Orange Lake Habitat Management Plan May 2016 Orange Lake Habitat Management Plan Final Draft Prepared For Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 601 West Woodward Ave. Eustis, FL 32726 Prepared By Normandeau Associates, Inc. 4581 NW 6th Street, Suite A Gainesville, FL 32609 (352) 372-4747 www.normandeau.com May 25, 2016 Orange Lake Habitat Management Plan Final Draft Table of Contents List of Tables ................................................................................................................................... v List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. v Acronyms and Abbreviations ........................................................................................................ vi Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... vii Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... ix 1 Introduction, Overview, and Purpose .................................................................................... 1 2 Environmental Setting and Management Background ........................................................ 3 2.1 Environmental Setting .............................................................................................................. 3 2.1.1 Topography and Geology .............................................................................................................. 3 2.1.2 Surface Water ................................................................................................................................ 3 2.1.3 Groundwater .................................................................................................................................. 3 2.1.4 Land Use ....................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1.5 Water Quality ................................................................................................................................ 4 2.1.6 Shoreline Habitats ......................................................................................................................... 4 2.1.7 Lake Volume and Surface Area ..................................................................................................... 4 2.1.8 Access ............................................................................................................................................ 5 2.1.9 Recreation ...................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.10 Wildlife .......................................................................................................................................... 6 2.1.11 Hydrologic Alteration .................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Management Background ......................................................................................................... 9 3 Overall Management Vision and Guiding Principles ......................................................... 13 3.1 Vision ........................................................................................................................................ 13 3.2 FWC Mission and Statutory Authority ................................................................................. 13 3.3 Public Participation ................................................................................................................. 13 3.3.1 Promise to Stakeholders .............................................................................................................. 13 3.3.2 Stakeholder Values ...................................................................................................................... 14 3.4 Habitat Management in the Context of the HMP ................................................................. 14 3.4.1 Habitat Types .............................................................................................................................. 14 3.4.2 Focal Wildlife Taxa ..................................................................................................................... 16 3.4.3 Water Level Thresholds and Habitat Management Techniques .................................................. 18 3.5 Description of Geographic Units ............................................................................................ 21 3.5.1 North Marsh ................................................................................................................................ 21 3.5.2 Northeast Shore ........................................................................................................................... 21 3.5.3 MKR-Cross Creek ....................................................................................................................... 21 3.5.4 Southeast Shore ........................................................................................................................... 21 3.5.5 PG Run ........................................................................................................................................ 21 3.5.6 Essen Run .................................................................................................................................... 23 3.5.7 McIntosh Bay .............................................................................................................................. 23 3.5.8 Northwest Shore .......................................................................................................................... 23 4 Management Recommendations .......................................................................................... 24 4.1 Communications ...................................................................................................................... 24 4.1.1 Purpose and Need ........................................................................................................................ 24 4.1.2 Goal A, Objectives, and Action Strategies .................................................................................. 26 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission iii Orange Lake Habitat Management Plan Final Draft 4.2 Focal Wildlife Habitat ............................................................................................................. 28 4.2.1 Description of the Issues ............................................................................................................. 28 4.2.2 Range of Conditions and Historic Conditions ............................................................................. 28 4.2.3 Goal B, Objectives, and Action Strategies .................................................................................. 32 4.3 Access and Navigation ............................................................................................................. 34 4.3.1 Description of the Issues ............................................................................................................. 34 4.3.2 Range of Conditions and Historic Conditions ............................................................................. 34 4.3.3 Goal C, Objectives, and Action Strategies .................................................................................. 36 4.4 Invasive Species ....................................................................................................................... 38 4.4.1 Description of the Issues ............................................................................................................. 38 4.4.2 Range of Conditions and Historic Conditions ............................................................................. 39 4.4.3 Goal D, Objectives, and Action Strategies .................................................................................. 40 5 Metrics and Monitoring ....................................................................................................... 42 6 Potential Opportunities Identified by Stakeholders for Interagency Collaboration .......... 43 6.1 Introduction and Background ................................................................................................ 43 6.2 Potential Opportunities ........................................................................................................... 43 7 Literature Cited ..................................................................................................................... 46 8 Glossary ................................................................................................................................. 48 9 Appendices ............................................................................................................................ 51 Appendix A. Chronology of Events Affecting Orange Lake ......................................................... 51 Appendix B. Public Participation .................................................................................................... 56 Orange Lake Stakeholder Engagement .................................................................................................... 56 Orange Lake Stakeholders ......................................................................................................................