BROOKER CREEK PRESERVE MANAGEMENT PLAN prepared for PINELLAS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT prepared by Institute for Enviionmental Studies at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA in association with HDR Engineering, Inc. Breuggemann & Associates Laurie Macdonald, M. S, Zoologist Florida Audubon Society James Layne, PLD. EHI, Inc. December 1,1993 TABLE OF CONTENTS ListofFigures .................................................... iii ListofTables ...................................................... iv Acknowledgements ................................................... v ListofContributors ................................................. vi Summary Description, Proposed Facilities, and Recommendations .............. vii I. INTRODUCLTON Location of the Preserve ....................................... 1 Goals and Mission of the Preserve ............................... 1 11. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESERVE Drainage .................................................. 1 -WaterQuality............................................ 3 Topography ................................................ 3 Geology and soils ............................................ 3 Man-made features .......................................... 7 BIOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESERVE A. Habitat Types Provided on the Preserve ........................... 8 Historical communities ....................................... 8 Existing communities -Land uselland cover ..................................... 10 -Natural plant communities ................................ 11 -Plant species survey and lists ................................ 13 -Endangered and potentially endangered plant species ............. 14 -Exoticplants.......................................:... 14 Habitat Quality ............................................ 14 B. Animal Species Present on the Preserve Background ............................................... 16 Species expected lobserved .................................... 17 Listedspecies .............................................. 17 Recommendations and management implications ................... 18 C. Mapping of the Preserve Available mapping and techniques used ...........................20 IV. PUBLIC CO-ORDINATION ...................................... 21 V. MANAGEMENTPLAN A. GoalsofthePlan ........................................... 22 B. Management Practices .. .. .. .. 22 Security .................................................. 22 Trashremoval ............................................. 23 Prescribedburning .......................................... 23 Trail maintenance . 32 Restoration of original habitats . .. 34 Re-introduction of Species . 39 Relocation of Species . 40 ExoticPlantRemoval ........................................ 40 Restoration of hydrology . 41 Public Involvement . 43 EnvironmentalEducation ..................................... 56 Recreation ............. i................................... 66 Research on the Preserve . 67 Staffing for the Preserve . 73 C. Proposed Facilities . 73 D. Funding Sources . 77 VI. RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE . 81 MI. BIBLIOGRAPHY ...............................................84 VII. APPENDICES A. Maps ....................................................92 B. Plant Survey Report and Specks Lists . 93 C. Wildlife Survey Report and Species Lists . 110 8 LIST OF FIGURES All figures appear in Appendix A-Maps. 1 FIGURE 1. Location of the Brooker Creek Preserve FIGURE 2. Surface Drainage and Topography of the Brooker Creek Preserve I FIGURE 3. Soils of the Brooker Creek Preserve FIGURE 4. Utilities, Roads, Trash Dumps and Other Man-made Features on the Brooker Creek Preserve 8 FIGURE 5. Land Use and Cover Types on the Brooker Creek Preserve FIGURE 6. Brooker Creek Preserve Fire Management Map FIGURE 7. Proposed Facilities Location I t I I I I I t I I P LIST OF TABLES - Table 1. Geologic and Hydrologic Units Underlying the Brooker Creek Preserve ......................................5 I Table 2. Soils of the Brooker Creek Preserve ............................ 6 n Table 3. land Use/Land Cover at the Brooker Creek Preserve ............. 10 Table 4. Habitat quality criteria ..................................... 14 I Table 5. Sources of project and operational funding for the Preserve ......... 79 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The project team wishes to acknowledge the following individuals for their invaluable assistance in gathering information, providing advice and comment, and in preparing this report. Tom Cuba, WiDavis, Craig Huegel, Jim Rolston, Jim Shinholzer, Jake Stowers, and Pick Talley. SO0 D- Frik mussel ma^, Leah Polomchak, Tom Ries, Ted Rochow, Denise Tenuto, Gwen Tiiotson (Northwest Hillsborough Basin Board Member), and Charles Tournebene. Clearwater Audubon: Ken Rowe and Loretta Hatty. Cypress Woods Elementary: Bob Bouffard and Ted Leveroos. Dayspring Ellen Manning. Equestrian Community: Crystal Murray. Florida Native Plant Society: Judith Buhrman and Candace Weller. Florida Power Corporation: Juliet A. Gradual and John Whitney. Florida Trail Association: John Johnson. GIREH, Inc.: Dan Aldrich. Guglielmo & Associates, Inc.: Tem Garnhart. HDR Engineering, Inc.: Red McCormack, Jodi Mutchler, Eric Solie, and Joanna Sweet. Hillsborough Community College: Jan Zerbe. LRague of Environmental Educators of Florida: Barbara Gugliotti and Chuck Parsons. Pinellas County Schools: George Heinrich, Greg Howe, Francia Smith, and Guy Warner. Saint Leo College: George Dooris St. Petersburg Audubon: David Goodwin, Joyce King, Marie Hughes, Larry Hopkins and Ron Smith. Tampa Audubon: Debbie Grimes, Betty & Ernest Wargo, Hank Bowen, David Bowman, Bill Lamoureaux, David Voits, Ray Webb, Loretta Hodgdon, Harry Nienhaus and Gail Parsons. University of South Florida: Jo Aaron, Susan Hall, Rita St. Clair, Dr. Henry Mushinsky and Dean Rollin Richmond. Cover design was done by Ms. Alma Coston of Dade City, Florida. LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Judith Breuggemann, Breuggemann & Associates Mr. Kevin Cook, Breuggemann & Associates Dr. Patricia Dooris, USF Institute for Environmental Studies Dr. Scott Emery, Environmental Health Integrated, Inc. Dr. Bruce Hansen, USF Department of Biology Dr. Herbert Kale, Florida Audubon Society Dr. James Layne, Archbold Biological Research Station Ms. Laurie Ann Macdonald, Zoologist Dr. D. F. Martin, USF Institute for Environmental Studies Mr. David Sumpter, HDR Engineering, Inc. Mr. Barry Wharton, HDR Engineering, Inc. Dr. Richard Wunderlin, USF Department of Biology SUMMARY DESCRIPTION, PROPOSED FACLITES, AND RECOMMENDATIONS L DESCRIPTION on of & Preserve-The Preserve occupies approximately 7100 acres in northeast Pinellas County (Please see Figure 1for the location of all Sections and Townships referred to in this report). The Preserve's northern boundary is the Pasco County line; the eastern boundary is the Hillsborough County line; the southern boundary is the Florida Power Corporation's (FPC) electrical transmission line Right-of-way (ROW); the western boundary is very irregular and is composed of numerous property lines adjoining privately- owned land. There are several parcels of land within the boundaries of the Preserve which are not held by either the County or SWFWMD, including the two FPC ROW'S which intersect in Section 36 (T27S/R16E) and some parcels of privately-owned land. ission. of the Presexvp-The Preserve has been established on behalf of the citizens of Pinellas County by the Board of County Commissioners to accomplish a variety of goals related to the preservation of the quality of life in the County. The primary Goals of the Preserve include: preserving the natural water resource benefits, particularly flood storage, now provided by the Brooker Creek floodplain, maintaining the natural groundwater recharge characteristics of northeast Pinellas County; protecting the watershed of Lake Tarpon; the conservation and restoration of habitat and wildlife native to the County and to west central Florida; providing an area to County residents which would be suitable for passive recreational activities; and developing a setting for learning about natural resources. The intent of these goals-the Mission of the Preserve-is to create the opportunity for County residents to experience, understand, and enjoy native Florida. II. PROPOSED FACILITIES-Because the Preserve aims at providing access to and preservation of the representatives of native Florida habitats on site, it is recommended that buildings and other facilities be minimized. Facilities which are constructed should directly support the stated mission and goals of the Preserve. ' Even these, when constructed, should be as unobtrusive as possible. Care should be taken in the selection of the specific site for construction, in the-materials chosen for construction, and in the landscaping surrounding the facilities. Before construction, the contractor should be made aware of the requirement to do as little damage as is practical to the construction area and to clean up the site thoroughly after the job is done. Appropriate language to that effect should be present in the plans and speiitlcations for the facilities, and the contractor should be suitably instructed during the pre-construction conference. In addition, the County's construction inspection staff should include these two items on their inspection reports for later evaluation prior to the County's acceptance of the job. Co-ordination with FPC, the County Water Department, and SWFWMD will be necessary to bring the facilities into