The Withlacoochee River Watershed: Biophysical & Regulatory Characteristics Chad Bickerton, Susanna Blair, Anna Cathey, Byron Flagg, Hollie Hall, Dina Liebowitz, Michael Moretz, Megan Policastro & Tom Ankersen A Collaboration of the University of Florida’s Conservation Clinic and Adaptive Management of Water Resources IGERT The Withlacoochee River Watershed: Biophysical & Regulatory Characteristics Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................... 5 Overview ................................................................................................................................ 5 Land Use .............................................................................................................................................. 6 Water Quality .................................................................................................................................... 6 Water Quantity ................................................................................................................................. 7 Ecology ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Special Designations ...................................................................................................................... 7 Watershed Governance ................................................................................................................ 7 Local Governance ............................................................................................................................ 8 Citizen Stewardship ....................................................................................................................... 8 Conclusions & Recommendations ................................................................................. 8 Water Quality .................................................................................................................................... 8 Outstanding Florida Waters .................................................................................................... 10 Septic TanK Maintenance & Inspection .............................................................................. 11 Buffers and setbacKs ................................................................................................................... 12 Minimum Flows and Levels ..................................................................................................... 12 Consumptive Use .......................................................................................................................... 13 Springs .............................................................................................................................................. 14 Herbicide Use ................................................................................................................................. 15 Wetlands Mitigation .................................................................................................................... 16 There are no wetland mitigation banks in the Withlacoochee River watershed. Additionally, there is very little overlap between mitigation service areas for banks located outside of the watershed and the watershed. Therefore, little opportunity exists for mitigating wetland impacts to the watershed through wetland banks that serve the watershed, potentially resulting in a net loss of wetlands to the Withlacoochee Watershed. .............................................................................................................................................................................. 16 Watershed Governance ............................................................................................................. 16 General Ecological Characterization ................................................................. 18 Climate ................................................................................................................................. 18 Hydrology ........................................................................................................................... 18 Upper Floridan Aquifer System ............................................................................................. 18 DRASTIC Assessment of Aquifer Vulnerability to Pollution ...................................... 19 Rainbow River & Rainbow Springs ...................................................................................... 20 Wetlands .......................................................................................................................................... 22 The Withlacoochee Bay Estuary ............................................................................................ 23 Lakes and Engineered Water Control Structures ........................................................... 23 HaBitat ................................................................................................................................. 28 Florida BlacK Bear ........................................................................................................................ 28 Birds ................................................................................................................................................... 30 Fish ..................................................................................................................................................... 31 Threats to Freshwater Habitat ............................................................................................... 32 Water Use ................................................................................................................... 33 Land Use ...................................................................................................................... 34 Publicly Managed Lands ................................................................................................ 35 2 Water Quality ............................................................................................................ 37 Water Quality Assessment 2010 ................................................................................. 37 Lake Water Quality .......................................................................................................... 38 Point Source Pollutants .................................................................................................. 40 Non-Point Sources of Pollutants ................................................................................. 43 Dissolved Oxygen ......................................................................................................................... 44 Nutrients .......................................................................................................................................... 45 Septic Systems ............................................................................................................................... 47 Minimum Flows and Levels .................................................................................. 48 Mitigation Banking .................................................................................................. 49 Local Government Policy & Regulation ............................................................ 50 Status of Landuse Policies ............................................................................................. 50 Current Comprehensive Plans ..................................................................................... 50 Marion County ............................................................................................................................... 50 Polk County ..................................................................................................................................... 51 Green Swamp Area of Critical State Concern ................................................................... 51 Sumter County ............................................................................................................................... 51 Citrus County .................................................................................................................................. 52 Hernando County ......................................................................................................................... 53 Levy County .................................................................................................................................... 53 Withlacoochee River Watershed municipalities: ........................................................... 53 Buffers & SetBacks ........................................................................................................... 54 Marion County ............................................................................................................................... 54 Polk County ..................................................................................................................................... 54 Sumter County ............................................................................................................................... 55 Citrus County .................................................................................................................................