National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Water Resources Division Natural Resource Program Center Technical Report NPS/NRWRD/NRTR-2005/340 - National Park Service 222222222222005/340 U.S. Department of the Interior Water Resources Division NationalNatural Park Service Resource Program Center U.S. Department of the Interior Water Resources DivisionNatural Resource Program Center Assessment of Coastal Water Resources and Watershed Conditions at Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve (FLORIDA) Sarah M. Anderson, Christine Katin, and William R. Wise, Ph.D., P.E. The National Park Service Water Resources Division is responsible for providing water resources management policy and guidelines, planning, technical assistance, training, and operational support to units of the National Park System. Program areas include water rights, water resources planning, regulatory guidance and review, hydrology, water quality, watershed management, watershed studies, and aquatic ecology. Technical Reports The National Park Service disseminates the results of biological, physical, and social research through the Natural Resources Technical Report Series. Natural resources inventories and monitoring activities, scientific literature reviews, bibliographies, and proceedings of technical workshops and conferences are also disseminated through this series. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the National Park Service. Copies of this report are available from the following: National Park Service (970) 225-3500 Water Resources Division 1201 Oak Ridge Drive, Suite 250 Fort Collins, CO 80525 National Park Service (303) 969-2130 Technical Information Center Denver Service Center P.O. Box 25287 Denver, CO 80225-0287 Cover photos provided by National Park Service. ii Assessment of Coastal Water Resources and Watershed Conditions at Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve Sarah M. Anderson, Christine Katin, and William R. Wise, Ph.D., P.E. Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences University of Florida Gainesville, FL Technical Report NPS/NRWRD/NRTR-2005/340 August 2005 This work was accomplished under Task Order J2380 03 0240 of Cooperative Agreement H5000 01 0478 of the South Florida / Caribbean Cooperative Ecosystems Study Unit. iii iv Table of Contents List of Figures..................................................................................................................viii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... xi Acknowledgements..........................................................................................................xiii List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................. xiv Executive Summary............................................................................................................ 1 Park Description.................................................................................................................. 7 Background……………..................................................................................................... 7 Setting .........................................................................................................................7 Land Use ................................................................................................................... 11 History and Human Utilization................................................................................. 15 Fort Caroline ......................................................................................................... 15 Theodore Roosevelt Area ..................................................................................... 17 Kingsley Plantation............................................................................................... 17 Historic Broward House ....................................................................................... 18 Coastal Management Issues...................................................................................... 18 Boating Activities ................................................................................................. 18 Fort George Inlet................................................................................................... 19 Mile Point.............................................................................................................. 23 Sea-level Rise........................................................................................................ 26 Stabilization of South Amelia Island .................................................................... 27 Hydrologic Information .................................................................................................... 27 St. Johns River .......................................................................................................... 27 Nassau River ............................................................................................................. 28 Sisters Creek (ICWW) .............................................................................................. 29 Nassau Sound............................................................................................................ 29 Freshwater Ponds...................................................................................................... 32 Groundwater ............................................................................................................. 34 Biological Resources ........................................................................................................ 37 Natural Vegetative Communities...................................................................................... 37 Upland Communities ................................................................................................ 38 Coastal Strand ....................................................................................................... 38 Maritime Hammock.............................................................................................. 38 Scrub ..................................................................................................................... 39 Shell Mound.......................................................................................................... 39 Wetland Communities .............................................................................................. 39 Estuarine/Marine Tidal Marsh .............................................................................. 39 Estuarine Unconsolidated Substrate ..................................................................... 43 Oyster Reefs.......................................................................................................... 43 Flora and Fauna................................................................................................................. 44 Primary Production ................................................................................................... 44 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation ................................................................................ 44 Commercial and Recreational Fisheries ................................................................... 45 Species Inventory.............................................................................................................. 47 Aquatic Species................................................................................................................. 48 v Species of Concern - Protected and exotic species........................................................... 50 Exotic Species........................................................................................................... 50 Protected/Rare Species.............................................................................................. 53 Water Resources Assessment ........................................................................................... 54 Water Quality………….................................................................................................... 54 Data Sources ............................................................................................................. 54 Lower St. Johns River Basin................................................................................. 55 Water quality in TIMU and surrounding estuarine areas.......................................... 56 Nutrients................................................................................................................ 56 Lower St. Johns River – Freshwater Reach....................................................... 56 Lower St. Johns River – Predominantly Marine Reach..................................... 58 Lower St. Johns River – Total Maximum Daily Load Development................ 58 Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve...................................................... 60 Chlorophyll a ........................................................................................................ 68 Dissolved Oxygen................................................................................................. 69 Lower St. Johns River Basin.............................................................................. 69 Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.....................................................