoring aquatic habitat, providing public outreach, and sharing and exchanging relevant information and technology on new land management and protection techniques. Through collaboration and the pooling of resources, the partners are able to leverage the purchase of additional conservation lands (The Longleaf Alliance 2016). Ecosystem Restoration Support Organization, Inc. – Formed in 1998, this 501(c)(3) citizen support organization provides financial and volunteer support for the FDEP’s
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Northwest District Ecosystem Restoration Section. Fundraising and grant-writing efforts have provided over $1 million to Project GreenShores and the FDEP’s seagrass tissue culture lab and greenhouses (FDEP 2016f).
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134 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT Appendix A Geology and Soils in the Pensacola Bay System Watershed
The Pensacola Bay watershed encompasses two localized physiographic regions in Florida: the Western Highlands subdivision of the Northern Highlands and the Gulf Coastal Lowlands. Both physiographic regions exhibit unique geology and soils. The Northern Highlands are underlain by the Citronelle formation, ancient delta deposits of clays, clayey sands, and gravel, deposited on limestone bedrock. The Coastal Lowlands are described as a flat, weakly dissected alluvial plain formed by deposition of continental sediments onto a submerged, shallow continental shelf, that were later exposed by sea level subsidence. In the Coastal Lowlands, ancient marine geomorphic features including beach ridges, spits, bars, dunes, and terraces make up the modern topography. Terraces represent wave-cut platforms and depositional features that formed during still sands of the sea (NWFWMD 1997).
The area surrounding the Pensacola Bay system is underlain by thin undifferentiated alluvium and Pleistocene terrace deposits that dip southwestward at 30 to 40 feet per mile (Marsh 1966). Stratigraphically, these sediments are underlain by the Pliocene Citronelle Formation and Tertiary beds of sand, silt, and limestone (NWFWMD 1997). Three Pleistocene-age marine terraces can be recognized in the area: the Pamlico terrace at 30 feet, the Penholoway terrace at 70 feet, and a seaward sloping upland surface with elevations ranging from 60 to 200 feet. Remnants of these terraces are preserved as upland plateaus, flat-topped hills, and low coastal plains (Marsh 1966).
Santa Rosa Island is considered a classic example of bay barrier bar with a straight seaward margin. The island is approximately half a mile wide with sand dunes that reach elevations of 50 feet above sea level. Santa Rosa Island also has two backshore terraces likely formed during storm events.
The mineralogy of sediments within the Pensacola Bay is controlled by erosion throughout the watershed, which has taken place since the Pleistocene Epoch. During the Pleistocene, the Citronelle deposits were reworked and intermixed with marine terrace deposits (Marsh 1966). These marine deposits, as well as Miocene and Pleistocene terrace deposits, are now actively eroding. Because the watershed’s streams pass largely through Neogene Coastal Plain formations, the bay's sediments consist almost entirely of sand, silt, and clay eroded from these older units (George 1988).
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The mineral suite for the Pensacola Bay system is made up of largely reworked, stable, heavy minerals dominated by zircon, tourmaline, staurolite, and kyanite. Unstable heavy minerals, such as hornblende, garnet, pyroxene, and epidote are essentially lacking. Clay mineral analyses indicate that the Escambia River carries mainly kaolinite, with lesser amounts of montmorillonite, vermiculite, illite, and gibbsite (Isphording et al. 1989). The deposition of sediments in the Pensacola Bay system has significantly changed over recent time. Borings collected by the Florida State Road Department during construction of local bridges generally indicate a vegetative "muck” layer as deep as 60 feet with cleaner fine to coarse sands below. These deposits are vegetative evidence of plant growth at a lower stand of sea level (approximately 6,000 years ago).
The changes in the sedimentary regime of the system are primarily due to the geologically recent rise in the sea level. The presence of silty clays, similar to the central bay floor sediment today, suggests that the present sediments were deposited on bay•lagoon deposits behind late Pleistocene barrier islands further off shore.
Soils within the watershed have been used extensively for crop production, silviculture, and pastureland since the state’s settlement. Along with being a valuable agricultural resource, soils also protect water quality by absorbing runoff, store soil organic carbon, and help mitigate flooding. The following soils are found in the Florida portion of the Pensacola Bay watershed:
Ultisols
Ultisols are intensely-weathered soils of warm and humid climates, and are usually formed on older geologic formations in parent material that is already extensively weathered (i.e., upland areas of the watershed). They are generally low in natural fertility and high in soil acidity, but contain subsurface clay accumulations that give them a high nutrient retention capacity. In the Pensacola Bay watershed, ultisols form in the majority of non-coastal, interior locations where the landscape has been relatively stable over recent geologic time (Collins 2010). Ultisols are the primary agricultural and silvicultural soils of the watershed, as their high clay content contributes to nutrient and water retention, when properly managed and are found extensively in the northern reaches of the entire watershed.
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Entisols Entisols are young soils that show little development, have no diagnostic horizons, and are largely unaltered from their parent material, which can be unconsolidated sediment or rock (USDA 2014). Entisols are found in the floodplain of the Escambia River and on Santa Rosa Sound where surficial processes are active (Collins 2010).
Spodosols Spodosols are sandy, acidic soils, often found in cool, moist climates such as coastal conifer forests (USDA 2014). They are easily identified by their strikingly-colored horizons, which form as a result of leaching and accumulation processes. Spodosols can be found throughout the coastal portion of the watershed, particularly on the Fairpoint Peninsula, along the Blackwater and Yellow rivers near Blackwater Bay, and throughout the Garcon Point WMA (Collins 2010). The presence of spodosols usually indicates an area that was historically dominated by a pine over-story.
Inceptisols Inceptisols are described as soils in the beginning stages of soil profile development, as the differences between soil horizons are just beginning to appear in the form of color variation due to accumulations of small amounts of clay, salts, and organic material. Inceptisols occur predominantly along the floodplains of the watershed’s various rivers and tributaries, as well as on Santa Rosa Sound and the tip of Garcon Point (Collins 2010).
Histosols Histosols are described as soils without permafrost and predominantly composed of organic material in various stages of decomposition. These soils are usually saturated, resulting in anaerobic conditions, slower rates of decomposition, and increased organic matter accumulation. Histosols generally consist of at least half organic materials and are common in wetlands (USDA 2014). Histosols in the Pensacola Bay watershed occur along the eastern coast of East Bay, along the Escambia River in the Lower Escambia River WMA, and along East River near Holley (Collins 2010; USDA 2014). Histosols cover approximately 6,155 square miles in the state of Florida and store more organic carbon than any other soil type (Kolka et al. 2016; Vasques et al. 2010). Drainage of wetland areas and the associated decomposition of organic matter stored in histosols is a well-documented source of atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane.
A-3 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT Appendix B Threatened and Endangered Species within the Watershed
The Pensacola Bay watershed supports a wide array of biological resources and habitats and; therefore, many species of flora and fauna. This Appendix provides a list of species that are protected and tracked for the watershed, as well as their habitat requirements (FNAI 2010; FWC 2016f; USFWS 2016):
Plants: Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Agrimonia Incised S2 T N Forest/Woodland, Woodland - incisa Groove-bur Conifer, Woodland - Mixed
Lacustrine: wet pine flatwoods, Andropogon Pine-woods S3 T N seepage wetlands, bogs, wet pine arctatus Bluestem savannas
Asclepias Southern Estuarine Habitat(s): Bay/sound S2 T N viridula Milkweed Terrestrial Habitat(s): Savanna
Baptisia N/A Hairy Wild calycosa var. S3 T N Indigo villosa
Terrestrial: longleaf pine- Calamintha Toothed deciduous oak sandhills, planted S3 T N dentata Savory pine plantations, sand, open and abandoned fields, and roadsides
Palustrine: mesic and wet Calamovilfa Curtiss' flatwoods, wet prairie, depression S3 T N curtissii Sandgrass marsh Terrestrial: mesic flatwoods
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, forested wetland, herbaceous Many- wetland Calopogon flowered S2S3 T N Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest Edge, multiflorus Grass-pink Forest/Woodland, Grassland/herbaceous, Savanna, Woodland - Conifer
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Baltzell's Carex baltzellii S3 T N Forest/Woodland, Woodland - Sedge Mixed
Dry sandy sites in turkey oak/bluejack oak woods; Longleaf Sandhill Carex tenax S3 N N pine/turkey oak sandhills; ruderal Sedge in sandy fields and roadsides. Dry, coarse soils.
Occurs in open, sunny, wet areas dominated by sedges. Its habitats include the following: calcareous Cladium and saline marshes and swamps; Pond Rush S1 N N mariscoides patterned water tracks, spring fens, and calcareous fens; and wetlands and swales of the Atlantic coastal plain and the Great Lakes.
Lacustrine Habitat(s): Shallow Coelorachis Piedmont water S3 T N tuberculosa Jointgrass Palustrine Habitat(s): herbaceous wetland, temporary pool
Epigaea Trailing N/A S2 E N repens Arbutus
Wet edges of baygalls, shrub swamps, pocosins, Carolina bays, Fothergilla Dwarf S1 E N Atlantic white cedar forests, gardenii Witch-alder pitcher plant bogs, and wet savannas and flatwoods
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Hexastylis N/A Heartleaf S3 T N arifolia
Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, Hymenocallis Panhandle herbaceous wetland S2 E N henryae Spiderlily Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest/Woodland
Ilex Serviceberry N/A S2 T N amelanchier Holly
Riverine Habitat(s): Pool Lachnocaulon Bog Button S3 T N Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, digynum forested wetland
Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, Lilium Panhandle S2 E N herbaceous wetland, Riparian, iridollae Lily scrub-shrub wetland
Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, forested wetland, herbaceous wetland Linum westii West's Flax S1 E N Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest/Woodland, Woodland - Mixed
Litsea Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen Pondspice S2 E N aestivalis
Palustrine Habitat(s): Forested wetland, herbaceous wetland, Lobelia Boykin's scrub-shrub wetland S1 E N boykinii Lobelia Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest/Woodland, Savanna, Woodland - Conifer
Terrestrial: beach dune, scrub, Lupinus Gulf Coast S3 T N disturbed areas, roadsides, westianus Lupine blowouts in dunes
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Palustrine: seepage slope, dome swamp edges, floodplain swamps Macranthera Hummingbir S2 E N Riverine: seepage stream banks flammea d Flower Terrestrial: seepage slopes
Magnolia Ashe's Terrestrial: slope and upland S2 E N ashei Magnolia hardwood forest, ravines
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Cliff, Forest - Hardwood, Forest - Mixed, Matelea Alabama S2 E N Forest Edge, Forest/Woodland, alabamensis Spiny-pod Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
Nuphar Riverine Habitat(s): Medium river, West Florida advena ssp. S2 N N spring/spring brook Cowlily ulvacea
Oxypolis Giant Water- Palustrine: dome swamp, wet S3 E N greenmanii dropwort flatwoods, ditches: in water
Naked- N/A Panicum stemmed S3 T N nudicaule Panicgrass
Riverine Habitat(s): Creek, pool, Piedmont Myriophyllum spring/spring brook Water S3 N N laxum Palustrine Habitat(s): Riparian, Milfoil temporary pool
Primrose- Palustrine: bogs, pond margins, Pinguicula flowered S3 E N margins of spring runs primuliflora Butterwort
Yellow Palustrine: bogs, wet flatwoods Platanthera Fringeless S3 E N Terrestrial: bluff integra Orchid
Polygonella Large-leaved Terrestrial: scrub, sand pine/oak S3 T N macrophylla Jointweed scrub ridges
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Potamogeton Florida Riverine Habitat(s): Low gradient, S1 E N floridanus Pondweed spring/spring brook
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest Edge, Pteroglossaspi Forest/Woodland, Old field, Giant Orchid S2 T N s ecristata Savanna, Shrubland/chaparral, Woodland - Conifer
Sandy or sandy clay uplands or Quercus Arkansas S3 T N upper ravine slopes near heads of arkansana Oak streams in deciduous woods.
Small- Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, Rhexia flowered forested wetland, scrub-shrub S2 E N parviflora Meadowbeau wetland ty
Lacustrine: full sun in wet sandy or sandy-peaty areas of sinkhole Panhandle Rhexia pond shores, interdunal swales, Meadowbeau S2 T N salicifolia margins of depression, marshes, ty flatwoods, ponds and sandhill upland lakes
Florida Lacustrine: shaded ravines & in Rhododendron Flame S3 E N wet bottomlands on rises of sandy austrinum Azalea alluvium or older terraces.
Hairy- Palustrine Habitat(s): Riparian Rhynchospora peduncled S2 E N crinipes Beaksedge
Nightfloweri Lacustrine: moist to wet coastal Ruellia ng Wild S2 E N pinelands, bogs, low meadows, noctiflora Petunia open pine savannahs
Sarracenia White-top Palustrine: wet prairie, seepage S3 E N leucophylla Pitcherplant slope, baygall edges, ditches
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Palustrine: bog, wet prairie, Sarracenia Sweet S3 T N seepage slope, wet flatwoods rubra Pitcherplant Riverine: seepage stream banks
Stewartia Palustrine: baygall Terrestrial: Silky malacodendro S3 E N slope forest, upland mixed forest; Camellia n acid soils
Tephrosia Pineland Longleaf pine-turkey oak S3 T N mohrii Hoary-pea sandhills; driest sites.
Xyris Karst Pond Palustrine Habitat(s): Herbaceous S2S3 E N longisepala Xyris wetland, riparian, temporary pool
Harper's Palustrine: seepage slope, wet Xyris Yellow-eyed S3 T N prairie, bogs scabrifolia Grass
Kral's Lacustrine: sandhill upland lake Xyris stricta Yellow-eyed S1 N N margins var. obscura Grass
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Animals: Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Invertebrates
Riverine Habitat(s): big river, creek, High gradient, Low Amblema gradient, medium river, Moderate Threeridge S1 N N plicata gradient, Pool, Riffle Lacustrine Habitat(s): Deep water, Shallow water
Riverine Habitat(s): big river, Fusconaia Narrow S1S2 N LT creek, Low gradient, medium escambia Pigtoe river, Pool, Riffle
Attenella Hirsute N/A S1S2 N N attenuata Mayfly
Riverine Habitat(s): medium river Baetisca becki A Mayfly S2 N N
Baetisca Freshwater A Mayfly S1S2 N N gibbera
American Riverine Habitat(s): big river, Dolania Sand- creek, High gradient, medium S2 N N americana burrowing river Mayfly
Homoeoneuria Blue Sand- Riverine Habitat(s): big river, S1S2 N N dolani river Mayfly High gradient, medium river
Stenacron Freshwater A Mayfly S3S4 N N floridense
Hetaerina American N/A S2 N N americana Rubyspot
Acroneuria N/A A Stonefly S1S2 N N evoluta
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Hydroperla N/A A Stonefly S2 N N phormidia
Helopicus N/A A Stonefly S1S2 N N subvarians
N/A Phyllophaga Elongate June S3 N N elongata Beetle
Terrestrial Santa Rosa Selonodon Cebrionid S1 N N santarosae Beetle
Zigzag Riverine Habitat(s): creek, Blackwater medium river, spring/spring Agarodes ziczac S2 N N River brook Caddisfly
Gordon's Presumably, small clear streams Cheumatopsych Little Sister with moderate stream flow in S1S2 N N e gordonae Sedge wooded areas or below a small Caddisfly impoundment.
Small, clear lower coastal plain Peters' Cheumatopsych streams with moderate flow Cheumatopsy S2 N N e petersi che Caddisfly
Morse's Riverine Habitat(s): creek, Nyctiophylax Dinky Light Moderate gradient S2 N N morsei Summer Sedge
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Riverine Habitat(s): creek, Elerob's Oxyethira medium river, spring/spring Microcaddisfl S2S3 N N elerobi brook y
Habitat seems to always be open Dusky grassy pine woods but may range Amblyscirtes Roadside- S2 N N from moist to dry, includes moist alternata Skipper flatwoods, savannas, and sandhill ridges
Palustrine Habitat(s): forested Reversed Amblyscirtes wetland, Riparian Roadside- S1 N N reversa Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Skipper Mixed, Woodland - Mixed
Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, Callophrys Hessel's forested wetland, Riparian S2 N N hesseli Hairstreak
Palustrine Habitat(s): Riparian Terrestrial Habitat(s): Cropland/hedgerow, Cupido Eastern Tailed Grassland/herbaceous, Old field, S2 N N comyntas Blue Savanna, Shrubland/chaparral, Suburban/orchard, Woodland - Conifer, Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Grassland/herbaceous, Erynnis Mottled S1 N N Shrubland/chaparral, Woodland - martialis Duskywing Conifer, Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
N/A Eastern Hesperia Meske's S2S3 N N meskei straton Skipper
Fish
Acipenser Estuarine: various Marine: oxyrinchus Gulf Sturgeon S2 FT LT various habitats Riverine: alluvial desotoi and blackwater streams
Riverine: sluggish pools of large rivers and their bayous, oxbow Atractosteus Alligator Gar S3 N N lakes, swamps, and backwaters, spatula rarely brackish or marine waters along the coast
Crystallaria Riverine Habitat(s): creek, Crystal Darter S1 ST N asprella medium river, Moderate gradient
Riverine Habitat(s): creek, Low gradient, medium river, Pool Etheostoma Lacustrine Habitat(s): Shallow Cypress Darter S2 N N proeliare water Palustrine Habitat(s): forested wetland
Riverine Habitat(s): creek, Low gradient, medium river, Pool Hybognathus Cypress Lacustrine Habitat(s): Shallow S1S2 N N hayi Minnow water Palustrine Habitat(s): forested wetland
Estuarine Habitat(s): Herbaceous Fundulus Saltmarsh wetland, Lagoon, Tidal flat/shore S2 SSC SC jenkinsi Topminnow Palustrine Habitat(s): herbaceous wetland
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Riverine Habitat(s): creek, High Moxostoma River S1S2 N N gradient, medium river, Moderate carinatum Redhorse gradient, Pool
Macrhybopsis N/A Florida Chub S2 N N sp. 2
Riverine Habitat(s): creek, Low gradient, medium river, Pool Notropis Blackmouth Lacustrine Habitat(s): Shallow S1 ST N melanostomus Shiner water Palustrine Habitat(s): forested wetland
Riverine Habitat(s): creek, Low Percina Southern S2 N N gradient, medium river, Moderate austroperca Logperch gradient
Pteronotropis Bluenose Riverine Habitat(s): creek, Low S3S4 SSC N welaka Shiner gradient, medium river, Pool
Amphibians
Terrestrial: slash and longleaf Reticulated Ambystoma pine flatwoods that have a Flatwoods S2 FE LE bishopi wiregrass floor and scattered Salamander wetlands
Riverine Habitat(s): creek, Low gradient, spring/spring brook Amphiuma One-toed S3 N N Palustrine Habitat(s): forested pholeter Amphiuma wetland, Riparian, scrub-shrub wetland, temporary pool
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Riverine Habitat(s): Low gradient, Pool Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, Hyla Pine Barrens forested wetland, herbaceous S3 SSC N andersonii Treefrog wetland, riparian, scrub-shrub wetland Terrestrial Habitat(s): Woodland - Mixed
Palustrine Habitat(s): herbaceous wetland, Riparian, temporary Lithobates pool Gopher Frog S3 SSC N capito Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Mixed, Savanna, Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
Reptiles
Estuarine: herbaceous wetland Riverine: big river, creek, low gradient, medium river, pool, Alligator American spring/spring brook mississippiensi S4 SSC T Alligator s Lacustrine: shallow water Palustrine: forested wetland, herbaceous wetland, riparian, scrub-shrub wetland
Atlantic Terrestrial: sandy beaches; Caretta caretta Loggerhead S3 T T nesting Turtle
Chelonia Atlantic Green Terrestrial: sandy beaches; S2 E E mydas Turtle nesting
Palustrine: riparian Terrestrial: grassland/herbaceous, Eastern Crotalis old field, savanna, Diamondback S3 N N adamanteus shrubland/chaparral, woodland - Rattlesnake conifer, woodland - hardwood, woodland - mixed
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Dermochelys Leatherback Terrestrial: sandy beaches; S2 T T coriacea Turtle nesting
Estuarine: tidal swamp Palustrine: hydric hammock, wet flatwoods Drymarchonco Eastern Indigo Terrestrial: mesic flatwoods, S3 T T rias couperi Snake upland pine forest, sandhills, scrub, scrubby flatwoods, rockland hammock, ruderal
Terrestrial: sandhills, scrub, Gopherus Gopher S3 SSC N scrubby flatwoods, xeric polyphemus Tortoise hammocks, coastal strand, ruderal
Riverine Habitat(s): big river, Graptemys Escambia Map Low gradient, medium river, Pool S2 N N ernsti Turtle Palustrine Habitat(s): Riparian Terrestrial Habitat(s): Sand/dune
Palustrine Habitat(s): Riparian Terrestrial Habitat(s): Southern Heterodon Grassland/herbaceous, Old field, Hognose S2 N N simus Savanna, Woodland - Conifer, Snake Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
Estuarine: tidal marsh Lacustrine: Alligator Macroclemys river floodplain lake, swamp lake Snapping S3 SSC N temminckii Riverine: alluvial stream, Turtle blackwater stream
Nerodiaclarkii Gulf Salt Estuarine: herbaceous wetland, S3 N N clarkii Marsh Snake scrub-shrub wetland
Lacustrine: ruderal, sandhill Pituophis Florida Pine upland lake Terrestrial: sandhill, S3 SSC N melanoleucas Snake scrubby flatwoods, xeric hammock, ruderal
B-13 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Birds
Athene Florida Terrestrial Habitat(s): cunicularia Burrowing S3 SSC N Grassland/herbaceous, Sand/dune
floridana Owl
Estuarine: exposed unconsolidated substrate Marine: Charadrius Snowy Plover S2 LT N exposed unconsolidated substrate alexandrius Terrestrial: dunes, sandy beaches, and inlet areas.
Cistothorus Marian's Palustris S3 SSC N N/A Marsh Wren marianae
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Old field, Peucaea Bachman's S3 N N Savanna, Woodland - Conifer, aestivalis Sparrow Woodland - Hardwood
Picoides Red-cockaded Terrestrial Habitat(s): Woodland - S2 FE LE borealis Woodpecker Conifer
Mammals
Palustrine Habitat(s): Riparian Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Corynorhinus Rafinesque's Hardwood, Suburban/orchard, S2 N N rafinesquii Big-eared Bat Urban/edificarian, Woodland – Hardwood Subterranean Habitat(s): Subterrestrial
Palustrine: forested wetland, riparian Mustela Southeastern frenata S3 N N Terrestrial: forest - hardwood, old Weasel olivacea field, woodland - conifer, woodland - hardwood, woodland - mixed
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Regulatory Designation Scientific Common Natural Communities Name Name FNAI State Federal
Riverine Habitat(s): Aerial Palustrine Habitat(s): Aerial, forested wetland, Riparian Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Conifer, Forest - Hardwood, Forest - Mixed, Forest Edge, Myotis Southeastern S3 N N Forest/Woodland, austroriparius Bat Suburban/orchard, Urban/edificarian, Woodland - Conifer, Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed Subterranean Habitat(s): Subterrestrial
Estuarine Habitat(s): Herbaceous wetland Round-tailed Lacustrine Habitat(s): Shallow Neofiber alleni S3 N N Muskrat water Palustrine Habitat(s): Bog/fen, herbaceous wetland
Peromyscus Terrestrial Habitat(s): Santa Rosa polionotus S1 N N Grassland/herbaceous, Sand/dune Beach Mouse leucocephalus
Terrestrial Habitat(s): Forest - Hardwood, Forest - Mixed, Old Eastern Tamias striatus S2 SSC N field, Shrubland/chaparral, Chipmunk Woodland - Hardwood, Woodland - Mixed
Palustrine: forested wetland, Ursus Florida Black riparian americanus S2 N N Bear Terrestrial: forest - hardwood, floridanus forest - mixed
Sources: FNAI 2010; FWC 2016f; USFWS 2016. Key: FNAI STATE ELEMENT RANK S1 = Critically imperiled in Florida because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences or less than 1000 individuals) or because of extreme vulnerability to extinction due to some natural or man-made factor.
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S2 = Imperiled in Florida because of rarity (6 to 20 occurrences or less than 3000 individuals) or because of vulnerability to extinction due to some natural or man-made factor. S3 = Either very rare and local in Florida (21-100 occurrences or less than 10,000 individuals) or found locally in a restricted range or vulnerable to extinction from other factors. S4 = Apparently secure in Florida (may be rare in parts of range). S5 = Demonstrably secure in Florida. SH = Of historical occurrence in Florida, possibly extirpated, but may be rediscovered (e.g., ivory-billed woodpecker). SX = Believed to be extirpated throughout Florida. SU = Unrankable; due to a lack of information no rank or range can be assigned. SNA = State ranking is not applicable because the element is not a suitable target for conservation (e.g. a hybrid species). SNR = Element not yet ranked (temporary).
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS C = Candidate species for which federal listing agencies have sufficient information on biological vulnerability and threats to support proposing to list the species as Endangered or Threatened. E = Endangered: species in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. E, T = Species currently listed endangered in a portion of its range but only listed as threatened in other areas E, PDL = Species currently listed endangered but has been proposed for delisting. E, PT = Species currently listed endangered but has been proposed for listing as threatened. E, XN = Species currently listed endangered but tracked population is a non-essential experimental population. T = Threatened: species likely to become Endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. PE = Species proposed for listing as endangered PS = Partial status: some but not all of the species’ infraspecific taxa have federal status PT = Species proposed for listing as threatened SAT = Treated as threatened due to similarity of appearance to a species which is federally listed such that enforcement personnel have difficulty in attempting to differentiate between the listed and unlisted species. SC = Not currently listed, but considered a “species of concern” to USFWS.
STATE LEGAL STATUS C = Candidate for listing at the Federal level by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service FE = Listed as Endangered Species at the Federal level by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service FT = Listed as Threatened Species at the Federal level by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service FXN = Federal listed as an experimental population in Florida FT(S/A) = Federal Threatened due to similarity of appearance ST = State population listed as Threatened by the FFWCC. Defined as a species, subspecies, or isolated population which is acutely vulnerable to environmental alteration, declining in number at a rapid rate, or whose range or habitat is decreasing in area at a rapid rate and as a consequence is destined or very likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future. SSC = Listed as Species of Special Concern by the FFWCC. Defined as a population which warrants special protection, recognition, or consideration because it has an inherent significant vulnerability to habitat modification, environmental alteration, human disturbance, or substantial human exploitation which, in the foreseeable future, may result in its becoming a threatened species. (SSC* for Pandion haliaetus (Osprey) indicates that this status applies in Monroe county only.) N = Not currently listed, nor currently being considered for listing.
Plants: Definitions derived from Sections 581.011 and 581.185(2), Florida Statutes, and the Preservation of Native Flora of Florida Act, 5B-40.001. FNAI does not track all state-regulated plant species; for a complete list of state-regulated plant species, call Florida Division of Plant Industry, 352-372-3505 or see: http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/.
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E = Endangered: species of plants native to Florida that are in imminent danger of extinction within the state, the survival of which is unlikely if the causes of a decline in the number of plants continue; includes all species determined to be endangered or threatened pursuant to the U.S. Endangered Species Act. T = Threatened: species native to the state that are in rapid decline in the number of plants within the state, but which have not so decreased in number as to cause them to be Endangered. N = Not currently listed, nor currently being considered for listing.
B-17 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT Appendix C Habitats and Natural Communities
The FNAI defines a natural community as a distinct and recurring assemblage of populations of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms naturally associated with each other and their physical environment. Based on GIS analysis, there are 31 unique natural communities recognized by the FNAI within the Pensacola Bay watershed (FNAI 2010). Habitats and Natural Communities were identified using the 2010 Florida Land Use, Cover and Forms Classification System (FLUCFS) data from the NWFWMD as well as the 2004-2013 Statewide Land Use Land Cover datasets created by the five (5) Water Management Districts in Florida. Data were modified and refined based on aerial photograph signatures and field observations. Below are community descriptions (excerpts from FNAI 2010) with site-specific information about many of the communities in the watershed.
Upland Communities
Bluff is a habitat characterized as a steep slope with rock, sand, and/or clay substrate that supports sparse grasses, herbs, and shrubs. This community type can be found along the watersheds’ major rivers. In Okaloosa
Bluff County, the Yellow River cuts through the Western Highlands province, characterized in some areas by bluffs as high as 40 feet (Gardner 1991).
Mesic flatwoods can be found on the flat sandy terraces left behind by Plio-Pleistocene high sea level stands. Mesic flatwoods consist of an open canopy of tall pines (commonly longleaf pine or slash pine) and a dense, low ground layer of shrubs, grasses (commonly wiregrass), and forbs. The most widespread natural community in Florida, mesic flatwoods are home to many rare plants and animals such as the frosted flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma cingulatum), the reticulated flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma bishop) the Mesic Flatwoods Red-cockaded woodpecker (Leuconotopicus borealis) and many others. Mesic flatwoods require frequent fire (two to four years) and all of its constituent plant species recover rapidly from fire, including many rare and endemic plants. In the Panhandle north of the Cody Scarp, mesic flatwoods occupy relatively small, low-lying areas (FNAI 2010). Within the Pensacola Bay watershed, healthy mesic flatwoods occur in the Elevenmile Creek watershed and Escribano Point.
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Sandhill communities are characterized by broadly-spaced pine trees with a deciduous oak understory, sparse midstory of deciduous oaks, and a moderate to dense groundcover of grasses, herbs, and low shrubs. Species typical of sandhill communities include longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), turkey oak (Quercus laevis), and wiregrass (Aristida stricta var. beyrichiana). Sandhill is observed on crests and slopes of rolling hills and Sandhill ridges with steep or gentle topography. Sandhill communities are important for aquifer recharge, as sandy soils allow water to infiltrate rapidly, resulting in sandy, dry soil, with little runoff evaporation. Fire is a dominant environmental factor in sandhill ecology and is essential for the conservation of native sandhill flora and fauna (FNAI 2010). Within the Pensacola Bay watershed, exemplary sandhill communities can be found on Eglin AFB.
Scrub is a community composed of evergreen shrubs, with or without a canopy of pines, and is found on well- drained, infertile, narrow sandy ridges distributed parallel to the coastline. Signature scrub species include three species of shrubby oaks, Florida rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides), and sand pine (Pinus clausa), which Scrub may occur with or without a canopy of pines. Scrub is characterized by burn intervals of five to 40 years, depending on the dominant vegetation. This community type can be found in the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Scrubby flatwoods have an open canopy of widely-spaced pine trees (commonly longleaf or slash pines) and a low, shrubby understory which differ structurally from scrub communities in the respect that scrub flatwoods lack continuous shrubby oak cover. Understory vegetation consists largely of scrub oaks and saw palmetto, often interspersed with barren areas of exposed sand. Scrubby flatwoods occur on slight rises within mesic Scrubby flatwoods and in transitional areas between scrub and mesic flatwoods. Scrubby flatwoods are inhabited by Flatwoods several rare plant and animal species including the Florida mouse (Podomys floridanus), Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) (Peninsular Florida only), gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), the Florida gopher frog (Rana capito), goldenaster (Chrysopsis floridana), and large-plumed beaksedge (Rhynchospora megaplumosa) (FNAI 2010). Within the Pensacola Bay watershed, scrubby flatwood communities can be found in the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
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Slope forest is a well-developed, highly diverse, dense canopy forest of upland hardwoods that occurs on steep slopes, bluffs, and in sheltered ravines. In slope forests, high density and diversity is driven by competition for Slope Forest space, water, sunlight, and nutrients. The combination of densely shaded slopes and cool, moist microclimates produces conditions that are conducive for the growth of many plant species that are more typical of the Piedmont and Southern Appalachian Mountains (FNAI 2010).
Terrestrial caves are cavities below the surface that lack standing water. These caves develop in areas of karst topography; water moves through underlying limestone, dissolving it and creating fissures and caverns. Most Terrestrial caves have stable internal environments with temperature and humidity levels remaining fairly constant. In areas where light is present, some plants may exist, although these are mostly limited to mosses, liverworts, Caves ferns, and algae. Subterranean natural communities such as terrestrial caves are extremely fragile because the fauna they support are adapted to stable environments and do not tolerate environmental changes (FNAI 2010).
Upland hardwood forests are described as having a well-developed, closed-canopy dominated by deciduous hardwood trees such as southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), pignut hickory (Carya glabra), sweetgum Upland (Liquidambar styraciflua), Florida maple (Acer saccharum ssp. floridanum), live oak (Quercus virginiana), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), white oak (Q. alba), and spruce pine (Pinus glabra), and others. This Hardwood community occurs on mesic soils in areas sheltered from fire, on slopes above river floodplains, in smaller Forests areas on the sides of sinkholes, and occasionally on rises within floodplains. It typically supports a diversity of shade-tolerant shrubs, and a sparse groundcover. Upland hardwoods occur throughout the Florida Panhandle and can be found in upper portions of the watershed.
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Wet flatwoods are pine forests with a sparse or absent midstory. The typically dense groundcover of hydrophytic grasses, herbs, and low shrubs occurring in wet flatwoods can vary depending on the fire history of the system. Wet flatwoods occur in the ecotones between mesic flatwoods and shrub bogs, wet prairies, dome swamps, or strand swamps and are common throughout most of Florida. Wet flatwoods also occur in Wet Flatwoods broad, low flatlands, frequently within a mosaic of other communities. Wet Flatwoods often occupy large areas of relatively inaccessible land, providing suitable habitat for the Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) as well as a host of rare and endemic plant species (FNAI 2010). This community type is found throughout Eglin AFB.
Xeric hammock is an evergreen forest typically dominated by sand live oak (Quercus geminata), found on deep, fine sand substrate, where fire exclusion allows for the establishment of an oak canopy. In these areas, xeric hammock can form extensive stands or as small patches within or near sandhill or scrub. These forests are also found on high islands within flatwoods or less commonly on a high, well-drained ridge within a floodplain where fire-exclusion allows for the establishment of an oak canopy. Xeric hammocks are inhabited Xeric Hammock by several rare animals including the gopher frog (Rana capito), gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus), and the Florida pine snake (Pituophismelanoleucus mugitus). Xeric hammock is most common in the central peninsula of Florida and is less common north of the Cody Scarp where clay-rich soils create mesic conditions (FNAI 2010). This community type can be found throughout Eglin AFB.
Coastal Communities
The beach is the immediate shoreline area of the Gulf of Mexico and consists of white quartz sand. It has few plants, except along the extreme inner edge at the base of the dunes. Organic marine debris, including seaweed and driftwood, typically form a wrack line on the shore. The upper beach area at the base of the foredune is an Beach unstable habitat and is continually re-colonized by annuals, trailing species, and salt-tolerant grasses (FNAI 2010). Beach habitat is found along the entire Gulf front, especially at tidal passes, and some bay front shorelines in the watershed.
C-4 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
The beach dune community includes seaward dunes that have been shaped by wind and water movement. This community is composed primarily of herbaceous plants such as pioneer grasses and forbs, many of which are coastal specialists. The vegetated upper beach and foredune are often sparsely covered by plants adapted to Beach Dune withstand the stresses of wind, water, and salt spray, or to rapidly recolonize after destruction. Many rare shorebirds use the Florida Panhandle’s beach dunes for nesting. This community is also a major nesting area for loggerhead, green, Kemp’s Ridley, and leatherback sea turtles. Beach dune habitat can be found south of the Santa Rosa Sound and the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Coastal grassland, found primarily on broad barrier islands and capes, is a predominantly herbaceous community found in the drier portion of the transition zone between the beach dune and coastal strand or maritime hammock communities. Several rare animals use coastal grasslands for foraging and nesting, Coastal including neo-tropical migratory birds and the Santa Rosa beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus leucocephalus), one of four rare subspecies of beach mouse along the Florida Panhandle coast. Coastal Grasslands grassland can form from two major processes: the seaward build-up of a barrier island, which protects inland ridges from sand burial and salt spray, or the development of a new foredune ridge, which protects the previously overwashed area behind it (FNAI 2010). This community type can be found throughout Eglin AFB and the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Coastal strand is an evergreen shrub community growing on stabilized coastal dunes, often with a smooth canopy due to pruning by wind and salt spray. It usually develops as a band between dunes dominated by sea oats along the immediate coast, and maritime hammock, scrub, or mangrove swamp (in peninsular Florida) Coastal Strand communities further inland. This community is very rare on the Florida Panhandle coast where the transition zone is occupied by scrub or coastal grassland communities (FNAI 2010). This community type can be found in the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
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Maritime hammock is a predominantly evergreen hardwood forest that occurs on deep well-drained sandy soils or sandy soils mixed with shell fragments. Maritime hammock forests grow on stabilized coastal dunes at Maritime various distances from the shoreline. Maritime hammocks provide migrating songbirds with crucial resting Hammock and foraging areas on their fall and spring migrations to and from the tropics. On the Florida Panhandle coast, maritime hammock is found only in isolated pockets where shell is mixed with sandy substrate (FNAI 2010). Within the Pensacola Bay watershed, this community type can be found in the Pensacola NAS.
Transitional and Wetland Communities
Basin marshes, unlike depression marshes, are marshes that lack a fire-maintained matrix community and rather occur in relative isolation as larger landscape features. Basin marshes are regularly inundated freshwater from local rainfall, as they occur around fluctuating shorelines, on former “disappearing” lake bottoms, and at the bead of broad, low basins marking former embayments of the last high-sea level stand. Species Basin Marsh composition is heterogeneous both within and between marshes and generally includes submerged, floating, and emergent vegetation with intermittent shrubby patches. Common species include maidencane (Panicum hemitomon), sawgrass (Cladium sp.), bulltongue arrowhead (Sagittaria lancifolia), pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), and cordgrass (Spartina sp.) (FNAI 2010).
Basin swamp is a wetland vegetated with hydrophytic trees, commonly including pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) and swamp tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora) and shrubs that can withstand an extended hydro- period. Basin swamps are characterized by highly variable species composition and are expressed in a variety of shapes and sizes due to their occurrence in a variety of landscape positions including old lake beds or river Basin Swamp basins, or ancient coastal swales and lagoons that existed during higher sea levels. Basin swamps can also exist around lakes and are sometimes headwater sources for major rivers. Many basin swamps have been heavily harvested and undergone significant hydrological changes due to the conversion of adjacent uplands to agricultural and silvicultural lands (FNAI 2010). An exemplary basin swamp community is located in the Blackwater River State Park near the entrance station (FDEP 2016a).
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Baygall is an evergreen-forested wetland dominated by bay species including loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus), sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana), and/or swamp bay (Persea palustris). This community can be found on wet soils at the base of slopes or in depressions; on the edges of floodplains; and in stagnant drainages. Baygalls are not generally influenced by flowing water, but may be drained by small blackwater Baygall streams. Most baygalls are small; however, some form large, mature forests, called “bay swamps.” The dominance of evergreen bay trees rather than a mixture of deciduous and evergreen species can be used to distinguish baygall from other forested wetlands (FNAI 2010). An exemplary baygall community is located in the Blackwater River State Park.
Bog habitat typically includes areas of saturated substrates, often deep peat, and acidic conditions, with the dominant vegetation consisting of sedges and grasses. Bog habitat is often surrounded by a transition zone of Bog trees and shrubs between the bog and upland area (FNAI 2010). In the Pensacola Bay watershed, this community type can be found along many of the watersheds’ major rivers.
Coastal interdunal swales are marshes, moist grasslands, dense shrublands, or damp flats in linear depressions that occur between successive dune ridges as sandy barrier islands, capes, or beach plains. Dominant species tend to vary based on local hydrology, substrate, and the age of the swale, but common species include Coastal sawgrass (Cladium sp.), hairawn muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris), broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus), Interdunal seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum), sand cordgrass (Spartina bakeri), and saltmeadow cordgrass Swales (Spartina patens). For example, hurricanes and large storm events can flood swales with saltwater, after which they become colonized, often temporarily, by more salt-tolerant species. Saltwater intrusion and increased sand movement after storm events can reset successional processes of interdunal swale communities (FNAI 2010). This community type can be found in the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
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Dome swamp is an isolated, forested, and usually small depression wetland consisting of predominantly pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) and/or swamp tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora). This community occurs within a fire-maintained community such as mesic flatwoods and commonly occupies depressions over a perched water table. Smaller trees grow on the outer edge of the swamp where the water is shallow, while taller trees grow deeper in the swamp interior creating the characteristic dome shape. Shrubs are typically sparse to moderate, but dome swamps with high fire frequencies or fire exclusion, the shrub layer may be absent. Many dome swamps form when poor surface drainage causes the dissolution of limestone bedrock, Dome Swamp creating depressions which fill in with peat or marl. Surficial runoff from the surrounding uplands supplies much of the water within dome swamps. Consequently, water levels in these communities fluctuate naturally with seasonal rainfall changes. Dome swamps may also be connected directly to the aquifer, where groundwater influences the hydrological regime. Thus, dome swamps can function as reservoirs that recharge the aquifer. Logging, nutrient enrichment, pollution from agricultural runoff, ditching, impoundment, and invasive exotic species invasion have degraded dome swamps. Some dome swamps have been used as treatment areas for secondarily-treated wastewater (FNAI 2010).
Hydric hammock is an evergreen hardwood and/or palm forest with a variable understory typically dominated by palms and ferns. This community occurs on moist soils, often with limestone very near the surface. While species composition varies, the community generally has a closed-canopy of oaks and palms, an open Hydric understory, and a sparse to a moderate groundcover of grasses and ferns. Hydric hammock occurs on low, flat, wet sites where limestone may be near the surface and soil moisture is kept high mainly by rainfall Hammock accumulation on poorly-drained soils. During heavy rains, sheet flow is slowed across the forested-floor of a hammock, resulting in greater absorption into the soil. Hammocks adjacent to salt marshes protect inland areas from damage during hurricanes and major storms (FNAI 2010). This community type is found on in the Pensacola NAS.
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Floodplain swamp is a closed-canopy forest community of hydrophytic trees such as bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), swamp tupelo (N. sylvatica var. biflora), or ogeechee tupelo (N. ogeche). Floodplain swamp occurs on frequently- or permanently-flooded hydric soils adjacent to stream and river channels and in depressions and oxbows within the floodplain. The understory and groundcover are sparse in floodplain swamps, which can also occur within a complex mosaic of communities including alluvial forest, bottomland forest, and baygall. As rivers meander, they create oxbows and back swamps that are important breeding grounds for fish when high water connects them to the river. Floodplain swamp Floodplain communities provide important wildlife habitat, contribute to flood attenuation, and help protect the overall water quality of streams and rivers. These communities may also transform nutrients or act as a nutrient sink Swamp depending on local conditions. This makes floodplain swamps useful for the disposal of partially-treated wastewater. Artificial impoundments on rivers can severely limit the seasonal flooding effects that maintain healthy floodplain systems; particularly, the stabilization of alluvial deposits and the flushing of detritus (FNAI 2010). Floodplain swamp communities are distributed along most creeks and streams within the watershed, particularly along the Yellow, Blackwater, and Escambia rivers. Exemplary sites include the floodplain swamps within the Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve (Gardner 1991). Floodplain swamp occurs along both sides of the Backwater River in the Blackwater River State Park from the edge of the river to about 40 feet in elevation (FDEP 2016a).
Seepage slope is an open, grass sedge-dominated community consisting of wiregrass (Aristida stricta), toothache grass (Ctenium aromaticum), pitcherplants, plumed beaksedge (Rhynchospora plumose), flattened pipewort (Eriocaulon compressum), and woolly huckleberry (Gaylussacia mosieri). Seepage slopes are kept continuously moist by groundwater seepage. This community occurs in topographically variable areas, with Seepage Slope 30- to 50-foot elevational gradients, frequently bordered by well-drained sandhill or upland pine communities. The soil is often soft and mucky underfoot, in contrast to the firm texture of the bordering sandhill and upland pine soils. Seepage slopes range from the Alabama border eastward to Calhoun County in the inland portions of the Florida Panhandle. Within the Pensacola Bay watershed, seepage slopes can be found throughout Eglin AFB.
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Wet prairie is an herbaceous community usually occurring on acidic, continuously wet, but not inundated, soils. This community can be found on somewhat flat or gentle slopes between lower lying depression marshes, shrub bogs, or dome swamps or on slightly higher wet or mesic flatwoods. Wet prairies in northern Florida are some of the most diverse communities in the U.S., with an average of over 20 species per square Wet Prairie meter in some places and over 100 total species in any given stand. The Panhandle is a hotspot for rare plants of the wet prairie community with 25 out of the 30 rare species found in this community; 12 of these are endemic to the Panhandle (FNAI 2010). This community type is found along the watershed’s major rivers and Eglin AFB.
Aquatic Communities
Blackwater streams are perennial or intermittent seasonal watercourses laden with tannins (natural organic chemicals), particulates, and dissolved organic matter and iron. These dissolved materials result from the streams’ origins in extensive wetlands with organic soils that collect rainfall and discharge it slowly to the Blackwater stream. The dark-colored water reduces light penetration, inhibits photosynthesis, and prevents the growth of submerged aquatic plants. Blackwater streams are frequently underlain by limestones and have sandy bottoms Streams overlain by organics that have settled out of suspension. Blackwater streams are the most widely distributed and numerous riverine systems in the southeast Coastal Plain (FNAI 2010) and found draining into most creeks, streams and bayous in the watershed. Many of the watershed’s smaller tributaries are true blackwater streams, including several streams that traverse the Blackwater River State Park.
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Seepage streams may be perennial or intermittent seasonal as they originate from shallow groundwater percolating through sandy upland soils. Seepage streams are small magnitude features, and unlike other stream communities in Florida, they lack a deep aquifer water source and extensive swamp lowlands surrounding their head waters. Seepage streams are generally sheltered by a dense overstory of broad-leaved hardwoods which block out most sunlight. Filamentous green algae occur sporadically within the stream, while vegetation at the water’s edge may include mosses, ferns and liverworts. Seepage streams are often associated with seepage slope and slope forest communities near their head waters, and bottomland forest, alluvial forest and Seepage Streams floodplain swamp communities near their mouths. The waters of seepage streams is filtered by percolation through deep soils which slows the release of rainwater and buffers temperature extremes, creating low flow rates of clear, cool, unpolluted water. Seepage streams are generally confined to areas where topographic relief is pronounced such as northern Florida (FNAI 2010). Within the Pensacola Bay watershed, seepage streams are found along the watersheds’ major rivers and Eglin AFB. Seepage streams run throughout the Blackwater River State Park. The Hynote Branch is one example of a seepage stream in the park that is good to excellent condition (FDEP 2016a).
Estuarine and Marine Communities
Salt marsh is a largely herbaceous tidal zone community commonly consisting of saltmarsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), which dominates the seaward edge, and needle rush (Juncus roemerianus), which dominates higher, less frequently flooded areas. Salt marshes form where the coastal zone is protected from large waves, either by the topography of the shoreline, a barrier island, or by location along a bay or estuary. Salt marshes support a number of rare animals and plants, and provide nesting habitat for migratory and Salt Marsh endemic bird species. Many of Florida’s extensive salt marshes are protected in aquatic preserves, but the loss of marshes and adjacent seagrass beds due to human impacts such as shoreline development, ditching, and pollution and natural stressors, such as sea level rise, have vastly reduced their numbers. Salt marshes are instrumental in attenuating wave energy and protecting shorelines from erosion (FNAI 2010) and are found in the coastal/ estuarine portion of the watershed. Salt marsh communities are common throughout the Pensacola Bay watershed and are particularly extensive at the Yellow River Marsh Aquatic Preserve (Gardener 1991).
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Seagrass beds consist of expansive stands of submerged aquatic vascular plants including turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum), manateegrass (Syringodium filiforme), and shoalgrass (Halodule wrightii), which occur predominantly in subtidal zones in clear low-energy coastal waters. Seagrass beds occur on unconsolidated substrates and are highly susceptible to changes in water temperature, salinity, wave-energy, tidal activity, and available light. This natural community supports a wide variety of animal life including Seagrass Beds manatees, marine turtles, and many fish, particularly spotted sea trout (Cynoscion nebulosus), spot (Micropogonias undulates), sheepshead, (Archosargus probatocephalus), and redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus). Pollution, particularly sedimentation and wastewater/sewage, have led to the widespread loss of seagrasses in nearly every bay in the Florida Panhandle (FNAI 2010). Seagrass beds have historically been widespread throughout the Pensacola Bay system, but declined substantially in the mid-1900s due to poor water quality.
Oyster/mollusk reef consists of expansive concentrations of sessile mollusks, which settle and develop on consolidated substrates including rock, limestone, wood, and other mollusk shells. These communities occur in Oyster/Mollusk both the intertidal and subtidal zones to a depth of 40 feet. In Florida, the American oyster (Crassostrea virginica) dominates mollusk reef communities, but other organisms including species of sponge, anemones, Reef mussels, the burrowing sponge anemones, mussels, clams, barnacles, crabs, amphipods, and starfish live among or within the reef itself. Mollusks are filter-feeders that remove toxins from polluted waters and improve overall water quality (FNAI 2010).
Unconsolidated (marine) substrate consists of coralgal, marl, mud, mud/sand, sand or shell deposited in expansive, open areas of subtidal, intertidal, and supratidal zones. Unconsolidated substrates support large populations of tube worms, sand dollars, mollusks, isopods, amphipods, burrowing shrimp, and an assortment Unconsolidated of crabs, but lack dense populations of sessile plant and animal species. Unconsolidated substrates are an important feeding ground for bottom-feeding fish, shorebirds, and invertebrates. These areas also grade into a (Marine) variety of other natural communities, making them the foundation for the development of other marine and Substrate estuarine habitats. Unconsolidated substrate communities are found throughout the estuarine and riverine portions of the watershed. They are susceptible to many types of disturbances including vehicle traffic, low DO levels, as well as the accumulation of metals, oils, and pesticides in the sediment (FNAI 2010). Unconsolidated (marine) substrate can be found throughout Escambia Bay, Pensacola Bay, and Big Lagoon.
Source: FNAI 2010.
C-12 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT Appendix D 2014 FDEP-verified Impaired Waterbody Segments in the Pensacola Bay Watershed
All states are required to submit lists of impaired waters that are too polluted or degraded to meet water quality standards and their designated use (potable, recreational, shellfish harvesting) to the EPA under section 303(d) of the CWA (EPA 2016b). The following table provides a list of impaired waters in the Pensacola Bay system. The list is based on data current through June 2012 (FDEP 2014b).
Waterbody Waterbody Parameters Assessed Using the Impaired Waters Segment Water Segment Name County Class1 Rule (IWR) ID 176 Pond Creek Santa Rosa 3F Fecal Coliform 24 Blackwater River Okaloosa, Santa Rosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 24A Blackwater River Santa Rosa 3F Fecal Coliform 24A Blackwater River Santa Rosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 24AA Blackwater River (Freshwater Segment) Santa Rosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 24AB Blackwater River (Tidal) Santa Rosa 3M Fecal Coliform 24AB Blackwater River (Tidal) Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 24B Blackwater River Santa Rosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 24C Blackwater River Okaloosa, Santa Rosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 24D Blackwater River Okaloosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 10A Escambia River Escambia, Santa Rosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 10B Escambia River Escambia, Santa Rosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 10C Escambia River Escambia, Santa Rosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 10D Escambia River Escambia, Santa Rosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 10E Escambia River Escambia, Santa Rosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 10EA Woodbine Springs Lake Santa Rosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 10F Escambia River Escambia, Santa Rosa 3F Fecal Coliform 10F Escambia River Escambia, Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 10G Escambia River Santa Rosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 493A Judges Bayou Santa Rosa 3F Dissolved Oxygen (Nutrients - TN) 493B Judges Bayou (Tidal Segment) Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 493B Judges Bayou (Tidal Segment) Santa Rosa 3M Nutrients (Chlorophyll-a) 537 Jakes Bayou (Marine Portion) Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 539 Mulatto Bayou Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 548A Escambia Bay (N) Escambia, Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 548A Escambia Bay (N) Escambia, Santa Rosa 3M Nutrients (Historic Chlorophyll-a) 548AA Escambia Bay (North Segment) Escambia, Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue)
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Waterbody Waterbody Parameters Assessed Using the Impaired Waters Segment Water Segment Name County Class1 Rule (IWR) ID 548AA Escambia Bay (North Segment) Escambia, Santa Rosa 3M Nutrients (Historic Chlorophyll-a) 548AC Escambia Bay North (Shellfish) Escambia, Santa Rosa 2 Bacteria (Shellfish Harvesting Classification) 548AC Escambia Bay North (Shellfish) Escambia, Santa Rosa 2 Mercury (in fish tissue) 548B Escambia Bay (South Segment) Escambia, Santa Rosa 2 Mercury (in fish tissue) 548B Escambia Bay (South Segment) Escambia, Santa Rosa 2 Bacteria (Shellfish Harvesting Classification) 548B Escambia Bay (South Segment) Escambia, Santa Rosa 2 Fecal Coliform (3) 548BB Bay Bluffs Park Escambia 3M Bacteria (Beach Advisories) 548C Pensacola Bay (North Segment) Escambia, Santa Rosa 2 Mercury (in fish tissue) 548C Pensacola Bay (North Segment) Escambia, Santa Rosa 2 Bacteria (Shellfish Harvesting Classification) 548D Pensacola Bay (Middle Segment) Escambia, Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 548E Pensacola Bay (Mouth) Escambia, Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 548F Bayou Grande Escambia 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 548F Bayou Grande Escambia 3M Fecal Coliform 548FB Navy Point Escambia 3M Bacteria (Beach Advisories) 548G Blackwater Bay Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 548GA Blackwater Bay (North Segment) Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 548GB Blackwater Bay (South Segment) Santa Rosa 2 Bacteria (Shellfish Harvesting Classification) 548GB Blackwater Bay (South Segment) Santa Rosa 2 Fecal Coliform 548GB Blackwater Bay (South Segment) Santa Rosa 2 Mercury (in fish tissue) 548H East Bay Santa Rosa 2 Mercury (in fish tissue) 548H East Bay Santa Rosa 2 Bacteria (Shellfish Harvesting Classification) 600 Direct Runoff to Bay Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 639 Direct Runoff to Bay Escambia 3F Fecal Coliform 649 Indian Bayou Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 676 Carpenter Creek Escambia 3F Fecal Coliform 694 Trout Bayou Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 701A East Bay River (Marine Portion) Santa Rosa 2 Bacteria (Shellfish Harvesting Classification) 701A East Bay River (Marine Portion) Santa Rosa 2 Fecal Coliform (3) 738 Texar Bayou Escambia 3M Fecal Coliform 738 Texar Bayou Escambia 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 738AB Bayview Park Pier Escambia 3M Bacteria (Beach Advisories) 740 Bayou Grande Escambia 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 8002 Gulf of Mexico (Escambia County; Pensacola Bay) Escambia 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 8003 Gulf of Mexico (Escambia County; Santa Rosa Island) Escambia 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 8004 Gulf of Mexico (Escambia County; Santa Rosa Island) Escambia 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 8005 Gulf of Mexico (Santa Rosa County; Santa Rosa Island) Escambia, Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 8006 Gulf of Mexico (Okaloosa County; Santa Rosa County) Okaloosa, Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 8007 Gulf of Mexico (Okaloosa County; Choctawhatchee Bay) Okaloosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 829 Direct Runoff to Bay Santa Rosa 2 Mercury (in fish tissue) 833A Tom King Bayou Santa Rosa 2 Bacteria (Shellfish Harvesting Classification) 833A Tom King Bayou Santa Rosa 2 Mercury (in fish tissue)
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Waterbody Waterbody Parameters Assessed Using the Impaired Waters Segment Water Segment Name County Class1 Rule (IWR) ID 834 Direct Runoff to Bay Santa Rosa 2 Mercury (in fish tissue) 846 Bayou Chico Escambia 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 846 Bayou Chico Escambia 3M Nutrients (Chlorophyll-a) 846C Bayou Chico Drain Escambia 3M Fecal Coliform 846C Bayou Chico Drain Escambia 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 846C Bayou Chico Drain Escambia 3M Nutrients (Chlorophyll-a) 846CB Bayou Chico Beach Escambia 3M Bacteria (Beach Advisories) 848DA Sanders Beach Escambia 3M Bacteria (Beach Advisories) 864 Williams Bayou Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) 893 Direct Runoff to Bay Santa Rosa 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) Escambia, Okaloosa, 915 Santa Rosa Sound 2 Bacteria (in Shellfish) Santa Rosa Escambia, Okaloosa, 915 Santa Rosa Sound 2 Mercury (in fish tissue) Santa Rosa Escambia, Okaloosa, 915 Santa Rosa Sound 2 Fecal Coliform (3) Santa Rosa 915A Woodlawn Beach Santa Rosa 3M Bacteria (Beach Advisories) 915B Navarre Park Hwy. 98 Santa Rosa 3M Bacteria (Beach Advisories) 915C Liza Jackson Park Okaloosa 3M Bacteria (Beach Advisories) 915D Marler Park Okaloosa 3M Bacteria (Beach Advisories) Escambia, Okaloosa, 925 Direct Runoff to Bay 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) Santa Rosa Escambia, Okaloosa, 930 Direct Runoff to Gulf 3M Mercury (in fish tissue) Santa Rosa 117 Turkey Creek Walton 3F Fecal Coliform 160B Shoal River Okaloosa 3F Fecal Coliform 30 Yellow River Okaloosa 3F Fecal Coliform 30 Yellow River Okaloosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 30A Yellow River Santa Rosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 30B Yellow River Okaloosa, Santa Rosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 30C Yellow River Okaloosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 30D Yellow River Okaloosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 30E Yellow River Okaloosa 3F Mercury (in fish tissue) 35 Pond Creek Okaloosa, Walton 3F Fecal Coliform Source: FDEP 2014b.
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Notes: * = new Florida listings since 2003 Footnote 1 - Florida's waterbody classifications: 1 - Potable water supplies 2 - Shellfish propagation or harvesting 3F - Recreation, propagation, and maintenance of a healthy, well-balanced population of fish and wildlife in fresh water 3M - Recreation, propagation, and maintenance of a healthy, well-balanced population of fish and wildlife in marine water 4 - Agricultural water supplies 5 - Navigation, utility, and industrial use Footnote 2 - TSI = trophic state index
D-4 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT Appendix E Conservation Lands within the Pensacola Bay Watershed
Within the Pensacola Bay watershed, there are approximately 519,702 acres of conservation lands including 245,154 acres of federally managed lands; 269,585 acres of state-managed lands; 1,218 acres of locally managed lands; and 3,158 acres of privately managed lands. Six conservation lands within the Pensacola Bay watershed span multiple counties and several extend into other watersheds. The details of these conservation lands are presented in the following table (FNAI 2016a, 2016b):
Acres Managing Conservation Land County(ies) Description Website Within Agency Watershed Federally Managed Air Force Special This facility is dominated by mesic Operations U.S. Dept. of flatwoods and floodplain swamp; it http://www.hurlbu 6,165.83 Okaloosa Command, Defense, Air Force supports a large population of rt.af.mil/ Hurlburt Field reticulated flatwoods salamanders. Several small disjunct parcels of U.S. Dept. of nationally protected forest located http://www.fs.fed. Choctawhatchee Okaloosa 139.02 Agriculture, Forest north of Choctawhatchee Bay and us National Forest Santa Rosa Service Pensacola Beach, east of Pensacola Bay, and south of Interstate 10.
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Acres Managing Conservation Land County(ies) Description Website Within Agency Watershed Largest forested military reservation in the free world. Extends 51 miles Escambia east-west and 19 miles north-south. Eglin Air Force U.S. Dept. of Okaloosa 86% is forested, 81% of that is http://www.eglin.a Base 229,743 Defense, Air Force Santa Rosa sandhill, 15% is forested wetlands, f.mil/
Walton flatwoods, or baygall. Contains 35 natural communities and 64 rare plant species This national seashore stretches 150 miles from Mississippi into Florida. In Florida, it extends from the eastern end of Perdido Key, across the mouth of Choctawhatchee Bay, Escambia U.S. Dept. of the to the east end of Santa Rosa Island. http://www.nps.go Gulf Islands Okaloosa Interior, National It also includes other barrier islands, v 4,531.32 National Seashore Santa Rosa Park Service historic sites on the Florida
mainland, as well as the waters in between. Florida acreage within the national seashore boundary includes 28,893.68 acres of federal land and 37,655.56 acres of other public land. Naval reservation with grassy http://www.cnic.na airfield surrounded by good quality vy.mil/regions/cnr Harold Outlying U.S. Dept. of sandhill. A small steephead ravine Santa Rosa se/installations/nas 582.21 Landing Field Defense, Navy occurs in the northwest corner. _whiting_field.htm Included in the Naval Air Station l (NAS) Whiting Field.
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Acres Managing Conservation Land County(ies) Description Website Within Agency Watershed Naval reservation with airfield. A large wet prairie/wet flatwoods mosaic in the southern portion http://www.cnic.na contains many rare plants and vy.mil/regions/cnr Holley Outlying U.S. Dept. of Santa Rosa animals including flatwoods se/installations/nas 661.44 Landing Field Defense, Navy salamander, Chapman's butterwort, _whiting_field.htm white-topped pitcher plant, and l Florida black bear. Included in the NAS Whiting Field. This facility is located at the mouth of Pensacola Bay on a peninsula formed by Bayou Grande and the bay. Although most of the site has been developed for mission-related http://www.cnic.na U.S. Dept. of activities, a wide variety of habitats vy.mil/regions/cnr NAS Pensacola Escambia 4,769.05 Defense, Navy remain. Natural communities se/installations/nas include beach dune, maritime _pensacola.html hammock, sand pine scrub, mesic flatwoods, and sandhill. Includes Bronson Outlying Landing Field and Blue Angel Recreation Park.
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Acres Managing Conservation Land County(ies) Description Website Within Agency Watershed Most of this facility has been developed for mission-related activities; few natural features remain. An interpretive boardwalk is http://www.cnic.na located within a large beaver- vy.mil/regions/cnr U.S. Dept. of 3,461.43 NAS Whiting Field Santa Rosa impounded wetland on the western se/installations/nas Defense, Navy boundary. The facility includes the _whiting_field.htm main base plus six outlying landing l fields (Harold, Holley, Pace, Santa Rosa, Site 8A, and Spencer) and Whiting Park. Inactive naval air field that contains approximately 100 acres of planted Naval Technical pines and 0.5 acres of wetlands. The http://www.netc.na U.S. Dept. of Training Center Escambia property also has a naval hospital vy.mil/centers/ceni 565.53 Defense, Navy Corry Station and naval housing. There are a few nfodom/corry/ isolated patches of second growth forest on-site. 150-200 year old longleaf pine Patterson Natural U.S. Dept. of http://www.eglin.a Okaloosa stand. The natural area is part of 290.51 Area Defense, Air Force f.mil/ Eglin Air Force Base. A naval reservation that is primarily http://www.cnic.na a single airfield, but does contain Santa Rosa vy.mil/regions/cnr U.S. Dept. of large forested areas in the northeast Outlying Landing Santa Rosa se/installations/nas 693.26 Defense, Navy and southeast corners. Gopher frog Field _whiting_field.htm and Florida pine snake occur here. l Included in the NAS Whiting Field.
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Acres Managing Conservation Land County(ies) Description Website Within Agency Watershed http://www.cnic.na vy.mil/regions/cnr Naval recreation area along se/installations/nas U.S. Dept. of Blackwater River with boat launch Whiting Park Santa Rosa _whiting_field/ffr/t 5.47 Defense, Navy and picnic facilities. Included in the hings_to_do/recrea NAS Whiting Field. tion/parks_and_pic nic_areas.html State Managed This is an 8.1-mile long paved recreational trail located along a Blackwater FDEP Division of former railroad corridor. It is the http://www.florida Heritage State Recreation and Santa Rosa westernmost rail-trail in Florida and 586.08 stateparks.org/ Trail Parks part of an integrated statewide network of trails and ecological greenways. This is the largest expanse of http://www.florida Blackwater River USDA Florida Okaloosa sandhills, longleaf pine upland forestservice.com/i 635.83 State Forest Forest Service Santa Rosa forests, and seepage slopes in state ndex.html ownership. Ponds, swamps, scrubby ridges; FDEP Division of Blackwater River high pineland and pine flatwoods; http://www.florida Recreation and Santa Rosa 635.11 State Park Atlantic white cedars; on the stateparks.org/ Parks Blackwater River. Primarily cut-over paper lands in the Blackwater River uplands, but nice areas of floodplain http://www.nwfwa Water NWFWMD Santa Rosa forest and bottomland forest along ter.com/ 386.46 Management Area the river. Rare plants include Florida flame azalea.
E-5 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Acres Managing Conservation Land County(ies) Description Website Within Agency Watershed A small tract of state forest land managed through the Blackwater http://www.florida Cottage Hill State USDA Florida Escambia Forestry Center Field Unit, south of forestservice.com/i 30.83 Forest Forest Service McKenzie Road, west of Chavers ndex.html Road, and east of Gainey Lane. Southern region has large expanses of wet flatwoods with lots of Escribano Point pitcherplants grading into baygall. Wildlife FWC Santa Rosa Northern region is an impenetrable http://myfwc.com 3,924.52 Management Area thicket of titi that has regenerated after the site was logged in the 1990s. FWC Mitigation Mitigation parcel surrounded by FWC Okaloosa http://myfwc.com 110.37 Parcel Blackwater River State Forest. This is a peninsula separating East Bay and Escambia Bay. It is an Garcon Point example of high quality wet prairie http://www.nwfwa Water NWFWMD Santa Rosa habitat that contains several very 3,222.80 ter.com/ Management Area rare species, as well as carnivorous pitcher plants. Includes 78 acres less-than-fee. Undesignated Land formerly managed by FDACS, http://data.labins.o State Land (not Division of Forestry, north of Old rg/mapping/FNAI/ Gillis Road Tract currently assigned Santa Rosa Hickory Hammock Road, west of 19.97 identify_list2.cfm? to a managing Black Oak Road, and southeast of MA_ID=1188 agency) Interstate 10.
E-6 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Acres Managing Conservation Land County(ies) Description Website Within Agency Watershed A 130-acre lake surrounded by 119 acres of uplands with a mixture of Lake Stone Fish upland mixed forest and baygall. http://myfwc.com FWC Escambia 248.02 Management Area This lake is intensively managed for fish production. Jointly managed by FWC and Escambia County. Floodplain forest, bottomland forest, and some uplands along almost the Lower Escambia http://www.nwfwa Escambia entire length of the Escambia River River Water NWFWMD ter.com/ 36,666.89 Santa Rosa near Pensacola. Several rare fish, Management Area reptiles, and amphibians have been documented here. Located on the western border of Florida, this preserve is on a FDEP Division of peninsula formed by Tarkiln Bayou Tarkiln Bayou http://www.florida Recreation and Escambia and Perdido Bay. Natural 990.83 Preserve State Park stateparks.org/ Parks communities include maritime hammock, mesic flatwoods, wet prairie, and sandhill. A conservation easement with no public access and all less-than-fee. Easement is located immediately Watson west of the Lower Escambia River http://www.nwfwa Conservation NWFWMD Escambia 15.81 Water Management Area, east of ter.com/ Easement North Century Boulevard/U.S.-29, north of Milstead Road, south of Brown Road.
E-7 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Acres Managing Conservation Land County(ies) Description Website Within Agency Watershed Also known as Garcon Point Prairie, this is perhaps the largest intact wet prairie (pitcher plant prairie) in Yellow River FDEP Division of northwest Florida. The preserve http://www.florida Marsh Preserve Recreation and Santa Rosa adjoins Northwest Florida Water 832.14 stateparks.org/ State Park Parks Management District lands. Hydrologic restoration is planned to offset impacts of past ditching and drainage. A tremendously diverse tract of land Yellow River with upland pine forest, upland Okaloosa http://www.nwfwa Water NWFWMD/FWC hardwood forest, seepage slopes, 16,643.05 Santa Rosa ter.com/ Management Area floodplain marsh, tidal marsh, streams, and lakes. Locally Managed http://cityofpensac Located on the west shore of ola.com/Facilities/ Escambia Bay, this park is bordered Bay Bluffs Park City of Pensacola Escambia Facility/Details/Ba 19.79 on the north and south by Escambia y-Bluffs-Preserve- Bay Bluffs. 18 This site is a natural wetlands area City of Gulf http://cityofgulfbre Baycliff Preserve Santa Rosa with a nature trail and public beach 6.81 Breeze eze.us/ access. Escambia Bay Three disjunct parcels on west shore http://pensacolasce City of Pensacola Escambia 41.73 Bluffs of Escambia Bay. nicbluffs.org/
E-8 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Acres Managing Conservation Land County(ies) Description Website Within Agency Watershed This preserve and greenway is located in a 1,300-acre watershed Jones Swamp http://www.myesc Escambia County targeted for acquisition to provide Wetland Preserve ambia.com/govern Community and wetland buffering and protection for and Escambia Escambia ment/departments/ 581.90 Environment the Pensacola Bay area. The County Southwest ce Department greenway is available for passive Greenway use recreation and has several miles of boardwalk and hiking trails. http://cityofpensac Located on the west shore of ola.com/132/Parks Mallory Heights Escambia Bay, this park is bordered City of Pensacola Escambia - 7.01 Park #3 on the north and south by Escambia Recreation?parkID Bay Bluffs. =13246 Restored coastal dunes located within the Gulf Islands National Navarre Beach http://www.santaro Santa Rosa County Santa Rosa Seashore, south of Navarre 136.90 Park sa.fl.gov/ Parkway, west of the Navarre Beach Pier and east of Bahia Drive. Restrictive use easement purchased by Okaloosa County Water and Sewer located north of the Eglin Air Shoal River Land http://www.co.okal Okaloosa County Okaloosa Force Base Conservation Land, 321.18 Acquisition oosa.fl.us/ws/home intersected in its northern portion by Interstate 10, east of Balboa Road and south of James Kennedy Road.
E-9 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Acres Managing Conservation Land County(ies) Description Website Within Agency Watershed This park is a mostly wooded area that extends from Shoreline Drive south to the edge of Santa Rosa http://cityofgulfbre Shoreline Park City of Gulf Sound. An open area near the water eze.us/parks-and- Santa Rosa 103.24 South Breeze contains a boat ramp, picnic tables, recreation- fishing pier, swimming area, and a department/ large gazebo. A nature trail winds through the property. Privately Managed This site is used as a Girl Scout Girl Scouts of http://www.gscfp.o Camp Kolomoki Walton Camp. It contains a pitcher plant 1,635.26 America rg/camps.html prairie. Mitigation bank land owned by private individuals, located west of http://www.garcon Garcon Peninsula Blackwater Bay, north and west of Garcon Peninsula mitigationbank.co Mitigation Bank, Santa Rosa Robinson Point Road (which runs 334.70 Mitigation Bank m/ LLC east/west then turns and runs
north/south), south of Trease Road, and east of Garcon Point Road.
E-10 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Acres Managing Conservation Land County(ies) Description Website Within Agency Watershed Mitigation bank. The site is in the Pensacola Bay Basin in a flat, near- coastal landscape adjacent to low- density residential and preservation http://www.wesmit lands with a major highway dividing igation.com/mitiga Westervelt two parcels. The site consisted of tion-conservation- Pensacola Bay Ecological Santa Rosa fire-suppressed, overgrown, but projects/pensacola- 1188.73 Mitigation Bank Services intact (with wiregrass) wet prairie bay-mitigation- and wet flatwoods, with some ORV- bank.cfm#page=ge damaged areas. Also contains neral cypress dome/stringer depressions and a titi-baygall area isolated from fire.
Source: FNAI 2016.
E-11 Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT Appendix F Projects Funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation affecting the Pensacola Bay Watershed
The NFWF established the GEBF to administer funds arising from plea agreements that resolve the criminal cases against BP and Transocean. The FWC and FDEP work directly with the NFWF to identify projects for the state of Florida, in consultation with the USFWS and the NOAA. From 2013 to 2018, the GEBF will receive a total of $356 million for projects in Florida. The following projects affecting the Pensacola Bay watershed have been identified for funded through GEBF as of June 2016.
Project Description
Projects within the Pensacola Bay watershed
Bayou Chico Restoration This project will provide stormwater treatment and stream restoration to reduce sediment and ($11,032,300, FDEP, nutrient loading to Bayou Chico, reduce turbidity, increase water clarity, and improve light Emerald Coast Utility penetration for photosynthesis to enable expansion of SAV habitat. Authority, Pensacola)
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Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Project Description
Restoration and This project will complete strategic acquisition to improve the sustainability of, and provide Management of Escribano long-term protection for, approximately 590 acres of coastal habitat in Pensacola Bay. The Point Coastal Habitat – shoreline provides stopover and foraging habitat for migrating shorebird species, among which Phase II ($1,486,800, Trust are listed species such as the piping plover, Cuban snowy plover, least tern and black skimmer. for Public Land, FDEP, This project will also protect the estuarine system and adjacent Blackwater Bay, which contains Florida Forest Service, sea grass beds vital to fish and other marine species such as the listed Gulf sturgeon. Eglin Air Force Base)
This project is the first step in a comprehensive effort to design and construct oyster habitat along approximately eight miles of shoreline in East and Blackwater Bays to enhance nursery habitat Eastern Pensacola Bay for commercially and recreationally important finfish and shellfish. Additional anticipated Oyster Habitat Restoration benefits include: decreased wave energy to minimize shoreline erosion; stabilization of – Phase I ($1,957,600, The sediments and decreased turbidity; and improvement of habitat for a suite of avian and fish Nature Conservancy) species. Phase I includes pre-restoration monitoring, design and engineering, and permitting for the entire project area.
Projects with benefits to all Gulf Coastal communities, including the Pensacola Bay watershed
This project will provide data on the extent and species utilization of offshore fishery habitats along the West Florida Continental Shelf – an area utilized by reef fish and sea turtle populations Benthic Mapping, for shelter, feeding and spawning. It will inform sustainable fishing practices for red snapper and Characterization, and other reef fish, and future efforts to reduce bycatch of marine fish and sea turtles through Assessment (University of improved management during periods of high utilization in these benthic habitats. Project South Florida, $4,477,900) partners: FWC, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, and Florida Institute of Oceanography.
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Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Project Description
This project will improve Panhandle beach-nesting bird habitat through nesting habitat enhancements and stewardship activities that will result in increased nesting, hatching, and Comprehensive Coastal rearing of chicks. These efforts will result in more effective and comprehensive success Panhandle Bird throughout the Florida Panhandle for important beach-nesting species such as Black Skimmer, Conservation (National American Oystercatcher, Least Tern, Piping Plover, and Red Knot. Project partners: FWC, Audubon, $3,205,000) Florida Park Service, National Park Service, Department of Defense, Santa Rosa Island Authority, TNC, and State University of New York.
This proposal will sustain activities of the Florida Shorebird Alliance (FSA) to enhance shorebird Florida Shorebird and seabird populations along the Florida Gulf Coast for two years. The FSA is a statewide Conservation Initiative network of government and non-governmental organizations advancing shorebird and seabird (FWC, $1,489,800) conservation through coordinated and collaborative management, monitoring, education and outreach, and public policy activities. Partners: Florida Audubon Society.
This five-year project will expand the collection of data on both catch effort and stock Enhanced Assessment for assessment in the northern and eastern Gulf of Mexico. It is complementary to similar projects in Gulf of Mexico Fisheries: Alabama and Mississippi. The data will be used to assess the recovery of reef fish stocks in Phases I-III (FWC, association with restoration efforts implemented in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, $11,814,200) improve and expand single-species stock assessments for managed fish species, and foster improved ecosystem-based assessment and management capabilities. Project partners: NOAA and University of Florida.
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Pensacola Bay SWIM Plan Update Northwest Florida Water Management District December 8, 2016 DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT
Project Description
This project will improve capacity and date collection efforts for the FWC’s marine mammal field stations, as well as eight marine mammal stranding response and research organizations Increased Capacity for working in the Gulf. The Gulf of Mexico is habitat for 22 species of marine mammals—many Marine Mammal Response were directly impacted by the oil spill, all are listed under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (FWC, NOAA, and other and several are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Given the high stranding organizations, occurrence of annual marine mammal strandings along Florida’s Gulf Coast – more than 2,000 $4,400,000) over the past five years – it is a management priority to enhance and sustain a viable stranding network.
Eliminating Light Pollution This project will greatly increase sea turtle hatchling survivorship on Florida Panhandle nesting on Sea Turtle Nesting beaches by correcting problematic lights on private properties with a history of sea turtle Beaches: Phases I and II disorientations. Florida hosts over 90 percent of all sea turtle nesting in the continental U.S., (FWS, FWC, and Sea including the largest population of loggerheads in the Western Hemisphere and regionally Turtle Conservancy, significant nesting populations of the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles. $3,614,400)
Source: FDEP 2016h.
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