Shingle Creek Management Area General Management Plan 2016-2026 South Florida Water Management District, Land Stewardship Section Intentionally left blank 0 Shingle Creek Management Area General Management Plan 2016-2026 South Florida Water Management District, Land Stewardship Section Shingle Creek Management Area Ten-Year General Management Plan (2016-2026) January 2016 Land Stewardship Section South Florida Water Management District 3301 Gun Club Road West Palm Beach, Florida 33416-4680 Table of Contents List of Maps & Tables ------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 List of Appendices ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Executive Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 2. Introduction and Management Plan Purpose ------------------------- 7 2.1 Management Area Goals and Objectives ------------------------------------- 8 3. Site History --------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 4. Resource Inventory ---------------------------------------------------------- 26 4.1 Hydrology ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 26 4.2 Soils ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 32 4.3 Natural Communities ---------------------------------------------------------- 35 4.4 Wildlife -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35 1 Shingle Creek Management Area General Management Plan 2016-2026 South Florida Water Management District, Land Stewardship Section 4.5 Cultural Resources ------------------------------------------------------------- 35 5. Natural Resource Management ------------------------------------------- 36 5.1 Restoration Projects ------------------------------------------------------------ 36 5.1.1 Mitigation ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 37 5.1.2 Monitoring ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 37 5.2 Vegetation Management ------------------------------------------------- 38 5.2.1 Exotic/Invasive Plants --------------------------------------------------------- 39 5.2.2 Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species --------------------------------- 40 5.2.3 Forest Resources-------------------------------------------------------- ------- 41 5.2.4 Range Resources ---------------------------------------------------------------- 42 5.3 Fire ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43 5.3.1 Fire History ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 43 5.3.2 Prescribed Fire Planning ------------------------------------------------------ 45 5.3.3 Wildfire Suppression ----------------------------------------------------------- 46 5.4 Wildlife Management ----------------------------------------------------- 46 5.4.1 Game Management ------------------------------------------------------------- 47 5.4.2 Exotic/Invasive Species -------------------------------------------------------- 47 5.4.3 Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species --------------------------------- 48 6. Public Use ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 49 6.1 Resource Protection ------------------------------------------------------------ 52 6.2 Environmental Education ----------------------------------------------------- 53 7. Administration ---------------------------------------------------------------- 53 7.1 Planning and Budgeting ------------------------------------------------------- 53 7.2 Infrastructure ------------------------------------------------------------------- 55 7.3 Personnel and Equipment ----------------------------------------------------- 55 7.4 Volunteers and Alternative Work Force ------------------------------------- 56 7.5 Contractual Management ------------------------------------------------------ 56 7.6 Management Review ----------------------------------------------------------- 57 8 References Cited -------------------------------------------------------------- 61 2 Shingle Creek Management Area General Management Plan 2016-2026 South Florida Water Management District, Land Stewardship Section Maps & Tables Maps 1. Shingle Creek Management Area --------------------------------------------------- 10 2. USGS Quadrangle Map 1:100,000 -------------------------------------------------- 11 3. Spanish Missions in Florida --------------------------------------------------------- 13 4. Lands Granted to the Duke of Alagon ---------------------------------------------- 15 5. Lands Sold to Hamilton Disston ---------------------------------------------------- 15 6. 1882 Regional Map ------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 7a. 1879 Natural Communities Map ---------------------------------------------------- 18 7b. 1879 Natural Communities Map – Local Detail ---------------------------------- 19 8a. 1944 Aerial Photo --------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 8b. 1969 Aerial Photo --------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 8b. 1984 Aerial Photo --------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 9. 2013 Aerial Photo --------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 10a. Historic Hydrologic Basins ---------------------------------------------------------- 27 10b. Local Hydrologic Basins ------------------------------------------------------------- 28 11a. Regional Geomorphic Features------------------------------------------------------ 29 11b. Regional Topography ----------------------------------------------------------------- 30 12. Soils ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 33 13. Natural Communities, FNAI Classification ---------------------------------------- 34 14. Fire History--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44 15. Public Use----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51 Tables 1. Shingle Creek History ---------------------------------------------------------------- 23 2. Category I Invasive Exotic Plants -------------------------------------------------- 40 3. Listed State Floral Species ----------------------------------------------------------- 41 4. Shingle Creek Biological Assessments and Inventories -------------------------- 47 5. Listed Faunal Species ---------------------------------------------------------------- 49 6. Operational Budget ------------------------------------------------------------------ 55 3 Shingle Creek Management Area General Management Plan 2016-2026 South Florida Water Management District, Land Stewardship Section Appendices A. Land Stewardship Program Goals and Policies ------------------------------------- 63 B. Soil Descriptions ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 71 C. Natural communities ------------------------------------------------------------------- 72 D. Species List ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 73 4 Shingle Creek Management Area General Management Plan 2016-2026 South Florida Water Management District, Land Stewardship Section 1. Executive Summary The South Florida Water Management District (District) owns and manages 2,424 acres in the Shingle Creek basin. These lands are a major receiving body for stormwater runoff from areas south and southwest of Orlando. The Shingle Creek swamp plays a major role in flood attenuation and regional water quality improvement. This General Management Plan describes the historical, ecological, and managerial aspects of the area as a means to coordinate effective management programs. The plan serves as a guidance document for the implementation of resource-based land management practices. This plan is a compilation of assessments, research reports, and an earlier conceptual management plan combined with new information and proposals. It also provides information on land management activities and objectives for the management area. NATURAL SETTING The natural character of the management area is defined by four distinct soil categories as defined by the Natural Soil Landscape Positions soil classification system: flatwood soils, flats soils, sand depression soils, muck depression soils, and urban or made lands. These soils support eight distinct plant communities as described by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory: basin marsh, basin swamp, depression marsh, dome swamp, mesic flatwoods, mesic hammock, wet flatwoods, and wet prairie. Channelized portions of Shingle Creek represent the many past hydrologic alterations that have reshaped the natural character of this watershed. Nearly the entire creek is channelized as it runs along the Management Area’s east boundary between State Road 528 and the Osceola County line. Natural sheet flow through the adjacent wetlands has also been impacted by berms and utility roads. Hydrologic restoration opportunities on the creek are limited considering the current system provides major flood conveyance for Orlando and southwest Orange County. The Management Area has been classified as a Regional Biodiversity Hotspot with 54 species of wildlife and 11 listed plant species. Wetlands comprise approximately 60 percent of the Management Area, most of which is within the 100-year floodplain. Consequently, the area is critically important for flood attenuation, water supply, water quality enhancement, and