# Goals and Actions

Goal Name:
Replenish and Protect Living Coastal and Marine Resources


Action Title:
Monitoring and Assessment of Sentinal Species


# Plan Submittals

ConInfo:
Roy R. Lewis III, PWS, President, Coastal Resources Group, Inc. (CRG) (Federal 501©3 Not-For-Profit)

Title:
Fruit Farm Creek Mangrove Restoration Project

Desription:
Total project size is 1,025 acres. The project would restore historical hydrologic connections across CR 92 in Collier County to restore 64 acres of dead mangroves, permanently prevent future immediate death of 161 acres of severely stressed mangroves, and conserve and forestall death of an additional 800 acres of mangroves until further work could be undertaken (During Phase 3 not described here). Total restored or conserved: 1,025 acres.

Location:
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (RBNERR), Collier County, Florida, County Road 92 (CR 92 also known as San Marco Road) approximately one mile west of the town of Goodland (Township 52 South, Range 26 East, and primarily Sections 14 and 15 but also portions of Sections 10, 11, 13) between Latitude 25.9397 and 25.9242, Longitude 81.6552 and 81.6866 (See Figure 1-3).

Status-all:
Phase 1A has been completed. Further phases could begin with two-months of funding during early 2013. Construction drawings need to be prepared and work bid and awarded for construction to begin

Quantify Env Results:
Quantitative monitoring of mangrove recovery through hydrologic monitoring would occur along with quantitative monitoring of plant recovery in fixed plots and fish sampling and invertebrate sampling within these same plots or adjacent reference areas. See attached narrative for details.

Eco Benefits Text:
$5,000 per acre restored or preserved = $5,125,000

Jobs Text:
10.  Five full time three years, five part-time three years.

Living Resoruces:
Mangrove forests and associated tidal creeks totaling 1,025 acres through the restoration of 64 acres of dead mangroves, permanent prevention of future immediate death of 161 acres of severely stressed mangroves, and conservation and forestalling the death of an additional 800 acres of mangroves until further work could be undertaken (During Phase 3 not described here).

Resilience:
Improved resilience to sea level rise due to restored hydrology and health of mangroves to allow for better natural increases in soil and plant elevations over time as sea level rises within the 1,025 acre project area.

Added Justification:
The project will restore fisheries habitat for many fish and wildlife species. Mangrove and estuarine habitats provide critical nursery areas for a number of larval and juvenile finfish and shellfish species of commercial and recreational importance. Many adult fish species take shelter and feed within mangrove habitats as well. Some fish species that will benefit from this project include the endangered fish species the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) which is reported at its smallest sizes using shallow (<2.4 m) protected mangrove areas, and important recreational and commercial fish and shellfish species such as  snook (Centropomus undecimalis), sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus), mangrove snapper (Lutjanus griseus), tarpon (Megalops atlanticus), red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), stone crabs (Menippe mercenaria), blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus), pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum) and oysters (Crassostrea virginicus).  An estimated 75% of the game fish and 90% of the commercial fish species in south Florida depend on mangrove systems.
	Restoration of the mangrove die-off areas and the associated mangroves and estuarine system will provide additional foraging and roosting areas for shore and wading birds such as the roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaia), frigatebird (Fregata magnificans), double-crested comorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), great blue heron (Adrea herodias), snowy egret (Egretta thula), green heron (Butorides virescens), reddish egret (Egretta rufescens) and migratory birds such as the brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)


ConInfo:
Richard D. Bartleson, Ph.D., Research Scientist

Title:
Submersed vascular macrophyte restoration and monitoring in the Caloosahatchee

Desription:
Biomass of submersed macrophytes in the Caloosahatchee has been decimated by water quality issues, cownose rays and macrograzers. A planned C43 reservoir will increase the suitability for tape grass which once carpeted the shallows of the estuary from Beautiful Island to Iona. Until the reservoir is implemented, tape grass restoration efforts will be targeted east of Ft. Myers. Ruppia restoration will be in between Beautiful Island and Shell Point and shoal grass will be restored in the lower estuary and San Carlos Bay where low salinities or boat propellers have reduced its coverage. Within the Caloosahatchee, targeted areas near shore in shallows, and away from seawalls will be examined for existing vegetation. Exclosures will be installed in vegetated areas and will be cleaned monthly by SCCF and volunteers. When the reservoir is installed and if dry season salinities are decreased enough, tape grass will be added to exclosures east of the Caloosahatchee Bridge. Aerial photos will be examined for prop scar damage in San Carlos Bay and Pine Island Sound. These areas will be visited and if the scars are severe and through turtle grass beds, shoal grass sods grown at SCCF will be transplanted into the scars every 5 meters. Shoot density and height at each site will be monitored 6 times per year inside and outside the exclosures, or inside the planted scars. This project would increase densities of tape grass, widgeon grass and shoal grass in the River by using short, anchored exclosures. Once dense beds are established, the plants can spread through vegetative growth, seed and propagule dispersal.  The SCCF RECON probes will record salinity, turbidity, chlorophyll and CDOM hourly at 3 sites in the river, (Shell Point, Fort Myers and Beautiful Island). These values will be used to monitor salinity and light conditions for submersed plants in each area of the river. Water quality monitoring will improve our understanding of nutrient loading effects for MFL and TMDL improvements that will help improve conditions for submersed plants.

Status-all:
This project is in the design stage and permitting has not been started.  We obtained permits for similar project within 2 months of submission.

Quantify Env Results:
Increased acreage of dense, seed producing macrophyte meadows. Measured by quarterly shoot and reproductive structure counts.

Eco Benefits Text:
Value of eventual ecosystems service improvements is estimated at $9,000 /acre /year. Initially 2 acres (100 100m2 exclosures or 10,000 m2).

Jobs Text:
2 direct +166 associated (Bonefish and Tarpon Trust)

Habitat:
Initial exclosures 2 acres, with 2,000 acres potentially affected by seeds and reproductive shoot dispersal.

Pollutant Red:
This phase will not provide significant pollutant load reductions.

Living Resoruces:
Submersed vascular macrophyte and fish abundance and diversity will be improved with resulting increase in bird abundance and diversity.

Resilience:
Dense submersed vegetation can reduce storm surges and reduce sediment erosion.

Added Justification:
This river is home to many of Florida's species of special concern, including the smalltoothed sawfish and Florida manatee.  Additionally, it is home to numerous juvenile commercially and recreationally important fish species.  The river also provides forage areas for the region's wading bird population. Project will advertise and provide volunteer events to maintain exclosures. SCCF will coordinate with local newspapers to keep public aware of submersed macrophyte values.


Title:
Harmful algal bloom and hypoxia monitoring in the Caloosahatchee

Desription:
High nutrient loading and water management practices contribute to yearly phytoplankton blooms and hypoxia in the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary. Real time water quality monitoring can inform water management decisions to reduce blooms. The extent and duration of hypoxic events in estuaries are tied to nutrient and organic matter loadings. Documentation of hypoxic volume days and correlating with nutrient loadings will provide information needed to set a proper TMDL. In addition to current, real time RECON monitoring stations, we will deploy cyanobacteria sondes east of S79 and oxygen sondes in deep water along the estuary and also collect spatial data during bloom events and hypoxic periods. We will also monitor toxin levels east of S79 and effects of hypoxia on bivalve populations in exclosures.

Status-all:
This project is already implemented on a smaller scale and no permitting is required.

Quantify Env Results:
This will produce more documentation of dissolved oxygen conditions and phytoplankton blooms and provide more evidence that nutrient loadings are too high. The data will be disseminated and raise public awareness of the environmental problems caused by high nutrient loadings.

Eco Benefits Text:
Improved water quality and fisheries benefits of $46 billion over 50 years (Mather Economics of Atlanta)

Living Resoruces:
When nutrient loads are reduced, submersed vascular macrophyte, benthic infaunal and fish abundance and diversity will be improved with resulting increase in bird abundance and diversity along 40 km of the river. When blooms are prevented, seafood safety will be increased and hypoxia will be reduced. Water managers may be able to reduce hypoxia when they know where it is occurring.

Resilience:
? Increased invertebrate densities would stabilize sediments and increase prey for fish populations. Dense submersed vegetation can reduce storm surges and reduce sediment erosion.

Added Justification:
The River is home to many of Florida's species of special concern, including the smalltoothed sawfish, sea turtles and Florida manatee.  Additionally, it is home to numerous juvenile commercially and recreationally important fish species.  The River also provides forage areas for the region's wading bird population.


ConInfo:
Stephanie T. Powers, Staff Environmental Scientist

Submitting Organization:
Southwest Florida Water Management District

Title:
Coral Creek Ecosystem Restoration on the Cape Haze Peninsula, Florida

Desription:
Phase II of this project encompasses a ~500 acre portion of the site.  This phase will involve the restoration and/or enhancement of historic wetland hydroperiods, removal of exotic plant species, and the creation of palustrine wetlands.

Location:
Charlotte County, 2,600 acre parcel co-owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and is part of the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park.

Partners:
This project has letters of support from members of the US Congress, members of the Florida Legislature, and FDEP, SWFWMD, FDEP - CH Preserve State Park

Status-all:
This project is in the initial design and permitting phase.  Exotic removal areas have already been identified and restoration efforts in these areas could begin immediately.  The remaining components will be ready to construct in 8-12 months

Eco Benefits Text:
Value of ecosystems service improvements is estimated at $91,093,117

Living Resoruces:
Arthropod and fish abundance and diversity will be improved with resulting increase in bird abundance and diversity.

Resilience:
Filling of mosquito control ditches and re-contouring of existing upland cut canals will reduce the effects of sea-level rise and improve resilience of Cape Haze.

Added Justification:
This large tract is home to many of Florida's species of special concern, including the gopher tortoise and the southern bald eagle.  Additionally, the freshwater and estuarine wetlands are home to numerous juvenile commercially and recreationally important fish species.  The wetlands also provide forage areas for the region's wading bird population.
This project is achievable due to its public ownership and the commitment of the Water Management District and the FDEP to restoring this property.  Additionally, since the project site has been deemed a state park, management of the site will be maintained by FDEP.  Funding for the overall project design and permitting has been included in the District's budget for the past four years.  The District does not have sufficient funds to complete construction.  Phase II of this project is estimated to cost $1.8 million.


ConInfo:
Eric Milbrandt, Director SCCF Marine Lab and

Title:
Habitat Restoration for Wildlife and Pollutant Reduction by the Sanibel Island Partners

Desription:
Sanibel Island has a unique partnership with a federal agency (USFWS), local government (City of Sanibel) and non-profit (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation) able to complete numerous projects during the last 2 decades to restore barrier island habitats.  Our commitment to science-based management and post-project monitoring has led to a series of successes. This partnership has identified projects to reduce pollutant loading (Jordan Filter Marsh), improve hydrology (Botanical Site) and restore degraded habitats (Coastal Dune Vegetation, Bailey Homestead) – see attached site map.

Partners:
J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, City of Sanibel

Status-all:
The partnership has a long-standing MOU for efficient sharing of personnel, equipment and funds.  This project has completed concept and design phases already agreed upon. Post-construction monitoring plans are designed to adaptively manage for unforeseen issues. Permits for aspects of the project are either not required or have been obtained for similar projects successfully in the recent past, which will streamline the permitting process. Permits for construction of the Jordan Filter Marsh are anticipated to be secured within the next 6 months. Pre-application discussions have occurred to solicit feedback from FL DEP and USACOE.

Quantify Env Results:
A monitoring plan currently exists for this project and includes long-term, base-line surveys for Water Quality (detection of TMDL improvements), vegetation changes (photoplots and GIS), small mammals, bird abundance and nesting effort, and herpetofauna. Past successful partner projects have been science-based with large post-project datasets, including habitat changes after invasive exotic plant treatment and prescribed fires, and shorebird/wading bird response to water-level management in impoundments. Our adaptive management goals rely on the use of these extensive datasets, as well as the increasing knowledge and modeling efforts for climate change and sea-level rise. The number of visitors to the island and specifically to SCCF and USFWS Nature Education Centers has increased steadily since 2004, demonstrating the effectiveness of partnership projects toward education and outreach.

Eco Benefits Text:
Construction of the Jordan Filter marsh will result in treatment of more than 68 acres of stormwater runoff from Sanibel’s commercial district. The project will also provide offline treatment of water from the Sanibel River, which is considered “impaired” by the Florida Impaired Waters Rule. Increased water storage capacity within the interior freshwater wetland system (>1,200 ac) through removal of existing mosquito ditches and exotic removal will provide additional ecosystem services through treatment of stormwater prior to discharge into the Sanibel River.

Habitat:
523 acres of interior wetlands, a 6.5-acre filter marsh, 21 acres of upland restoration, 399 acres of coastal conservation focusing on restoration of beach dune vegetation impacted by TS Debbie and TS Isaac.

Pollutant Red:
Long term nutrient and water quality for the Sanibel River Slough and inputs have been identified. Reduction of nutrients through the filter marsh will be monitored and more than 68 acres of stormwater runoff from Sanibel’s commercial district will be treated prior to discharge into the “impaired” Sanibel River.

Living Resoruces:
Marsh habitat for the endemic Sanibel rice rat (Florida Species of Concern) by increasing function and restoring productivity - 160 acres; wading bird nesting and foraging habitat by restoring natural hydrology and habitat function – 1.3 miles of riverine corridor; increased treatment of the Sanibel River Slough prior to discharge into Charlotte harbor – 10 miles of river corridor.

Resilience:
Greater diversity of species; habitat corridors and improved water quality will allow greater resilience to human and climatological disturbances.

Added Justification:
The Sanibel rice rats, wading birds, gopher tortoises, alligators, and their associated habitats have been identified as Priority Resources of Concern in the Refuge Habitat Management Plan and the SCCF Land Management Plan. The estuarine habitat around Sanibel has also been identified as a Priority Resource of Concern, although currently the Refuge does not have management authority to affect water quality at the source of impairment.  This project addresses local habitat management practices that can minimize additional water quality impairments found on the island.


ConInfo:
William J. Mitsch, Ph.D.., Professor and Director, Everglades Wetland Research Park

Title:
Long-term enhancement of tropical mangrove wetland ecosystem services through tidal creek restoration

Desription:
The wetland area to be restored is currently a brackish marsh rather than the mangrove swamp that it should be, due to its disconnection from the sea. We propose to reconnect this area to Naples Bay and the Gulf of Mexico in southwest Florida by re-excavating a tidal creek, which will allow for the establishment of a mangrove forest that can become both a premier wetland mangrove restoration research site and an interpretive site for visitors to the adjacent Naples Botanical Garden.

Location:
Collier County. Part of the restoration area (70 acres) is referred to as the Collier Enterprises South Wetlands Preserve at the Naples Botanical Gardens.

Responsible:
Everglades Wetland Research Park, Florida Gulf Coast University

Partners:
Naples Botanical Garden, City of Naples, Collier County, Lewis Environmental Services Inc., Minto Communities Florida

Status-summary:
Requested project funding for year 1 (phase 1 -$50,000) is for feasibility and initial planning discussion

Status-all:
Requested project funding for year 1 (phase 1) is for feasibility and initial planning discussion of this potential wetland restoration research and outreach project.  In the first year we set up meetings with interested parties and stakeholder, determine land ownership and other legal issues, and organize a workshop to discuss alternatives with stakeholders. We will also begin monitoring of water quality, vegetation cover, and bathymetry of the current brackish marsh and develop a computer model to predict the hydrology and salinity for various tidal creek alternatives. If the project is seen to be ecologically and politically feasible, years 2, 3, and 4 funding would involve some construction and/or re-excavation of a tidal creek and construction of research infrastructure—boardwalks, towers and monitoring stations for long-term water quality, vegetation, and greenhouse gas emission research.

Quantify Env Results:
A YSI monitoring system (salinity, temperature, and water stage) and staff gauges have already been installed in the brackish marsh. Water samples will be collected regularly in the site and analyzed for nutrients and other water quality parameters in the labs at the adjacent Everglades Wetland Research Park. A detailed bathymetric map will be developed for the wetland by students and the PI working with a formal survey company. The data collected will show current trends of hydrology, salinity, and water quality in the area to be restored, and will be used to create a computer model to estimate changes in these variables after the tidal creek is reconnected and the mangrove area is restored. Data and model results will be used to find an optimum strategy for the restoration, assuming that the restoration is favored by the stakeholders and collaborators.

Eco Benefits Text:
Protect and enhance ecotourism and beach tourism in southwest Florida; protection of human structures from hurricanes; improvement of water quality; carbon sequestration by the wetlands; ideal location for enhancing environmental education for thousands of visitors to the Naples Botanical Garden every year; provision of a secure site for wetland and coastal research for FGCU for many years at their new Kapnick Environmental Center located on the Naples Botanical Garden campus.

Jobs Text:
50 jobs preserved at Naples Botanical Gardens and FGCU for interpretation tours and research, and 50 jobs created during the construction in phases over years 2 through 4.

Habitat:
Approximately 40 to 70 acres of mangrove wetland and 0.2 to 0.5 miles of tidal creek habitat (tidal creek length depending on alternative 1 or 2; see maps below).

Pollutant Red:
Once the mangrove wetland is restored the site will serve as a buffer between the Bay and surface runoff from the Naples urban area, particularly as a filter for nutrients and suspended sediments.

Living Resoruces:
At least 1,300 species of wildlife depend on or utilize these coastal ecosystems in Florida, including 628 species of fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Some of these are endangered or threatened such as the wood stork, hawksbill sea turtle, and West Indian manatee. This mangrove forest should attain a biodiversity similar to that of the mangrove forests in the area, such as nearby Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Resilience:
The restored mangrove forest would protect the immediate inland areas (residential areas and especially the Naples Botanical Gardens) from winds and storm surges generated by a direct hit by a tropical hurricane. In the long term it will serve as to enhance the coastal resilience should sea levels rise. The site is in a key location adjacent to an expanding urban area where preserving the biodiversity of this and adjacent coastal ecosystems is especially vital.  Mangrove habitats are integral for a variety of marine life, from commercially caught fish and shellfish to threatened and endangered animals.

Added Justification:
Protection of remaining mangrove communities and restoration of damaged mangrove forests is vital to the environmental and economic future of Southwest Florida. Without mangroves, fish populations would plummet and coastal areas would become vulnerable to beach erosion and the full force of hurricanes. The local community’s economy is vitally connected to the vitality of its coastline.


Title:
Lemon Bay Habitat Restoration Project 
in Rotonda West, Florida

Desription:
Design, permitting, and construction of a habitat restoration project at the Wildflower Preserve in Charlotte County. The 80-acre preserve was purchased by the Conservancy in 2010 to improve natural systems and water quality. The property formerly served as an active golf course, situated adjacent to Lemon Bay, and includes several man-made features that are now infested with non-native vegetation. A large portion of the site contains freshwater wetlands, or remnant water hazards, which are nutrient rich and stagnant. The remaining wetlands on the site are tidally influenced, providing some habitat for economically and recreationally important juvenile fish species. The project objectives involve the restoration of freshwater and estuarine wetlands and their associated upland habitats. Water quality will be improved over the entire site via the creation of new wetland connections and littoral shelves. Exotic vegetation will be eliminated and native plantings will be established throughout.

Location:
Charlotte County, 80-acre parcel owned by the Lemon Bay Conservancy

Status-summary:
is in the initial design and permitting phase.

Status-all:
This project is in the initial design and permitting phase.  Exotic removal areas have already been identified and restoration efforts in these areas could begin immediately.  The remaining components will be ready to construct in ~12 months.

Pollutant Red:
This phase will provide some pollutant load reductions, though they have not yet been quantified.

Resilience:
Hydrologic alterations on the site will reduce the effects of sea-level rise and improve resilience of the preserve.

Added Justification:
Charlotte Harbor is a Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) water body that was designated an estuary of national significance by the U.S. Congress in 1995.  The Harbor is generally viewed as one of the most productive estuarine systems in Southwest Florida. Although it is appropriately considered a healthy system, hydrologic alterations, water quality degradation, and habitat loss have impacted the Harbor.  The SWIM Plan for Charlotte Harbor focuses on management strategies for the Peace and Myakka Rivers.  The plan outlines goals to restore hydrology, habitat, and reduce pollutants entering the Harbor. The objectives of this project are consistent with these goals. Funding for the overall project design and permitting has been included in the District's budget for FY13.  The District does not have sufficient funds to complete construction at this time.  This project is estimated to cost $2 million.


Title:
Alligator Creek Habitat Restoration Project Phase III in Punta Gorda, Florida

Desription:
This overall project consists of the hydrologic restoration of approximately 677 acres of freshwater and saltwater wetland and salttern areas critical to early life stages of many commercially-important fishes in Charlotte Harbor. The Alligator Creek project is located on a 1,600-acre site that is owned by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and is located south of Punta Gorda abutting Charlotte Harbor. The restoration activities are being performed in phases based on available funds. The current phase, Phase III, includes construction of Projects 5, 6, 8, 13 and 14, which were identified in an overall site feasibility study completed in 2000. The current project phase will restore approximately 77 acres of coastal ecosystems through hydrologic restoration of mosquito ditches and removal of exotic plant species.

Location:
Charlotte County, 1,600-acre parcel owned by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, part of the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park

Status-all:
This project is in the final design and permitting phase.  Exotic removal areas have already been identified and restoration efforts in these areas could begin immediately.  The remaining components will be ready to construct in ~3 months.

Resilience:
Filling of mosquito control ditches and re-contouring of existing upland cut canals will reduce the effects of sea-level rise and improve resilience of the park.

Added Justification:
Charlotte Harbor is a Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) water body that was designated an estuary of national significance by the U.S. Congress in 1995.  The Harbor is generally viewed as one of the most productive estuarine systems in Southwest Florida. Although it is appropriately considered a healthy system, hydrologic alterations, water quality degradation, and habitat loss have impacted the Harbor.  The SWIM Plan for Charlotte Harbor focuses on management strategies for the Peace and Myakka Rivers.  The plan outlines goals to restore hydrology, habitat, and reduce pollutants entering the Harbor. The objectives of this project are consistent with these goals. Funding for the overall project design and permitting has been included in the District's budget for FY11.  The District does not have sufficient funds to complete construction at this time.  This project is estimated to cost $1.3 million.


ConInfo:
David W. Ceilley, Research Scientist
Coastal Watershed Institute at Florida Gulf Coast University

ConInfo-a:
10501 FGCU Blvd South
Ft. Myers, FL 33965-6565

Submitting Organization:
Florida Gulf Coast University, Coastal Watershed Institute

Title:
Tidal Caloosahatchee River: Submerged Aquatic  Vegetation (SAV) Restoration, Enhancement, and Monitoring Project, Ft. Myers, Florida

Desription:
This restoration and enhancement project includes the restoration and enhancement of 600+ acres of historic submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) tape grass, Vallisneria americana in the oligohaline littoral zones of the Caloosahatchee River where tape grass beds have been decimated since the inception of the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program in 1996. The project will re-establish protected founder colonies of V. americana and seed sources for recovery of historic distributions in conjunction with C-43 reservoir construction and restoration of minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for the Calooshatchee River Estuary. In addition, we will be planting shoal grass, Halodule wrightii in the lower Caloosahatchee estuary and widgeon grass, Ruppia maritima in the lower and middle estuary in cooperation with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Marine Laboratory (SCCF 2012).

Location:
Tidal Caloosahatchee River between Interstate 75 to the East and Whiskey Creek to the West (Figures 1 and 2), upstream of S-79 (Figure 3), and freshwater tributaries to the Caloosahatchee River (Figure 4). See also SCCF proposal submitted 9/28/12 now included.

Responsible:
Department of Marine and Ecological Sciences & Coastal Watershed Institute at Florida Gulf Coast University

Partners:
University of Florida, Lee County Hyacinth Control, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Marine Lab, (pilot study partners include West Coast Inland Navigation District and Lee County and the South Florida Water Management District)

Status-all:
Pilot studies were permitted by the Corps of Engineers and Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2008 and re-permitted in 2012 for five years (attached). Design and additional permitting of this scale-up restoration project in the upper Caloosahatchee Estuary is pending approval of this proposal and expected to be completed in Year-1 (FY12/13 below).

Quantify Env Results:
The restoration of tape grass in the upper estuary will consist of planting and establishing 24 or more founder colonies throughout the estuary at locations where moderate to dense tape grass was historically documented (Hoffacker 1994, SFWMD 2000, Bortone and Turpin 2002). These founder colonies of plantings and seeding will be protected from herbivory with exclosure devices and will be monitored on a quarterly basis for shoot and reproductive structure counts. Expansion of tape grass beds outside of each exclosure will assessed quarterly using transects extending outward. Methods will be coordinated with previous monitoring programs to ensure consistency and comparability. Fish and macroinvertebrate communities will be evaluated within established SAV beds and in adjacent un-vegetated habitats to quantify aquatic communities utilizing SAV. Sediment bed stability and suspended sediment dynamics will also be measured inside and outside of the beds quarterly. Sediment bed stability will be assessed by measuring the critical shear stress necessary to re-suspend sediments, both inside and outside of the beds.  Cores will be collected and analyzed using a Gust microcosm erosion device Suspended sediment and bottom boundary layer dynamics will be assessed using acoustic and optical instruments.

Eco Benefits Text:
1,595,000,000 calculated based on a conservative estimate of a 10% success rate, (as per CHNEP Director) or 60-acres of tape grass meadows that would be restored permanently.

Habitat:
Direct restoration of 6-acres with exclosures. We expect that at least 600-acres of tape grass in the upper Caloosahatchee Estuary will be restored. Additional beds SAV will be restored in the middle and lower Caloosahatchee Estuary with 2,000 acres potentially affected by seeds and reproductive shoot dispersal

Pollutant Red:
Pollution reductions are not easily quantified by this SAV restoration project. However, the direct nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) uptake from the water column and sediments into plant growth are estimated to be substantial. We also expect that the stabilization of soft bottom sediments will improve and stabilize water quality (reductions in TSS, turbidity, and nutrient flux from sediments) as a direct result of this restoration project.

Living Resoruces:
Approximately 600-acres of lost SAV beds in the Caloosahatchee Estuary will be directly restored. Tape grass, Vallisneria americana has been identified as the valued ecosystem component (VEC) to be assessed for minimum flows and levels (MFLs) (SFWMD 2004). The restoration will greatly improve critical foraging habitat for the endangered manatee (Trichechus manatus) near the Orange River winter thermal refuge. We expect direct benefits through coastal estuary habitat improvement/enhancement, creating fisheries nursery habitat, sediment stabilization, migratory waterfowl foraging habitat, and important commercial fisheries for blue crabs and bait shrimp. Vallisneria americana beds provide habitat for at least 44 species of fishes as well as many crustaceans, mollusks and other macroinvertebrates (Robbins 2005) which serve as trophic linkages to higher level consumers in the estuary. In 2009 the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) listed the Caloosahatchee Estuary as critical habitat for the Federally Endangered small-tooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) and this project will improve the prey base for sawfish. The exclosure design proposed for this restoration have been approved by NMFS.

Resilience:
Restoring 600+ acres of recently lost SAV habitat (since 1995) in the upper estuary will enhance aquatic/marine community resilience.  Establishing beds to act as a seed source will facilitate recovery to any additional losses in SAV coverage.   The SAV restoration will enhance resilience of the critical winter foraging habitat of manatees and stabilize habitat for waterfowl, sea turtles, and numerous fishes, crustaceans, mollusks and aquatic invertebrates. Ecotourism and sport fishing will be enhanced and improve community resilience in Lee County and the cities of Cape Coral and Ft. Myers. Storm-wave and boat wake driven erosion of the river banks will also be attenuated by denser and more extensive sea grass beds. Benthic community resilience will be enhanced by restoring dense SAV beds.

Added Justification:
The Caloosahatchee Estuary has suffered the loss of over 600-acres of oligohaline seagrass beds, specifically Vallisneria americana in the upper estuary in just the last 12 years. V. americana is recognized as a valued ecosystem component for Everglades Restoration and minimum flows and levels (SFWMD 2003). This severe and unacceptable “fish and wildlife habitat loss” is a prime example of the one of three priority problems in the CHNEP. Therefore, the recovery of lost SAV habitat is a high priority for restoration and enhancement of lost ecosystem resources and services. Restoration of the lost SAV is critical to the restoration of this important core area of the CHNEP. Research has demonstrated that herbivory is an important regulating factor in the restoration of SAV beds when severe losses due to water quality degradation were originally incurred (Moore et al. 2010). This proposal addresses the need to restore grass beds through the prevention of excessive herbivory while using state of the art restoration planting and seeding techniques to ensure success.

This project represents a cooperative partnership between Florida Gulf Coast University, University of Florida, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Marine Laboratory, and Lee County Hyacinth Control District. We have assembled a group of experts in aquatic and marine ecology (CVs attached) with extensive experience working with submerged aquatic plants (SAV) for ecosystem restoration and decades of combined experience in the Caloosahatchee River Estuary. Restoration feasibility studies have been permitted and completed along with a pilot scale-up study using large exclosure cages currently underway by FGCU researchers. Herbivory has been identified as a controlling factor in the feasibility studies (Ceilley et al. 2003, 2011, and Ceilley 2009) and in the current study, along with light and salinity (Bortone and Turpin 2000). This project seeks to directly restore large areas of SAV using a combination of planting methods, locations, and herbivore exclosures to protect founder plots (Moore et al.2010) from decimation by over-grazing. These founder plots of V. americana with provide protected seed sources and vegetative bases for re-colonizing suitable habitats in the Caloosahatchee River Estuary.


ConInfo:
Heather Stafford, DEP Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves

Title:
Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves’ Restoration of Molluscan Shellfisheries Habitat

Desription:
Restore 2,000 acres of shellfish habitat in Tidal Peace and Myakka Rivers, 3,000 acres in Lemon Bay and 25,000 acres in Pine Island Sound. Increase the density and abundance of southern hard clam within Lemon Bay, wedge clam within Tidal Peace and Myakka Rivers, and bay scallop within Pine Island Sound through direct seeding taken from native broodstock. Characterize both structural and functional success through monitoring juvenile survival, as well as improve water clarity and quality through the quantization of PAR, color, turbidity and chlorophyll a levels.

Responsible:
DEP-Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves (CHAP)

Partners:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Lee County Environmental Lab, Bay Shellfish Company, Friends of Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves and GOMA

Status-summary:
Special Activity License under review by FWC

Status-all:
Planning and design completed; Special Activity License under review by FWC.

Quantify Env Results:
Ten 1 m2 plots will randomly be selected at each restoration site to measure bivalve growth, density and abundance within the study sites. Continuous water quality measurements of dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH and salinity will be measured in situ, using YSI 6600 continuous monitoring datasondes swapped out every two weeks. PAR measurements will be made with a LiCor during site visits. Water samples will be collected during site visits for color, turbidity and chlorophyll a and analyzed by the Lee County Environmental Laboratory (LCEL).

Eco Benefits Text:
12 full time jobs will be created and 4 maintained. Restoring commercially important mollusks creates a more diverse and abundant bivalve population leading to increased water clarity and light availability in the water column for stimulating seagrass growth.

Jobs Text:
16 total; 12 full time jobs will be created (CHAP 24 month positions: one project manager, four bivalve monitors, one water quality technician; Bay Shellfish: 6 staff for 18 months) and 4 jobs maintained at the Bay Shellfish Co.

Habitat:
30,000 acres will be restored to historic mollusk populations, at sustainable levels.

Pollutant Red:
As a result of increased filtering of the bivalves, a 10% reduction in either turbidity or chlorophyll a, or a 10% increase in PAR will be considered a success.

Living Resoruces:
Restoration of commercially important bivalves (30,000 acres), improved seagrass habitats as a result of improved water clarity. Other species that are expected to benefit include arthropods (stone, blue and mud crabs), oysters, shrimp, and various commercial and recreational important fish.

Resilience:
Restoration of mollusks and associated habitat will improve water quality, clarity and overall estuarine diversity and health that many tourist dollars depend upon (recreational fishing, boating, swimming, etc.).

Added Justification:
This restoration project seeks to not only restore historic native mollusk levels, but also improve water quality, clarity and ecosystem functionality within the area, while increasing public awareness. This project seeks to collaborate with volunteers to increase public awareness of the estuarine environment and importance of native species through hands on restoration. The submerged land is owned by the State of Florida and portions are directly managed by Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves.


Title:
Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve creek and wetland restoration

Desription:
When the Caloosahatchee River was dredged during the 1960s spoil was pumped over natural areas along the river.  On Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve approximately 330 acres (primarily wetlands) were negatively impacted by this process. Wetlands were covered in spoil and tributaries were completely lost.  Now the flow goes through a channelized canal.  The wetlands and spoil uplands now are dominated by invasive exotic plants.  This project will reintroduce a creek near the location of the filled one, cut through a berm to return water flows into the impacted wetlands and treat exotic invasive plants within the project area. The new creek will return flow through wetlands that are currently stagnant and will likely make it too wet for Brazilian pepper and Australian pines (invasive exotic plants) to grow.  The berm cuts also will allow water to flow better and the removal of exotic plants will enhance the area for better fish and wildlife habitat.  Approximately half of the project has already been completed by Lee County and its funding partners (USFWS, FDEP, CHNEP, SFWMD).

Status-all:
In progress.  An engineer/ecologist has been hired.  Pre-application meetings have been held with the SFWMD and Corps and permitting has begun.

Quantify Env Results:
Re-hydrated wetlands, linear feet of berm removal and linear feet and area of newly cut stream bed.  The actual acres of restoration and linear feet of stream bed and berm cuts will be determined during the permitting process and is not yet available.

Eco Benefits Text:
Additional wetland filtration, additional fish and wildlife habitat.

Habitat:
210 acres of upland and wetland spoil that will be directly enhanced and the surrounding 150 acres will further enhanced by exotic plant removal. The berm cut and the tributary will enhance the surrounding areas and provide for better wildlife habitat.

Pollutant Red:
Some of the water from the channelized canal will be further filtered through the created creek and wetlands, thus cleaning the water before it enters the Caloosahatchee River and the Gulf of Mexico.

Living Resoruces:
The 210 acres of partially restored spoil will further be enhanced by the creek project and the berm removal project.  The exotic monocultures on SFWMD owned land (managed by Lee County) and Lee County Conservation 20/20 owned land will be removed.  This removal enhances the whole preserve since the seed source immediately adjacent to the restored areas will be removed; reducing the number of seeds reaching the restored areas.  Species likely to benefit include wood storks, roseate spoonbills, little blue herons, tri-colored herons, great egrets, snowy egrets, white ibis, smalltooth sawfish, as well as commercially and recreationally important fish.  These species will benefit by increasing and enhancing the wetlands and by removing the invasive exotic plants.

Resilience:
Restoring wetlands will help the shoreline change with higher tides as sea level rise occurs.  The shoreline will become important wildlife habitat as additional shoreline is hardened.

Added Justification:
This project adds on to an already successful restoration effort within critical habitat for the smalltooth sawfish.  Earlier phases have produced dramatically improved wildlife habitat and increased use by listed wading birds.


Title:
Smokehouse Bay Preserve mosquito ditch backfilling

Desription:
The proposed project is the final restoration phase for this preserve.  The project consists of backfilling 5,084 linear feet of antiquated mosquito ditches that run through the mangroves.  In accordance with permit conditions, exotic invasive plants (Australian pines, melaleuca and Brazilian pepper) growing on the ditch spoil will be placed at the bottom of the existing ditches and the spoil material from the original excavation will be placed in the ditch.  This backfilling will allow historic hydrological and tidal actions to occur on the preserve. Currently, the perimeter spoil piles prevent all but the highest tides from entering the adjacent salt marsh.  The project has been fully permitted by the US Army Corps of Engineers and South Florida Water Management District.  A total of 5,232 linear feet was filled in 2012 and the tides now flow through the mangroves and into the adjacent salt marsh allowing the adjacent communities to rebound.  This final phase will allow the entire preserve to function naturally.

Partners:
USFWS (ARRA grant), CHNEP were funding partners on the first phases.  The Cape Coral High School Environmental Club and 4H have helped with mangrove plantings.

Quantify Env Results:
This final construction phase will complete restoration on this coastal preserve. The last 5,084 feet of mosquito ditches will be returned to grade and allow tidal function to return to the mangroves and the marsh, thus providing better fish and wildlife habitat.

Eco Benefits Text:
Benefits mangrove, salt marsh and saltern communities.  Benefits for wildlife including wading birds (wood stork, roseate spoonbill, little blue heron, tricolored heron, white ibis etc.), smalltooth sawfish, recreationally and commercially important fish, neotropical migrants and shorebirds.  Fish caught commercially and recreationally are a major job and tourism generator in the Gulf of Mexico and the surrounding waters.  Restoring the communities upon which juvenile fish depend is important to these fisheries.

Habitat:
Once the final phase is complete 28 acres of impacted mangroves and 51 acres of saltern and salt marsh will benefit.  The seaward 16 acres without mosquito ditches may also benefit from complete restoration.

Living Resoruces:
Ditches that directly impact the hydrology of 14 acres of mangroves will be backfilled allowing natural tides to wash over the mangroves and into the adjacent 50 acre salt marsh.

Resilience:
Improving the mangroves and salt marshes will allow the communities to move landward with rising sea levels.

Added Justification:
The permits for this shovel ready project expire at the end of 2013.  Once funding is secured the project can be completed quickly and benefits to coastal communities will be quick.


Title:
Charlotte Harbor Buffer Preserve coastal wetland enhancement

Desription:
A highly disturbed, but environmentally significant parcel was purchased by the Lee County Conservation 20/20 program since it was immediately adjacent to the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park.  The parcel is fallow farmland and now contains nearly a monoculture of exotic invasive plants which acts as a seed source for the adjacent state conservation lands.  The project will rehydrate the site through a series of ditch blocks and berm cuts and treat the exotic invasive species.  Once rehydrated we expect the site to return to functioning wetlands.

Status-all:
In progress: an ecologist/engineer is being selected to design and permit the project

Quantify Env Results:
54 acres of exotic invasive plants will be removed and returned to its former wetland system. The exotic invasive plant monoculture will be removed and turned into natural communities which will filter water from the ditch on the northern part of the property.  The ditch consists of road and suburban runoff that currently is ditched through the state park. The added filtration on the subject property will help remove pollutants prior to them entering the Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico.  Additional benefits include the removal of an exotic plant seed sources for the adjacent Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park.

Eco Benefits Text:
The monoculture of exotic invasive plants will be removed allowing natural filtering of ditched water, a seed source for the adjacent state park will be removed and pollutants will be removed from some of the water flowing into the Charlotte Harbor and Gulf of Mexico.

Pollutant Red:
Water from the ditch on the northern property line will be better filtered by the resulting wetlands and fewer pollutants will reach the Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico.

Living Resoruces:
The adjacent state park contains mangroves and salterns.  We expect a combination of mangroves, salt marsh and fresh water wetlands to replace the exotic invasive plants once the ditch blocks, and berm cuts are accomplished.

Added Justification:
This project will improve water quality that enters the Charlotte Harbor by filtering the water in the northern ditch.  The project will also remove 54 acres of exotic invasive plants adjacent to state owned conservation land and benefit state and listed wildlife which utilize the site and the surrounding lands.


Title:
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve North wetland enhancement

Desription:
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve North was purchased largely since it is the headwaters of the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve.  Unfortunately, the wetlands on site have been dramatically drained due to surrounding construction and rerouting of water.  Currently, on site wetlands are water poor by approximately 1- 1.5 meters.  The project will reroute ditches both on and off site to rehydrate wetlands on site, reduce stormwater runoff into the Orange River and reduce suburban flooding.

Status-all:
In progress. An engineer/ecologist has been hired.  Pre-application meetings have been held with the SFWMD and permitting has begun.

Quantify Env Results:
The project will redirect water to the preserve, restoring some of the previous watershed flows.  The Orange River will receive less water (it currently receives much more water than it did historically).  The cypress heads on the preserve will benefit from additional water; currently they are not receiving enough water.  Pollution loads reaching the rivers and ultimately the Charlotte Harbor will be reduced since they will settle on site (much of the stream pollutants will be taken up by the vegetation)

Eco Benefits Text:
The onsite wetlands will be rehydrated, pollution loads entering the Orange River will be reduced, and will largely settle within the swales and on the preserve. Hydroperiods within the cypress domes will be improved.  Neighborhood flooding will be reduced.

Pollutant Red:
Nitrogen and Phosphorous will be taken up by plants on site and not be carried to the rivers and enter the Charlotte Harbor.  Likewise other pollutants will settle on the preserve.

Living Resoruces:
Currently the Orange River receives too much water both because development has increased the timing and speed of water through ditches and the hardscape. Water that previously flowed south has been redirected to the north.  This project will reduce the flows that enter the Orange River.  The Orange River is a tributary of the Caloosahatchee River; one of the major rivers that flows into the Charlotte Harbor Estuary and Gulf of Mexico.

Resilience:
The project will provide a place for water to be directed and reduce the amount of neighborhood and coastal flooding.

Added Justification:
A $300,000 South Florida Water Management District grant has been awarded.  Lee County has dedicated $100,000 to the data collection, design and permitting for the project.  Design and permitting has begun and construction is expected to begin in 2013 and will continue into 2015.


Title:
Deep Lagoon Preserve Restoration including drainage canals

Desription:
This project is the final phase in removing invasive exotic plants from 104 acres of Deep Lagoon Preserve and replanting with native vegetation.  This would include removing invasive exotic plants from the edges of 11,500 linear feet of drainage canals (dug in the 1920s) and replanting with mangroves or upland coastal species (depending on bank elevation).  In areas where invasive exotics are the primary plant coverage, native species will be planted to help filter sheet flow before it enters the canal system.

Location:
The project is located in Lee County, on the 272-acre Deep Lagoon Preserve, a Conservation 20/20 preserve. This preserve and the adjacent conservation lands creates a 460 acre corridor of mangrove swamps, fresh and saltwater marshes, coastal uplands, hammocks and flatwoods that stretches from the Caloosahatchee River to the Estero Bay Preserve State Park.  Latitude 26o 31’ 14.68”, Longitude -81o 55’ 23.50”

Status-all:
Restoration permits will need to be secured from the SFWMD and ACOE for exotic plant removal in wetland areas (only a portion of the site).  We will wait to conduct all exotic work during the same time period.  Restoration permits are routinely applied for and granted quickly. A follow up exotic plant treatment would be done in year two and native plants would be installed in areas where natural recruitment was slow in year three.

Quantify Env Results:
A 104 acre portion of the preserve that is nearly dominated by exotic invasive plants would be removed and will be returned to more natural communities. Photo points will be established throughout the project site and vegetation plots would be established at each photo point to monitor exotic removal and plant recruitment.

Eco Benefits Text:
A total of 104 acres of exotic plant impacted conservation land would be treated and portions would be replanted.  Exotic plant monocultures will be replaced with natural plant diversity, thus benefitting wildlife. By removing the invasive exotics from the canals, exotic plant spread along the entire canal system and into Estero Bay Preserve State Park will be reduced.  Invasive exotic plant spread into adjacent conservation lands would also be reduced.  Additionally, water quality improvements would be expected by allowing water to sheet flow through plantings in the Preserve.

Jobs Text:
5 positions throughout the project with removal of exotics and installing plantings.

Pollutant Red:
There will likely be some reduction of pollutants from adjacent roads into the drainage canals as well as the plantings of mangroves along the canal edges.

Living Resoruces:
Currently 79% of the coastal grasslands, coastal hydric hammock, mangrove swamp, and salt marsh communities in the project area have a 50-100% coverage in invasive exotic plants.

Resilience:
There is a concern, particularly with the Australian pines, during a hurricane.  Replacing the exotics with mangroves and other wind-adapted native species would improve the resilience of this conservation corridor.

Added Justification:
The preserve has 13 state and/or federally listed species that would benefit from the additional habitat improvements.  There are 28 plants listed by the Institute of Regional Conservation and 5 by the state of Florida that have been documented on the Preserve.  The Conservation 20/20 program has already restored 63% of the Preserve and has shown a commitment to continued maintenance once the restoration work has taken place.


Desription:
This project seeks to restore tidal flow into the preserve and sheet flow off of the preserve.  In 1972 a powerline easement road was constructed through the mangroves that were later purchased as part of Galt Preserve.  This project seeks to remedy the dam effect that the powerline road makes.  Three low water crossings have been designed to be excavated in the powerline road.  This will directly enhance the hydroperiods in approximately 20 acres of coastal wetlands.  The project was suggested by NOAA staff when a natural community restoration project was being reviewed for grant funding.

Partners:
Lee County Electric Coop (approvals) and Gulf of Mexico Foundation

Quantify Env Results:
Restored tidal flow for approximately 20 acres. Restored sheet flow for ~100 acres.  More natural hydroperiods for the mangroves and surrounding wetlands and the dependant fish and wildlife.

Living Resoruces:
The mangroves will get enhanced water flow (both tidal and sheet flow) and the adjacent mangroves and wetlands will benefit. Mangroves, salt marsh, freshwater marsh and the wildlife dependent upon them (wading birds, commercially and recreationally important fish) will benefit from the enhanced water flow.

Resilience:
Restoration of coastal wetlands will allow inland community movement as sea level rise occurs.

Added Justification:
Much of the rest of the preserve has been restored using Conservation 20/20 funds and grant funding from NOAA and the Gulf of Mexico Foundation.  This is the final large scale restoration project.  The amenities on site will be constructed during the dry season of 2012-2013 which will allow for public interpretation of this restoration project.


Desription:
Habitat enhancement in 125 acres of salt marsh and mangroves at Buttonwood Preserve.  The natural communities have been negatively impacted by exotic invasive plants including melaleuca and Brazilian pepper.  The exotic plants will be treated with herbicide.  This will have positive effects on the coastal communities and provide for enhanced wildlife habitat and coastal resilience.

Quantify Env Results:
Exotic invasive plants will be treated with herbicides.  The resulting project will benefit the salt marsh and mangrove communities and the fish and wildlife dependant on them.

Eco Benefits Text:
Will increase fish and wildlife habitat benefits.

Living Resoruces:
Fish and wildlife habitat.  Increase the suitability for recreational and commercial fisheries and provide for better habitat for other coastal wildlife; especially wading birds and migratory shorebirds.

Resilience:
Mangroves and salt marshes can move inland with rising sea levels. This simple exotic control project will benefit the region’s coastal systems and the wildlife dependent upon them.

Added Justification:
This project will bring the preserve to a maintenance level.  The exotic invasive plants within the uplands will be removed during the winter of 2012-2013.


Desription:
This project will help to restore the natural sheet flow from the 800-acre palmetto prairie and wet prairie/hydric flatwoods system into Telegraph Creek where ditches were installed by previous owners to help drain this portion of the preserve.  Geowebbing and/or culverts will be installed along existing management trails that are eroding into the creek.  The existing swale where the water formerly would have flowed to the creek will be graded and cleaned out.  The washouts will be recontoured and plantings will be installed to reduce further soil erosion into the creek.

Location:
Lee County, 1,727-acre Telegraph Creek Preserve.  Latitude 26.74116, Longitude -81.68584

Status-all:
Restoration permits would need to be secured from the SFWMD and ACOE.

Eco Benefits Text:
Water quality improvements would be expected by allowing water to slowly enter creek through vegetation and not wash in sediments from trails.

Habitat:
50 acres restored.  Tons of sediments prevented from entering the creek.

Living Resoruces:
Fish and wildlife will benefit from fewer sediments being introduced into the creek through erosion.  Macro invertebrates and fish will especially benefit.  Listed species which rely on macro invertebrates and fish will benefit from a better prey base.

Resilience:
Sediments are being washed into the creek from fire lines within the dry and wet prairie and flatwoods.

Added Justification:
Quite a diversity of listed species occur on the preserve


Desription:
Lightered Canal was dug historically to drain farm fields on the Babcock Ranch.  The agricultural fields are no longer in use on Bob Janes Preserve, the Lee County portion of the Babcock Ranch Preserve.  This project will redirect water from the artificial Lightered Canal into the former farm fields, allowing the water to sheet flow across the land rather than shoot into tributaries and ultimately the Caloosahatchee River.  This hydrological fix will improve the timing of water reaching the Caloosahatchee River, reduce pollutants in the river, reduce downstream flooding and provide wildlife habitat in the former agricultural fields.

Status-all:
A design team is in the process of being selected

Quantify Env Results:
Much of the drainage in the area has been redirected into alternate watersheds via manmade ditches and canals like the Lightered Canal. This project will restore sheet flow across former agricultural fields, providing for more natural sheet flow and reducing flows that are too high for the tributaries accepting water from the Lightered Canal.  Natural communities will rebound in the former agricultural fields, providing for better wildlife habitat.

Eco Benefits Text:
The Caloosahatchee River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico will receive cleaner water at more historic timing.  Currently the water is shunted down the lightered Canal through several tributaries.  This flow is not natural. This project will reintroduce sheet flow and some of the water will be returned to historic tributaries.  The timing of the water into the Caloosahatchee will be more natural and some of the pollutants and sediments will filter out as the water sheet flows across the land.

Pollutant Red:
Pollutants and sediments from farming in Charlotte County (to the north) will settle out in the former farm fields rather than running off through Lightered Canal.

Living Resoruces:
Water in the Caloosahatchee River and Gulf of Mexico will be enhanced by the more natural water flow and timing of the water flows.

Resilience:
The fallow farm fields will go through natural succession and provide for community resilience. Some of the water currently flowing through Lightered Canal will be redirected and allowed to sheet flow across the land, allowing more natural flows in the surrounding creeks.

Added Justification:
This project seeks to remedy water flows on one of the largest recent state/county conservation acquisitions. The project has numerous partners:  Lee County Conservation 20/20, Lee County Natural Resources, and the South Florida Water Management District.


Title:
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve hydrological restoration

Desription:
This project will repair past damage to the natural flow of Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve by filling a ditch that cut through an upland area of the slough and diverting water into man-made lakes. This will allow the water to continue on its natural flow to the south.  Six Mile Cypress Slough is a regionally a significant drainage system that drains a large portion of rapidly increasing portions of the City of Fort Myers and Lee County into Estero Bay.  Six Mile Cypress Slough is water poor, so this fix stops some of the water diversion and increase flow for the preserve.

Location:
Lee County, Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Status-all:
Permits will need to be secured from the SFWMD and ACOE.

Quantify Env Results:
The flow will no longer be directed into a manmade borrow pit, but will instead flow south in a natural pattern.  The Slough has a series of wells that monitor water levels.  Once the ditch is blocked the change could possibly be noted.

Eco Benefits Text:
Restored flow to the Slough protects one of Lee County’s most well known environmental preserves.  The project would likely be backed by the Friends of the Six Mile Cypress Slough, a citizen support group.

Habitat:
Unknown until design and permitting is accomplished.

Living Resoruces:
The Slough ultimately discharges into the Charlotte Harbor.  A more natural flow benefits the estuary.


Desription:
This project will help to fix runoff and erosion problems from the Sanibel Causeway. Rain from the road pavement runs off onto the causeway, eroding the edges of the causeway.  Currently the solution is to repair the area by adding fill, but this request seeks to find a more permanent solution that will prevent erosion of sediments into the San Carlos Bay.  The project will likely include French drains, swales and a planting component.

Quantify Env Results:
Water quality improvements would be expected since much less sediment would find its way into the San Carlos Bay.

Eco Benefits Text:
Although tourists will be negatively impacted by construction in the short-term, the park area on the causeway will be more useable without ruts.  Increased water quality will help the fisheries and the recreational and commercial fishermen.

Habitat:
Sediments prevented from entering the Charlotte Harbor and Gulf of Mexico.  Native plantings will increase diversity on the causeway and provide food and resting stops for migratory birds.

Pollutant Red:
Reduction of sediments entering the Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico.

Living Resoruces:
Fish and wildlife will benefit from fewer sediments being introduced into Charlotte Harbor and Gulf of Mexico through erosion.

Added Justification:
The project will reduce sedimentation of the Charlotte Harbor and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico.


Desription:
The West Marsh Project will add approximately 208 acres of additional storage and wildlife habitat contiguous to the existing 566-acre Harns Marsh system.  
The benefits of this project include:
•	Less freshwater discharge to the Orange River, Caloosahatchee River and it’s estuarial system, and the Gulf of Mexico, during periods of wet season high-flows
•	Better water quality treatment prior to discharge into the Orange River
•	Restoration of approximately 60 acres of oak hammocks, etc.
•	Creation of approximately 150 acres of wetlands, littoral shelves and deeper water habitats
•	Groundwater recharge
•	Flood protection
•	Future low-impact recreational use

Status-all:
Planned.  Matching Funds to date: SFWMD Watershed Grant $20,000; ECWCD Funds $85,716.92.

Quantify Env Results:
1) Water Quality Improvement- upstream/downstream sampling and analysis.
2) Groundwater Recharge – monitor wells
3) Habitat Creation – species inventory and bioassays
4) Removal of Exotic/Invasive Vegetation – periodic inspection

Eco Benefits Text:
The project will generate temporary employment for design and construction workers. It is anticipated there may be a slight permanent staff increase for ECWCD and/or Lee County for management of the property. In addition, visitors to the site are anticipated to patronize local business. There will also be avoidance of flood related damage expense for downstream property owners.  Ecosystem services provided include aesthetic environments, recreational and educational opportunities, cultural identity, existence, property protection, food quality, pollution treatment, climate stability, food supply, scientific resources and ornamental resources.

Habitat:
Approximately 208 Acres of Habitat will be restored and conserved

Pollutant Red:
248 Kg/yr Total Phosphorus and 914 Kg/yr Total Nitrogen -
Data obtained from ECWCD upstream and downstream of adjacent Harns Marsh indicate about a 3% reduction in Nitrogen and a 98% reduction in Phosphorus by the treatment wetlands. Similar performance is expected from the West Marsh.  Peak flows will also be reduced by 3,400 Ac-Ft/yr.

Living Resoruces:
Living coastal/marine resources of the Caloosahatchee River/Estuary system that will be improved by the water quality enhancement produced by the project include marine mammals, sea turtles, fish,  invertebrates, coastal and marine birds, seagrasses, mangroves, corals and plankton.

Resilience:
Community resilience will be enhanced primarily through reduction of flood related damage to property. Secondarily, resilience will be enhanced through the offering of ecosystem services attributes.


Desription:
The Southwest Lehigh Weirs project is located in an area that is named affectionately “the virtual desert” which is within the Orange River basin in Lehigh Acres.  There are 27 individual weirs in roughly three sizes designed for this project.  These weirs are strategically located and permitted to store the greatest amount of water possible under current development conditions.  This is a “shovel ready” project that is just lacking sufficient funding for construction.
The benefits of this project include:
•	Less freshwater discharge to the Orange River, Caloosahatchee River and it’s estuarial system, and the Gulf of Mexico, during periods of wet season high-flows
•	Better water quality treatment prior to discharge into the Orange River
•	Increased storm water storage necessary for future growth
•	Groundwater recharge
•	Flood protection
•	Second ingress/egress point for some semi-isolated neighborhoods

Location:
Lee County.  Latitude 26°36'12.805"N, Longitude 81°41'48.764"W

Status-all:
Designed and Permitted.  Matching to date: 2008 CBIR - $80,250; ECWCD Funds - $82,547.41.

Quantify Env Results:
This project will reduce peak flows during the wet season to the Orange River and Caloosahatchee River estuary, and the overall volume of freshwater to the estuary will be reduced.

Eco Benefits Text:
The economic benefit including ecosystem services is estimated to be $31,100,000.

Pollutant Red:
This project will remove an average of 87 Kg TP/year, and 896 Kg TN/year.

Living Resoruces:
Estuarine submerged aquatic vegetation and dependent biota such as oysters and fisheries will be improved due to reduced freshwater discharges to the Caloosahatchee River estuary.  The degree of improvement has not been calculated.

Resilience:
Higher groundwater levels in the dry season will reduce the need for extensive irrigation to keep lawns healthy, which will result in higher baseflows to the estuary.

Added Justification:
The project has been designed and permitted, thus it is shovel-ready


Desription:
The “Moving Water South Project” has been envisioned for many years. Phase I (Halfway Pond Pump Station) is already complete.  The concept of Phases II and III is to remove excess and sometimes problematic stormwater from the ECWCD (Lehigh Acres) system and move it south under the State Road 82 widening project, pump it up onto the existing ECWCD preserve areas south of State Road 82 and then allow the storm water to gravity flow onto wetlands further to the south.  This project has the ability to provide benefits and cost savings to ECWCD, SFWMD, FDOT, Lee County and the Lee County Port Authority.
The benefits of this project include:
•	Less freshwater discharge to the Orange River, Caloosahatchee River and it’s estuarial system, and the Gulf of Mexico, during periods of wet season high-flows
•	Increased storm water storage necessary for future growth
•	Groundwater recharge
•	Flood protection
•	Extended hydro-periods on many of existing isolated wetlands and creation of new wetlands

Location:
Lee County.  Latitude 26°33'10.26"N, Longitude 81°38'5.939"W

Partners:
SFWMD, Florida Department of Transportation, Lee County, Lee County Port Authority

Quantify Env Results:
This project will improve the habitat of 630 acres of drained wetlands that will increase the number of birds that utilize these wetlands.   The bird population is estimated to increase by over 1,100 birds.  The project will also reduce the volume of freshwater inflows to the Caloosahatchee River estuary by 2,500 acre feet per year, and the pollutant load reduction will be 218 and 2,240 Kg/yr Total Phosphorus and Total Nitrogen.

Habitat:
Restored habitat is estimated to be 1,262 acres.

Pollutant Red:
218 Kg/yr Total Phosphorus and 2,240 Kg/yr Total Nitrogen

Resilience:
Higher groundwater levels in the dry season will reduce the need for extensive irrigation to keep lawns healthy, which will result in higher baseflows to the estuary.  The project will also reduce flooding in Lehigh Acres and the Orange River, which will reduce damages to residences associated with flooding.

Added Justification:
The project will also be able to handle stormwater runoff from the widening of SR 82 from Alabama to Homestead Roads, which will reduce the overall project cost to the Florida Department of Transportation.  The widening project will also reduce the amount of land that has to be purchased for the road right-of-way, which will reduce the duration of the project for FDOT.


Desription:
Background: The Estero Bay watershed includes all of Estero Bay, most of which lies within the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, and the adjacent barrier islands. Hendry Creek, Mullock Creek, the Estero River, areas of Corkscrew Swamp, Flint Pen Strand, Spring Creek, and the Imperial River are major surface water features in the watershed. Hendry Creek, Mullock Creek, Estero River, Spring Creek, and the Imperial River experience some degree of tidal influenced. The portion of the Estero River east of U.S. 41 is a slow conveyance system and is considered a recharge area along with the Imperial River east of I-75 (SWFRPC, 1995). Local drainage canals tend to provide some regional flood protection during wet periods, but also lead to over-drainage during dry periods. Estero Bay has long been recognized as one of Florida’s significant natural resources. The Bay was designated as the State’s first Aquatic Preserve. The area in and around the Estero Bay watershed has undergone dramatic increases in the rate of residential and commercial development as well as population growth during the past 30 years. 

There are several documented, predicted, and perceived problems in the Estero Bay watershed. The problems are primarily related to: 1.) conversion of natural habitats to agricultural, commercial, and residential land uses; 2.) the construction of canals, ditches, and road beds; and 3.) filling, dredging, and draining of wetlands waterbodies that occur in association with the previous two factors. The watershed problems include: increased watershed size, increased freshwater inflows, increased nutrient and total suspended solids loading, lowered water tables, altered wetland and aquatic hydroperiods, loss of wetland, upland, and aquatic habitats, downstream flooding.

The Edison Farms Trust property located in Bonita Springs has been identified by the Southwest Florida Comprehensive Watershed Plan (formerly the Southwest Florida Feasibility Study) as Primary panther habitat (Exhibit 3) and the Core Foraging Areas of two wood stork colonies (Exhibit 4) and acquisition would also support numerous recovery plan policies for both species. In addition the parcel is identified by this plan as well as the South Lee County Surface Water Master Plan as a key component to the restoration of surface water flows in the Estero Bay Basin. 

The four easternmost sections of the Edison Farms property are a part of Florida Forever’s CREW project, and acquisition including the two westernmost sections would result in increased conservation lands immediately adjacent to CREW (Exhibit 2). The property is also entirely within Primary panther habitat (Exhibit 3) and the Core Foraging Areas of two wood stork colonies (Exhibit 4) and acquisition would also support numerous recovery plan policies for both species.

Project Description: 
Land acquisition of parcels located in the Estero Bay Watershed that were previously considered for acquisition by Lee County’s Conservation 2020 program (Exhibit 1); nomination #474 (Exhibit 1).  The negotiations failed due to the selling price of the parcel.

3922 ACRES IN BONITA SPRINGS.

STRAP #'s 01472500000010000, 12472500000010000, 06472600000010000, 07472600000010000, 05472600000010000, 08472600000010000.

Partners:
SFWMD, FDEP, CREW Trust Board, City of Bonita Springs

Quantify Env Results:
Complete landscape plan in support of the South Lee County Surface Water Master Plan, the Southwest Florida Comprehensive Watershed Plan (formerly Southwest Florida Feasibility Study) and provide habitat concurrent with Lee County’s comprehensive conservation master planning efforts. The four easternmost sections of the Edison Farms property are a part of Florida Forever’s CREW project, and acquisition including the two westernmost sections would result in increased conservation lands immediately adjacent to CREW (Exhibit 2). The property is also entirely within Primary panther habitat (Exhibit 3) and the Core Foraging Areas of two wood stork colonies (Exhibit 4) and acquisition would also support numerous recovery plan policies for both species.

Eco Benefits Text:
Flood protection, improved water quality, improved habitat within the Estero River.

Living Resoruces:
The Edison Farms property serves as the headwaters to Estero Bay tributaries: Estero River, Halfway Creek and Spring Creek (Exhibit 6).  Maintaining natural freshwater flows will improve the resiliency of the region by protecting the health of mangroves, submerged aquatic vegetation, fisheries and reducing the frequency of red tide events by maintaining and reducing pollutant loads to Estero Bay.

Estero Bay includes 10,500 acres of sovereign submerged lands and the Edison Farms property includes 3,922 acres of wetlands

Resilience:
Improved flood control in the current landscape will prolong the period of habitability in the residential corridors of the Estero Bay tributaries as climate change and sea level rise occur. Habitat improvements due to restored historical flows will also mitigate the current effects of degradation on fisheries and improve the period of time these fisheries can be sustained during the onset of sea level rise.

Added Justification:
Lee County has entered into a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2012. The BMAP was promulgated due to TMDLs for total nitrogen in the Hendry Creek Basin, a tributary to the Estero Bay. The County is required to restore and protect water quality under this watershed restoration plan. In addition, the Estero Watershed is part of a system that has been designated Outstanding Florida Waters as well as discharging into State Aquatic Preserve and National Wildlife Refuges. The Estero Bay Watershed has been identified by numerous local, state and federal studies as an area of critical concern due to hydrologic disconnection resulting from development pressure in the region.

The Edison Farms property is identified by the CHNEP CCMP as one of the “acquisition alternatives” on map 22 of the plan (Exhibit 7) and as an area in need of exotics removal on map 23 (Exhibit 8).


Desription:
Background: The Tidal Caloosahatchee estuary is the second largest open water estuary in the state. It is 30 miles long and seven miles wide with a total area of 270 square miles. Fichter’s Creek is a tributary of the Tidal Caloosahatchee located in northeast Lee County and southern Charlotte County, much of which is located within the old Babcock Ranch.  The headwaters of Fichter’s Creek flow through the Caloosahatchee Regional Park, outfalling to the Caloosahatchee River to the south.  The watershed has been significantly altered over the past 50 years by road construction, farming and river dredging activities. 

The Caloosahatchee Regional Park (CRP) is owned by the State of Florida Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund (TIITF) and is managed by Lee County.  It is the intent of the County to utilize the park facilities for the primary improvements.  Although the County also now owns much of the former Babcock Ranch properties within the basin, those lands are currently being managed by Kitson and Partners, are being actively farmed and are “off-limits” for this project.  Fichter’s Creek discharges into Tidal Caloosahatchee basin which is listed as impaired waters by Florida Department. of Environmental Protection for fecal coliform, nutrients and dissolved oxygen.

Runoff from upstream portions of the watershed flows through a network of sloughs in a southwesterly direction along the north side of the CRP towards Fichter’s Creek Lane (FCL), a privately-maintained roadway. At FCL, a triple 36-inch culvert conveys the water from the CRP into the downstream channelized section of Fichter’s Creek. In addition, a significant portion of the northern half of the park also flows in a westerly direction towards FCL.   After Tropical Storm Fay (in August, 2008), water was observed to overtop FCL north and south of the existing culvert crossing. A headloss of approximately three feet was measured across the culvert opening at the time the roadway was overtopping. At the same time, a significant amount of flow was directed down the western CRP perimeter ditch. The headloss across the existing single 36-inch culvert at CR 78 was also observed to be approximately three feet.  

Project Description: Subsequent computer modeling of the basin has been conducted to simulate the field conditions and to provide a basis for analyzing proposed improvements and how they will positively or negatively impact the basin and existing land uses. Proposed improvements include the following:

1.	Improve FCL crossing by replacing existing triple 36-inch culvert with single 6-foot by 10-foot concrete box culvert and spillway. An easement will be required to access the culvert crossing for construction and maintenance purposes.
2.	Excavate four new water detention areas in the northern part of the CRP.
3.	Construct three new control structures within the new detention areas.
4.	Improve berms along western park perimeter and close gaps and breaches.
5.	Convert existing perimeter ditch to constructed filter marsh with water control structure at southern end just north of CR 78.
6.	Replace existing single 36-inch pipe at CR 78 perimeter ditch crossing with double 36-inch culvert.
7.	Add bypass ditch at southern end of CRP perimeter ditch to provide additional conveyance capacity.
The results of the computer modeling indicate that the improvements will provide considerable benefits to (1) wetlands by enhancing the hydroperiod and recharging (2) water quality through retention and filter marsh

Status-all:
Design/permitting complete October 7, 2011.

Quantify Env Results:
Improve habitat by restoring freshwater flows to the Caloosahatchee Estuary. This could be measured by water quality and oyster bed monitoring.

Eco Benefits Text:
Improved water quality, improved fisheries and rookery habitats.

Pollutant Red:
63% TN & 80% TP (based on Ten Mile Canal Filter Marsh data collection 2007-2010.

Living Resoruces:
Tidal Caloosahatchee (270 square miles), San Carlos Bay, Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass.

Resilience:
Improved freshwater wetland habitat in the current landscape will prolong the period of habitability in the tributaries of the Caloosahatchee as climate change and sea level rise occur. Habitat improvements due to restored historical flows will also mitigate the current effects of degradation on fisheries and improve the period of time these fisheries can be sustained during the onset of sea level rise.

Added Justification:
Lee County has entered into a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2012. The BMAP was promulgated due to TMDLs for total nitrogen in the Tidal Caloosahatchee. The County is required to restore and protect water quality under this watershed restoration plan. In addition, the Tidal Caloosahatchee is part of a system that has been designated an Estuary of National Significance as well as discharging into State Aquatic Preserve and National Wildlife Refuges.


Title:
Four Corners/Florida Citrus Land Acquisition

Desription:
Background: The Tidal Caloosahatchee estuary is the second largest open water estuary in the state. It is 30 miles long and seven miles wide with a total area of 270 square miles. The study area known as “Four Corners” is comprised of agricultural drainage ditches that are part of the County Line Drainage District which outfalls directly to the Caloosahatchee as well as to the Spanish Creek, Miller’s Gulley, tributaries to the Caloosahatchee located at the intersection of Lee, Hendry, Glades and Charlotte County.  The headwaters of Spanish Creek and Miller’s Gulley were rerouted when ditches were installed for orange groves. The watershed has been significantly altered over the past 50 years by road construction, farming and river dredging activities.

Project Description: The Four Corners area encompasses portions of Glades, Charlotte, Hendry, and Lee counties, and includes the Cypress Creek, Spanish Creek, and Jacks Branch tributary watersheds (See figure below). Water flow to the Caloosahatchee River Estuary (CRE) via these watersheds has been substantially modified through development and agricultural practices and has directly affected water quality and storage. Several studies to address these issues have been conducted resulting in the Spanish Creek/Four Corners Initiative (CRWPP project CRE 44). This is a collaborative initiative among the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), Lee County, and Hendry County to develop regional approaches for improving water quality and storage in the Caloosahatchee River Watershed. The goal is to expand upon existing conceptual plans to address conveyance, attenuation, and treatment of stormwater runoff from the Spanish Creek and Jacks Branch (County Line Ditch) watersheds using wetland flow-ways. Under this initiative, two of the previously listed projects meet the qualifying criteria: Spanish Creek Restoration and Jacks Branch (County Line Ditch).

Spanish Creek Restoration. Lee County has been pursuing a project to create wetland flow-ways that will serve to rehydrate the Ruby Daniels Preserve, Bob Jane’s Preserve, and Spanish Creek. The county’s acquisition of a key parcel of approximately 640 acres of citrus grove adjacent to Bob Jane’s and Ruby Daniels preserves failed negotiations, however the land should be considered for acquisition provided there is a willing seller in the future. The project is planned to redirect stormwater flows to a more natural pathway, provide water storage in the watershed, and offer stormwater treatment prior to its entering the preserves, creek, and Caloosahatchee River. In Fiscal Year 2012 (FY2012) (October 1, 2011–September 30, 2012), the SFWMD intends to provide funds to Lee County for the project’s initial design; project construction will be addressed in the future pending availability of funds. 

Jacks Branch (County Line Ditch). To date, Hendry County has developed 30 percent design plans in collaboration with the District for improvements to County Line Ditch, which conveys stormwater flows from Jacks Branch Watershed to the Caloosahatchee River. Utilizing 3.5 miles of right-of-way acquired by Hendry County, the project is intended to improve the conveyance by widening the ditch, adding shallow littoral areas, and providing weirs for increased storage and treatment. In FY2012, the District plans to provide funds to Hendry County for developing 100 percent design plans; project construction will be addressed in the future pending availability of funds. 

Land Acquisition: Acquisition of the former Lee County Conservation 2020 nomination #477. The parcel is 650 acres located in an area called locally the "Four Corners" adjacent to the Bob Janes Preserve.  This is a target project area identified by the Caloosahatchee River Watershed Protection Plan and the Southwest Florida Comprehensive Watershed Plan for hydrologic restoration and water quality improvement projects. The projects may have future funding commitment through Lee County and the South Florida Water Management District pending acquisition of the lands. The nomination failed the Conservation Lands Acquisition & Stewardship Advisor Committee review process given the disturbed condition of the land and the potential cost of remediation to a natural state

Status-summary:
Feasibility study complete, design/permitting pending.

Quantify Env Results:
Complete landscape plan in support of the Caloosahatchee River Watershed Protection Plan, the Southwest Florida Comprehensive Watershed Plan (formerly Southwest Florida Feasibility Study) and provide habitat concurrent with Lee County’s comprehensive conservation master planning efforts.

Eco Benefits Text:
Flood protection, improved water quality, improved habitat within the Tidal Caloosahatchee River.

Pollutant Red:
Removal rates estimated 6.14 mt/yr TN, 1.51 mt/yr TP.

Living Resoruces:
Tidal Caloosahatchee, San Carlos Bay, Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass.

Added Justification:
: Lee County has entered into a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2012. The BMAP was promulgated due to TMDLs for total nitrogen in the Tidal Caloosahatchee. The County is required to restore and protect water quality under this watershed restoration plan. In addition, the Tidal Caloosahatchee is part of a system that has been designated an Estuary of National Significance as well as discharging into State Aquatic Preserve and National Wildlife Refuges.


Desription:
The proposed Nalle Grade Stormwater Park project includes a pond which consists of 30 acres at top of bank in a County owned parcel. The proposed pond site (“BAY-100-1”) is located just south of Nalle Grade Road and east of D & L Ranch Drive. Based on available information, the wet season water table elevation at this site was assumed at 17.5 feet NAVD. The average existing ground elevation within the vicinity of the pond site was assumed as 21.5 feet NAVD. The pond is proposed as a wet retention system. The assumed top of bank elevation is 27.0 feet NAVD, which is higher than the existing ground to minimize flows into the pond from adjacent properties, and 3 to 1 side slopes to the bottom of the pond are proposed. The approximate total depth of the pond is 3.5 feet.

Location:
North Fort Myers, Lee County, FL; Latitude 26.752 N, Longitude -81.818 W

Quantify Env Results:
Decreased nutrient loading to the Tidal Caloosahatchee.

Eco Benefits Text:
Improved fisheries, improved water quality, improved freshwater wetland habitat.


Desription:
Lee County has experienced a general decline in the quality of its surface water over the last several decades due to development, agriculture and other human activities resulting in harmful algal blooms, negative impacts to human and wildlife health, our economy and limited the use of our water resources. Lee County's watersheds are verified impaired for nutrients by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) have been established. The County and the FDEP are currently working on restoration plan to address water quality problems. The major pollutant of concern in Lee County is nutrients. Nutrients are naturally occurring in our watershed, however excessive nutrients added to the landscape and water through human activity is pollution. 

Coastal Lee County is largely comprised of medium to high density residential land uses. Most of these residential areas are privately managed landscapes with stormwater ponds for retention and increased residence time to facilitate pollution removal before discharging to the County MS4 or waters of the state. In most cases the original design of the ponds does not provide adequate water quality treatment and there has been no planning for maintenance dredging or re-establishment of littoral plantings where homeowners have mistakenly eradicated shoreline buffer to obtain a lake appearance more in line with their visual expectations. 

The proposed project includes neighborhoods that have stormwater ponds and may or may not already participate in the Lee County Hyacinth Control District PondWatch program. Many neighborhood associations in Southwest Florida have implemented water quality best management practices in the past with limited success. Lee County in partnership with the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program and local private partners is interested in continuing to develop voluntary neighborhood-level best management practices programs to create water quality improvement opportunities on a landscape that is mostly built-out and where no jurisdiction exists for Lee County to conduct water quality improvement projects or maintenance activities without voluntary neighborhood oversight.

The PondWatch program, run by Lee County Hyacinth Control District (LCHCD), provides public education, volunteer training and other assistance when requested by homeowners in residential areas with stormwater ponds including vegetative control, water quality monitoring and best management practices implementation. PondWatch volunteers collect water quality samples in their neighborhoods and submittal of water quality samples to LCHCD monthly. The parameters tested in the PondWatch monthly samples are total phosphorus, ortho-phosphorus, nitrate/nitrite, ammonia, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, Chlorophyll-a, and secchi disk depth. 

The proposed neighborhood training program would build on the Pondwatch model adding some of the features of the Sarasota County NEST program to raise additional funds through local government commitment and grant funding to implement stormwater pond best management practices as well as expand the educational outreach activities of Pondwatch. 

The first three year goal is to develop a comprehensive public education program for homeowner management of stormwater ponds and implement 6 pilot stormwater pond best management practices projects to demonstrate the effectiveness of existing technologies and develop local support for continuing funding future projects to accomplish neighborhood stormwater pond improvement. The ten-year goal is to have a sustainable fund set up that will allow homeowners associations to apply for assistance to implement stormwater pond BMPs in their neighborhoods.

Location:
Caloosahatchee Watershed, Estero Bay Watershed

Partners:
Lee County Hyacinth Control District, CHNEP, SFWMD

Quantify Env Results:
Water quality improvement by nutrient load reduction through public education, and technologies such as aeration, floc logs and floating mats.

Living Resoruces:
Tidal Caloosahatchee, San Carlos Bay, Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass, Estero Bay.

Added Justification:
Lee County has entered into a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2012. The BMAP was promulgated due to TMDLs for total nitrogen in the Tidal Caloosahatchee and Hendry Creek. The County is required to restore and protect water quality under this watershed restoration plan. In addition, the Tidal Caloosahatchee is part of a system that has been designated an Estuary of National Significance as well as discharging into State Aquatic Preserve and National Wildlife Refuges. Estero Bay is designated Outstanding Florida Waters and is part of the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve.


Desription:
Background: The Caloosahatchee River runs from Lake Okeechobee through a series of locks to San Carlos Bay.  It has both fresh and marine segments:  the freshwater segment extends for over 40 miles from Lake Okeechobee to the Franklin Lock and Dam (S-79).  The marine segment, which is referred to as the Caloosahatchee Estuary or Tidal Caloosahatchee, extends for about 25 miles from the Franklin Lock and Dam (Control Structure S-79) to Shell Point, adjacent to San Carlos Bay, with Pine Island Sound to the northwest and Estero Bay to the southeast.  The Caloosahatchee Estuary receives freshwater input from S-79 and from various tributaries and canal systems that discharge directly to the estuary downstream of S-79. Palmona Park, located in North Fort Myers, FL is within the East Branch Yellow Fever Creek watershed, a tributary to the Tidal Caloosahatchee watershed that drains into the tidal portion of the Caloosahatchee system. The land uses in this watershed are predominantly agriculture (pasture) and medium to high density residential with aging septic tanks.

Project Description: The Palmona Park Water Quality Improvements include drainage upgrades to a 200+ acre, 1960’s subdivision generally located in the northeasterly quadrant of Tamiami Trail (US 41) and Pine Island Road (SR 78) in North Fort Myers, Florida. The residents of Palmona Park have complained of poor water quality that is visible in the open ditch system and associated symptoms such as algae mat over-growth, frequent and excessive odors, and the concern that there are many failing septic systems in the area that likely short-circuit into the ditch system which could constitute a human health hazard for this low-income area. Palmona Park is classified by the Lee County Department of Human Services as a low to moderate income area (LMA). LMA’s are those neighborhoods with majority of household incomes at or below 80% of the area median income. Greater than 65% of the households in Palmona Park are at or below 80% of the median income for Lee County.

This project primarily concerns water quality improvement associated with the open ditch along Brown Road and San Jose Street. Improvements include placement of a water control structure in proximity to the Ellis Street intersection, the partial filling (approximately 12 to 18 inches) of the ditch in its current configuration, an improved inter-connection between the two northerly wetland areas (Atlantic to Tennessee), and the addition of wetland plantings along the entire route. The anticipated improvements will focus on addressing the water quality parameters dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform, and nitrogen as well as containment of litter and debris to the greatest extent practicable within the existing rights-of-way.   The project design takes into consideration balancing the flow of water in the above ditch and stream system to improve the surface water quality outflows

Location:
Palmona Park, in North Fort Myers, Florida (North East corner of from the intersection of US41 and Pine Island Road)

Status-all:
Currently under design, permit applications pending

Resilience:
Improved freshwater quality in the current landscape will help improve and sustain fisheries in Tidal Caloosahatchee as climate change and sea level rise occur.


ConInfo-a:
2301 McGregor Blvd.,
Fort Myers, Florida 33901

Title:
Charlotte Harbor Flatwoods Initiative/NW Lee County Surface Water Management Plan

Desription:
The Charlotte Harbor Flatwoods Initiative is a multi-phased regional hydrologic restoration effort coordinated by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Multiple local, state and federal agencies have participated in the effort. The project area is approximately 90 square miles and includes the following sub-watersheds: 1) Yucca Pen Creek, 2) Durden Creek, 3) Greenwell Branch, 4) Longview Run and 5) Gator Slough. Runoff from these systems originates in the northeastern reaches of the Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Charlotte County within the SFWMD and then passes through the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) to reach the outfall in Lee County within the SFWMD again. Thus, the need for regional coordination is clear. 
Phase I 
The Yucca Pens Hydrologic Restoration Plan (Plan) was completed by SFWMD in January 2010, which is Phase I of the Charlotte Harbor Flatwoods Initiative (Initiative). The goal of the Plan is to restore historic sheet flow to the Yucca Pens area. Development and topographic changes since the 1950s have blocked, constricted, and concentrated what were formerly sheet flow areas draining in a southeasterly or southerly direction. Restoration of the historic flow will reduce the amount of water that has been redirected to Gator Slough and lessen the impact of damaging point discharges through the Gator Slough Canal to Matlacha Pass and Charlotte Harbor. This Initiative qualifies as a Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) project and is part of the overall management strategy of the SFWMD Lower Charlotte Harbor SWIM Plan (February 2008); specifically Initiative 3 - Watershed Master Planning and Implementation. Goals of the plan are:

1. Restoration of sheet flow across the Yucca Pens unit
2. Provide outfall from Babcock-Webb WMA to the Yucca Pens unit – potential flow
ways include Oil Well Road at I-75 and Harper & McNew Property at I-75
3. Investigate ways to allow water from the U.S. 41 ditch to sheet flow across Yucca
Pens unit
4. Restoration of the ecological integrity of the ecosystem
5. Improvement of water retention and aquifer recharge
6. Restoration of flow severed by previous construction
7. Restoration of historic outfall to Charlotte Harbor
8. Reduction in unnatural point discharges from Gator Slough

 Phase II 
Phase II of the Initiative started the implementation of the Plan with two hydrologic restoration projects in the Yucca Pens area through SFWMD partnerships with FWC and Lee County Conservation 20/20. 

Phase II projects included in PS 100633 are: 

The Yucca Pens Unit Hydrologic Restoration Phase I - Design & Permitting (WBS 100633-03-05-01) - the objective of this project is to prepare construction documents and secure permits for the restoration of selected All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) trails through ditch plugs in the FWC Yucca Pens unit to stop the unnatural conveyance of water off-site. The benefits will include a more natural sheet flow, decreased erosion and sediment transport through channelized water flow, restoration of historic flows and hydroperiod restoration. 
SFWMD & FWC Interagency Agreement (WBS 100633-03-05-03) - this is a no cost agreement between SFWMD and FWC for completion of the Yucca Pens Unit Hydrologic Restoration project. SFWMD was responsible for the design and permitting of the project. FWC was responsible for the construction of the project provided that FWC funding was available. The construction of the project is on-hold pending availability of FWC funding. 
Charlotte Harbor Preserve Hydrologic Restoration (WBS 100633-03-05-05)- The project involves the engineering, design, permitting and construction for the restoration of the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park’s off-road vehicle trail. The objective is to stop the unnatural channeling of water along the existing trail and provide stormwater storage by restoring historic sheet flow to the area. This project is on-hold pending availability of SFWMD funding. 

Phase II project included in PS 100277 - Lower Charlotte Harbor Initiative: 
Yucca Pens Preserve Restoration (WBS 100277-03-05-05)-Project is Complete – SFWMD partnered with Lee County Conservation 20/20 on this project. Prior to this project, ditches and ATV trails conveyed water off site unnaturally. The project used ditch plugging to stop the unnatural conveyance of water, allowing the water to stay on site longer through sheet flow. The project was completed in March 2011. 

Phase III – Regional Monitoring Network (WBS-100633-03-05-06)-Completed and operational currently gathering data.
Phase III of the Initiative involves area partners in the development of a Regional Monitoring and Rain Gage Network in the Babcock-Webb WMA. SFWMD developed the Statement of Work for the Regional Monitoring Network, which will consist of: 1) Two Streamflow (tidal) Monitoring Sites in Yucca Pens Creek and Durden Creek, 2) Two Surface Water Level (real time) Monitoring Sites, and 3) 16 Staff Gage & Crest Gages Sites for FY11. Three Rainfall Gage (real-time) Monitoring Sites will be installed separately by Lee County. Partners include USGS, FDOT, Lee County, FWC and FDEP. SFWMD did not have funding available for this project in FY11. USGS generated a Joint Funding Agreement with FDOT and Lee County to implement the Regional Monitoring Network in FY11. 

Phase IV – Watershed Master Planning (WBS-100633-03-05-02) 
Phase IV will involve developing a Flow Evaluation Model simulating water volumes and flows under a range of climatic conditions as well as utilizing the monitoring data from Phase III. The Model will evaluate surface water management in the project area and identify problem areas. A natural systems analysis will be conducted to identify pre-development drainage patterns, and to estimate pre-development water levels and hydroperiods. These estimates will guide the development of improvement alternatives recommended in the Plan and support the permitting of selected future hydrologic restoration designs.  This phase also includes development of a MULTI-FUNCTIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN.


4.1 CONCEPTUAL PLAN FORMULATION
4.1.1 Restoration Planning Requirements
An integrated or multi-functional restoration plan is essential to achieve the desired goal for
the study area, which is to restore the sheet flow conditions over the project area to the
historic level. Over the years, significant developments have taken place in portions of the
project area. It is impractical to displace the existing areas of development and restore the
flow to historic conditions in its entirety. Therefore, the emphasis in developing the
conceptual plans is given to pragmatic concepts for restoration of the historic flow conditions
within the project area. It should be noted that flood protection is considered as a potential
restoration constraint such that restoration should not decrease existing flood protection in
currently developed areas. Some of the high level elements of the conceptual plan may
include the following requirements.
• Historic sheet flow restoration
• Restoring more natural flows to Charlotte Harbor
• Watershed Water Quality Improvement (discharging to Charlotte Harbor)
• Ground Water Recharge (to protect and enhance the fish and wildlife habitats)
• Hydroperiod Maintenance (for vegetation management and protection and
enhancement of the fish and wildlife habitats)
• Land Acquisition and Management (to address operational issues)

Location:
Lee and Charlotte Counties/Charlotte Harbor, Fort Myers, FL Lat/Long = 26 43’22.787”, -81 50’7.276”

Partners:
South Florida Water Management District, Southwest Florida Water Management, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Lee County, Charlotte County, Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Wildlife Commission, United States Geological Survey, Seminole Gulf Railroad, City of Cape Coral, Florida State Parks, Charlotte Harbor National Aquatic Preserve, Mote Marine Laboratory, local landowners.

Quantify Env Results:
Identification of Problem and Impacts
	The patterns of freshwater flow into the Charlotte Harbor estuary have been altered from their natural state
o	Increased impervious surfaces in watersheds have caused increased runoff
o	Ditches, berms, and canals have disrupted natural sheet flow and altered direction and amount of freshwater flows
o	Aquifer levels have declined because of development, causing freshwater springs to cease flowing
o	In general, freshwater flows that once entered the Charlotte Harbor estuary via many tidal creeks and sheet flow now enter the estuary via fewer creeks or canals that carry higher volumes of water
	Alterations of freshwater flows cause significant ecological changes in estuarine habitats, including species composition and abundance
o	Research in Charlotte Harbor creeks show that there are fewer species and lower abundance of fishes in creeks with highly altered watersheds than creeks with less impacted watersheds
	Fragmentation of habitats also causes significant ecological changes similar to freshwater flow alterations
o	Disconnection of tidal creeks and upland streams reduces available habitat for estuarine species and species that depend upon these creeks
o	Species abundance and species composition changes
	Altered upland aquatic habitats appear to enhance the invasion of non-native species into estuarine habitats
o	This was documented for Mayan cichlid (Cichlasoma urophthalmus)
	These changes are also reflected in diets of predatory fishes, including snook, which may cause reduced growth, condition, and survival
o	The diet of juvenile snook in mangrove creeks of Charlotte Harbor were half as diverse and had a higher incidence of empty stomachs in creeks with highly altered watersheds
	Freshwater flow alterations include changes to 
o	Timing – this can occur on multiple scales (ranging from daily to seasonally to annually)
o	Location (e.g., change from multiple sources (creeks) to single sources (canals))
o	Quantity (e.g., attenuated flow over time vs high-volume pulses)
o	Quality (salinity, nutrients, contaminants)
	Although increases in nutrients are of concern, rapid and/or long-term changes in salinity probably have the greatest effect on estuarine fishes and invertebrates
o	However, recent apparent increases in nutrient levels have caused notable increases in filamentous green algae in mangrove creeks and adjacent sand flats. 
	In addition to the many fish species that are residents in tidal creeks, the juvenile life stages of economically important recreational fishes rely upon mangrove creeks
o	Juvenile snook rely upon mangrove creeks for their first year
o	Juvenile tarpon use tidal creeks and associated wetlands for at least their first year
o	Juvenile redfish use tidal creeks
	In addition to these juvenile life stages, adult snook and redfish also use tidal creeks and adjacent habitats
	These habitats are also used by commercially important species, including blue crab and striped mullet
	Due to the topography and tidal range of Charlotte Harbor, the residence time of water is long, especially in tidal mangrove creeks and adjacent mangrove and seagrass habitats
o	This long residence time magnifies the effects of freshwater flow alteration, and these impacts extend outward from the creeks into adjacent habitats, and impact the entire estuary 

Restoration Needs 
	Given that the amount of developed land in the Charlotte Harbor watershed will increase, it is important to address the issue of freshwater flow alterations now. 
	Restoration of freshwater flows will help sustain the economically important fisheries of Charlotte Harbor – both recreational and commercial. 
o	The recreational fisheries of Florida have an annual economic impact of approximately $8 billion 
o	In Charlotte Harbor, a study of the recreational fishery for tarpon found an annual economic impact of $110 million for resident anglers (tourism and guides not included)
o	These fisheries depend upon healthy habitats. There is no cost associated with maintaining these important fisheries – they will continue to have high economic impact in perpetuity as long as habitats are healthy
o	Therefore, restoration of natural freshwater flows into Charlotte Harbor can be considered an investment in these fisheries, as well as tourism in general (boating, sightseeing, birding)
	NOAA and USFWS offer funds for ‘community based restoration’ and other restoration programs that focus on (recreational) fish habitat restoration. The Charlotte Harbor restoration program should qualify for some of these funds.
	It will be essential to develop a monitoring program for tidal creek habitats to measure the effects of the restoration and to evaluate different restoration methods
o	Develop metrics for measuring restoration effectiveness for tidal creeks using comparative data from previous work in habitats of differing qualities (e.g., impacted vs natural)
	Number of fish species
	Fish species composition
	Fish abundance
	Fish diet
	Number of invertebrate species
	Invertebrate species composition
	Invertebrate abundance
	Design a comprehensive approach to measure restoration effectiveness for all variables (abiotic and biotic)
o	Comparative:  Sample multiple locations along a ‘gradient of habitat degradation’ or in restored vs natural vs impacted areas (i.e., use higher spatial coverage of sampling to make up for a lack of historical data)
o	Event sampling: Frequency of sampling abiotic variables may not be sufficient to detect freshwater flow changes that occur on a shorter time scale but have longer term biological implications. In addition to sampling at regular intervals, it may be worthwhile to also conduct event sampling (e.g., high rain event) to obtain data on the effects of these events

Pollutant Red:
The largest water quality problem within the project area is point discharge of freshwater into Charlotte Harbor. However, best management practices installed during project(s) construction will have a direct impact on nutrients within the watershed. The total TP loads from the watersheds within the drainage basin were estimated at 28,906 lbs/yr without BMPs and 28,561 lbs/yr with BMP treatments. The total TKN loads from the watersheds within the drainage basin were estimated at 197,944 lbs/yr without BMPs and 197,119 lbs/yr with BMP treatments. The wet detention ponds accounted for the majority of the BMP treatments in this drainage basin.

Living Resoruces:
Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve and National Wildlife Refuge, 12,500 acres of sovereign submerged lands and habitat restoration on approximately 90 square miles of land.

Resilience:
Improved flood control in the current landscape will prolong the period of habitability in the residential corridors of the Matlacha Pass tributaries as climate change and sea level rise occur. Habitat improvements due to restored historical flows will also mitigate the current effects of degradation on fisheries and improve the period of time these fisheries can be sustained during the onset of sea level rise.

Added Justification:
Both Lee County and SFWMD ranked this project as #1. The Charlotte Harbor Flatwoods Initiative is a regional hydrologic restoration project that will improve water quality, enhance wetlands, provide aquifer recharge, mitigate historic flooding, improve wildlife and fish habit, provide much needed storage, restore low groundwater levels, while having a major economic impact on the region. The hydrologic reconnection of historic flow ways will benefit an Estuary of National Significance as well as the Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve and National Wildlife Refuge.


Desription:
The Estero Bay watershed includes all of Estero Bay, most of which lies within the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, and the adjacent barrier islands. Hendry Creek, Mullock Creek, the Estero River, areas of Corkscrew Swamp, Flint Pen Strand, Spring Creek, and the Imperial River are major surface water features in the watershed. Hendry Creek, Mullock Creek, Estero River, Spring Creek, and the Imperial River experience some degree of tidal influenced. The portion of the Estero River east of U.S. 41 is a slow conveyance system and is considered a recharge area along with the Imperial River east of I-75 (SWFRPC, 1995). Local drainage canals tend to provide some regional flood protection during wet periods, but also lead to over-drainage during dry periods. Estero Bay has long been recognized as one of Florida’s significant natural resources. The Bay was designated as the State’s first Aquatic Preserve. The area in and around the Estero Bay watershed has undergone dramatic increases in the rate of residential and commercial development as well as population growth during the past 30 years. 

There are several documented, predicted, and perceived problems in the Estero Bay watershed. The problems are primarily related to: 1.) conversion of natural habitats to agricultural, commercial, and residential land uses; 2.) the construction of canals, ditches, and road beds; and 3.) filling, dredging, and draining of wetlands waterbodies that occur in association with the previous two factors. The watershed problems include: increased watershed size, increased freshwater inflows, increased nutrient and total suspended solids loading, lowered water tables, altered wetland and aquatic hydroperiods, loss of wetland, upland, and aquatic habitats, downstream flooding.

Project Description: Connect I-75 outfall to headwaters of north branch of Estero River, acquire adequate right-of-way for north connection, remove rip-rap weir, evaluate structures in Country Creek, and evaluate adjustable control structures at Three Oaks Parkway to improve hydroperiods and increase residence time for water quality improvement and groundwater recharge.

Quantify Env Results:
Meet target flows developed for the South Lee County Watershed Plan and the Southwest Florida Feasibility Study (Project Group 34).

Added Justification:
Lee County has entered into a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2012. The BMAP was promulgated due to TMDLs for total nitrogen in the Hendry Creek Basin, a tributary to the Estero Bay. The County is required to restore and protect water quality under this watershed restoration plan. In addition, the Estero Watershed is part of a system that has been designated Outstanding Florida Waters as well as discharging into State Aquatic Preserve and National Wildlife Refuges. The Estero Bay Watershed has been identified by numerous local, state and federal studies as an area of critical concern due to hydrologic disconnection resulting from development pressure in the region.


Desription:
Background: The Caloosahatchee River runs from Lake Okeechobee through a series of locks to San Carlos Bay.  It has both fresh and marine segments:  the freshwater segment extends for over 40 miles from Lake Okeechobee to the Franklin Lock and Dam (S-79).  The marine segment, which is referred to as the Caloosahatchee Estuary or Tidal Caloosahatchee, extends for about 25 miles from the Franklin Lock and Dam (Control Structure S-79) to Shell Point, adjacent to San Carlos Bay, with Pine Island Sound to the northwest and Estero Bay to the southeast.  The Caloosahatchee Estuary receives freshwater input from S-79 and from various tributaries and canal systems that discharge directly to the estuary downstream of S-79. The Stumper Jumper Ranch is within the Spanish Creek watershed, a tributary to the Tidal Caloosahatchee watershed that drains into the tidal portion of the Caloosahatchee system. The land uses in this watershed are predominantly agriculture and low-density residential with aging septic tanks.

Project Description: Acquisition of the former Lee County Conservation 2020 nomination #407-2. The parcel is 149 acres located in an area called locally the "Four Corners" adjacent to the Bob Janes Preserve.  This is a target project area identified by the Caloosahatchee River Watershed Protection Plan and the Southwest Florida Comprehensive Watershed Plan for hydrologic restoration and water quality improvement projects. The projects may have future funding commitment through Lee County and the South Florida Water Management District pending acquisition of the lands. The nomination failed the Conservation Lands Acquisition & Stewardship Advisor Committee review process given the disturbed condition of the land and the potential cost of remediation to a natural state.

Living Resoruces:
Tidal Caloosahatchee River and 149 acres of restored wetlands within the basin.


ConInfo:
William Hammond (Babcock Ranch Inc. Board Member)

Submitting Organization:
Babcock Ranch Inc. (BRI) Board (501.c.3)

Title:
Babcock Ranch State Preserve Hydrologic Restoration – Tidal Caloosahatchee

Desription:
The Babcock Ranch State Preserve is overseen by the Governor & Cabinet and Legislatively appointed Babcock Ranch Inc. (BRI) Board (501.c.3) with management responsibilities. Kitson & Partners operate on a contract to manage the Babcock Ranch State Preserve businesses and operations that is overseen by BRI, DEP, DACS, FWCC in its work as the operational contractor.

This proposal is to restore through redesigning drainage systems (resulting from 100+ years of drainage altering infrastructure on the ranch) to recapture at least one month of lost hydro-period  by utilizing ditch-blocks, retention and diversion weirs and hydrological/wildlife enhancement impoundments (STA’s) to detain and enhance surfical aquifer recharge. The plan will reduce the flooding high water flows and significantly reduce the low to no flow conditions in the creeks discharging to the tidal Caloosahatchee.  The project directly addresses approximately 20,000+ acres and will have beneficial impacts on the approximately 72,000 acre Babcock Ranch State Preserve. Primary focus is also to restore more historic freshwater base flows to the tidal Caloosahatchee River. The incised creeks Owl, Curry Canal & Trout Creek, Stricklin Gully, Cypress, Telegraph, Fichter's, Spanish Creek, South Lightner Canal and the lands adjacent to the Four Corners Drainage Canal on the North slope of the Caloosahatchee. Each has lost more than two months of freshwater base flow to the river in the fall of the year drawdown. These lost seepage flows contribute to the salinity in-balance in the river and its impacts on foraging beds of Vallisnaria (SAV) impacting a wide variety of estuarine species especially juvenile fish (Snook) crabs, invertebrates, Manatees, and Small-toothed Sawfish especially in the late fall through early winter of the year. The loss of the base flow in the tidal creeks along with canopy cover have a significant impact on native aquatic species displacement by favoring the adaptations of exotics to survive in the low D.O. conditions. The loss of base-flow also increases the impact and contamination of upland freshwater due to salt water encroachment manifested by sea level rise. The project is designed to be implemented in three phases. Hydrological modeling is available and concept plans have been developed in concert with Lee County, SFWMD, DACS and Kitson & Partners (adjacent Babcock Ranch Community). Phase I. (2013) Complete the concept plan, engineering and implementation schedule for all elements (ditch blocks, alternative flow-ways, weirs and the earthen impoundments with a water storage, quality, and wildlife enhancement STA design. Prepare and submit permits for approvals and implement small scale improvements not requiring additional permitting. Phase II.( late 2013-2014) Implement construction of weirs and diversion structures and smaller water retention STA’s. Complete permitting on larger STA’s and project components and the Curry Lake 10 acre Refugia Pond.  Phase III (2014-15) Implementation of all construction projects including the two large STA’s at Lightner Canal area and the Curry Lake Refugia.

Location:
Babcock Ranch State Preserve – Charlotte & Lee Counties

Responsible:
Babcock Ranch Inc.(state appointed 501.c.3 Board)

Partners:
Lee County, SFWMD, DEP –DACS
Kitson & Partners (18,500 ac. adjacent development)

Status-summary:
Immediately with approval of the project:

Status-all:
Data collection, hydrological modeling  and development of restoration concepts and implementation planning has taken place over the past seven years with collaboration from SFWMD, Lee County Division of Natural Resources, Conservation 2020 and Kitson & Partners and other adjacent land owners and community residents. Restoration of the Ranch creeks and the eastern third of the Ranch is in need of restoration as the drainage impacts are very significant to downstream property owners and impacts of extreme high and low flood and dry-up or “yo-yo” characteristics resulting from drainage canals and agricultural dikes blocking historic flows and encroaching residential development downstream along the north shore of the Caloosahatchee. Preliminary designs must be submitted for permitting and construction design completed on all proposed structures in Phase II and III completed.

Quantify Env Results:
Restoration of hydro-period & base flow to the tidal Caloosahatchee measured by flow and water quality data being collected by Lee County and private sources with a target of documenting ground water table rise to surficial providing an addition month wetland success and piesiometer data loggers on base flow changes with significant increases of more than one month on average increases. These changes are significant to fish and wildlife as well as stabilizing the surficial aquifer and reducing exceptional rapid high water runoff and extended dry season periods. These factors will be significant in reducing salt water intrusion as sea level rise continues to native natural systems historic seasonal water levels proposed in this project cannot be fully attained due to existing downstream developments but similar project created in  the Babcock Ranch Community development have demonstrate a very significant lift using UMAM flora and fauna criteria as indicators of performance success.

Eco Benefits Text:
Research by Dr. Gerry Jackson on the Ranch indicates very significant foraging and even nesting of shorebirds (Spoonbills, Sandpipers and others are common along with rare shore bird sightings have been documented) on the shell based roads and utilizing the ephemeral wetlands and cattle ponds that persist through the dry season. By extending the hydro period of these wetlands and ponds throughout the dry season the limiting factor of surface water availability for wildlife is optimized. This habitat could be critical refugia in the face of another off-shore oil spill. The retention of water and resultant reduction of nutrients delivered to the Caloosahatchee also resulting in more balanced flows reducing costly flooding to agricultural and private downstream homeowners from the yo-yo type flows spawned by channelization are a significant financial consideration calculated in the millions of dollars. The Babcock Ranch has a significant ecotourism business year round attracting visitors from all over the world. The 14 state and federally listed species including the Florida Panther and Black Bear, Red Cockaded Woodpecker, Woodstorks, Indigo Snakes and Caracara are but a few with a host of rare and endangered listed flora species. The Babcock Ranch is the Florida’s newest and largest State preserve and is operated as a working ranch with multiple businesses including hunting leases. It has received no significant additional funding from the state but DACS and FWCC supervise the forestry (sivilcuture harvesting) and wildlife management practices on the Ranch. In addition prevention of salt water intrusion to agricultural lands is priceless but in Babcock Ranch row cropping and silvaculture production is measured in millions of dollars.

Habitat:
More than 20,000 acres on the Ranch directly and significant ecological and hydrological lift improving impacts on at least another 30,000 acres on the preserve and on Lee County Public in Ruby Daniels (Spanish Creek), Telegraph and Bob Janes Preserves lands downstream segments of the creeks. Adjacent land also will experience a lift in a more balanced seasonal water table and downstream improvements to the north shore creeks and the upper tidal Caloosahatchee benthic flora and fauna is significant acreage in creek and river bottom. Just when the SFWMD typically cuts back on Caloosahatchee discharges from Lake O the filtered freshwater from the North Shore Creeks are very significant to slowing salt water pollution and SAV diebacks the extended base flows from the banks and bottoms of the tidal creeks deliver filtered freshwater.

Pollutant Red:
Water quality leaving the Ranch is very good after 7 years of monitoring. Monitoring N is the most sensitive along with Aluminum that showed up in the monitoring from old agricultural legacies. Lee County continues regular monitoring along Hwy 78 with no indication of significant pollution levels for any parameters. The “Scrubber Marshes” in the proposed STA’s will entrap these and other nutrients which will be removed in the ongoing maintenance program. All of the key creeks targeted are in the DEP BMAP Water Quality System.

Living Resoruces:
The sustained discharge from the restored hydrology contrasted with the current large rapid runoff event to mid fall reduction, cessation of runoff of base flow and surface waters. is significant to all estuarine flora and fauna. It provides more suitable conditions for SAV flora, chlorophyll levels of phyto & zoo plankton followed by feeding fish larvae and juvenile fish including Snook seeking the freshwater marshes as nursery. The conditions also favor native species of fish and herpta-fauna over exotic species. Shore birds including listed species seek out the restored wetlands for foraging and even nesting as pressure from development and habitat loss provide loss of suitable habitat in the beach and Gulf habitats. The mega fauna of Panthers, and Black Bear habitat are improved in habitat quality and diversity of native food sources

Resilience:
The most striking result we have seen from this habitat restoration in early completed projects on the Ranch is with the removal of exotic plants and restoration of hydrology generates a healthy and far more ecological diversity in the restored native communities even though they cannot be restored to the same native communities that existed on the land over a hundred years ago. This resilience characteristic and exemplar becomes a motivator for other land owners to strive to replicate the effort. Babcock Ranch State Preserve has an international exposure and the Ecotour program gets people excited with theirs experience in a healthy, thriving, native Florida full of fascinating native flora and fauna and encourages them to seek at the similar opportunities experiencing the bays and beaches. We are blessed that Florida’s semi-tropical climate lends itself to rapid recovery and if the water is right the flora and fauna demonstrate a natural affinity for showing their resilient character and the exotics less expensive and more manageable to control.

Added Justification:
The Babcock Ranch purchase along with the Fred C. Babcock and Cecil Webb Wildlife Management Area state lands and adjacent Lee County 2020 acquisitions is more than a billion dollar investment of public funds. The difficulty in these financially tough times is to secure funding to effectively manage and restore this enormous public investment in perpetuity. This funding source can move the possibility form promise to reality and once completed  become a sustainable management level of service. A  collaboration among regional efforts and partners can multiply the effectiveness of the impact of the limited funding.


Title:
Resilient and Consistent Coastal Elements for Florida's Gulf Coast

Desription:
Compile, review, and summarize the Coastal Elements of the 23 Florida Gulf Coast Counties' Comprehensive Growth Management Plans for continuity and consistency in natural resource and community infrastructure protection to  aid in Gulf of Mexico restoration and resiliency.

Location:
Eastern Gulf of Mexico from Monroe to Escambia Counties

Partners:
TBRPC, Withlacoochee RPC, North Central Florida RPC, Suwannee RPC, Apalachee RPC, West Florida RPC

Status-summary:
Listed as Florida Priority in Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Retoration Strategy

Quantify Env Results:
The environmental results of the project will include improved resiliency to the coastal zones of the 23 counties, increased"place value" of enriched areas resulting from identified project, the number of changes for improvements recommended to the Growth Management plans.

Eco Benefits Text:
The 23 Gulf counties will have consistency in policies to protect & sustain the environment.  Increased tourism and value resulting in maintaining high quality of life for the environment. The ecosystem services values provided by each counties coastal element will vary with the types of habitats and extent of those habitats protected. In general there will be $16,248.05 per acre protected.

Jobs Text:
General estimate there will be 1 job created for every 2.3 acres of lands protected and conserved through the improved Coastal Elements.

Habitat:
This will vary by County depending upon the extent and nature of the habitats that will be protected and restored by implementationofthe Counties' Coastal Elements

Pollutant Red:
This is not a pollutant reduction project.

Resilience:
Continuity and consistency in natural resource and community infrastructure protection will aid in the restoration andresiliency of local and regional communities of the Florida Gulf coast. Enhanced quality of life resulting from collaboration and consistency between Economic Development and National Estuaries.

Added Justification:
The Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council (SWFRPC) is uniquely qualified to provide the analysis of the GMP Coastal elements of the 23 Gulf Coast counties.  SWFRPC has worked with several of the 11 RPCs throughout the state to coordinate and analyze information for the development of state wide policies & recommendations.  In the last year the 11 RPCs have collaborated with Sate DEO to create local economic development plans that support and implement the States 5 year Economic Development Strategy.  Through our extensive network we are able to capitalize on the strengths and expertise of all RPC staff.  Together we can effectively evaluate our counties and promote improvements that will ensure continuity and consistency in natural resource and community infrastructure protection that will aid in Gulf Restoration and community resiliency.


Title:
Environmental Services Provided by the Gulf of Mexico

Desription:
Improve knowledge of the economic value of environmental services provided by the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) resources in terms of long-term community sustainability, growth and resilience. This project will identify the range and quantity of ecosystem services provided by existing conservation areas, including marine, estuarine and freshwater wetlands and associated native uplands, and determine how the relative abundance of wetlands and native uplands, their distribution and position in the landscape, and their ecological condition affects the provisioning of ecosystem services within the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program study area.
	The project will expand upon the assessment methods utilized in the study A Watershed Analysis of Permitted Coastal Wetland Impacts and Mitigation Methods within the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program Study Area,linking the derived ecosystem function measurements with a geo-spatially positioned ecosystem services database. This will generate an ecosystem services topography (ECOSERVE layer) that can be combined with other ecosystem services layers for functional analyses by geographic boundary (watershed, municipality, county, etc.) and will generate projected alternate futures of ecosystem services resulting from land use changes, anticipated climate changes, natural and man-made disasters, the implementation of alternative wetland protection and land conservation programs, and null hypothesis futures of build-out landscapes in the current planning and regulatory environment.
	Products of the study will include updated valuations of the ecosystem services provided by existing conservation lands in the GOM; an updated conservation lands mapping of the project study area; a documentation and quantification of the ecosystem services provided by each habitat type; multiple GIS ECOSERVE layers/GIS maps for the many ecosystem services provided by the various wetland and upland types; and analyses and quantification of current and alternate future ECOSERVE landscapes, and a basis for estimating existing and post-disaster ecosystem services for damages evaluation in the CHNEP.

Quantify Env Results:
The environmental results of the projectwill be the development of wetland condition assessments of the ecosystem services provided by all wetland types to the GOM.  This assessment will be available to local governments for use in developing wetlands planning, restoration and enhancement plans throughout the GOM.  This project will identify areas where alternative techniques may be appropriate to preserve wetland functions and will highlight techniques that are compatible with habitat restoration goals.  The outputs will inform and advance important outcomes including improved state and tribal wetland management and decision-making capacity, especially in terms of documenting and providing ecosystem services. They will also help state and tribal wetland managers evaluate the effectiveness of wetland restoration and mitigation strategies. The physical products of the project will be the tabulation of ecosystem services by type and location throughout the GOM and methods to forecast future ecosystem services inresponse to climate change, environmental perturbations and natural and human caused disasters.

Eco Benefits Text:
Products of the study will be an updated multi-entity wetland type definition; an updated wetland type GIS mapping of the project study area, a documentation and quantification  of the ecosystem services provided by each wetland type, multiple ECOSERVE layers GIS maps for the many ecosystem services provided by the various wetland types; and an analysis and quantification of current and alternate future ECOSERVE landscapes resulting from existing path, projected future landscape change, climate change, and alternate wetland protection programs.
	The results will be directly applicable throughout southwest Florida and throughout the GOM study area, where coastal wetland permitting and mitigation are regulated by the same agencies in a similar manner.  The methodology utilized to develop the ECOSERVE layers should also be applicable elsewhere, where wetland impacts are anticipated and permitted.

Jobs Text:
2003, Florida’s direct ocean economy (GSP) was an estimated $13 billion, ranking second in the nation behind California. Florida’s total ocean economy that same year (including multipliers) was an estimated $23.2 billion.

Habitat:
This is not a habitat restoration or land conservation project.

Living Resoruces:
All coastal and watershed resources.
•	Extensive GIS mapping of the current conservation area wetland and upland extents and types, in the project study area,
•	Analyses of ecosystem services provided by those wetlands with identification of techniques and procedures that utilize wetland ecological condition indicators and related data to quantify wetland ecosystem services delivery,
•	Development of an Arc View-friendly protocol for statistical and geographic analysis and interpretation can be used with the types of data generated by surveys of wetland ecological condition indicators to quantify ecosystem services generated in a specific geographic area (e.g., watershed, municipality, county),
•	An accurate and up to date wetland spatial information necessary to quantitatively measure ecosystem services provided by wetlands, 
•	A quantification of observed wetland condition data linked to ecosystem services and their contribution to human well-being,
•	A quantification of the pollution-prevention or mitigation services (e.g., chemical pollutant removal, sediment removal)provided by wetland ecosystems vs. the cost of providing them through built infrastructure,
•	A quantification of the amount of food or fiber produced per unit area in areas well-protected by wetlands vs. that of poorly protected or unprotected areas,
•	The economic value of recreational opportunities provided by a specific wetland provision or protection of fishable/swimmable water),
•	Construction costs avoided by the presence of wetlands that slow and absorb floodwaters (flow mitigation or flood control) (output of grant tabulation),
•	Approaches to statistical and geographic analysis and interpretation that can be used to quantify the relative importance of perturbation stressors (e.g., agriculture, hydrologic alteration, development, climate change) that impact wetlands and the ecological services they provide,
•	Useful and practicable indicators for assessing wetland ecosystem services delivery and that present creative and innovative applications of statistical and geographic analysis and interpretation to provide new information on wetland ecosystem services,  wetland condition surveys, and 
•	A tool that can be used to develop regionally relevant ecosystem services measurement and assessment programs and that can be used to assist in implementing efficient and effective decisions-making by local and regional regulatory, mitigation, enforcement programs

Resilience:
This project will develop and implement a wetland ecosystem services survey and mapping methodology derived from wetland functional analyses which will then be utilized to forecast, evaluate and report trends in wetlands ecosystem services.
	Products of the study will be an updated multi-entity wetland type definition; an updated wetland type GIS mapping of the project study area, a documentation and quantification  of the ecosystem services provided by each wetland type, multiple ECOSERVE layers GIS maps for the many ecosystem services provided by the various wetland types; and an analysis and quantification of current and alternate future ECOSERVE landscapes resulting from existing path, projected future landscape change, climate change, and alternate wetland protection programs.
	The results will be directly applicable throughout Florida and throughout the GOM study area, where coastal wetland permitting and mitigation are regulated by the same agencies in a similar manner.  The methodology utilized to develop the ECOSERVE layers should also be applicable elsewhere, where wetland impacts are anticipated and permitted.

Added Justification:
This project is intended to identify the range and quantity of ecosystem services provided by marine, estuarine and freshwater wetlands and native upland habitat and a determine how the relative abundance of the functional types of wetlands and native uplands, their distribution and position in the landscape, and their ecological condition alters the provisioning of ecosystem services within the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program study area.
	Experts currently recognize four categories of ecosystem services: provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural. This project will require establishing the acreage of all the various habitat types, identification of the ecosystems services provided by each habitat type; definition of the relative abundance of each habitat type; identification of the distribution and position of these habitats in the southwest Florida landscape; identification of the ecological condition of these habitats; and quantification of how these factors alter the provisioning of the ecosystems services that these habitats provide in their existing and potentially restored status.
	The output of this project will be the development of wetland condition assessments of the ecosystem services provided by all wetland types to the CHNEP Study Area.  This assessment will be available to local governments for use in developing wetlands planning, restoration and enhancement plans throughout the GOM study area.
	In addition, this project will generate an ecosystem services topography (ECOSERVE layer) that can be combined with other ecosystem services layers for functional analyses by geographic boundary (watershed, municipality, county, etc.) and will generate projected  alternate futures of ecosystem services resulting from landuse changes, anticipated climate changes, natural and man-made disasters, the implementation of alternative wetland protection and land conservation programs, and null hypothesis futures of build-out landscapes in the current planning and regulatory environment. Utilization of the ECOSERVE layer will allow permit reviewers to evaluate the impact of mining and restoration on the ecosystem services attributable to the wetlands types being impacted the types proposed post-restoration


ConInfo:
Mike Campbell, Artificial Habitat Director, Lee County, Division of Natural Resources

Submitting Organization:
Lee County, Division of Natural Resources

Desription:
Many reef fish species require some variety of structure in their offshore surroundings to thrive as adults.  The vast majority of Lee County’s offshore waters are absent of ledges and hard bottom outcroppings that provide the physical base of reef habitats; due to the limited extent of this habitat type in Southwest Florida, it creates discrete, identifiable “targets” for recreational and commercial anglers seeking high value fisheries such as grouper and snapper.  As the human population of Lee County  grows(Southwest Florida consistently ranks in highest per capita boat ownership in the United States), the impacts of development cause stress to the inshore nursery habitat (water quality degradation, seagrass damage, etc.) at the same time users (50,000+ registered vessels, 2011) seek to target the adult reef fish; Lee County also ranks in the top five Florida counties in terms of saltwater fishing license revenues. Lee County reef building today is an effort to meet the growing demand for recreational fishing opportunities in an environmentally compatible fashion.   The Tarpon Reef Project will create additional offshore reef habitat to support adult life cycle needs.  By utilizing a one of its kind artistic style to create this habitat, we can also increase the public interest in the project.  This will allow a unique platform from which to deliver a message of personal responsibility and environmental stewardship so that anglers understand that the choices and actions they take can better contribute to a healthy and sustainable habitat and fishery.

Project Description: Artificial reef construction and habitat enhancement/creation. The Tarpon Reef project will be a joint habitat creation/community outreach project, creating marine fisheries habitat by constructing a tarpon sculpture in a public venue with education components related to marine fisheries being distributed. The sculpture will be deployed as a reef in the Gulf of Mexico, on permitted ARC Reef site (See Attachment A)

Location:
Gulf of Mexico; -82.411333 26.415174 Decimal Degrees

Partners:
Coastal Conservation Association of Florida, Lee Reefs Inc.

Quantify Env Results:
Annual fish count and benthic organism monitoring will be conducted for five years post completion.

Eco Benefits Text:
• The results from a recent survey of the economic impact of artificial
reefs show extensive use of the Lee County artificial reef system by
residents, visitors, private boaters and for-hire clients.
• On a daily basis, an average of more than 1350 persons in Lee County
– residents and visitors included – use artificial reefs.
• Fishermen and divers who use Lee County’s 23 artificial reef sites spend
nearly $60 million in the county annually.
• Survey results document that artificial reefs help support the for-hire
fishing sector (guides, charter and party boats) with clients spending
nearly $21 million on artificial reef-related trips.
• Visitors bring new money into the local economy ($26.45 million),
accounting for more than half of artificial reef expenditures.
• Expenditures on artificial reef-related activities generate nearly $52
million in net economic impacts annually that support 575 full- and
part-time jobs.
• With 50 miles of white sand beaches, more than 97 parks, beaches
and national wildlife refuges, and more than 50,000 registered boats
(4th highest in the state). (http://www.flseagrant.org/).

Pollutant Red:
Pollutant reduction is not a component of this project. The site is in the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico and subject to wind and wave induced mixing.  Existing reef materials demonstrate a diverse biofouling assemblage and fish population indicative of acceptable water quality.

Living Resoruces:
?  Increases in the biological diversity of Gulf of Mexico seafloor in areas previously devoid of preferred habitat for finfish and benthic organisms.

Resilience:
Additions to the County’s reef system add to the economic resilience of the community and are supported by citizens regardless of whether or not they directly utilize reefs.  During the construction phase of the project, the reef structure will be on display and educational materials covering marine fisheries related topics will be distributed.

Added Justification:
Lee County is blessed with an extensive inshore and offshore marine ecosystem.  Its subtropical climate affords a diverse compilation of aquatic specimens.  Coastal barrier islands provide the nutrients, refuge and foundation for the shallow seagrass meadows that carpet the many bays, estuaries and lagoons.  In Lee County alone, major aquatic ecosystems such as Charlotte Harbor, Pine Island Sound and Estero Bay provide the means to mix the freshwater upland runoff with the tidal saltwater of the Gulf of Mexico. Numerous mangrove islands and marshes promote sedimentation by trapping fine particles.  This relatively shallow estuarine system drains over 3000 square miles of watershed and encompasses over 53 square miles of surface water.  Approximately 30% of the inshore waters contain seagrass meadows. 

This system is inhabited by approximately 246 species of fish.  Many of these species are important forage for other species.  These include species important to the commercial and sportfishing industries.  Many of these fish species utilize both the inshore habitat afforded by the estuarine system and the open waters of the Gulf during their life cycle.  The adult spawning stock living in the Gulf reproduce, broadcasting ichthyoplankton, which migrate by way of tidal surges into the upper reaches of the estuarine system. Specific species have specific criteria, such as shoreline features, seagrass meadows, salinity and tidal energy, for juvenile habitat.
 
Offshore habitat includes hard substrate and shifting sandy and/or shell bottom.  Areas with limestone outcropping provide the substrate for soft and hard corals, encrusting invertebrates and algae.  The vast majority of Lee County’s offshore waters are absent of ledges and hard bottom outcroppings.  Many reef fish species require some variety of structure to their offshore surroundings to thrive as adults.  Consequently, for there to be a healthy, diverse reef fish assemblage, attention must be given to both the inshore and offshore components of their life cycle.


Title:
Hendry Creek West Branch Water Quality Improvement Project

Desription:
Background: The Estero Bay watershed includes all of Estero Bay, most of which lies within the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, and the adjacent barrier islands. Hendry Creek, Mullock Creek, the Estero River, areas of Corkscrew Swamp, Flint Pen Strand, Spring Creek, and the Imperial River are major surface water features in the watershed. Hendry Creek, Mullock Creek, Estero River, Spring Creek, and the Imperial River experience some degree of tidal influenced. The portion of the Estero River east of U.S. 41 is a slow conveyance system and is considered a recharge area along with the Imperial River east of I-75 (SWFRPC, 1995). Local drainage canals tend to provide some regional flood protection during wet periods, but also lead to over-drainage during dry periods. Estero Bay has long been recognized as one of Florida’s significant natural resources. The Bay was designated as the State’s first Aquatic Preserve. The area in and around the Estero Bay watershed has undergone dramatic increases in the rate of residential and commercial development as well as population growth during the past 30 years. 

There are several documented, predicted, and perceived problems in the Estero Bay watershed. The problems are primarily related to: 1.) conversion of natural habitats to agricultural, commercial, and residential land uses; 2.) the construction of canals, ditches, and road beds; and 3.) filling, dredging, and draining of wetlands waterbodies that occur in association with the previous two factors. The watershed problems include: increased watershed size, increased freshwater inflows, increased nutrient and total suspended solids loading, lowered water tables, altered wetland and aquatic hydroperiods, loss of wetland, upland, and aquatic habitats, downstream flooding.

Project Description: The Lee County Board of County Commissioners acquired an 11.74 acre parcel located at 7800 Gladiolus Drive in Lee County on July 19, 2012 as a result of a Burt Harris Act claim. The Board has given the Division of Natural Resources direction to proceed with a water quality improvement project on the site. The project site is an ideal location to expand existing water quality improvement projects in the area; it is adjacent to and will tie into the Lakes Park Water Quality Improvement Project, it has the west branch of Hendry Creek running through the parcel and 64% of the project site is within a classified floodplain.

The proposed project site is exists as undeveloped natural uplands and wetlands (Reference Exhibit 2, Appendix A). The property is bordered by the following:
_ South Property line: Gladiolus Drive (4 lane divided highway)
_ North Property line: Reflection Key (Mixed use development consisting of
existing residential condominiums in the eastern portion of the site and improved
“outparcel” style lots along Summerlin Road. This area also includes a frontage
road for interconnectivity with an adjacent commercial development. A
subsurface arch-culvert is used to convey water within Hendry Creek West
through the development.)
_ East Property line: Vacant land (However, Lee County has approved a Residential
Planned Development)
_ West Property line: Maida Lane and residential single family homes (Maida Lane
is adjacent to the southern portion of this property line while the remainder abuts
the existing residential homesites.)

The request for funding will be to implement both Phase I (design and permitting) and Phase II (construction) of a water quality improvement project that would expand on the existing Lakes Park Water Quality Improvement Project.

Status-summary:
Project site acquired, design and permits pending.

Status-all:
Project site acquired, design and permits pending.

Quantify Env Results:
Improve water quality and support the restoration efforts within the Estero Bay basin for the adopted Basin Management Action Plan pollution reduction goals, the Southwest Florida Comprehensive Watershed Plan (formerly Southwest Florida Feasibility Study) and provide habitat improvement concurrent with Lee County’s comprehensive conservation master planning efforts.

Resilience:
Improved freshwater wetland habitat in the current landscape will prolong the period of habitability in the tributaries of the Estero Bay as climate change and sea level rise occur. Habitat improvements due to restored historical flows will also mitigate the current effects of degradation on fisheries and improve the period of time these fisheries can be sustained during the onset of sea level rise.

Added Justification:
Lee County has entered into a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2012 in the Hendry Creek basin. The BMAP was promulgated due to TMDLs for total nitrogen in Hendry Creek, a tributary to the Estero Bay. The County is required to restore and protect water quality under the BMAP watershed restoration plan. In addition, the Estero Watershed is part of a system that has been designated Outstanding Florida Waters as well as discharging into State Aquatic Preserve and National Wildlife Refuges. The Estero Bay Watershed has been identified by numerous local, state and federal studies as an area of critical concern due to hydrologic disconnection resulting from development pressure in the region.


Desription:
The proposed project area includes two Lee County Conservation 2020 preserve areas and the FGCU Buckingham Campus; the Hickory Swamp Preserve to the north, the Buckingham Trails Preserve to the south and FGCU seated between the two preserves. Hickory Swamp Preserve (HSP) is 66.5 acres in size and was acquired in 1999 by the C20/20 Program. Buckingham Trails Preserve is a 572 acre parcel with a rich history as part of the Buckingham Airfield and base which provided training to World War Two gunners. The FGCU Campus was a former state run facility for the developmentally disabled and is now utilized as a college campus. The surrounding area is largely cattle grazing land with pocket wetlands usually infested with melaleuca. The watershed has been significantly altered over the past 50 years by road construction, farming and river dredging activities.

The primary natural plant communities found at the Preserves are mesic and hydric hammocks and mesic flatwoods. There are also depression marshes and a several disturbed areas including improved pasture. Impacts from cattle operations have disturbed much of the Preserves; however the sites have undergone initial invasive exotic plant removal efforts as well as prescribed burning.

Project Description: The proposed hydrologic reconfiguration would be conducted on the Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) Buckingham Campus. Water currently flows from the Buckingham Trails Preserve north to the FGCU property through a series of canals and is then shunted to the east through Nine Mile Run to the Orange River. This hydrologic configuration is currently over-inundating the Nine Mile Run area and creating flooding problems in the neighborhoods adjacent, while the Hickory Swamp Preserve is under- hydrated. The goal of this project is to improve the weir system on the FGCU campus and to reroute some of the water to the Hickory Swamp Preserve alleviating flooding along Nine Mile Run and rehydrating Hickory Swamp Preserve.

Quantify Env Results:
Improve habitat by restoring freshwater flows to the wetland system in Hickory Creek and the Orange River that ultimately discharges to the Caloosahatchee Estuary. This could be measured by water quality and oyster bed monitoring.


Title:
North Fort Myers Surface Water Master Plan

Desription:
The Caloosahatchee River runs from Lake Okeechobee through a series of locks to San Carlos Bay.  It has both fresh and marine segments:  the freshwater segment extends for over 40 miles from Lake Okeechobee to the Franklin Lock and Dam (S-79).  The marine segment, which is referred to as the Caloosahatchee Estuary or Tidal Caloosahatchee, extends for about 25 miles from the Franklin Lock and Dam (Control Structure S-79) to Shell Point, adjacent to San Carlos Bay, with Pine Island Sound to the northwest and Estero Bay to the southeast.  The Caloosahatchee Estuary receives freshwater input from S-79 and from various tributaries and canal systems that discharge directly to the estuary downstream of S-79. North Fort Myers is part of the Tidal Caloosahatchee tributaries watershed that drains into the tidal portion of the Caloosahatchee system—excluding the watersheds that contribute flows to the estuary at S-79.

Lee County Division of Natural Resources contracted with AECOM to develop the North Fort Myers Surface Water Master Plan in 2011. The purpose of the study is to map existing storm water conveyance and control structures and identify surface water storage opportunities.  
 
In addition to identifying the water quantity aspects of the project, a water quality model was applied to each of the watersheds to investigate the water quality aspects of the watershed based on existing and future land use conditions.  Upon review of the results, Best Management Practices (BMPs) were developed for the watersheds that exceeded the limits of the LOS criteria established by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The study area includes 21 watersheds between US 41 and SR 31 which are located in and around the focus area.  Six (6) of the watersheds were studied in lesser detail to provide tailwater and basin transfer conditions for the remaining fifteen (15) basins.  The detailed analysis concentrated on the portions of those watersheds in Lee County from the Charlotte County line south to the Caloosahatchee River.  However, because almost half of the total 120 square miles of those watersheds lie within Charlotte County, the study had to recognize and attempt to quantify the southerly flows to Lee County from the Charlotte County area.  North Fort Myers has historically experienced frequent flooding in the vicinity of the creeks and low lying areas due to construction of many structures, such as roads, dikes/berms, bridges, houses, etc. in the study area, many of which did not have permits. These structures have blocked or diverting historic flow patterns.  The combination of natural hydrologic conditions and human intervention pose unique challenges in effective surface water management in the North Fort Myers area. 

Project Description: Fifteen (15) watersheds were modeled with an existing condition model and a future condition model.  The remaining six (6) watersheds were used to provide tailwater and basin transfer information to the modeled watersheds using today’s land use designations for the existing condition compared to the  future condition represented by the designated land use for the year 2030.  

The water quality modeling was based on land use designations conducted on each of the watersheds using the Harvey Harper Methodology (HHM).  This method was developed for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) under FDEP Contract No. SO108 and is titled Evaluation of Current Stormwater Design Criteria within the State of Florida dated June 2007 and prepared by Harvey H. Harper, PhD, PE and David M. Baker, PE.  This model tested for Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Phosphorus (TP), Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), Lead (Pb), Copper (Cu), and Zinc (Zn).  The following watersheds did not meet the county’s criteria based on Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Rule 62-302.530.

	Yellow Fever Creek – East Branch – BOD
	Marsh Point Creek – BOD and Copper

Proposed Projects

The proposed projects presented in this report include conveyance improvements such as re-grading and widening ditches or swales, and creation of storage facilities such as ponds.  The following table lists the watershed, improvement identification number, type of improvement, location, and approximate probable cost estimate. More details for each of the projects in the table below can be found in Appendix C of the North Fort Myers Surface Water Master Plan.

Status-all:
Feasibility study complete, design/permitting pending.

Quantify Env Results:
Water quality improvement by nutrient load reduction. Can be evaluated through the BMAP water quality monitoring program.


Desription:
Background: There are many sources of nutrient inputs to watersheds. Some are naturally occurring and some are a result of human activity. Examples of significant sources of naturally occurring nutrients include bird rookeries and breakdown products of vegetative detritus from tree litter. Significant sources of nutrients that occur resulting from human activity include fertilizer use in both the urban and agricultural settings, unmanaged animal waste in stormwater run-off, and septic tank drainage systems. The issue of nutrient pollution abatement must be addressed from many perspectives and this proposal focuses on managing pollution from septic drainage system failure. 

Lee County has experienced a general decline in the quality of its surface water. An example of this decline has been exhibited in high nutrient and Chlorophyll-a concentrations in the Tidal Caloosahatchee and Estero Bay tributaries that have resulted in negative impacts to human health and our economy and has limited the recreational use of our water resources as evidenced by beach closures and illness due to seafood consumption. This may be attributed to the fact that the tributaries to the Estero Bay and the Caloosahatchee have surpassed their capacity to assimilate nutrients. The Estero Bay tributaries have a TMDL for nutrients and fecal coliform and a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) has recently been finalized. Similarly, this problem is occurring in tributaries to the Caloosahatchee, which also has a TMDL for nutrients and is subject to the Tidal Caloosahatchee BMAP. 

Lee County has maintained a water quality monitoring program for more than 20 years. This program monitors surface water quality at approximately 142 locations in 31 tributaries on a monthly basis. The key parameters measured are fecal coliform, enterococci bacteria (bacteria present in the digestive tract of warm blooded animals) and nutrients. Environmental agencies use fecal coliform and enterococci as an indicator of human sewage entering the waterways. Increasing nutrient concentrations have been evident in Lee County’s monitoring data for the last several years and more recently Lee County funded a study conducted by Drs. Brand and Lapointe (draft - 2006) that indicate nutrients from waste water effluent are commonly found in red drift algae tissue as confirmed by the ratio of organic to inorganic nitrogen isotopes present.

There are many sources of nutrients entering our watershed; among the contributors are on-site treatment and disposal systems (OSTDS).  The Department of Health has published statistical data on the installation of OSTDS in Florida by County (geographical area, not service area). Lee County ranks in the top five in the State for highest number of overall septic tank installations from 1970-2011 and ranks first for increasing number of septic tanks installed each year since 2000. To date the total number of septic tanks in Lee County numbers 104,821 with approximately 65,000 of those being in the Lee County Utilities Future Sewer Service Area (LCFSA), the Lee County government service area that is not currently sewered but may be subject to sewering in the future. Given the State and federal mandates discussed above, Lee County has considered implementing an OSTDS management ordinance in areas that are not within sewer utility service areas and possibly expanding sewer service to accommodate high density areas that still utilize septic tanks. 

Project Description: The proposed project would include the highest density areas in Lee County that have existing near-by sewer facilities that could be extended, provided additional wastewater treatment plant capacity is also obtained. These areas include the urban Lehigh Acres corridor, San Carlos Park, San Carlos Estates, and the Hendry Creek watershed. Just to note that urban Lehigh Acres corridor is not included in Lee County Utilities future service area, it is in FGUA’s franchise area. The total number of septic tanks proposed for conversion to sewer is 21,000.

Lee County estimates the combined load reduction for conversion of septic tanks to sewer between 79,686 lb TN/yr – 143,435 lb TN/yr (J. Hearn, ATM 2012). The methodology employed utilized the loading rates developed in the Toor et al study (2012), the University of Florida, Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems: Nitrogen. Septic systems do not have direct effects on surface water uniformly due to attenuation, denitrification and plant uptake that occurs in situ. There are effects to surface water when there is limited opportunity for attenuation due to a surface water interception with groundwater. When calculating loading to surface waters for this exercise, the assumption is made that homes that are within 50 meters of a surface water body deliver some TN loading directly to surface water. Using GIS, the number of homes estimated to be within 50 meters of surface water bodies were identified and the calculation was applied to these areas to estimate TN loading to surface water, with drainfield reductions of TN between 10% and 50%.

Partners:
Bonita Springs Utilities, Florida Governmental Utility Authority

Quantify Env Results:
Water quality improvement by nutrient and bacterial load reduction. Can be evaluated through the BMAP water quality monitoring program.

Resilience:
Improved freshwater wetland habitat in the current landscape will prolong the period of habitability in the tributaries of the Caloosahatchee, Imperial River and Estero Bay as climate change and sea level rise occur. Habitat improvements due to restored historical flows will also mitigate the current effects of degradation on fisheries and improve the period of time these fisheries can be sustained during the onset of sea level rise.

Added Justification:
Lee County has entered into a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2012. The BMAP was promulgated due to TMDLs for total nitrogen in the Tidal Caloosahatchee, Imperial River and Hendry Creek. The County is required to restore and protect water quality under this watershed restoration plan. The Tidal Caloosahatchee is part of a system that has been designated an Estuary of National Significance as well as discharging into State Aquatic Preserve and National Wildlife Refuges. Hendry Creek and the Imperial River are part of the Estero Bay Watershed. The Estero Watershed is part of a system that has been designated Outstanding Florida Waters as well as discharging into State Aquatic Preserve and National Wildlife Refuges. The Estero Bay Watershed has been identified by numerous local, state and federal studies as an area of critical concern due to hydrologic disconnection resulting from development pressure in the region.


Desription:
Background: The Estero Bay watershed includes all of Estero Bay, most of which lies within the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, and the adjacent barrier islands. Hendry Creek, Mullock Creek, Ten Mile Canal, the Estero River, areas of Corkscrew Swamp, Flint Pen Strand, Spring Creek, and the Imperial River are major surface water features in the watershed. Hendry Creek, Mullock Creek, Estero River, Spring Creek, and the Imperial River experience some degree of tidal influenced. The portion of the Estero River east of U.S. 41 is a slow conveyance system and is considered a recharge area along with the Imperial River east of I-75 (SWFRPC, 1995). Local drainage canals tend to provide some regional flood protection during wet periods, but also lead to over-drainage during dry periods. Estero Bay has long been recognized as one of Florida’s significant natural resources. The Bay was designated as the State’s first Aquatic Preserve. The area in and around the Estero Bay watershed has undergone dramatic increases in the rate of residential and commercial development as well as population growth during the past 30 years. 

There are several documented, predicted, and perceived problems in the Estero Bay watershed. The problems are primarily related to: 1.) conversion of natural habitats to agricultural, commercial, and residential land uses; 2.) the construction of canals, ditches, and road beds; and 3.) filling, dredging, and draining of wetlands waterbodies that occur in association with the previous two factors. The watershed problems include: increased watershed size, increased freshwater inflows, increased nutrient and total suspended solids loading, lowered water tables, altered wetland and aquatic hydroperiods, loss of wetland, upland, and aquatic habitats, downstream flooding.

Ten Mile Canal, part of the Mullock Creek watershed, was constructed in the 1920s to control flooding in South Fort Myers. In the 1970s the Canal was deepened and widened, and control structures for water table maintenance and protection from saltwater intrusion were constructed. Those include the Daniels Parkway Weir, the Page Field Weir and the Tamiami Weir. Culverts, bridges, and weirs along Ten Mile Canal are shown on a watershed map (Attachment 2).    Since its original construction and 1970s enhancements, the area surrounding the Ten Mile Canal has developed rapidly, as the area population has nearly quadrupled– from 150,000 to  625,000 – since the 1970s. This has greatly impacted the pollution level of water running into the Ten Mile Canal and subsequently into Mullock Creek and Estero Bay.

In 2005, Lee County constructed Phase 1 of the Ten Mile Canal Filter Marsh on an approximately 10-acre land tract owned by the County. The filter marsh is located between Daniels Parkway and Six Mile Cypress Parkway east of Ten Mile Canal. The project included excavation, littoral planting for filtration and absorption of pollutants. Vegetation and plant growth are harvested periodically during the maintenance events. A water control structure is located in Ten Mile Canal just upstream of Daniels Parkway. Water from the canal, upstream of the water control structure is diverted into the filter marsh using two (2) 30 inch diameter pipes with gates. Flow through these pipes is controlled by the gates. The existing filter marsh consists of four (4) cells. Cell 1 is a deep cell intended to trap sediments before entering the other cells. Cells 2 and 4 are shallow cells that include emergent vegetation. Cell 3 is a deeper cell that includes floating vegetation. Flashboard riser structures with wood boards are used to control water levels within each cell. Lee County’s monitoring data shows an annual average TN removal of 64% and TP removal of 81% for the period of record 2007 to 2010. Lee County will continue to monitor these parameters to develop a clear before-, during- and after-comparison to determine how well the project contributes to lowering the pollutant levels.  

Project Description: Lee County built 10 acres of treatment area in the first phase and phase two will double the size of the filter marsh to 20 acres of treatment area.

In August 2009, Lee County entered into an agreement with Seminole Gulf Railway LP to construct an expansion of the filter marsh on lands owned by Seminole Gulf Railway LP. A copy of this agreement is attached (Attachment 4). 

Lee County is proposing to widen the Ten Mile Canal Filter Marsh into the Seminole Gulf Railway right-of-way to allow more water to be treated and improve overall treatment efficiency. Along with the expansion, several design changes are proposed including:
•	Replacement of riser control structures with top opening gates to better control water levels
•	Installation of connection (control structure and pipe) between Cell 1 and Cell 3 to allow flows to discharge directly to Cell 3 without first passing through Cell 2.
•	Addition of control structure between Cell 1 and Cell 2 to control water entering the filter marsh in Cell 2. This will allow the gate valves in the inflow pipes to remain open during normal operation.
•	Install a control structure on the existing pipes between Cell 2 and Cell 3. This structure will remain closed during normal operation. It will only be opened during some maintenance operations.
•	Change of bottom elevations within Cell 2, 3 and 4 to maintain approximately 1.5 ft of water at the control elevation and 2 ft of water during normal operation.

Lee County and other partner agencies have developed watershed management plans over the years that have cited the Ten Mile Canal and provided recommendations for water quality improvement best management practices. The following is a brief summary of those plans from which we developed the Ten Mile Canal Filter Marsh Phase I and Phase II concept: 

Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan explains the need for water quality improvement projects utilizing passive wetland treatment in the Estero Bay Watershed which receives flow from the Ten Mile Canal. 

Estero Bay Agency on Bay Management has labeled Ten Mile Canal an “issue of special concern.”  

The South Florida Water Management District in 1999 completed an assessment study of the Estero Bay Watershed. In the report, SFWMD identified the Ten Mile Canal as a major source of pollutants flowing into Estero Bay. Specifically, the report noted pollution emptying into Ten Mile Canal includes urban runoff, suspended solids loading, nitrogen and phosphorous loading and industrial discharge. Further, the report recommended a project be developed to improve water quality within the Estero Bay Watershed and identified opportunities to reduce pollutant loading from older developments along the Canal. The report suggested the project’s effectiveness also should be regularly monitored through ongoing data analysis through a private grant to Florida Gulf Coast University. Phase I of the Ten Mile Canal Filter Marsh project included two additional funding partners; the South Florida Water Management District contributing $400,000 and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection contributing $507,000. These funds were applied to the project construction and management.

Lee County Stormwater Master Plan discusses, at length, pollutant problems with the Ten Mile Canal. 

Lee County recently made a significant investment in trying to identify the relationship between land use and water quality in the Estero Bay Basin by retaining a consultant, DHI, Inc., to:  		
(1) Establish a dynamic water quality model for the Estero Bay Basin, which will simulate the impacts from changes of pollution loading caused by changes in land use or river network alterations.   		
(2) Provide Lee County with a watershed planning and management tool

Quantify Env Results:
IImprove water quality and support the restoration efforts within the Estero Bay basin for Impaired Waters Rule planning list pollution reduction goals, the Southwest Florida Comprehensive Watershed Plan (formerly Southwest Florida Feasibility Study) and provide habitat improvement concurrent with Lee County’s comprehensive conservation master planning efforts.

Added Justification:
Lee County has entered into a Basin Lee County has entered into a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2012 in the basin adjacent to the Mullock Creek/Ten Mile Canal basin. The BMAP was promulgated due to TMDLs for total nitrogen in the Hendry Creek Basin, a tributary to the Estero Bay. The basin land use in the Mullock Creek basin is similar to that of Hendry Creek and is on FDEP’s Impaired Waters Rule (IWR) Planning List for future TMDLs. The County is required to restore and protect water quality under the BMAP watershed restoration plan as well as mitigate impacts in IWR prioritized basins. In addition, the Estero Watershed is part of a system that has been designated Outstanding Florida Waters as well as discharging into State Aquatic Preserve and National Wildlife Refuges. The Estero Bay Watershed has been identified by numerous local, state and federal studies as an area of critical concern due to hydrologic disconnection resulting from development pressure in the region.


Title:
C-43 Treatment & Demonstration Project (Boma)

Desription:
Background: The Caloosahatchee River runs from Lake Okeechobee through a series of locks to San Carlos Bay.  It has both fresh and marine segments:  the freshwater segment extends for over 40 miles from Lake Okeechobee to the Franklin Lock and Dam (S-79).  The marine segment, which is referred to as the Caloosahatchee Estuary or Tidal Caloosahatchee, extends for about 25 miles from the Franklin Lock and Dam (Control Structure S-79) to Shell Point, adjacent to San Carlos Bay, with Pine Island Sound to the northwest and Estero Bay to the southeast.  The Caloosahatchee Estuary receives freshwater input from S-79 and from various tributaries and canal systems that discharge directly to the estuary downstream of S-79. The land uses in this watershed are predominantly agriculture and low to medium density residential with aging septic tanks.

Project Description: The C-43 Treatment & Demonstration Project consists of a constructed wetland designed for optimal removal of TN from the Tidal Caloosahatchee and to reduce nutrient pollutant loading downstream. The existing stormwater treatment area (STA) data mostly indicate that currently designed wetland treatment systems in the upper Caloosahatchee watershed are not optimized to reduce TN (especially dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), which accounts for most of the TN). The C-43 Water Quality Treatment and Demonstration Project (BOMA Property; CRWPP project CRE 10) is intended to provide the data necessary to increase understanding of nitrogen treatment. The District, in collaboration with Lee County, is prepared to proceed in FY2012 with the conceptual design of a testing facility, which will include both mesocosms and test cells that aim to effectively reduce or remove TN from the CRE based on sound science. This cost-effective approach is intended to be implementable on larger scales, and it is anticipated that the project will generate strategies that could be applied to other estuaries in South Florida

Status-summary:
Feasibility study in progress, design/permitting pending.

Status-all:
Feasibility study in progress, design/permitting pending.

Pollutant Red:
47.8 mt/yr for TN and 9.21 mt/yr for TP.

Added Justification:
The FDEP has adopted a TMDL for total nitrogen—the main pollutant in the Tidal Caloosahatchee. Lee County has entered into a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2012. The County is required to restore and protect water quality under this watershed restoration plan. In addition, the Tidal Caloosahatchee is part of a system that has been designated an Estuary of National Significance as well as discharging into State Aquatic Preserve and National Wildlife Refuges.


Desription:
Background: The Caloosahatchee River runs from Lake Okeechobee through a series of locks to San Carlos Bay.  It has both fresh and marine segments:  the freshwater segment extends for over 40 miles from Lake Okeechobee to the Franklin Lock and Dam (S-79).  The marine segment, which is referred to as the Caloosahatchee Estuary or Tidal Caloosahatchee, extends for about 25 miles from the Franklin Lock and Dam (Control Structure S-79) to Shell Point, adjacent to San Carlos Bay, with Pine Island Sound to the northwest and Estero Bay to the southeast.  The Caloosahatchee Estuary receives freshwater input from S-79 and from various tributaries and canal systems that discharge directly to the estuary downstream of S-79. The land uses in this watershed are predominantly agriculture and low to medium density residential with aging septic tanks.

Project Description: Currently, the South Florida regional system stores water in Lake Okeechobee. Based on a variety of complex flood control and ecologic factors, excess water is sometimes discharged from the lake via the C-43 canal. The resulting surges of freshwater down the river reduce estuarine salinity levels. Alternately, during drought periods when irrigation demands are high, little or no water is released to the river, allowing estuarine salinity levels to rise. This project will help ensure a more natural, consistent flow of freshwater to the estuary. Excess basin stormwater runoff, along with regulatory releases from Lake Okeechobee, will be captured and stored in a reservoir (170,000 acre-feet capacity) and released slowly, as needed, to restore and maintain the estuary. All needed land has been acquired.

The C-43 West Basin Storage Reservoir project site is located south of the Caloosahatchee River Estuary and west of the Ortona Lock (S-78). The reservoir will comprise a significant portion of total water storage requirement for the C-43 Basin providing nutrient load reductions and decreases in damaging local discharges to the estuary. In April 2011, a Record of Decision was issued by the USACE and an approved Project Implementation Report was submitted to the U.S. Congress for authorization. 

Planning, design, land acquisition, and construction costs are estimated at $201 million. The state and federal governments will share costs equally. The state designated local sponsor of this project is the South Florida Water Management District. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2007 and to be completed in the spring of 2011. The environmental benefits of restoration cannot be expressed solely in monetary terms; so alternative cost benefit studies are conducted. This project is vital to restoration of the Caloosahatchee River estuary. It also provides some new flexibility for managing and restoring Lake Okeechobee, which often is referred to as the "liquid heart" of the greater Everglades ecosystem

Pollutant Red:
Preliminary load reduction estimates for this project are 97 mt/yr TN and 8 mt/yr TP.


ConInfo:
Matt Feeney, Public Works Director City of Bonita Springs

Title:
City of Bonita Springs Storm Water Plan Implementation

Desription:
The construction of ten water quality improvement projects designed to remove 4,650 lbs of Nitrogen and reduce phosphorus levels from the lmperial River Watershed annually. These projects are the result of a detailed study completed in October of 2011
to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loads from the urban areas of the city.

Quantify Env Results:
These projects are estimated to remove 4650 lbs/year of Nitrogen from the Imperial River system.  The City of Bonita Springs currently monitors water quality through 13 sample sites within the Imperial River System and its watershed.  The performance of these proposed projects will be observed through this monitoring program.

Eco Benefits Text:
The final engineering, permitting, and construction of these projects will employ engineers, consultants, and contractors and city staff to monitor and maintain the systems. A cleaner unpolluted river will increase water clarity, dissolved oxygen, fish and aquatic plant diversity, primary productivity and the carrying capacity of the river.  Natural river functions such as the dispersion of clean water, production of food, nutrient recycling and recreation will be restored.  Ecotourism activities such as: boating, kayaking, swimming, fishing, birding, & hiking will rise and community pride and support will be restored.

Jobs Text:
The downtown shops, restaurants, cafés, and artisan stores will require additional staffing from the increased emphasis on a clean riverfront community.  It is expected that these projects will create 150 + new jobs in the above disciplines.

Habitat:
The projects are designed to improve water quality throughout the entire Imperial River watershed, approximately 23.1 square miles. Cleaner water will enter the south end of Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve. This will increase the health and flushing of Florida’s first aquatic preserve.

Pollutant Red:
4650 lbs/Year of Nitrogen. Dissolved oxygen is expected to rise 1mg/l. Water clarity is expected to increase significantly. Increased sunlight penetration to seagrass beds and oyster bars are expected to statistically increase the health and biomass of these systems. Oyster bars and seagrass beds are currently mapped, so any increase can be quantified.  FWC has daily sampling of water quality for Harmful Algae Blooms (HAB’s)in our area.  Reductions in HAB’s can be quantified from this database.

Living Resoruces:
Beneficial plankton, fish & crustaceans, oyster bars, seagrass beds, mangrove communities, littoral zone plants, and some state & federally listed species will benefit  including the small toothed sawfish, manatee, loggerhead sea turtle, brown pelican, American oyster catcher, and others. The reduction of nitrogen, increased dissolved oxygen, and increased water clarity in the Imperial River helps reduce the frequency & occurrence of HABs such as red tide, cynobacteria and red drift algae; which degrade sea grass beds, poison fish and shellfish, and harm marine fish, birds and mammals. By focusing on nutrients and primary productivity, the entire river system is expected to statistically improve.  The carrying capacity of all river dependent species is expected to rise significantly with a rise in the diversity, amount of beneficial plankton populating the waters.

Resilience:
Resiliency will be enhanced by improving the overall health of the river system.  When stressors occur such as droughts, flooding, hurricanes, HAB’s, oil & gas spills, excessive wave action from boats, dredging, turbidity, etc, the system will recover faster since the health of the system will be enhanced. One part of the river system can repopulate, restore, and enhance another as soon as the stressor is reduced.


Desription:
Acquisition of 80 acre island in Caloosahatchee adjacent to Caloosahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and Lee Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve.  Extensive mangrove shoreline, wetlands, shallow  flats with historic tape grass meadows.

Location:
just west of I75 to south of ICW channel in Lee County

Quantify Env Results:
Preservation of parcel which could be developed. Was proposed at marina site in past.  Single residence now on island.

Eco Benefits Text:
80 acres of prime habitat under threat of development.   >http://www.homes.com/listing/173581215/5_Beautiful_Island_FORT_MYERS_FL_33905

Habitat:
80 acres and extensive mangrove shoreline.

Pollutant Red:
possible water features, enhanced wetland function

Living Resoruces:
heart of major fishery nursery in Caloosahatchee upper tidal zone.  Forage area for nearby woodstork and white bird  rookeries.


Title:
Restoration of Water Quality in the Impaired Waters of Charlotte Harbor, Charlotte County, FL

Desription:
This project (see Exhibit A) addresses nonpoint source pollution created by
urbanized areas that are impacting the impaired waters of Charlotte Harbor Estuary (see Exhibit B) through a comprehensive approach in alignment with goals and objectives outlined in the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan and through a cooperative effort by a number of government and non-profit stakeholders. The project will attack pollution on several fronts including pollution created by On Site Treatment and Disposal Systems (OSTDS), untreated stormwater runoff, and control of pollution of pesticides, herbicides, and
fertilizers impacting over 10,400 total properties, 6,800 of which are existing homes. The plan includes removal of OSTDS and installation of central sewer system, constructing stormwater improvements, and an educational program on Best Management Practices.  These efforts will reduce the nonpoint source pollutant load and mitigate the resulting ecological impacts that are currently impairing the receiving water bodies of Charlotte Harbor.  A preliminary engineering report dated March, 2010 prepared by Charlotte County Utilities titled “Wastewater Service Program: Area 1 Preliminary Engineering Report” provides supporting information about the condition, age, and design concerns surrounding the existing OSTDS in the priority areas proposed for the Restore Act Project (http://www.charlottecountyfl.com/CCU/Projects/). The report concludes that 53% of the OSTDS in
the area were developed prior to 1984 and are no longer in conformance with existing design criteria as outlined in Florida Statutes and are beyond their useful life. As a result, these failing systems are contributing to pollution in Charlotte Harbor.

Location:
This project encompasses a 3,022 acre area (Priority Area 1 is 1,644 acres; Priority
Area 2 is 781 acres; Priority Area 3 is 597 acres).  Latitude 26° 60' 0"N and Longitude 82° 8' 0"W

Responsible:
Charlotte County Government Department: Charlotte County Utilities

Partners:
This is a continuation of a
cooperative effort with members of US Congress, members of the Florida Legislature, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), United States Army Corps
of Engineers (USACOE), University of Florida, Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP), the Charlotte County Health Department, and Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center (CHEC).

Status-all:
The Preliminary Engineering Report has been completed for all priority areas (see link to report under Project Description). Priority Area 1 is in the design phase.

Quantify Env Results:
•	Reduction in bacteria levels at beaches; measured by a reduction in bacteria beach advisories at the
Port Charlotte Beach by the Charlotte County Health Department.
•	Reduction in odors and sanitary health complaints related to aging failing OSTDS in the area;
sanitary health hazard complaints are monitored by the Charlotte County Health Department.
•	Percentage of estuarine waters with impaired water and sediment quality is reduced; measured by verified 303d list determined by the EPA/FDEP.
•	Nutrient and contaminant inputs to Gulf waters decrease to levels that sustain healthy habitats and species; measured by verified 303d list determined by the EPA/FDEP and monitoring program implemented to measure project impact.
•	Extent and duration of hypoxic events in Gulf estuaries and in Gulf waters; measured by verified
303d list determined by the EPA/FDEP

Eco Benefits Text:
Based upon an analysis by the Charlotte County
Economic Development Department, a total of 24 direct and indirect jobs would be created as a result of this project.  Based upon information provided by the Charlotte County Department of Tourism,
5,758 jobs in Charlotte County are supported by tourism. According to the Charlotte Harbor Visitor & Convention Bureau 2009 Annual Report, amongst the top most popular activities for tourism in Charlotte County are beach and outdoor activities.  Water quality is critical to the success of these activities. On average, over half a million dollars are generated by tourism per day

Habitat:
Refer to map showing impairments in the
Charlotte Harbor Estuary (Exhibit B).

Pollutant Red:
For a similar project that was modeled using the StepL program, there
was an overall reduction of 33% in TSS, 94% reduction in TP, 86% reduction in TN, and an 88% reduction in BOD. The same results are expected for this program where the same projects are being implemented. (TSS – Total Suspended Solids; TP – Total Phosphorous; TN – Total Nitrogen; BOD – Biochemical Oxygen Demand

Living Resoruces:
Estuarine, coastal, and
marine resources including shellfish (oysters, shrimp) will benefit from the reduction of pollution caused by nutrient and bacterial loadings caused by nonpoint source pollution.

Resilience:
How will community resilience be enhanced? By providing a long term solution to significantly
reduce non-point source pollutants into the receiving waters of Charlotte Harbor, the ability to support
 
economic activities dependent on water quality will improve with the reduction/elimination of beach closures, sanitary health hazard complaints, and related impacts of nutrient and sediment loading. Removal of OSTDS will increase the amount of developable land for businesses and provide for a larger variety of uses.  Improving water quality will retain and increase tourism. A continuation of the
cooperative effort between public, private, and nonprofit organizations will continue the enforcement of water quality regulations and Best Management Practices.

Added Justification:
This project has been identified as a Net Ecosystem Benefit in USACOE and FDEP permits. Link to permits are available at: http://charlottefl.com/outreach/ccu/Projects/SpringLake/FAQ.pdf.


Title:
Capt. Jeff Steele Memorial Artificial Reef Habitat Enhancement

Desription:
Artificial reef construction and habitat enhancement/creation

Partners:
This project is supported by the Charlotte County Marine Advisory Committee

Status-summary:
Site layout is complete, field surveys pending. Permit in house USACE #SAJ 2007-05318 expires Jan 2018

Status-all:
Site layout is complete, field surveys pending. Permit in house USACE #SAJ 2007-05318 expires Jan 2018

Quantify Env Results:
Annual fish count and benthic organism monitoring will be conducted.

Eco Benefits Text:
A recent artificial reef socio-economic conducted for southwest Florida concluded that annual expenditures associated with artificial reefs in Charlotte County alone are just over $28,000,000. The County’s reef system supports approximately 306 full or part time jobs (http://www.flseagrant.org/).

Pollutant Red:
Pollutant reduction is not a component of this project.

Living Resoruces:
Increases in the biological diversity of Gulf of Mexico seafloor areas previously devoid of preferred habitat for finfish and benthic organisms.

Resilience:
Additions to the County’s reef system add to the economic resilience of the community and are supported even by citizens who do not utilize the reefs (http://www.flseagrant.org/).

Added Justification:
Although there are a few areas of low relief hard bottom in the Gulf and bay waters surrounding Charlotte County, in general, productive hard bottom habitat is sparse in Southwest Florida waters.  Appropriate artificial reef materials have significant benefits in terms of habitat enhancement and recruitment opportunities for finfish and invertebrates. 
This project reef design will consist of two patch areas of large diameter limestone boulders (approximately 2,000 tons total). Based upon observations of limestone boulder placed on other Charlotte  County reefs, limestone appears to be superior in contrast to concrete light poles or culvert in two main ways: (1) it is a “natural” material which benefits encrusting benthic organisms and (2) it typically provides greater complexity and interstitial habitat for desirable finfish such as snapper and grouper.


Desription:
The City of North Port’s storm water conveyance system includes 79 miles of major wet canals constructed by General Development Corporation (GDC) in the late 1960’s. Much silt, debris, vegetation and decayed muck has accumulated in these canals over the last ~50 years.
In March 2007, the City retained a consultant to inspect and evaluate for prioritization and remediation the most silted and vegetated 34 miles of canals. As a result of this study, in 2008 the Southwest Florida Water Management District granted the City Permit Exemption EX 5491, authorizing the City to perform maintenance dredging and vegetation removal in man-made canals.
Since the Permit Exemption was granted, North Port Public Works staff has used excavators to remove accumulated silt, debris, vegetation and muck in eight segments of the City’s canal system. Public Works will employ this same approach to dredge 10 more canal segments. 
The Cocoplum Waterway is one of two major canals that traverse almost the entire City in an east-west direction. Due to its extreme width and depth, the Cocoplum cannot be dredged using available City equipment. To dredge a vital section of this canal between two major water control structures, the City requests funding to retain a dredging contractor.

Location:
Cocoplum Waterway (canal), City of North Port

Status-summary:
Designed; SWFWMD Permit Exemption EX 5491

Status-all:
Designed; SWFWMD Permit Exemption EX 5491

Quantify Env Results:
North Port’s drainage system controls and contains storm water and its rate of flow through a city of some 104 square miles. Not least among the system’s several functions is its ability to treat, or filter out, pollution. This project will restore the treatment volume of the canal to original specifications.
Dredging and removal of the accumulated silt, debris, vegetation and decayed muck in the canal will restore the originally designed water quality treatment volume in the canal. The pollutants in the dredged material, such as organics, nitrogen, phosphorus, silt, heavy metals and bacteria, will be removed and properly disposed of in a landfill.  This will reduce the possibility of pollutants becoming re-entrained into the canal’s water column during turbulent storm conditions and washed into Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf via the Myakkahatchee Creek and Myakka River.

Eco Benefits Text:
(1) reduced risk of pollution entering Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf from North Port; (2) reduced risk of flooding due to diminished water storage capacity in the Cocoplum.

Jobs Text:
Hiring of a dredging contractor will create or preserve an estimated 20 jobs.

Habitat:
This project is preventative and prescriptive in nature. It will eliminate or minimize the need for conservation and restoration measures by reducing flooding potential and damage to the environment and infrastructure.

Pollutant Red:
The pollutants in an estimated 85,037 cubic yards of dredged material will be removed.

Living Resoruces:
The City’s storm water system ultimately conveys water to the Myakka River and the Gulf. The project will improve storm water quality.

Resilience:
Increasing the volume and efficiency of North Port’s canal/drainage system to original design specifications will have a direct effect on the frequency of minor to moderate flooding in North Port. Since the rate of climate change appears to have increased in recent years, storm events of greater strength and duration can be anticipated. North Port needs a drainage system that functions optimally under these changing conditions.


ConInfo:
Sandy Pfundheller, North Port Parks & Recreation Director; Elizabeth Wong, Storm Water Manager

Title:
Myakkahatchee Creek Greenway Nature Trail,  Phase I

Desription:
The Myakkahatchee-Heron Creek Trail will be an eight-foot-wide multi-purpose pedestrian trail approximately 5,966 feet long. It will be constructed along the west side of the Myakkahatchee Creek, the City’s most attractive natural amenity and a primary source of potable water for the community. Public access will be via Butler Park on the north and Appomattox Boulevard on the south. An elevated boardwalk is proposed in the southern half of the trail due to the floodplain and seasonal wet conditions.   Boardwalk material will be either composite plastic decking or pressure-treated wood.

Location:
Butler Park to Appomattox Boulevard; GIS: 82.2206 W; 27.06855 N

Status-summary:
90% Designed; ERP Permit expected in early 2013

Status-all:
90% Designed; ERP Permit expected in early 2013

Quantify Env Results:
For decades, the land immediately adjoining the Myakkahatchee Creek in North Port has attracted hikers, fishermen, fossil hunters and ATV enthusiasts, a good share of them from outside the community. Whether by neglect or intentionally, some have caused damage to the resource, often very near, or even in, the Creek itself. 
Since the late 1980’s, the City has sought to reduce the accumulation of damage by developing public trails with facilities in less sensitive areas that still provide access to the scenic values of the Creek greenway.
This proposed trail project is the latest to come out of this strategy, which has proven successful elsewhere along the Creek.
Before and after construction of the trail, photographs will record the state of the resource. Periodically thereafter, the City will continue monitoring the area to minimize damage to natural resources.

Eco Benefits Text:
Increasingly, the City of North Port is a destination for eco-tourists, and the green corridor surrounding the Myakkahatchee Creek continues to be a huge draw. Through political change and tight budget years, community leaders have remained steadfastly committed to protecting the Creek while at the same time providing managed public access by means of a linear park paralleling the Creek through the heart of the community.  The development of this additional trail segment can be expected to bring even more visitors to North Port.

Habitat:
Approximately 105 acres along and adjacent to the nature trail.

Pollutant Red:
Quantifying human-caused pollution of the Creek’s water is of paramount and compelling interest to the City. As described above, a primary goal of the project is to reduce damage to the resource, particularly the Creek and its fragile banks. The City’s hope and expectation is that development of this trail segment will encourage users of the resource to keep a safer distance from the Creek itself, thereby protecting the Creek from pollution. If past experience is a guide, periodic monitoring will show a reduction in littering and damage to this sensitive area.

Living Resoruces:
The public will gain greater understanding of nature in its undisturbed condition and the need to protect upland resources from pollutants that can be washed into the Creek, which flows to coastal and marine areas.

Resilience:
The Myakkahatchee Creek is a shallow, relatively slow-moving surface water body for much of the year, and anything that finds its way into the creek bed contributes to further slowing of the flow. Human activity nearest the creek leaves debris and dislodges soil from the creek banks; cumulatively, this thoughtless activity can contribute to moderate flooding during the wet season. The raw water in the Creek becomes more polluted, incrementally increasing the cost of treating it for human consumption. The proposed trail segment will direct human traffic away from the immediate area of the Creek and provide an opportunity, through signage, to educate the public concerning the fragility of the resource.


Title:
Water Control/Drop Structure No. 133 Replacement

Desription:
Installed in the 1960’s, the existing water control structure (WCS) is a badly corroded, 60-inch vertical drop pipe that continues as a 60-inch horizontal pipe under Price Boulevard. This structure conveys storm water flow under Price Boulevard where the roadway crosses the Bass Point Waterway.
The drop structure will be replaced by an open weir structure with a concrete cap. The corroded horizontal culvert pipe will be replaced by a 60-inch reinforced concrete pipe (RCP).
Replacement of WCS No. 133 and the associated horizontal culvert is critical for the following reasons:
•	Catastrophic flooding potential: Bass Point Waterway is a major north-south waterway in the Big Slough Watershed. Failure of the WCS could wash out Price Boulevard and cause severe flooding. Since North Port’s waterway system conveys water from counties north and south of the City, failure of this structure could have a regional impact.
•	Traffic disruption: Price Boulevard is a major east-west arterial corridor in North Port. Failure of the WCS could wash out the road, causing major traffic disruption, including access for emergency vehicles and school buses.
•	Existing WCS’s design is conducive to clogging:  Structures like WCS 133 with a drop pipe are especially prone to clogging. The proposed replacement structure will have an open weir design that is far less susceptible to clogging. 
•	“Shovel-ready” project: Completely designed; fully authorized under an ERP permit.

Location:
the Bass Point Waterway at Price Boulevard and Nordendale Boulevard

Status-summary:
designed; SWFWMD ERP permit # 44035193.000

Status-all:
designed; SWFWMD ERP permit # 44035193.000

Quantify Env Results:
Corrosion has riddled the WCS with openings at a much lower elevation than the original top elevation of the drop pipe.  These openings allow water to enter the structure at a lower level, greatly reducing the amount of treatment volume in the upstream section of the waterway. The replacement structure will restore the original design elevation, improving storm water treatment volume and effectiveness.

Eco Benefits Text:
(1) Avoidance/minimization of flooding and flood damage, which also reduces vulnerability to traffic circulation disruption; and (2) Improved storm water treatment.

Pollutant Red:
Additional quantities of pollutants, such as oil and grease, sediments, nitrogen, phosphorous, fecal coliform and chlorophyll, will be removed by the additional canal treatment volume.

Living Resoruces:
The City’s waterways ultimately convey water to the Myakka River and the Gulf. The project will improve the quality of storm water discharging into these water bodies.

Resilience:
Avoidance/minimization of flooding; enhanced water quality in the waterway system, which is also the City’s primary potable water supply.


ConInfo:
Stan Frank, Grants & Environmental Coordinator; H. Cliff Harrison, PG, Senior Hydrogeologist, Sarasota County Environmental Services

Title:
Warm Mineral Springs, Sarasota County, Florida:  
                                    A Summary of Retrospective Data

Desription:
Currently available data suggest that flow from Warm Mineral Springs has decreased from ~7 mgd in 1940 to less than 4.5 mgd in 2012. As a first step toward greater understanding of the spring, the USGS has proposed a thorough study to summarize existing data pertinent to the changing hydrologic conditions and hydrogeology in the spring and surrounding area. In addition, a technical presentation will be conducted to describe the study’s findings to Sarasota County and the City of North Port.  Requested funding for this retrospective study is $50,000.
Quoting from the USGS project proposal, “As demands for water in southwest Florida and use of the intermediate aquifer system and the Upper Floridan aquifers increases, a greater understanding of spring and aquifer hydrogeology is necessary to arrive at reliable estimates of the impact (flow, temperature, and mineral content) of current and future changes in anthropogenic…and climatic stresses.  This understanding could provide water managers with the necessary information to preserve Warm Mineral Springs for future generations [emphasis added].”
This project’s findings will facilitate the second step proposed by the USGS: a comprehensive study to help local, regional and state water resources professionals better understand and sustainably manage Warm Mineral Springs

Location:
Warm Mineral Springs – City of North Port, Sarasota County, Florida

Responsible:
City of North Port, Florida; Sarasota County, Florida

Partners:
City of North Port, Florida, Sarasota County and US Geological Survey

Status-summary:
Proposal finalization and authorization phase; Study to be based on existing data (no permit required)

Status-all:
Proposal finalization and authorization phase; Study to be based on existing data (no permit required)

Quantify Env Results:
The goal of this project is to scientifically and critically analyze the extensive data that has been collected over the past 70 years to determine what the actual historical trends of water temperature, flow, and quality can tell us about how to properly manage the springs.

Habitat:
Site totals 81 acres plus Salt Creek from spring run to Myakka River (manatee habitat), plus 13 acres of County-owned public lands protecting over 5,800 linear feet of the northern bank of the 8,000 foot-long Warm Mineral Springs Creek from the spring discharge point to the Myakka River, including one of only two natural warm water manatee refuges in southwest Florida. The refuge is used by 50 to 70 manatees annually.

Living Resoruces:
Warm Mineral Springs is a natural warm-water refuge for manatees. Existing data suggest that flow rate is declining. The proposed study may reveal other changes (e.g., temperature and water quality) which, in combination with reduced flow, could lessen the protective benefits it currently affords the area’s dwindling manatee population in cold weather.

Resilience:
Provide long-term economic benefit to the community by ensuring continued existence of springs. In addition, the hydrogeologic changes in Warm Mineral Springs are not unique in the State, as recent research conducted by the USGS indicates. The proposed study has the potential to reveal important information about the forces contributing to streamflow losses documented in the Upper Peace River Hydrologic Area* and elsewhere in Florida. * USGS Fact Sheet 102-03, June 2004


ConInfo:
Anne Birch, The Nature Conservancy; Dr. Eric Milbrandt, SCCF; Dr. Aswani Volety, FGCU

Title:
Restoration and Mapping of Oyster Reef Habitat in Southwest Florida

Desription:
The purposes of the Restoration of Oyster Reef Habitat in Southwest Florida Project (Project) are to: 1) map inter- and sub-tidal oysters from Pinellas County FL south to Lee County; and 2) implement and monitor restoration of approximately 18 acres of oyster habitat within the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP).  Estuarine segments in the Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay estuaries may be targeted for oyster habitat restoration if the mapping phase identifies areas of critical need or optimal locations with high likelihood of success.Estuarine habitats such as oyster reef and salt marsh were directly and indirectly impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill throughout the Gulf of Mexico.  In turn, the impacts negatively affected the public use and local economies dependent on healthy habitats and their associated species, such as recreational and commercial fisheries.  Restoring oyster habitat restores the Gulf’s damaged natural foundation and enhances the resilience of local communities by reducing their vulnerability to storm damage and flooding. Protecting and restoring oyster reefs helps create social and economic flexibility in local communities, sustains tourism and other coastal businesses, provides critical nursery areas for the Gulf’s fisheries and reduces damages from storms. Reducing the vulnerability of coastal communities also enhances economic diversity in the Gulf.  Oyster habitat restoration will be conducted in priority estuaries throughout the Gulf coast, including Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Big Bend/Cedar Key, and Pensacola Bay.  

This Project is designed to complement other larger oyster habitat restoration efforts being conducted throughout the Gulf, including work in the three contiguous NEP regions of Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor.  The Project will implement the CHNEP Oyster Habitat Restoration Plan (2012) (Plan).  As defined in the Plan, the oyster habitat restoration goals are to enhance and restore self-sustaining oyster habitat and related ecosystem services throughout the estuaries and tidal rivers and creeks in the CHNEP watershed.  To accomplish these long term goals, the following short term actions are identified in the Plan and recommended to be implemented by 2020:
•	Map oyster habitats by type within CHNEP.
The mapping methodologies will be developed with technical support from the SWF OWG and applied consistently throughout the Project study area.  The most appropriate methods for mapping intertidal, subtidal and site specific oysters will be determined and may include: aerial photography, hyperspectral imaging, side-scan sonar and ground truthing (using methods similar to those used by FL Fish and Wildlife Commission and Sarasota County).
•	Design, implement, and monitor the success of oyster habitat restoration projects in at least 50% of the CHNEP estuary segments.
•	Increase public awareness of the ecosystem value of native oyster habitats by including community stewardship and outreach components in each oyster restoration project.
•	Assist partners in seeking state, federal, and organizational funding opportunities to support oyster habitat restoration projects. 
This Project will implement all four of these short term actions, as well as provide regionally consistent mapping of oyster habitat.  The Project will be implemented in two Phases:
Phase I of the project will consist of the following sevenelements:
1.	Map inter- and sub-tidal oyster habitats throughout the Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor estuaries using consistent methodologies (Year 1).
2.	Conduct Project pre-restoration monitoring assessments(Year 1).
3.	Conduct Project pre-construction engineering, and permitting (Years 1-2).
4.	Construct at least nine acres of oyster habitat, with a minimum of one acre in each of seven different estuary segments (Years 1-4)
5.	Conduct annual success monitoring of constructed oyster habitat projects, starting in year three of the Project for oyster habitat restored in year two(Years3-4)
6.	Plan and implement community outreach and media awareness throughout the duration of the Project and for individual oyster habitat restoration projects (Years1-4)
7.	Complete Project reporting and budget monitoring for years one through four of the Project (Years 1-4)
Phase II of the project will consist of the following six elements:
1.	Conduct Project pre-restoration monitoring assessments (Year 5) 
2.	Conduct Project pre-construction engineering, and permitting for construction of an additional 9 acres of oyster habitat (Years 5-6).
3.	Construct at least nine acres of oyster reef habitat, with a minimum of one acre in each of seven different CHNEP estuary segments (Years 5-7).
4.	Conduct annual success monitoring of all constructed oyster habitat projects (Years 3-8)
5.	Implement community outreach and media awareness for all oyster habitat restoration projects (Years 1-8).
6.	Complete Project reporting and budget monitoring for years four through eight of the Project (Years 1-8).

All oyster habitat restoration activities will be locatedwithin areas of the CHNEP identified as 80 or 100% suitable for successful restoration, as defined by the CHNEP Oyster Habitat Restoration Suitability Model and included in the Plan (see attached map).  The fourteen estuaries (estuary segments) within the CHNEP region were assessed using the Restoration Suitability Model. Each of these ‘estuary segments’ have areas identified as 80-100% suitable for restoration of intertidal and/or subtidal reefs and will be consideredwhen locating oyster restorationas part of this Project.  Oyster habitat restoration will be initiated by the three responsible parties identified below with assistance from Project partner organizations.Estuarine segments in the Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay estuaries may also be targeted for oyster habitat restoration if the mapping phase identifies areas of critical need or optimal locations with high likelihood of success

Location:
Restoration: Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP)
Mapping: Tampa Bay (TBEP), Sarasota Bay (SBEP) and CHNEP estuaries

Responsible:
Project Coordination: Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).

Partners:
The Project will include contributions from: CHNEP, TBEP, SBEP, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC), Jaime Boswell MS, LLC; Florida Sea Grant, Sarasota County, Southwest Florida Oyster Working Group (SWF OWG).

NEP:
Mapping: TBEP, SBEP, CHNEP
Restoration: CHNE

Status-all:
Planned
Over the past year the Southwest Florida Oyster Working Group(SWFOWG), representing 28 agencies and organizations including the CHNEP and The Nature Conservancy, have been working collaboratively to develop the CHNEP Oyster Habitat Restoration Plan.  The Plan has been adopted by the CHNEP Management Conference scientists, managers and policy makers. The Plan identifies suitable restoration locations using the best-available data and identifies the actions needed to meet the CHNEP oyster restoration goal.  The work completed on the Plan provides the background, tools and collaboration needed to effectively design and permit the proposed restoration.  Permitting agency staff members from USACE, FDEP and NOAA-NMFS have played a critical role in the Southwest Florida Oyster Working Group, and have supported the development of the Plan that will guide future restoration efforts.  Collaboration with these agencies and the SWFOWGwill continue throughout the design of the project to ensure permits are received as quickly as possible.In addition, TNC is leading a statewide effort with partners from around the state to develop a Notice General Permit (NGP) for the Restoration, Establishment and Enhancement of Low Profile Oyster Habitat.  If approved by the state this permit would faciliate a 30 day permit review process for oyster habitat projects that meet the criteria of this NGP, including the oyster habitatconstruction Projects planned for the CHNEP.

Quantify Env Results:
Restoration success monitoring will follow protocols established in the Oyster Habitat Restoration Monitoring and Assessment Manual (Baggettet al.) that is currently in review by numerous agencies and organizations. The manual identifies aset of universal metrics and universal environmental variables to be monitored for all oyster restoration projects and guidelines for assessing additional restoration goal-based metrics. If followed these metrics will allow for comparison on a regional basis or by tidal location or construction type, and for adaptive management during the initial post-construction phase. The following is from the manual, “Universal metrics that are to be monitored for every oyster restoration project include: (1) reef areal dimension; (2) reef height (for Crassostreavirginicaonly) or emergent shell volume (for Ostrealuridaonly); (3) oyster density; and, (4) oyster size-frequency distributions. The following universal environmental variables should also be monitored for every oyster restoration project to help with interpretation of universal metrics data: (1) water temperature; (2) salinity; (3) dissolved oxygen (for subtidal reefs); (4) disease prevalence and intensity (if applicable), and (5) presence of predatory and competitive species (optional). Performance criteria for the universal metrics are based on emergent structure and oyster density present at short- and mid-term time frames post-construction. Along with the universal metrics, an additional set of monitoring guidelines (including metrics, suggested methodologies, and performance criteria) are provided to enable project managers to assess the following ecosystem service-based restoration goals: (1) brood stock and oyster population enhancement; (2) habitat enhancement for resident and transient species; (3) enhancement of adjacent habitats; and (4) water quality improvement.”  The universal metrics will be applied to this project to assess the success of restoring a self-sustaining oyster population at each site.  The general parameters to be measured as part of the Project success monitoring will be developed with technical support from the SWFOWG and applied consistently throughout the Project study area.  The Nature Conservancy identifies four broad categories of success measures relevant for restoring oyster habitat ecosystem services, including: 1) recruitment and growth, 2) provision of habitat for other associated species, 3) direct and indirect effects on local water quality, and 4) shoreline protection (Brumbaugh et al. 2006).  These four categories were used as the basis for establishing a suite of goal-specific success criteria in the CHNEP Oyster Habitat Restoration Plan that are aligned with the universal metrics.

Eco Benefits Text:
Estimates of areal coverage of oyster habitat in the CHNEP area show a 90% loss of this habitat (Draft CHNEP Oyster Habitat Restoration Plan, 2012).  This loss is similar in scale to an analysis that estimated an 85% loss of shellfish habitat globally (primarily oysters) (Beck, et al.
2011).  Traditionally oysters are valued as a commodity, harvesting for food, and undervalued as a habitat that can provide a suite of other ecosystem services comparable tothose provided by seagrass, salt marsh and coral reef habitats.  The literature and scientific data measuring ecosystems services of oyster habitat is increasing as the awareness of the importance of this habitat is gaining more widespread interest within and beyond the scientific community.  The 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report defines ecosystem services as ‘benefits people obtain from ecosystems’andidentifiesfour categories of services: Supporting, Provisioning, Regulating, and Cultural.  Similarly, Grabowski et al. (2012) define the ecological and economic benefits of oyster habitat based on the following ecosystem services: Water quality improvement (removal of chlorophyll a, turbidity reduction, denitrification, increased benthic algal or  pseudofecal production, and removal of bacterial biomass); shoreline stabilization; carbon burial;  increased fish and epibenthic faunal production and biodiversity; and increased oyster production.  They estimated that on average restored and protected oyster reefs can provide an annual value of $10,325 to $99,421 per hectare.  Using these estimates, the Project could provide $75-$724K per year of ecosystem services value.

In addition, in Florida the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates there are approximately 100,000 jobs directly or indirectly related to the boating industry, which about 25% occur in Southwest Florida.  West Florida is an economically important region in the Gulf of Mexico, especially in terms of supporting the commercial and recreational fisheries and watchable wildlife industries. Tourism is Florida’s largest industry. In 2011 it accounted for $85.1 million in value with over 1 million people directly employed in the industry.  In 2010 it generated $4 billion in sales tax revenue (Visit Florida, 2012). The following statistics are provided to highlight the important role that increased living shorelines/oyster reefs can play in boosting the health and recovery of the Gulf economy especially in Florida with a focus on West Florida.  Unless otherwise noted the data is from the NMFS (2012) and NOAA (2010) references in which additional details on the importance of fisheries to the Gulf and West Florida’s economy can be found.
•	In 2009, recreational fishing accounted for more than 22 million fishing trips in the Gulf of Mexico Region made by 2.8 million anglers, the majority of which were coastal county residents (almost 90%) 
•	In 2009, West Florida’s commercial finfish and shellfish industries brought in $49 million and $67 million, respectively.  
•	In 2009, West Florida ranked #1 in employment jobs generated and sale and added value impacts associated with recreational fishing industry
•	In 2009, Florida generated 65,000 jobs and income of $2.4 billion to the Gulf’s seafood economy.
•	Blue crab landings and dockside value for West Florida in 2008 was 2.7 million pounds, $3.3 million, respectively (ranked 1st among Gulf states)
•	Red snapper landings and dockside value for West Florida in 2008 was 847,884 pounds, $2.94 million, respectively (ranked 2nd among Gulf states)
•	Spotted seatrout, a species associated with oyster reefs, was the most frequently caught species by Gulf recreational anglers
•	More people travel to Florida to view wildlife than any other state - 24 percent more than the second-place state, California (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2006)
•	Florida ranks as the second highest state (after California) in the number of people participating in wildlife-viewing recreation (U.S. Department of the Interior et al. 2006)

Oyster reef habitat and associated marshes and seagrass meadows are the foundational habitats that are important to the protecting and expanding the economic benefits of the fisheries. While this project will enhance a suite of fish and wildlife populations and their supporting habitats, these habitat and resource improvements will also provide benefits to the public through (1) enhanced fisheries that can feed the coastal economy, (2) stabilized shorelines which improve water quality (3) protected private and public properties and important cultural and historical resources, (4) improved coastal community resilience, and (5) improved quality of life with a healthy environment.

Jobs Text:
.  Based on this analysis the proposed Project would create or preserve an estimated 323 jobs over proposed the eight year life of the project (FY12/13-FY19/20).

Habitat:
Restoration of approximately 18 acres of oyster habitat is proposed over eight years occurring in at least 50% of the Charlotte Harbor estuaries.  Based on the best-available data as of 1999 there were less than 250 acres of oyster habitat in the CHNEP study area; implementation of this project would result in more than a 7% increase in oyster habitat within the CHNEP estuaries.

Pollutant Red:
Water filtration is an important ecosystem service provided by oysters that has been lost as the extent and densities of oyster habitat have declined.  Comparison of historical to current reef densities modeling the volume of water filtered by oysters in several estuaries in the Gulf of Mexico calculated ‘a near universal decline of the filtering capacity of oyster habitats by more than 80 %’(zu Ermgassen et al. 2012).  Data collected for the Project, such as areal extent and density of the constructed reefs, can be used to evaluate the success of restoration efforts in improving filtration capacity.  Approximately 10-44% of chlorophyll acan be removed from waters moving over restored oyster reefs (Cressmanet al. 2003; Grizzle et al.2008; Grizzle, unpublished local data).  Removal rates of Total Nitrogen, Total Phosphorus and Total Carbon removal by oysters have been estimated for the Chesapeake Bay (Higgins et al. 2010) and may be used as a general guideline unless estuary-specific data is available for the Project area.

Living Resoruces:
Direct creation of oyster habitat within the estuaries increases oyster density and provides habitat for a variety of commercially and recreationally important species (Volety et al. 2010 and Tolley et al. 2006).  Seagrass may also benefit from restoration of oyster habitat.  Seagrass has been documented to recruit adjacent to 21% of the restored reefs in the Mosquito Lagoon where seagrass had not been present pre-restoration (Birch et al. 2012).

Resilience:
Given the lack of historical data, it is thought that 90% of the oyster habitat in Charlotte Harbor was destroyed by humans. Estimates suggest that 1-3% of the total area of CHNEP was occupied by oyster reefs. Creating habitat will provide more reproducing adults and larval supply, and increase the diversity of species dependent on healthy self-sustaining oyster reefs. The Gulf of Mexico has lost nearly 50 percent of its wetlands, 60 percent of its seagrass beds, 50 percent of its oyster reefs, and more than 32 percent of its mangrove forests (www.gulfbase.org).  The integrity of the Gulf Coast Region’s economy and society are intricately tied to the integrity of the natural systems.  Some key ecological changes resulting from coastal hazards include loss of wetland systems and other natural buffers, changes in sedimentation, loss of habitat and species migration corridors, increased subsidence, salinity changes in rivers, loss of species diversity, and increased vulnerability of the remaining natural areas to coastal hazards.More than 50% of the U.S. population lives in coastal watershed counties of which nearly 21 million live within the Gulf coastal counties (National Ocean Service, 2011).  This accounts for approximately 37 percent of the Gulf states’ population who occupy only 25 percent of the land area. The Gulf coast’s natural environment and human communities are some of the most vulnerable to coastal hazards in the U.S.  Habitat restoration funding resources can target these coastal areas and help build more resilient ecosystems and coastal communities in the Gulf of Mexico while bolstering local economies through the creation of jobs and supporting natural resource livelihoods. This can occur through efforts to consistently design and implement restoration projects in the Gulf to address questions around ecosystem and societal resiliency. Coastal habitat restoration and protection reduces the vulnerability of human and natural communities to the impacts of coastal hazards. Successful habitat restoration projects such as oyster habitat can provide tangible illustrations of how restoration can improve coastal resiliency and reduce community vulnerability to natural or othercoastal hazards.

Added Justification:
Recent consensus-based actions to develop the CHNEP Oyster Habitat Restoration Plan have provided a roadmap for extensive, large scale restoration of marine habitats.  This project directly creates living oyster habitat and benefits endangered species plus provides important nursery areas for commercially and recreationally targeted fisheries. 
This proposal implements the following CHNEP CCMP Objectives and Actions:
•	FW-1: Meet the objectives for the target extent, location and quality of the following habitats: submerged aquatic vegetation, submerged and intertidal un-vegetated habitats, mangroves, saltwater marsh, freshwater wetlands, oyster bars, native upland communities and water column.   
•	FW-F: Restore and protect a balance of native plant and animal communities.
•	WQ-E: Implement projects to restore or protect water quality to offset anthropogenic impacts.
•	FW-P, WQ-M and HA-P: Support public involvement programs addressing habitat and wildlife, water quality, hydrology, water resource, water conservation and water use issues.
•	SG-B: Provide people with opportunities to be involved in research, monitoring and restoration.
•	SG-D: Produce watershed and estuary communication tools.
•	SG-R: Track and present monitoring data according to CHNEP adopted targets in Environmental Indicators and present information in a readily understood form.
This proposal helps to implement the following Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy Goals, Major Actions and Florida’s Priority Actions: 
•	Goal: Restore and Conserve Habitat
•	Florida’s Priority Action: Protect, stabilize and restore salt marsh, seagrass, oyster, coral reef, beach, dune, mangrove and other important marine bottom habitat in strategic locations where human-made and storm impacts have occurred or are likely to occur in the future. 
•	Goal: Replenish and Protect Living Coastal and Marine Resources
•	Major Actions: Restore and protect oyster and coral reefs, and other coastal environments; Coordinate and expand existing Gulf monitoring efforts to track sentinel species and sites.
•	Florida’s Priority Actions: Involve the public in developing initiatives to help educate citizens and communities on the importance of coastal wildlife conservation, shorebird protection and sea turtle monitoring; Develop and implement programs to balance and integrate the interests and needs of people living and recreating in coastal areas with the needs of fish and wildlife species dependent on marine and coastal habitats; Develop large-scale strategies for seagrass, oyster and coral reef restoration and fish hatcheries and aquaculture programs for marine species propagation and enhancement. 
•	Goal: Enhance Community Resilience
•	Major Action: Enhance environmental education and outreach. 
•	Florida’s Priority Actions: Update the Spill Response Contingency Plans through a multi-disciplinary process to incorporate better preparation, local involvement, and updated ecological data. 
The proposal is also consistent with the following plans, goals and targets:
•	Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan – Northern Estuaries Performance Measures: Caloosahatchee Estuary target – to provide approximately 400 acres of suitable oyster habitat with at least 100 acres of living oyster reefs. 
•	SWFWMD Charlotte Harbor SWIM Plan – Goals are consistent with the CHNEP CCMP
•	SFWMD Lower Charlotte Harbor SWIM Plan – Initiative 4: Habitat Assessment, Protection and Restoration
Consistent with Section 1006 of the Oil Pollution Act, this project will:
•	Contribute to making the environment and the public whole by restoring oyster habitat that historically waswidespread throughout the Charlotte Harbor region. 
•	Addresses impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to oyster habitat and associated ecosystem services that include reduced sustainable harvest, fish production, water filtration, nitrogen removal, protection of shorelines and marsh land, nursery habitat for fishes and invertebrate species, and food sources for a variety of species.
•	Restore oyster habitat as well as surrounding essential fish habitat; increase benthic productivity from oyster reef biodeposits to sediment; enhance recruitment and production of fish and mobile crustaceans; removal of suspended inorganics, phytoplankton, and detrital particles thereby reducing turbidity and improving water quality; and dissipate wave energy thereby protecting the shoreline and wet flatwood community on adjacent state and federal lands.


ConInfo:
Jerry Kurtz, P.E., Principal Project Manager

Desription:
This project would utilize a 100 cfs pump station constructed near the new GG-3 structure to divert water from the Golden Gate Main Canal to the Henderson Creek Canal.  Diverted water will move south through a new 5200 LF dredged canal, 30’ wide and 10’ deep and water will flow into Henderson Creek through an existing box culvert under I-75.  The project is predicted to reduce the volume of discharge to Naples Bay by about 10 percent. The project will also increase the volume of water entering Rookery Bay by about 33 percent.

Responsible:
Collier County Natural Resources Department

Quantify Env Results:
Results will be measured by volume of freshwater diverted from Golden Gate Main Canal to the Henderson Creek Canal.

Eco Benefits Text:
The project will improve water quantity conditions to both the Naples Bay and Rookery Bay.  While the value of the seasonal changes in discharge rates is difficult to quantify, the ecosystem service value can be estimated of the areas which will experience improvements.  Based on the ecosystem service values derived in Costanza et. Al. (1997), this project will benefit areas with combined ecosystem services values of approximately $19,000,000 per year (Attachment 3).  This figure represents the value of services provided by the surface area of the estuaries which will receive a benefit as a result of the diversion.  Additional economic benefits will be realized as a result of the future seagrass restoration projects which will only be possible once freshwater discharge imbalances have been improved.

Jobs Text:
57 (Estimate based on 1 job per $100,000)

Habitat:
Freshwater flow will be improved in both Naples Bay and Rookery Bay as a result of this project.  Naples Bay has a surface area of about 1066-acres and Rookery Bay encompasses a surface area of about 1,034-acres.

Since the 1950’s, Naples Bay has seen a reduction in seagrass bed acreage from about 68-acres to about 4-acres today.  These remaining seagrass beds will experience restored water quantity and quality through restored freshwater discharge rates to Naples Bay which will allow for significant increases in seagrass bed acreage through future restoration projects anticipated by the City of Naples and the South Florida Water Management District.

Pollutant Red:
This project is primarily designed for water quantity benefits.  Pollutant loads from Golden Gate Canal into Naples Bay will be reduced insomuch as freshwater flows are reduced.  However, increased freshwater discharges may increase pollutant load to Rookery Bay. Loads removed are 16,420 pounds N per year, 430 pounds P per year and 45,296 ounds TSS per year.

Living Resoruces:
In Naples Bay, the reduction in freshwater flow will improve habitat for seagrasses, improve salinity and reduce nutrient levels in the freshwater flowing from the Golden Gate Canal.  These improvements will be enhanced in proportion to the freshwater flow reduction of 10 percent.  Rookery Bay has experienced similar impacts to natural resources resulting from dry-season freshwater discharge deficits.  This diversion project will result in similar improvements to coastal/marine resources resulting from the increase of freshwater flow by about 33 percent.  Furthermore, as estuaries and seagrass beds provide habitat for a variety of fish and invertebrate species, the diversion of freshwater discharge will in turn result in marine life habitat improvements in both bay systems.

Resilience:
Improving the seasonal excess freshwater flow to Naples Bay and the deficiency in Rookery Bay will improve the resilience of these two important estuary systems in Collier County, both of which are currently threatened by seasonal variability in freshwater discharges.

Over the past 50 years, Naples Bay has experienced significant development which has altered not only the direct shorelines and natural resources within the bay, but also the entire watershed through dredge-and-fill operations and channelization projects. These projects have expanded the watershed of Naples Bay from what was once about 10 square miles to about 120 square miles today.  The 10 percent reduction of freshwater flows anticipated by this project will improve freshwater discharges, and therefore also the salinity and nutrient load.  This will ultimately allow for further restoration of natural resources in Naples Bay.  This diversion will improve seasonal freshwater shortages to the Rookery Bay Estuary by 33 percent.  Furthermore, this project provides additional water to Henderson Creek which may be available to augment future water supply needs for the Marco Island Water Treatment Plant.  

As described here, the diversion of freshwater discharge from Naples Bay to Rookery Bay will result in regained and repaired habitat, improved salinity levels, and will improve the health, balance and resilience of the estuaries.

Added Justification:
Construction of the Golden Gate Main Canal significantly increased the size of the watershed draining to Naples Bay and reduced the size of the watershed draining to Rookery Bay.  As a result, Naples Bay receives significantly too much freshwater and the Henderson Creek Watershed and the Rookery Bay estuary are starved of freshwater; these negative affects to both receiving water estuary systems will likely only worsen as Collier County continues to grow.  This project would improve the freshwater discharges to both Naples Bay and Rookery Bay.

One of the ecosystems most severely impacted by the freshwater flowing into Naples Bay includes oysters and seagrasses.  Most of the seagrasses that once existed in Naples Bay are now gone.  While there are in fact some areas of Naples Bay where seagrasses can be found, the seasonal pattern of excessive freshwater flows to Naples Bay has hindered the expansion and restoration of seagrass beds as natural salinity patterns are critical to restoring estuarine habitat.  Reducing those freshwater flows to the Bay will improve conditions which will allow seagrasses to recover and also allow for supplemental plantings to be attempted.

Though Collier County is outside the study area of the CHNEP CCMP, this project would support several of the quantifiable objectives and priority actions identified in the plan (pg 86), including:
•	HA-2…[to] restore, enhance and improve where practical historic watershed boundaries and natural hydrologies…
•	HA-G: Reestablish hydrologic watersheds to contribute flows to their historic receiving water bodies.
•	HA-J: Build and restore water conveyances to have shallow, broad, vegetated and serpentine components that also restore floodplains.


Desription:
This project includes planning, design and construction of appropriate infrastructure to divert up to 1,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) of surface water flow from the Golden Gate Main canal south into the Northern Belle Meade area.    (Attachment 1 -  project graphic incorrectly indicates a 100 cfs diversion.)  Different flow diversion amounts will be considered and could be phased in over time.  This facility would be used primarily during the rainy season to reduce flow in the Golden Gate Main Canal currently going west to the Gordon River and Naples Bay.  Diverted surface water would flow south through the Northern Belle Meade area toward South Belle Meade and Rookery Bay.  Project considerations are still being conceptually evaluated.  Possible scenarios to be considered include a pump station to assist the diversion, a spreader swale, an overland flowway, and conveyance through existing and future quarry mining lakes.     

The project is predicted to reduce the volume of discharge to Naples Bay by 10 percent and will provide treatment of the diverted water in the wetland systems.  The project is also predicted to increase freshwater discharge to Rookery Bay by 19 percent.  Full design would need to consider the conveyance capability of the culverts under I-75 and the affect of the existing borrow excavation areas on the north and south side of I-75

Location:
Collier County, Northern Belle Meade, Rookery Bay Watershed

Status-all:
This project has been conceptually designed by several partners including the SFWMD and in the Collier County Watershed Management Plan

Quantify Env Results:
Environmental benefits will be measured in freshwater discharge reduction to Naples Bay and improvements to the hydroperiods of wetlands in North and South Belle Meade.

Eco Benefits Text:
The project will improve water quantity conditions to both the Naples Bay and Rookery Bay.  While the value of the seasonal changes in discharge rates is difficult to quantify, the ecosystem service value can be estimated of the areas to experience improvements.  Based on the ecosystem service values derived in Costanza et. Al. (1996), this project will benefit areas with combined ecosystem services values of approximately $19,000,000 per year (Attachment 3).  This figure represents the value of services provided according to the surface area of the estuaries which will receive a benefit as a result of the diversion.  Additional economic benefits will be realized as a result of the future seagrass restoration projects which will only be possible once freshwater discharge imbalances have been improved.

Jobs Text:
70 (estimate based on 1 job per $100,000)

Habitat:
Flowway easements for the discharge area may be preserved, but the exact size and location is subject to final design considerations.  Both Naples Bay (1066 surface acres) and Rookery Bay (1034 surface acres) will experience hydrologic restoration in the form of freshwater discharges.  Wildlife habitat will be improved as the North and South Belle Meade Areas include wildlife habitat for animals like the Florida black bear and the Florida panther.  Acreage of wildlife habitat to be preserved will depend on the land acquisition scenario utilized to create the discharge flowway.

Pollutant Red:
Preliminary calculations have been completed based on two different scenarios show below.  The first (Water Quality Losses Portion) assumes diversion directly into a spreader swale system, based on a 200 cfs diversion.  This indicates a large reduction to Naples Bay pollutant loading.  The second (Water Quality Wetland Treatment Portion) estimates the load removed by the flow through the North Belle Meade Area. Calculations embedded in application. Load removal is 17,312 pounds N per year, 774 ounds P per year and 40,990 pounds TSS per year.

Living Resoruces:
In Naples Bay, the reduction in freshwater flow will improve habitat for seagrasses, improve salinity and reduce nutrient levels in the freshwater flowing from the Golden Gate Canal.  These improvements will be enhanced in proportion to the freshwater flow reduction of 10 percent.  Rookery Bay has experienced similar impacts to natural resources resulting in this case from the dry-season deficit of freshwater discharge.  This diversion project will result in similar improvements to coastal/marine resources resulting from the increase of freshwater flow by about 19 percent.  Furthermore, as estuaries and seagrass beds provide habitat for a variety of fish and invertebrate species, the diversion of freshwater discharge will in turn result in marine life habitat improvements in both bay systems.

Resilience:
Improving the seasonal excess freshwater flow to Naples Bay and the deficiency in Rookery Bay will improve the resilience of these two important estuary systems in Collier County, both of which are currently threatened by seasonal variability in freshwater discharges.

Over the past 50 years, Naples Bay has experienced significant development which has altered not only the direct shorelines and natural resources within the bay, but also the entire watershed through dredge-and-fill operations and channelization projects. These projects have expanded the watershed of Naples Bay from what was once about 10 square miles to about 120 square miles today.  The 10 percent reduction of freshwater flows anticipated by this project will improve freshwater discharges and therefore also the salinity and nutrient load ultimately allowing for further restoration of natural resources in Naples Bay.  This diversion will improve seasonal freshwater shortages to the Rookery Bay Estuary by 19 percent.

As described here, the diversion of freshwater discharge from Naples Bay to Rookery Bay will result in regained and repaired habitat, improved salinity levels and will improve the health, balance and resilience of the estuaries.

Added Justification:
Construction of the Golden Gate Main Canal significantly increased the size of the watershed draining to Naples Bay and reduced the size of the watershed flowing to Rookery Bay.  As a result, Naples Bay receives significantly too much water and Rookery Bay receives too little water, thus negatively affecting both receiving estuary systems.  Additionally, the reduction of stormwater runoff to the south has decreased wetland hydroperiods in areas where sheetflow used to occur.  This project is part of a larger program to restore the hydrology of the entire Belle Meade Flowway which extends from the Golden Gate Main Canal north of I-75 in the north, U.S. 41 and the Ten Thousand Islands in the south, and reaching from the Picayune Strand CERP Restoration Project to the east and urban development and C.R. 951 to the west.  The entire Belle Meade Flowway encompasses several thousand acres of wildlife habitat and wetlands that have been severely altered by development, as well as a canal system sending water west to Naples Bay (Attachment 4). 

There are several conceptual plans for this project which provide for alternative development scenarios.  The construction of the planned Wilson Blvd Extension could provide for alternative land acquisition scenarios in which the diversion canal could be located along Wilson Blvd and funded through the road construction.  Another alternative scenario includes dedicating the flowway through the development process in the lands south of the spreader swale.  This would subject the dedication of the flowway to sporadic or delayed development of the area.  The proposed project includes increased land acquisition budgeting to account for a scenario in which acquisition is required for flowway easements in addition to the diversion canal and spreader swale however, conditions and permitting may require a combination of project scenarios.

Though Collier County is outside the study area of the CHNEP CCMP, this project would support several of the quantifiable objectives and priority actions identified in the plan (pg 86), including:

•	HA-2…[to] restore, enhance and improve where practical historic watershed boundaries and natural hydrologies…
•	HA-G: Reestablish hydrologic watersheds to contribute flows to their historic receiving water bodies.
•	HA-J: Build and restore water conveyances to have shallow, broad, vegetated and serpentine components that also restore floodplains.


Title:
North Golden Gate Estates (NGGE) Flowway Restoration Project

Desription:
The NGGE Flowway Restoration Project will address long-standing water resource issues that affect not only the human populations and natural areas of NGGE (approximately 34 square miles), but also those of downstream systems and communities.  The project proposes to install ditch blocks and equalizing culverts (Attachment 1) in order to reconnect historic flowways in the project area (Attachment 2). A hydrologic model of the study area has been created to determine the appropriate location of ditch blocks and culverts.  The project may include the purchase of residential lots for additional water storage and treatment and will allow for improved timing of freshwater discharges into the Golden Gate Main Canal and therefore Naples Bay.

This project will be designed to maximize benefits to natural systems, including hydrologic and habitat enhancement and connectivity within NGGE, hydrologic benefits to downstream natural systems and waterbodies, and provide increased flood protection for residents.

Location:
Collier County

An area in North Golden Gate Estates, covering approximately 34 square miles, encompassing all or part of Sections 29‐31, Township 47 South, Range 28 East; Sections 4‐9, 17, 19, 20, 29‐32, Township 48 South, Range 28 East; Section 36, Township 48 South, Range 27 East; Sections 6, 7, 18, Township 49 South, Range 28 East; Sections 1, 11‐‐27, 33‐36, Township 49 South, Range 27 East, Collier County, Florida.

The Hydrologic Unit Code is 03090204.

Partners:
Collier County, FDEP, SFWMD/Big Cypress Basin

Status-all:
The project was conceptually designed in the Collier County Watershed Management Plan and has undergone preliminary engineering through a grant from FDEP and SFWMD.  This project will proceed with further engineering and design considerations as well as construction.

Quantify Env Results:
Results will be measured in improved hydrology to wetlands in the NGGE Flowway and increased Floodplain Levels of Services.

Eco Benefits Text:
This project will result in improvements to the hydrology of wetland areas and to the timing of freshwater discharges in the Golden Gate Main Canal.  Based on the ecosystem service values derived in Costanza et. Al. (1996), this project will benefit areas with combined ecosystem services values currently over $81,000,000 per year.  The installation of ditch blocks and culverts throughout the project area will produce area hydrology and groundwater recharge rates more similar to pre-development conditions and therefore increase the ecosystem services values within the project area

Jobs Text:
52 (Estimate based on 1 job per $100,000)

Habitat:
The entire project area will experience restored wetland hydrology and improved aquifer recharge.  Final design may require the purchase of some residential parcels for additional water storage.  The project area is approximately 34 square miles.

Pollutant Red:
A preliminary estimate of pollutant reduction was done by WBID for the NGGE flowway project as part of the Collier Watershed Assessment.  The calculations assume  that 1 inch of runoff is treated from WIBID 32785 – North Golden Gate and WBID 3278H – Faka Union North Segment, approximately 20 square miles the total area.  It also assumes that much of the pollutant loading is from Low Density Urban land uses.  Calculations imbedded in original application.  6072 pounds N/year removed.  2149 pounds P/year removed.

Living Resoruces:
The project will result in water quality treatment and improvements throughout the watershed and freshwater discharges to Naples Bay will be restored to a more natural timing.   Aquifer recharge will be improved through increased water storage in the project area.

Resilience:
The NGGE Flowway Restoration Project will improve flood protection to residents within the project area.  Use of low lying areas to attenuate peak runoff flow currently directed to the canal system could result in a reduction in frequency of which canal capacity limits are exceeded.   Naples Bay will experience reduced input frequency of excess total volume of surface water flow with improvement in the timing of freshwater inputs/discharges. 

The project area also contains two important public water supply wellfields (Collier County Utilities and City of Naples Water Utility) which are recharged by surface water.  Proper management of surface water is critical in sustaining the long-term drinking water yield from these two wellfields.

Added Justification:
Historically, the area that is now North Golden Gate Estates (NGGE) consisted of a mosaic of wetland and upland habitats, including upland pine and hammock communities interspersed with cypress and hardwood forests and herbaceous marshes and wet prairies.  During the wet season, water flowed across the landscape in a generally south-southwesterly direction, eventually making its way into areas of Picayune Strand, Belle Meade, and Henderson Creek.  The development of NGGE was completed in the late 1960’s as part of what was to be the largest subdivision in the world.  Large drainage canals were constructed and a network of roads was built.  The canals successfully drained much of the surface water and shallow groundwater in the area, making the land available for human settlement.    Many of the wetlands near the canals have transitioned to disturbed upland communities, and the hydroperiods of remaining wetlands have been severely altered by the drainage from the canals as well as roads that have created impediments to sheetflow.  

The project area includes land that currently drains into the Golden Gate Canal which flows to the west and eventually into Naples Bay; and the Miller and Faka Union canals which flow south to the Ten Thousand Islands estuary through the Picayune Strand State Forest.  The flow from the Golden Gate Canal into the Naples Bay through the Gordon River causes rapid and severe fluctuations in salinity, which continues to cause significant harm to the Bay.  The Miller and Faka Union canals extend into the Picayune Strand Restoration Project, which will be plugging these canals south of NGGE to restore overland sheetflow and wetland habitat.  Presently there is  a very limited effective stormwater management/treatment system within NGGE.  Stormwater runoff is conveyed by inconsistent roadside swales and driveway culverts to the three primary canals.  The conveyance capacity of the Miller, Faka Union and Golden Gate canals are limited to less than 10-year peak flow rates.  Localized flooding occurs in many areas as a result of high rainfall events.  Some of the deepest wetlands within NGGE have remained undeveloped, namely Winchester Head and Horsepen Strand, although their hydrologic functions have been altered.  

Current NGGE Flowway Restoration efforts include the January 2013 scheduled completion of phase 2 of the study which began in 2006 as part of the Horsepen Strand Conservation Area (HSCA) Feasibility Study.   Work includes refinement of the original database and hydrologic-hydraulic analyses of the NGGE watershed and canal system originally created by the SFWMD Big Cypress Basin, subsequently refined and updated by the recently completed Collier County Watershed Management Plan.  Phase 2 study deliverables include preliminary engineering alternatives for use in a stakeholder input and consideration processer with subsequent selection of the most appropriate project.  This will be followed by commencement of design, permitting, approval, land acquisition and construction.  

Though Collier County is outside the study area of the CHNEP CCMP, this project would support several of the quantifiable objectives and priority actions identified in the plan (pg 86), including:
•	HA-2…[to] restore, enhance and improve where practical historic watershed boundaries and natural hydrologies…
•	HA-G: Reestablish hydrologic watersheds to contribute flows to their historic receiving water bodies.
•	HA-J: Build and restore water conveyances to have shallow, broad, vegetated and serpentine components that also restore floodplains.


Desription:
This project would include the design and construction of a 50 cfs pump station to pump water from the interconnected I-75 canal network into a feeder channel. Subsequently, a spreader swale would be constructed to facilitate movement of water out of the canals that parallel I-75 and direct the water south via overland flow.  This project focuses on rehydration of wetland areas in the Rookery Bay Watershed, the Southern Belle Meade area, and northern portion of the Picayune Strand State Forest.

Status-all:
The project has been conceptually designed by SFWMD, and in the Collier County Watershed Management Plan.

Quantify Env Results:
Results will be measured in increased freshwater discharge into Rookery Bay.

Eco Benefits Text:
This project will result in increases in the hydrology of wetland areas in the Rookery Bay Watershed including the Southern Belle Meade area and northern portions of the Picayune Strand State Forest.  Based on the ecosystem service values derived in Costanza et. Al. (1996), this project will benefit areas with combined ecosystem services values of over $100,000,000 per year (Attachment 3).

Jobs Text:
31 (estimate based on 1 job per $100,000)

Habitat:
The project will restore wetlands in the South Belle Meade Area and northern portion of the Picayune Strand State Forest within the Rookery Bay watershed, approximately 27,000 acres.  The project will also restore timing and discharge rates of freshwater flows into Rookery Bay which has a surface area of 1034-acres.

Pollutant Red:
The project provides water quality treatment to the flows diverted from the I-75 canal to the spreader swale.  The first calculation below assumes some limited amount of treatment occurs during the diversion process due to filtering.  Some water is assumed to be lost due to infiltration/ET.  The second calculation estimates treatment as the additional water moves through the system. Loads removed are 1720 pounds N per year, 71 pounds P per year and 7035 pounds TSS per year.

Living Resoruces:
The construction of the canals changed the pattern of discharge to the estuary through a dry season deficit and wet season surplus, resulting in excessive fresh water discharge and thus ultimately affecting the salinity of the Naples Bay estuaries. This project will improve wetland hydrology and restore through slow release diverting water to the Picayune Strand State Forest. The project would result in improvements in water quality, wetland hydrology/habitat and timing of discharges to the Rookery Bay estuary.

Resilience:
Improving the timing and duration of freshwater discharges to Rookery Bay will enhance the resilience of the Bay which is currently threatened by seasonal variability in freshwater discharges, namely freshwater deficits during the dry season.

Added Justification:
The Rookery Bay watershed has decreased by about 100 sq. mi. due to construction of canals. As a result, the hydrology of remaining wetlands has changed by shorter hydro-period and less water stored, negatively affecting native wildlife and fauna.  This project would redistribute and alter the timing of freshwater discharges.

This project is part of a larger program to restore the hydrology of the entire Belle Meade Flowway which extends from the Golden Gate Main Canal north of I-75 in the north, U.S. 41 and the Ten Thousand Islands in the south, and reaching from the Picayune Strand CERP Restoration Project to the east and urban development and C.R. 951 to the west.  The entire Belle Meade Flowway encompasses several thousand acres of wildlife habitat and wetlands that have been severely altered by development, as well as a canal system sending water west to Naples Bay (Attachment 5). 

Though Collier County is outside the study area of the CHNEP CCMP, this project would support several of the quantifiable objectives and priority actions identified in the plan (pg 86), including:

•	HA-2…[to] restore, enhance and improve where practical historic watershed boundaries and natural hydrologies…
•	HA-G: Reestablish hydrologic watersheds to contribute flows to their historic receiving water bodies.
•	HA-J: Build and restore water conveyances to have shallow, broad, vegetated and serpentine components that also restore floodplains.


Title:
Siesta Key Master Pump Station and Force Main

Desription:
This project consists of design, permitting and construction of a master pump station and transmission force main to allow the decommissioning of the county’s Siesta Key Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).  This WWTP’s effluent is permitted for surface water discharge to Sarasota Bay.  

Once the new infrastructure is installed the plant will be decommissioned and the wastewater flows will be diverted to the mainland and treated at one of the county’s regional wastewater reclamation facilities. The 1.5 million gallons per day of contributing flow from the Siesta Key service area will then be treated and beneficially reused in the county’s reclaimed water system.

This project will lower the amount of nutrients entering Sarasota Bay.  Further, the increase in availability of reclaimed water will reduce the need for groundwater withdrawals to meet irrigation needs on the mainland.

Location:
Sarasota County, Siesta Key, Lat. and Long.: 27.27099677, -82.54108129

Status-all:
An alternatives analysis was completed on 01/05/09. Permitting for phase 1 of the project is 90% complete.  Construction for phase 1 is scheduled to begin in May 2013. Design for phase 2 is underway and design of phase 3 will start later this year.

Quantify Env Results:
Removal of this point source will have an immediate reduction of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) into Sarasota Bay

Eco Benefits Text:
The Siesta Key Wastewater Treatment Plant is permitted with a direct surface water discharge into the Grand Canal which feeds into Sarasota Bay and ultimately to the Gulf of Mexico.  The project will also increase the amount of beneficially used reclaimed water (1.5 mgd), and will reduce the amount of groundwater withdrawals used for irrigation in the region.

Jobs Text:
Current positions will be reassigned to other parts of utility operations due to the plant decommissioning

Habitat:
The project will enhanced water quality, and will contribute to reductions in chlorophyll levels within Sarasota Bay which in turn will promote sea grass growth.

Pollutant Red:
The decommissioning of the Siesta Key plant is estimated to remove 5,800 Lbs of Nitrogen and 2,000 Lbs of Phosphorous per year from Sarasota Bay

Living Resoruces:
Providing clearer water in Sarasota Bay will promote sea grass growth which will enhance native habitat for small fish and bivalves.

Resilience:
Moving key wastewater infrastructure off a barrier island and away from a storm surge area will improve the utility systems resiliency


Title:
Sarasota Bay Restoration Project/Phillippi Creek Septic System Replacement Program (PCSSRP)

Desription:
This Sarasota Bay Restoration Project know as the Sarasota County Septic System Replacement Program was initiated in the 1980’s with the focus on protecting flow from the streams and creeks that feed into the Sarasota Bay National Estuary, a federal designated water resource.  Water quality sampling of various surface waters within Sarasota County and area drainage basins, mainly Phillippi Creek, have historically contained high concentrations of fecal coliform.  Fecal coliform concentrations routinely exceed the standard of 200 CFU per 100 mL, and other studies were able to detect human intestinal viruses.

These high concentrations of fecal coliform do not appear to be discreet events related to seasonal or climactic changes but rather, are entering the surface water via groundwater flow in part from failing septic systems.  This project replaces over 15,000 aging septic systems with central sewers to improve wastewater treatment and effluent disposal, and in return address important factors in protecting both public health and watershed protection within Sarasota County.  

The program is a multi-year project, with the first phase of the program constructed in 2000-2001.  The Phillippi Creek program is approximately 50% complete and 4 phases are currently under design.  The cost of the entire program is nearly $200 million dollars

Location:
The Phillippi Creek program boundaries are: south of University Parkway, north of Clark Road, west of I-75, and east to the Sarasota Bay and gulf beaches, within the Sarasota County Phillippi Creek Watershed

Status-all:
Areas O/P will be ready for construction within 12 months.  Areas M & I-J1 will be ready for construction within 18 months.  5,000+ homes have already been connected to central sewer.

Quantify Env Results:
Surface water monitoring of the area has shown a promising trend toward the lowering of fecal coliform levels in both frequency and mean concentrations but it is still too early to draw conclusions about the results

Eco Benefits Text:
water quality, nutrient reduction, increase in reclaimed water, decrease in groundwater withdrawals

Jobs Text:
The various phases of the project are estimated to have created over 200 jobs.

Habitat:
The focus of the project is water quality improvement and the reduction of nutrient and Fecal coliform concentrations

Pollutant Red:
Phillippi Creek, a tributary to Sarasota Bay, which is a federal designated water resource, has been identified as being impaired for bacteria and nutrients.  This program will eliminate over 15,000 failing or poorly performing septic systems, decrease the level of fecal coliform and nutrients entering the creeks and bays, and eliminate several package wastewater treatment plants that have surface water discharges to the Bay

Living Resoruces:
Providing better water quality in Sarasota Bay will enhance the system native habitat for all species

Resilience:
Providing centralized wastewater service to this urban area will improve the quality of life for the residence and improve the safety of its surface waters.

Added Justification:
The program will protect public health, safeguard the environment, and increase the amount of reclaimed water by 3.0 million gallons per day that could be beneficially used for irrigation, which will reduce the amount of groundwater withdrawals.  Additional project information can be found at https://www.scgov.net/sewers/Pages/default.aspx.  See attachments to proposal.


Desription:
Excessive sedimentation harms natural systems in Sarasota Bay and its tributaries. The 2001 Hudson Bayou Stormwater Study described the need for sediment removal from Hudson Bayou.  .  Additional sampling showed similar conditions near the stormwater outfalls at Ringling Blvd. and 10th Street. This project includes the removal of 62,000 cubic yards of sediment from Hudson Bayou, 55,000 cubic yards from the 10th Street Outfall location, and 60,000 cubic yards from the Ringling Boulevard Outfall location

Quantify Env Results:
The sediments are highly organic and too mucky to be a suitable substrate for estuarine benthic organisms.  Metals content of the sediments are generally in the Threshold Effects Level or Probable Effects Level for negative impacts on marine life.  Sediment removal will restore a healthy benthic environment, provide opportunities for oyster habitat, improve water quality, improve navigability, and improve property values in a premier downtown location.

Eco Benefits Text:
More valuable urban waterfront, improved fishing and shell fishing, improved navigation and docking and waterfront access

Jobs Text:
Jobs would be created through construction and ecotourism.

Habitat:
Approximately 22 acres of estuary would be improved.

Pollutant Red:
Approximately 9600 pounds of lead, and significant amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and zinc would be removed from the Sarasota Bay watershed

Living Resoruces:
Approximately 22 acres of oyster habitat would be available for keystone habitat and water quality improvements. This project would improve benthic habitat and overall water quality in the system.

Resilience:
There will be an enhanced tourist and recreational economy through the improvements with this project.

Added Justification:
There will be an enhanced tourist and See attachments to proposal.


Desription:
Multifaceted restoration of the Hudson Bayou tributary to Sarasota Bay including:
1.	Innovative bank stabilization, natural systems restoration and water quality improvements along locations of impacted urban stream sections ($1,000,000).

Status-all:
Conceptual design complete for some sections

Quantify Env Results:
This project will restored tidal habitat including wetlands, mangroves and natural shorelines. It may remove accumulated sediment. It will also provide a measurable amount of nutrient removal to improve the health of Hudson Bayou and Sarasota Bay.

Eco Benefits Text:
The local economy will benefit from the environmental benefits, including reduced sedimentation, improved habitat and reduced nutrients. This project will benefit ecotourism opportunities in the receiving waterbody by improving water quality for natural systems. It will provide benefits for leisure sport and ecotourism businesses.

Jobs Text:
Jobs will be created through construction, fishing, and eco-tourism opportunities.

Habitat:
Shoreline and bottom habitat will be restored. The freshwater input in the system will be closer to natural hydrology

Pollutant Red:
Habitat improvements and sediment removal will reduce nutrient and metal pollutants in the system. Freshwater distribution will be closer to natural hydrology.

Living Resoruces:
This project will improve tidal creek system and associated marine resources such as snook habitat

Resilience:
This project would promote local redevelopment.


Desription:
Multifaceted restoration of the Whitaker Bayou tributary to Sarasota Bay including:
1.	Innovative bank stabilization, natural systems restoration and water quality improvements along locations of impacted stream sections ($1,000,000)
2.	Removal of sediment in portions of the bayou. ($1,000,000)
3.	Restoration of natural systems and hydrologic function along sections of stormwater conveyances. ($1,000,000)
4.	Conversion of traditional stormwater infrastructure to green infrastructure utilizing LID techniques will reduce pollutants in stormwater flow. This is a public/private partnership to create economic development in the North Trail Revitalization Area. ($900,000)

Quantify Env Results:
This project will restored tidal habitat including wetlands, mangroves and natural shorelines. It will remove accumulated sediment. It will also provide a measurable amount of nutrient removal to improve the health of Whitaker Bayou and Sarasota Bay.

Eco Benefits Text:
):  The local economy will benefit from the environmental benefits, including reduced sedimentation, improved habitat and reduced nutrients. This project will benefit ecotourism opportunities in the receiving waterbody by improving water quality for natural systems. It will provide benefits for leisure sport and ecotourism businesses.


Title:
Little Sarasota Bay Watershed Waterways Restoration

Desription:
The Little Sarasota Bay Watershed is laced with waterways that drain the land into creeks and the bay. This project would improve the environmental performance of the waterways by improving habitat, creating better water quality and restoring some of the natural hydrology.

Quantify Env Results:
This project will restore habitat including wetlands, mangroves and natural shorelines. It may remove accumulated sediment. It will also provide a measurable amount of nutrient removal to improve the health of Little Sarasota Bay.


Title:
Removal of Agricultural Dam from Phillippi Creek

Desription:
In the early 1900’s an agricultural dam was placed across Phillippi Creek to provide freshwater for irrigation of citrus crops in the area. This dam is no longer needed and is severely impacting the natural habitat in the Phillippi Creek system. This project includes the removal of the dam, removal of accumulated sediment and habitat improvement of the surrounding shoreline with native plants.

Location:
Phillippi Creek near Webber St. at Sarasota, Florida

Quantify Env Results:
This project will restored tidal habitat including wetlands, mangroves and natural shorelines. It may remove accumulated sediment. It will also provide a measurable amount of nutrient removal to improve the health of Phillippi Creek and Sarasota Bay.

Pollutant Red:
Habitat improvements and sediment removal will reduce nutrient pollutants in the system. Freshwater distribution will be closer to natural hydrology

Living Resoruces:
This project will improve tidal creek system and associated marine resources such as snook habitat.


Title:
10th Street Outfall Stormwater Treatment

Desription:
This project will provide stormwater treatment for a large urban area that is currently has little to no treatment and flows directly into Sarasota Bay. A structure will be constructed to capture debris and sediment before it enters the bay and will include a recreational component. The surrounding parking lot will be retrofitted with Low Impact Development techniques, including bioretention, cisterns, pervious pavement and vegetative buffers.

Quantify Env Results:
This project will reduce stormwater pollution entering Sarasota Bay from direct runoff of urban areas. It will restore tidal habitat including wetlands, mangroves and natural shorelines. It will also provide a measurable amount of nutrient removal to improve the health of Sarasota Bay.

Pollutant Red:
Nutrients, metals, oils and greases will be reduced with stormwater treatment techniques. Freshwater distribution will be closer to natural hydrology

Living Resoruces:
This project will improve Sarasota Bay and associated marine resources such as seagrass.

Resilience:
This project would promote local redevelopment and ensure we have a healthy bayfront.


Title:
Sarasota Bayfront Water Quality Improvements

Desription:
This project helps to implement recommendations and objectives from the Sarasota Bay Water Quality Management Plan (SWFWMD Project #W622), SWFWMD's SWIM Plan for Sarasota Bay and the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan by improving water quality in Sarasota Bay. This is a collaborative effort between City of Sarasota, Downtown Improvement District, Sarasota County, SBEP and neighborhood champions to treat stormwater from urban land use that currently has no stormwater treatment since it was built before conventional stormwater regulations. The project incorporates multiple techniques to manage stormwater: 1) demonstration of low impact development technologies in an urban street retrofit through pervious paving and bioretention; 2) urban park retrofit with bioretention; and 3) treatment of stormwater runoff with gross pollutant removal device. Each technique will be evaluated based on removal efficiencies and cost benefit, and the most effective techniques will be implemented to protect Sarasota Bay. This project includes design, permitting, construction and monitoring of the water quality improvements

Quantify Env Results:
This project will reduce stormwater pollution entering Sarasota Bay from direct runoff of urban areas. It will restore tidal habitat including wetlands, mangroves and natural shorelines. It will also provide a measurable amount of nutrient removal to improve the health of Sarasota Bay


Desription:
Dune enhancement, hydrology restoration and removal of nuisance invasive Australian pine and Brazilian pepper trees.

Location:
400 Ben Franklin Drive, Lido Key, FL 34236

Quantify Env Results:
Continuation project involving nuisance invasive vegetation removal, dune restoration, realignment of hydrology system within park with connection to Pansy Bayou.

Eco Benefits Text:
Enhanced beach, trails and water access will increase the number of tourists to the area for beach recreation and wildlife observations.

Habitat:
50 acres (3,000 linear feet of gulf beach frontage)

Living Resoruces:
Gulf of Mexico, Sarasota Bay, Pansy Bayou, nesting sea turtles, shore birds, wading birds and gopher tortoise habitat, mangrove swamp, fisheries, dunes and beach.

Resilience:
Improved economic and community health and wellness with outdoor recreation opportunities and beach access

Added Justification:
North Lido Beach Park has an approved management plan. In the past 2 years, phase I habitat restoration has been completed. (habitat enhancement and fisheries improvements).  See attachments to proposal.


Desription:
This fund would contribute 10% toward the continuation of an existing project. Siesta Beach was designated #1 Beach in the country in 2011. Environmental and public access improvements would help maintain that designation and enhance the existing features in place.

Location:
2201 Ben Franklin Drive and 190 Taft Drive, Sarasota, FL 34236

Quantify Env Results:
Reduce sediment accumulation within Brushy Bayou and mangrove islands. Enhance mangrove habitats and sea turtle and shore bird nesting habitat.

Eco Benefits Text:
Enhanced beach and trail access will increase the number of tourists to the area for ecotourism and outdoor recreational opportunities

Habitat:
100 acres (with 640 linear feet of gulf beach frontage and 3,500 linear feet of Big Pass frontage

Living Resoruces:
Gulf of Mexico, Sarasota Bay, Brushy Bayou, fishery nursery habitat, wetlands, mangrove swamp, seagrass beds, coastal dunes and beach.

Resilience:
Improved economic and community health and wellness with outdoor recreation opportunities such as birding, kayaking, fishing and beach access. Removal of nuisance exotic vegetation and associated management activities will enhance native coastal habitat in this dynamic environment

Added Justification:
Will enhance the City of Sarasota’s Multi-Use Recreational Trail. See attachments to proposal.


Desription:
Environmental habitat restoration, stormwater management and public access improvements.

Quantify Env Results:
Forty acres of park will see the existing stormwater issues addressed and resolved along with landscaping of Florida native plants to enhance the existing vegetation and dune system. Installed public access improvements to the beach from Beach Road will allow the maximum use and benefit of the beach’s natural assets while still maintaining the environmental integrity and beauty of the beach and Gulf of Mexico.

Eco Benefits Text:
Enhanced beach and trail access will increase the number of tourists to the area for ecotourism and outdoor recreational opportunities.

Habitat:
40 acres (2,400 linear feet gulf beach frontage)

Living Resoruces:
Gulf of Mexico, mangrove swamp, dunes, beach, nesting sea turtles and shore birds.

Added Justification:
This fund would contribute 10% toward the continuation of an existing project. Siesta Beach was designated #1 Beach in the country in 2011. Environmental and public access improvements would help maintain that designation and enhance the existing features in place.  See attachment to proposal.


Title:
Land Acquisition – Little Sarasota Bay Watershed

Desription:
Protection of bay front estuarine and other natural habitats through acquisition of land (fee simple) and/or conservation easements on Little Sarasota Bay, including:
1.	Reduce sedimentation, nutrient load.
2.	Protect habitat for listed species, including wading birds.
3.	Extend ‘Blueways’ paddle trails, kayak landings.

Status-all:
Land/ conservation easement acquisition is dependent on willing landowner agreeing to option contract for sale of project parcel(s).

Quantify Env Results:
Acquiring 102 acres on Little Sarasota Bay would protect estuarine habitat along the coast as well adjacent scrubby flatwoods habitat. County environmental land stewardship programs already monitor listed species on a regular basis.  Increased protected habitat acreage and future monitoring will provide quantifiable measures.

Eco Benefits Text:
This project will benefit recreational opportunities, providing additional coastal waterfront for kayaking and canoeing for Sarasota County’s existing “Blueways Trail” system.  This will provide benefits for leisure sport and ecotourism businesses. Protecting natural bay front provides ecosystem services, including storm protection, floodwater capacity/ retention, and filtration of nutrients/ sediment draining into the bay.

Jobs Text:
: Jobs may be created through fishing and other eco-tourism opportunities.

Habitat:
Up to 102 acres of natural habitat in the Little Sarasota Bay basin could be protected, including estuarine and bay front shoreline

Pollutant Red:
Habitat protection will reduce nutrient and metal pollutants in water discharged to the bay. Quantifying reductions may not be feasible on protected properties

Living Resoruces:
Bay front estuarine habitat provides nesting and/ or foraging areas for several species of listed wading birds. Scrub and scrubby flatwoods habitat in upland areas just east of Little Sarasota Bay provide habitat for the state-threatened gopher tortoise.

Resilience:
This project will provide coastal resilience to impacts from tropical storms. It will also enhance the quality of life for citizens to access and enjoy natural coastal waterfront, which is very rare in the state of Florida

Added Justification:
Little Sarasota Bay is part of an ecosystem designated an "estuary of national significance" by the U.S. Congress in 1989. The Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection designated the bay an ‘Outstanding Florida Water’ in recognition of exceptional recreational and ecological significance. Sarasota County’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program acquired 11.3 acres in this area in 2001 at a cost of $976,000. Acquiring an additional 102 acres along the bay in this priority site would further protect these habitats and waterfront. See attachments to proposal.


Desription:
Stormwater management and public access improvements

Location:
8862 Midnight Pass Road, Sarasota, FL 34242

Quantify Env Results:
Installed pervious surface at boat ramp and parking will reduce sediment runoff into bay and boat basin

Eco Benefits Text:
Enhanced water access at the boat ramp will increase the number of tourists to the area for boating recreation

Habitat:
19 acres (2,600 linear feet of shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico)

Living Resoruces:
Little Sarasota Bay, Intracoastal Waterway, mangroves and seagrasses

Resilience:
Improved economic and community health and wellness with outdoor recreation opportunities and water access via boat ramp


Desription:
Stabilizing the salt freshwater regime and reduction of excess freshwater discharge will make ecologic communities more stable.

Quantify Env Results:
This project will reduce stormwater pollution entering Sarasota Bay from direct runoff of urban areas. It will also provide a measurable amount of nutrient removal to improve the health of Sarasota Bay

Habitat:
Improved water quality in the bay and the freshwater input in the system will be closer to natural hydrology improving habitat


Desription:
Environmental habitat restoration and public access improvements

Location:
South end of Siesta Key and the north end of Casey Key

Status-all:
permits and construction plans are not needed

Quantify Env Results:
Removal of nuisance invasive plants, reduced seed source, and improve beach and dunes habitat for gopher tortoise burrows and nesting shorebirds and sea turtles. Improve rookery habitat for wading bird population.

Eco Benefits Text:
Enhanced beach and park access will increase the number of tourists to the area for beach recreation

Living Resoruces:
Gulf of Mexico, Intracoastal Waterway, Little Sarasota Bay, mangrove swamp, salt barren, seagrass beds, nesting sea turtles, shore birds and wading birds, dunes and beach.

Resilience:
Improved economic and community health and wellness with outdoor recreation opportunities and beach access. Improved beach access, improved habitat protection and management.


Desription:
This is a multi-phase implementation for the Dona Bay Watershed Management Plan (DBWMP). The existing Dona Bay watershed has been significantly impacted by man-made drainage activities, which increased the efficiency and volume of freshwater being discharged to its tidal estuary. Objectives are as follows  1) Providing a more natural freshwater/saltwater regime in the tidal portions of Dona Bay by removing a portion of the excess flow; 2) Provide an opportunity for alternative water supply development along with environmental restoration; 3) Provide some flood protection through storage; 4) Provide pollutant load removal and 5) Provide rehydration of wetlands by rerouting flow to the original slough path. Specifically this project will construct the conveyance system north through County owned property on the east side of Cow Pen Slough and construct modifications to the Albritton weir structure on Cow Pen Slough that will divert water into the conveyance system. This project will also construct a surface water storage/treatment facility.  The facility will be an in-ground surface water treatment facility that will attenuate and treat excess freshwater flows from Cow Pen Slough This project further implements the Dona Bay plan by preventing excessive freshwater from entering Dona Bay and diverting it to a 380 acre surface water storage facility for attenuation and treatment prior to being released back into the Dona Bay system.

Partners:
Southwest Florida Water Management District

Status-all:
Some components of the conveyance system have received applicable permits.

Quantify Env Results:
Environmental results will be quantified by reduction of flows to the estuary measured by stage heights and discharge curves. Phases of the project are estimated to reduce excess flows by 15% to 80%.

Eco Benefits Text:
Quantified economic benefits are estimated based on pollutant load removal. Phase 1 has the potential to remove up to 10,500 lbs of nitrogen a year. At $750 per pound this is close to $7.8 million dollars per year benefit.

Jobs Text:
: 50 to 100 jobs based on agency oversight

Habitat:
The water shed itself is 75 square miles. A 120 acre freshwater wetland habitat will be restored in later phases and the estuary itself is approximately 3

Living Resoruces:
Oyster beds will become more stable, benthic and juvenile fish restoration due to more stable salinity regime

Resilience:
Stabilizing the salt freshwater regime and reduction of excess freshwater discharge will make ecologic communities more stable.


Desription:
Environmental habitat restoration and public access improvements.

Location:
100 Casey Key Road, Casey Key, Nokomis, FL 34275

Quantify Env Results:
Removal of nuisance invasive plants, reduced seed source, and improve beach and dunes habitat for nesting shorebirds and sea turtles.

Eco Benefits Text:
Enhanced beach access will increase the number of tourists to the area for beach recreation.

Habitat:
24 acres (1,700 ft of Gulf beach frontage; 3,200 ft ICW frontage)

Living Resoruces:
Gulf of Mexico, Intracoastal Waterway, Blackburn Bay, mangrove swamp, seagrass beds, oyster flats, coastal dunes and beach.


Location:
1000 Casey Key Road, Casey Key, Nokomis, FL 34275

Living Resoruces:
Gulf of Mexico, Intracoastal Waterway, Lyons Bay, Blackburn Bay, mangrove swamp, seagrass beds, fisheries, coastal dunes and beach.


Quantify Env Results:
Removal of nuisance invasive plants, reduced seed source, and improve beach and dunes habitat for gopher tortoise burrows and nesting shorebirds and sea turtles. Improve mangrove rookery habitat for wading bird population

Habitat:
89 combined acres (4,800 linear feet of shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico)

Living Resoruces:
Mangroves, dunes, open beach and Gulf of Mexico

Resilience:
? Improved economic and community health and wellness with outdoor recreation opportunities and beach access. Improved beach access, improved habitat protection and management.


Desription:
Environmental habitat and hydrological restoration and public access

Quantify Env Results:
: Removal of nuisance invasive plants, reduced seed source, and improve beach and dunes habitat for gopher tortoise burrows and nesting shorebirds and sea turtles. Improve rookery habitat for wading bird population

Habitat:
177 acres (9,150 linear feet of gulf beach frontage)

Living Resoruces:
Gulf of Mexico, Intracoastal Waterway, Lemon Bay, Alligator Creek, coastal dunes and beach

Resilience:
Improved economic and community health and wellness with outdoor recreation opportunities and beach access. Improved beach access, improved habitat protection and management


Desription:
Trail connection, multi-use trail surface improvements and habitat improvements.

Location:
Between Tamiami Trail, Jacaranda Blvd. and Venice East Blvd. in Venice, FL

Quantify Env Results:
Reduced sediment runoff and removal of nuisance invasive vegetation to less than 10% of tree canopy  from 252-acre site

Eco Benefits Text:
Increase in ecotourism activities and sales of bicycles for trail access and use.
Connecting miles of multi-use trails with 3 public lands and a library

Pollutant Red:
Sediment accumulation reduction and stormwater runoff reduction of pesticide and fertilizer nutrients

Living Resoruces:
Bodies of water: Alligator Creek and Lemon Bay; Resources: wetlands, mangroves, coastal streams, fisheries, oyster and seagrass beds

Resilience:
Creating opportunities for citizens and visitors to improve health and wellness in daily lifestyle associated with increased fitness from trail activity

Added Justification:
Trails promote sustainability via non-motorized travel, i.e. walking and bicycling, creating a walkable community. Increased us of multi-use trails equates to fewer vehicles on the road and therefore reduces the community’s carbon footprint.  See attachments to proposal.


Location:
8570 Manasota Key Road, Manasota Key, Englewood, FL 34223

Status-all:
permits and construction plans not needed

Quantify Env Results:
Removal of nuisance invasive plants, reduced seed source, and improve beach and dunes habitat for gopher tortoise burrows and nesting shorebirds and sea turtles. Improve rookery habitat for wading bird population

Habitat:
14 acres from gulf to bay (1,394 linear feet of gulf beach frontage)

Living Resoruces:
Gulf of Mexico, Intracoastal Waterway, Lemon Bay, coastal hammock, mangrove swamp, seagrass beds, dunes, beach, gopher tortoise habitat and listed endangered species.


Location:
6725 Manasota Key Road, Manasota Key, Englewood, FL 34223

Habitat:
66 acres from gulf to bay (2,940 linear feet of gulf beach frontage)

Living Resoruces:
Coastal maritime hammock, dunes, mangrove swamp, seagrass beds, and shellfish and fisheries.

Resilience:
? Improved economic and community health and wellness with outdoor recreation opportunities and beach access. Improved beach access, habitat protection and management.


Title:
Land Acquisition - Myakka River Watershed Restoration

Desription:
Protection of spring-flow creek which drains into the Myakka River and eventually into Charlotte Harbor.  Riverine, scrubby flatwoods and other natural habitats would be protected  through acquisition of land (fee simple) and/or conservation easements on the creek, including:
1.	Reduce sedimentation, nutrient load.
2.	Protect habitat for listed species, including wading birds.
3.	Extend ‘Blueways’ paddle trails, kayak landings.

Quantify Env Results:
Acquiring 31 acres along Warm Mineral Springs Creek would protect a rare spring flow which drains into the “Wild and Scenic” designated Myakka River.  County environmental land stewardship programs already monitor listed species on a regular basis.  Increased protected habitat acreage and future monitoring will provide quantifiable measures.

Eco Benefits Text:
This project will protect the outflow on one of Florida’s most unique spring systems.  The creek also provides winter cold weather refuge for the endangered West Indian manatee.  Protecting land to buffer this sensitive natural area also provides ecosystem services, including storm protection, floodwater capacity/ retention, and filtration of nutrients/ sediment draining into the bay.

Habitat:
Up to 31 acres of natural habitat in the Myakka River basin could be protected, including creek frontage

Living Resoruces:
This rare spring-fed creek provides riverine habitat for a diversity of fish, invertebrate and wading bird species.  Scrubby flatwoods in upland areas along the creek provide habitat for the state-threatened gopher tortoise.

Resilience:
This project will provide resilience to impacts from tropical storm flooding. It will also enhance the quality of life for citizens to access and enjoy natural areas surrounding Warm Mineral Springs

Added Justification:
The Myakka River is designated a ‘Wild and Scenic River’ by the Florida legislature.  Acquiring 31 acres along Warm Mineral Springs Creek would protect this unique spring run that flows into the Myakka River. The creek also provides winter refuge for the endangered West Indian Manatee.  Sarasota County’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program has acquired 4.27 acres along the creek since 2003 at a cost of $473,434. Acquiring an additional 31 acres in this priority site would further protect these habitats and the drainage into the Myakka River and Charlotte Harbor.  See attachments to proposal.


Title:
Robinson Preserve II Restoration - MC List 2

Desription:
The Robinson Preserve Phase II Restoration project consists of converting
150 acres neighboring Robinson Preserve from mostly improved pasture to native wetland and upland habitats. This will be done by re-contouring the land, followed by planting with native vegetation and intensive maintenance.

Location:
West Manatee County, centered at 27,509033.-82.666583

Status-all:
Conceptual restoration design is complete and productive pre-application discussions with USACE and SWFWMD have occurred.  Wetland limits were established during permitting of a planned development that has not been constructed.

Quantify Env Results:
Results and How to Measure Them: The restoration and ecological
enhancements  which are proposed will create a tapestry of highly productive native habitats. The $6.8 million ecological restoration of the existing award-winning  Robinson Preserve
(1st Place Future of the Region Environmental Award , March 20, 2009) serves as an example to
the environmental successes that will be associated with the restoration ofthe adjacent 150 acres owned by Manatee County. Ecological values ofthe land if restored should be contrasted to the current land use within the Phase II footprint (improved pasture), that harbors an extensive seed source of nuisance and exotic vegetation

Eco Benefits Text:
Restoration activities for this project will
support the local economy through the design, permitting, construction, and maintenance of the eventual restoration project. Enduring economic benefit will result from eco-tourism value of Robinson Preserve and its association with local preserves in general. The restoration of this property will also facilitate numerous ecosystem services, especially after restoration activities have matured. It should be noted that this property has been acquired under partnership with the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast for express purpose of environmental restoration and passive recreational enjoyment. Since this property is already in public ownership, RESTORE Act funding dedicated to this habitat improvement will be 100% available for ecological enhancement and environmental resiliency without the burden of property acquisition cost as
part of the total project proposal.

Enhancements  which are proposed will create a tapestry of highly productive native habitats. The $6.8 million ecological restoration of the existing award-winning  Robinson Preserve
(1st Place Future of the Region Environmental Award , March 20, 2009) serves as an example to
the environmental successes that will be associated with the restoration of the adjacent 150 acres owned by Manatee County. Ecological values of the land if restored should be contrasted to the current land use within the Phase II footprint (improved pasture), that harbors an extensive seed source of nuisance and exotic vegetation

Jobs Text:
Direct jobs will be created through the
restoration maintenance and operation for passive public use, estimated at 30 additional jobs calculated as a multiplier of the investment of restoration dollars.

Pollutant Red:
Increased water quality treatment from higher rates of storm water treatment and attenuation prior to discharge; avoidance of urban runoff offset by public acquisition Increased water quality treatment from higher rates of storm
water treatment and attenuation prior to discharge

Living Resoruces:
What living coastal/marine resources will be improved  and by how much? The dominant
land cover on this site is improved pasture.  Restoration of this property will provide natural
 

habitats throughout the entire project site with passive use trails and amenities for public
outreach and education. Habitats to be restored, created, or enhanced are pine flatwoods, maritime hammock, coastal strand hammock, buttonwood hammock, freshwater ponds, freshwater emergent marsh, salt tern, bird nesting islands, salt marsh, mangrove swamp, oyster bars, and artificial reef structures.

Resilience:
Increasing natural native habitats in the coastal environment will increase community resilience.  Additionally marine habitats to be created are feasibly protected from future man made or natural disasters due to the relatively narrow surface water connections with the outside marine environment which would allow for easy protection from contaminant entry (i.e. an oil spill). Furthermore, the relatively protected nature this project site, due to landscape position, offers considerable protection from natural disasters (i.e. hurricanes).  These factors would allow the area to serve as a harvest site for donor planting material if restoration of damaged areas were required after a disaster event

Added Justification:
Additional Justification: The Robinson Preserve Phase II Expansion will transform a landscape
of ruderal agricultural land use into a tapestry of highly valuable and increasingly rare native upland, wetland, and sub-tidal habitats. This project, along with the numerous other restoration projects in the area undertaken by Manatee County, will aid in preservation, restoration, and protecting the ecological integrity of coastal areas in the region. Through public involvement, by active participation in the restoration process and passive recreation, the project will also create citizen stakeholders for generations to come. The County has already received written commitment from partners in this restoration effort, including the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, SBEP, Sarasota Bay Watch, and the Sarasota/Manatee  Chapter of START (Solutions To Avoid Red Tide). This project and its associated benefits for gulf ecosystem resiliency can be readily combined (bundled) with similar  restoration opportunities in the Tampa  Bay area to promote a strong  regionally-focused application  for consideration  by the Gulf Coast Restoration Council.

Manatee County's experience in successful design, permitting, and construction of large scale projects, such as the Robinson Preserve Phase II Expansion, has provided valuable experience that will facilitate success in meeting the current project goals. The conceptual plan for this site focuses on the necessity for quality habitats and their benefits to water quality, biological diversity, fisheries, and passive public interaction. Habitat restoration plans also take into account factors such as construction feasibility, sea level rise, protection from man-made and natural disasters, listed species natural amenities, and protection of existing high quality habitats in the vicinity. Furthermore, the design ofthis project allows for easy protection of the site from potential oil spill contamination by narrow tidal connections with the outside environment. Cutting off the tidal waters with barriers would afford protection and allow this area to potentially serve as a vegetation harvest site for restoration efforts in the event an oil spill affected the area.
Habitats proposed for creation on this site include pine flatwoods, maritime hammock, coastal strand hammock, buttonwood hammock, freshwater ponds, freshwater emergent marsh, salt tern, bird nesting islands, salt marsh, mangrove swamp, oyster bars, and artificial reef structures. The creation and protection of these native habitats are vitally important in preserving the natural landscape regionally, increasing biodiversity, creating high quality marine, coastal wetland, and upland habitats, adding much needed wildlife habitat for numerous listed species, and increasing public awareness of the function and value of natural areas.
Concept Map Attached to proposal


Title:
Duette Preserve Longleaf Pine Restoration though Silviculture

Desription:
Eligible for bundling with other regional RESTORE Act watershed
restoration and/or longleaf pine restoration efforts: Afforest and restore 2,595 acres of former agricultural land within the Lake Manatee watershed to longleaf pine ecosystem via phased, single generation silvicultural operation. Establish 1,883,970 longleaf seedlings in plantation form (726 trees per acre) over two years. Utilize yields from subsequent forest product harvest, as trees mature, to fund restoration goals and objectives over 50 years to include thinning longleaf timber to natural densities, ground cover restoration, purchase of restoration and vegetation management equipment and contracted services.

Quantify Env Results:
A recent study demonstrated that afforestation of former agricultural land sequesters carbon on the order of2.2 to 9.5 metric tons per acre per year (http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40562.pdf). Measurements of carbon accumulation parallels woody biomass growth. Improvements measurable from improved functions of forested land versus existing conditions.

Eco Benefits Text:
Economic Benefits (including ecosystem services): Recent studies have indicated that managed forest land provides ecosystem service values ranging from $264 to $13,442 per acre per year (httg://www.wamell.uga.edu/news/w-contentlugloads/2011/02/Final-Regort-1-24-11.gdf;

http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/cfeor/docs/EcosystemServices.FloridaStewardshipReport.Jul2012.pdf).
The proposed 2595 acres restored would equate to $685,080 to $34,881,990 in annual value.

Jobs Text:
(http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/2010_02_23_release.cfm; http://wilderness.org/files/Green-Jobs-Fact-Sheet.pdf; http://www.americanprogress.org/
issues/2011/02/pdf/beyond_recovery.pdf; NOAA Restoration Center;

Pollutant Red:
Greenhouse gases will be reduced. Afforestation of former agricultural land sequesters carbon on the order of 2.2 to 9.5 metric tons per acre per year. At 2595 acres, the proposed project could accumulate between 5,709 and 25,172 metric tons of carbon per year.

Living Resoruces:
This area is a large portion of the watershed of  the Manatee River and contributes to Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay. Reducing nutrient loads and improving water quality through ecosystem restoration will improve ground water quality as well as within bay waters.

Resilience:
Restoring longleaf pine ecosystems provides potential for improving climate change conditions through carbon sequestration, reduction in wind energy from hurricanes and regulation of other environmental changes. Improved water retention and regulation of a forested system will better protect downstream areas in flood conditions.

Added Justification:
Restoration through more conventional, direct means of initiating ground cover restoration first, then addressing longleaf pine overstory, would total an estimated $15,570,000 for an area this size, based on an average cost of $6,000 per acre. This plan proposes equivalent restoration over a longer time period, but for less than 1/10th the cost.  See photos with project submittal.  See attachment to proposal.


Title:
Larry Bordon Artificial Reef Habitat Enhancement

Partners:
This project is supported by the Manatee County Marine Advisory Committee

Status-summary:
Site layout is complete, field surveys pending. Permit
applications to be submitted in 2013

Quantify Env Results:
Annual fish count and benthic
organism monitoring will be conducted.

Eco Benefits Text:
A recent artificial reef socio-economic conducted for southwest Florida concluded that annual expenditures associated with artificial reefs in Manatee County alone are just over $23,000,000. The County's reef system supports a_I!Qroximately_234 full or_I>_art time jobs (http://www.flseagrant.org/).

Living Resoruces:
Increases in the
biological diversity of Gulf of Mexico seafloor areas previously devoid of preferred habitat for finfish and benthic organisms.

Resilience:
Additions to the County's reef system add to the economic resilience of the community and are supported even by citizens who do not utilize the reefs.

Added Justification:
Although there are a few areas of low relief hard bottom in the Gulf and bay waters surrounding Manatee County, in general, productive hard bottom habitat is sparse in waters less than 40 feet deep. Appropriate artificial reef materials have significant benefits in terms of habitat enhancement and recruitment opportunities for finfish and invertebrates.
This  project reef  design   will consist of  two  patch areas  of  large diameter  limestone boulders
(approximately 2,000 tons total). Based upon observations of limestone boulder patches placed on other Manatee County reefs, limestone appears to be superior in contrast to concrete light poles or culvert in two main ways: (I) it is a "natural" material  which benefits encrusting benthic organisms and (2)  it typically provides greater complexity and interstitial habitat for desirable finfish such as snapper and grouper.


Title:
Restore Water Quality - Hydrologic Monitoring Network

Desription:
A significant data gap in MCNRD ongoing water quality monitoring is the inability to accurately compute watershed pollutant loading rates without discharge measurements from a companion stream gage network. Stream gage stations in five selected, and monitored, subwatersheds will allow for the calculation of pollutant loads in the gaged subwatersheds and improve estimates of loads from similar un-gaged subwatersheds.

Partners:
Hydrologic Data Collections, Inc., TBEP, SBEP, CHNEP

Quantify Env Results:
Stage gages installed and operated by a specialty contractor of hydrologic data services will provide continuous stage and discharge measurements. Pollutant concentration data from ongoing MCNRD monitoring stations would be expressible in terms of loads.

Eco Benefits Text:
Effectiveness of local stormwater pollutant prevention efforts could be fiscally optimized. Additional benefits to adaptive management process of the Estuary Programs (Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor) are anticipated, but are unknown at this time.

Living Resoruces:
?:  This program encompasses all resources affected by freshwater or stormwater flows to coastal and near shore marine resources from the gaged subwatersheds of Manatee County. The conceptual gage program under this proposal places gages in 3 tidal streams and 2 freshwater streams, with at least one gage in each Estuary Program jurisdiction.

Added Justification:
Available watershed models for subwatershed Event Mean Concentrations need to be continuously re-validated under climate change scenarios. A program recently launched by the three local estuary programs (Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor) to set numeric nutrient standards for tidal streams will be enhanced by data from this program.  Attachments provided.


Title:
Restore Water Quality - Regional Water Quality Monitoring Program

Desription:
High-quality ambient water quality data is required by almost all investigations of environmental impacts to freshwater, coastal, and near shore marine resources. Support for the operation of MCNRD’s 81-station ambient water quality monitoring program within Manatee County’s streams, rivers, bays and coastal waters will help ensure that this service remains intact for use in adaptive management of these resources, evaluation of impairments, compliance with established water quality criteria, and promotion of healthy natural resources management.

Quantify Env Results:
This ongoing monitoring program provides primary data for investigations of the quality and quantity of freshwater flows to coastal waters, the effectiveness of nutrient reduction networks, stormwater pollutant and pathogen load reduction projects, and implementation of adaptive management strategies

Eco Benefits Text:
This program encompasses all resources affected by freshwater or stormwater flows to coastal and near shore marine resources from the land area of Manatee County (743 sq. mi).

Pollutant Red:
Data generated by this activity is used to evaluate compliance with Federal, State, NEP and local standards

Living Resoruces:
This program encompasses all resources affected by freshwater or stormwater flows to coastal and near shore marine resources from the land area of Manatee County (743 sq. mi).  Monitoring program effort is roughly distributed within local Estuary Program operating areas:  Tampa Bay – 64% of effort, Sarasota Bay – 33% of effort, and Charlotte Harbor – 3% of effort.

Added Justification:
Water quality monitoring data from the MCRND program allows us and our Estuary Program partners to evaluate, with confidence, the success of adaptive environmental management actions by all three area Estuary Programs (Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor) that include Manatee County within their program areas. Our data meets stringent quality control requirements set by Florida Department of Environmental Protection for waterbody evaluations under the Clean Water Act and the MCNRD has its own certified environmental laboratory.


Title:
Restore and Conserve Habitat - Sarasota Bay Seagrass Monitoring Program

Desription:
Create a coordinated seagrass monitoring program in northern Sarasota Bay, in cooperation with Sarasota County and SBEP, which is needed to improve knowledge and management of this critical habitat.  Monitoring strategies will be consistent with that currently be conducted in other portions of Sarasota Bay.

Location:
Northern Sarasota Bay, Palma Sola Bay, Anna Maria Sound

Quantify Env Results:
The principal benefits realized by this proposal will be indirect; a seagrass monitoring program in northern Sarasota Bay supports development of a Bay-wide status and trends metric for the resource

Living Resoruces:
?:  Protection of critical bay seagrass habitat.

Resilience:
? Seagrass status and trend information is important to the success of the Sarasota Bay Program, the leading comprehensive, scientifically based, stake-holder driven coastal improvement program in the project area

Added Justification:
There is currently no seagrass monitoring program in northern Sarasota Bay comparable to existing efforts of other Sarasota Bay partners. MCNRD participation in seagrass assessments along with other Sarasota Bay partners will eliminate this data gap and provide a consistent assessment of this important living marine resource for the entire Bay.


Title:
Restore Water Quality - Stream Condition Index Program

Desription:
Assessments of freshwater streams using purely physical and chemical measurements may not unequivocally identify the waterbody as “healthy” or “unhealthy”. This proposal funds the implementation of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s biological assessment measure, chiefly the Stream Condition Index (SCI), within selected Manatee County freshwater streams.  Stream quality is essential for protecting downstream lakes, tributaries, estuaries and coastal ecosystems

Quantify Env Results:
MCNRD will implement Florida Department of Environmental Protection standardized procedures for biological assessments of freshwater streams that are codified in State water quality rules. These procedures provide a portable metric for stream quality.

Eco Benefits Text:
Removal of a waterbody from the “Impaired” list by SCI has a positive economic impact on the community

Living Resoruces:
This program will refine the list of Manatee County waterbodies that have potential pollutant loading issues. The value of these findings to coastal and near shore resources will vary.

Added Justification:
Many monitored flowing freshwater streams in Manatee County that remain threatened with a Total Maximum Daily Load for nutrients or other systemic impairment appear amenable to reclassification with an acceptable SCI assessment


ConInfo:
Paul Panik, Environmental Programs Manager,
Manatee County Natural Resources Department (MCNRD)
Paul.panik@mymanatee.org

Title:
Enhance Community Resilience – Pollutant reduction from businesses through education and on-site inspections

Desription:
The project is a substantial expansion of the unfunded hazardous waste program in Manatee County.  Public outreach and education will be provided through detailed inspections at suspect properties/businesses.  This field presence will allow for careful evaluation of potential sources of pollution, including hazardous materials, pollutant storage and septic tanks, water wells, inappropriate fertilizer management, and illicit stormwater discharges.

Location:
Manatee County, including all incorporated municipalities

Quantify Env Results:
All inspections will be fully documented, with details including violations noted, referrals made, outreach provided, and additional follow-up taken.

Eco Benefits Text:
Consulting with businesses to educate them on hazardous material substitutions and waste minimizations/reuse frequently leads to substantial cost savings to business and the community.

Pollutant Red:
Minimization of pollution of all types to ground waters and surface waters.  This program is an important part of industrial pollution prevention activities for our municipal stormwater system.

Living Resoruces:
All receiving water from the 743 square mile watershed of Manatee County stands to be protected.

Resilience:
Key players within the community will receive personalized information regarding their businesses and properties as related to a number of environmental programs.  Educated business owners performing work on other property will be more likely to operate in a manner conducive to good environmental stewardship, further promoting our objectives.

Added Justification:
Violations and issues that are identified during the inspections will be addressed internally or, in the case of extensive compliance problems, referred to the appropriate entity.


ConInfo:
Melissa Nell Manatee County Natural Resources Department, Melissa.nell@mymanatee.org  
Sara Kane Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, 
Misty Cladas Tampa Bay Estuary Program

Desription:
This project will fund a Southwest Florida Bay Roamer's Guide. Sarasota Bay Estuary Program is partnering with New College and other organizations (such as Manatee County, Around the Bend Nature Tours, and Mote) in order to develop a "Bay Roamer's Guide." The guide is a full color piece that includes features on different habitats, wildlife, and plants found in the Sarasota Bay area. This project will be expanded to add the Tampa Bay Estuary, Charlotte Harbor Estuary and surrounding counties. This funding request would cover the cost of guide development by a professional graphic artist as well as printing for a minimum of 7,500 copies (2,500 to each NEP for distribution) to be portioned out across southwest Florida. Additional funding would include support for an interactive downloadable app which would provide users with an immersive electronic educational experience. Plans for the app include compatibility with both iphone and droid platforms with the intention of using it in the field during educational programs as well as use by tourists visiting the area.

Location:
Manatee, Sarasota, Pinellas, and Hillsborough Counties; the final product will be distributed through locations such as the Counties via the libraries, outreach events and festivals, County parks and preserves, and public and private schools

Partners:
Manatee County, TBEP, CHNEP, New College of FL, Around the Bend Nature Tours

Status-all:
A portion of the project draft has already been completed by a contractor hired through Sarasota Bay Estuary Program. The uplands section of the guide is in draft form. Additional habitats and species must still be designed and are ready to be created immediately.

Quantify Env Results:
Results for this project would be determined in form of 1. Final deliverable product created, 2. Number of publications distributed (and distribution sites throughout NEP watersheds), 3. Creation of app to further the educational experience, effectively making guide accessible from any mobile device, 4. Distribution of the guide to schools for use in educational curriculum

Eco Benefits Text:
While it is difficult to quantify the economic benefits derived from a publication that would raise education about Florida’s natural systems, there is a direct link between ecotourism and this publication. The guide’s focus on Florida’s habitats will also help to highlight the many passive recreational opportunities within these same natural lands, supporting ecotourism providers, hotels and restaurants that serve ecotourists, and travel providers such as airports and bus lines

Habitat:
?: Direct habitat conservation would not be a result from this project, however the readers of the guide may be more likely to participate in activities such as volunteer projects in order to help restore native habitat once they understand the value of the habitat and learn more about the unique species who rely upon it.

Living Resoruces:
The Bay Roamer’s Guide aims to give readers an overview of the diverse habitats that can be found within the Bay watershed. Included in the publication will be sections for uplands, freshwater, and coastal marine habitats as well as the species that can be found living in them.

Resilience:
Increasing community understanding and value of natural resources will provide support for restoration and conservation activities such as water quality improvement projects and restoration plantings to stabilize shorelines and recreate native habitat.

Added Justification:
While this form is not specifically geared toward educational projects, the Bay Roamer’s Guide represents a unique opportunity for a partnership that will benefit multiple Counties (those within the watersheds of SBEP, TBEP and CHNEP) as well as visitors to these areas. The guide itself will help people to answer the question “what is that?” when exploring natural Florida and, also, will help them to build a better connection with the natural lands that many organizations are working hard to protect. No comprehensive habitat or species guide exists for the Sarasota/Tampa Bay/Charlotte Harbor Region. Additional material can be requested from Sarasota Bay Estuary Program. SBEP has contracted with a designer to create the guide and seek additional funding to complete the guide design, print the guide, and create an app to further the outreach capabilities for this educational project.


Desription:
Patterned off of the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program's virtual Bay tours, this program would expand their previously developed tours to include trips to locations within the Sarasota Bay and Tampa Bay watersheds. Funding would provide for videography, scripting, and final editing of approximately 20 new tours (10 for each watershed) as well as website support and distribution to local youth and school agencies through a medium such as CDs or DVDs. Funding for interpretive signage to be placed at each site, as well as those already featured by Charlotte Harbor, which would include a scannable QR code that links directly to the video would also be included with this request.

Location:
Manatee, Sarasota, Pinellas, and Hillsborough Counties; unique water features throughout the Tampa and Sarasota Bay region including, but not limited to, areas such as rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds, streams, ditches, preserves, beaches, and parks

Eco Benefits Text:
This project will require the use of a film crew and video editing team, creating new job opportunities for these services. Once the project is completed, the resulting watershed tours will provide a virtual experience for individuals who cannot visit the area but can also be used as tourism promotion for individuals who may want to explore the natural side of the participating Counties thereby generating additional benefits for associated business.

Living Resoruces:
A variety of creatures living within the watershed will benefit from the education of the virtual trip participants. Both those species that are in decline as well as those that are more familiar will be highlighted.

Added Justification:
With the increasing costs of field trips, schools are slashing budgets for field trips. Teachers also are choosing to take fewer field trips or must be extremely selective in terms of the locations they visit due to time and content constraints placed upon their curricula via the Sunshine State Standards. By creating these trips, correlated with the state requirements, teachers would be able to take their students on virtual trips without ever having to find the budget to visit the real locations. While there is no true substitution for actually having the opportunity to experience these locations first-hand, the virtual trips will at the very least provide an immersive environment for students to learn about native Florida plants, animals, and habitat. These trips will also be useful as they will provide an introduction to the students’ own backyard, helping them become familiar with the many sights they see and creatures they experience on a regular basis.


ConInfo:
Sara Kane, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program sara@sarasotabay.org
Karen Fraley, Around the Bend Nature Tours Karen@aroundbend.com 
Sandra Gilchrist, New College of Florida gilchrist@ncf.edu

Desription:
PIER stands for Protection Involvement Education & Restoration and is a program including field trips for K-12 schools, teacher training and a Bay Guardians Volunteer component for citizens of all ages. Around the Bend Nature Tours will provide standards-based field studies for school groups and coordinate projects for Bay Guardians events to include native restoration plantings and coastal cleanups along with watershed education. New College of Florida will provide hands-on teacher training with practical applications for teachers to use on their campus sites to improve awareness of watershed education. The activities used in this project will be posted on several websites for use in all areas of the Gulf of Mexico.

Location:
Various restoration sites and public lands throughout the Sarasota Bay and Southern Tampa Bay watershed, as well as the New College of Florida campus. The activities used in this project will be posted on several websites for use in all areas of the Gulf of Mexico.

Partners:
Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, New College of Florida

Quantify Env Results:
Watershed awareness will be measured on field trips by pre- and post-tests given to students, and qualitative evaluations given to teachers. Numbers of teachers reached will be a measurement of teacher workshops. Number of citizens reached in Bay Guardians events.

Eco Benefits Text:
Enhancing PIER will result in creation of jobs to implement the program. One aspect of the education program includes exotic plants – increasing the awareness of citizens in recognizing small exotics that can be removed by hand will save big dollars in future eradication efforts. Understanding that everything we do in the watershed, from littering to fertilizing, ends up in our Gulf ecosystem will create a prevention ethic that will improve water quality.  Education of students, teachers and citizens in the 3-pronged approach of this project will create an understanding of the need for conserving coastal ecosystems that will save dollars in the long run. Communities that understand the importance of their resources will be more likely to preserve them.

Jobs Text:
10 full time and 10 part time jobs will be created to implement the field trip program. Plus 5 jobs preserved

Habitat:
Education programs take place at several sites throughout the watershed, an estimated 200 acres could be impacted by conservation education activities.

Pollutant Red:
This is a watershed education program including LID stormwater principles. There is no direct pollution reduction, but future decision-makers will have a basic knowledge to work from after participating in these programs.

Living Resoruces:
Education takes place throughout the watershed including uplands, mangrove forests and forays into the coastal grass-flats. A variety of flora and fauna living within the watershed will benefit from the education of field trip participants. The difference between native, exotic and invasive exotic species will be a teaching point.

Resilience:
Education builds confidence; studies show a positive outlook will make a difference in community resilience. Students are our future decision makers and educating them in watershed concepts will create lifelong learners and responsible citizens. Education of students, teachers and citizens in the 3-pronged approach of this project will create an understanding of the need for conserving coastal ecosystems that will save dollars in the long run. Communities that understand the importance of their resources will be more likely to preserve them.

Added Justification:
Field trips are one of the first items to be cut out of school budgets. This field aspect of education is critical for science decision-making. Experiential learning has been directly correlated to increased understanding of concepts. The benefits of teacher education are also profound – the program provides easy to use lesson plans for teachers that are not familiar with concepts relating to local ecosystems. This is not something that is taught in basic teacher education curricula.


Submitting Organization:
Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast

Living Resoruces:
Rare wildlife habitat Maintenance of mangrove/______ marsh


Title:
Acquisition of Parcels 0125-110004 & 020001(I)

Desription:
Acquisition of Parcels 0125-110004 & 020001Little Sarasota Bay

Added Justification:
Last remaining bay-front property in South Bay


Title:
Restore Water Quality: Monitoring Regional Trends in Atmospheric Emissions

Desription:
Direct deposition to Gulf and coastal waters by nutrients and pollutants in the atmosphere – specifically nitrogen and sulfur oxides (NOX and SOX) - was identified in the Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (GMRERS) as a water quality issue of concern. Most Emissions of these pollutants are from hydrocarbon combustion. Support for the MCNRD monitoring program will help ensure that air quality data will be available for further, difficult, air and water policy development. Ambient ground-level ozone concentrations measured by MCNRD for Clean Air Act (CAA) compliance will follow regional trends in NOX and SOX emissions.

Quantify Env Results:
Continuous measurements of ground-level ozone from three coastal air monitoring stations will indirectly indicate regional trends in the emissions of oxides of nitrogen and sulfur from all sources

Eco Benefits Text:
The monitoring program supported by this proposal, at a minimum, affects the 327,000 residents of the 743 sq mile jurisdictional area of Manatee County, Florida through demonstration of CAA compliance status. Ecosystem services benefits are unknown.

Living Resoruces:
This proposal encompasses impacts to all coastal and  near shore marine resources affected by direct atmospheric deposition of oxides of nitrogen and sulfur. The magnitude of the impact is unknown.

Resilience:
Quality-assured measurements of air quality trends will provide the community with an analytic support tool that measures the effectiveness of air quality management actions on the local natural environment. The technical infrastructure this proposal supports enhances communication of air quality issues with stakeholders.

Added Justification:
Direct atmospheric deposition of nutrients and pollutants to waterbody surfaces is a problem that can only be meaningfully addressed by expensive, technology-based source-level reductions. It is difficult to set policy objectives for air quality improvements without the support of a very large amount of very high-quality air quality observations. This proposal leverages our existing CAA-compliant monitoring and quality assurance infrastructure. Emissions.  See proposal for diagrams, etc.


ConInfo:
Juan Florensa, Public Works Director, Town of  Longboat Key

Title:
Longboat Pass Inlet and Surrounding Shoreline Improvements

Desription:
Longboat Pass and its surrounding beaches located at the north end of the Town of Longboat Key in Manatee County serves as a navigation and recreational amenity for boaters, fishing enthusiasts, and beach goers.  Significant sections of the gulf front and inlet shoreline are subject to the dynamic forces (currents and tides) that create sand losses (erosion) and/or sand deposition (accretion) of the shoreline.  Some of this constantly shifting sand moves in and out of the bay waters and inlet facing shorelines. The 2012 Longboat Pass Inlet Management Study identified strategies to manage the inlet to minimize negative habitat impacts to sea turtles, shore birds, sea grasses and mangroves. These strategies consist of construction of coastal structures in conjunction with periodic dredging of the Pass and sand nourishment of Longboat Key shorelines impacted by Longboat Pass.

Location:
Northern Longboat Key from FDEP Monument R-46 North to the Longboat Pass Bridge

Status-all:
Design is 85% complete, Permit application was submitted March 2012 – Expected permit issuance January 2013

Quantify Env Results:
Shoreline monitoring to document sand movement (erosion/accretion) is performed annually and will continue for the foreseeable future. Habitat mapping and monitoring will be performed as required by regulatory agency permit conditions.

Eco Benefits Text:
Healthy beaches and bay waters is a major attraction to this region. Stable beaches provide recreation opportunities and lateral access to over 10 miles of shoreline along Longboat Key.

Resilience:
The groins included in the project can act as stable anchors for oil boom placement/deployment in the event that an oil spill should occure in the future.  Therefore protecting Sarasota Bay and the marine communities from potential oil impacts.


Desription:
Canal dredging of public/private canals to re-establish safe boating access. Includes resulting mitigation and relocation of adjacent impacted sea grasses.

Eco Benefits Text:
Monies associated with design and constructions costs

Habitat:
Seagrass mitigated at a 3:1 ratio, estimated 20 acres (pending on design and surey)

Living Resoruces:
Local benthic communities, waterfowl habitats, fisheries habitat, water quality improvement

Resilience:
Improved aquatic access for local citizens and tourists, enhancing relocation and return of marine vessels in response to storm events.

Added Justification:
Reduction of localized nutrient laden sediment that may be contributing to degradation of water quality standards.


Title:
Longboat Key Wastewater Subaqueous Forcemain Replacement Project

Desription:
The Town of Longboat Key pumps its collected raw wastewater from a master pump station on Longboat Key to the Manatee County Southwest Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility on the mainland.  The wastewater is transported by a 20 inch ductile iron forcemain.  The forcemain was installed in 1973 and is approaching the end of its useful life. 
Through this project, the Town is planning to proactively replace the forcemain. Approximately 11,000 lineal feet of the pipeline route is subaqueous across Sarasota Bay.  The subaqueous portion traverses some of the most fertile seagrass habitat of Sarasota Bay.  Replacement of the 40 year old wastewater forcemain will avoid the possibility of pipeline failure and potential environmental impacts.

Quantify Env Results:
Avoid risk of aging infrastructure failure polluting premier quality seagrass habitat

Pollutant Red:
Avoid risk of aging infrastructure failure polluting premier quality seagrass habitat

Resilience:
This is a preemptive project that will fortify the safe delivery of wastewater to the Manatee County.


Desription:
Development of a community center and park.  The center would be an approximately 19,000 sq. ft. building including a fitness center, community room, activity room, several small multi-purpose rooms, catering kitchen, patio and a second floor outdoor deck. Park amenities will include a kayak/canoe launch with Sarasota Bay access, dock and boat lift, fishing pier, two tennis courts, multi-use court, two open field areas, covered pavilions, fitness trail and a covered children’s playground.

Location:
4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, FL 34228

Jobs Text:
2 permanent positions plus 18-24 months of Architect, Engineering, and Construction jobs.

Added Justification:
This community center will promote tourism on Longboat Key with educational opportunities, bay access, and multiple use recreation facilities.  Conceptual plan attached.


Submitting Organization:
FISH Preserve - Manatee County - Historical Records Library

Desription:
The FISH Preserve Interpretation Plan falls under the goal, Restore and Conserve Habitat, by designing, permitting and creating a series of boardwalk and trails and install interpretative signage on the 95 acre FISH Preserve.  The FISH Preserve is owned by the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage, Inc. (FISH) whose mission is to promote, educate and preserve Cortez and Florida’s commercial fishing and other traditional maritime cultures including the environment upon which these communities depend.  Funds requested by this proposal will give the public access to a restored and conserved habitat.  This interpretative plan will not only increase visitor experience, but encourage the preservation of natural spaces and watersheds.   It will also promote local fisheries by tying the environment to history and heritage of the maritime industry, and publicizing the seafood industry of Florida’s West Coast.       

In 2005, FISH began purchasing land now incorporated into the FISH Preserve.  Approximately 95 acres of upland, mangrove wetland and submerged bay bottom are located in western Manatee County, a rapidly developing coastal county with a population of approximately 280,000. The metropolitan area of Tampa/St. Petersburg is approximately 30 miles to the north. The site has excellent regional access via Interstate 75, about 15 miles to the east.  The historic fishing village of Cortez lies immediately to the west of the Preserve. First settled by commercial fishermen from the Carolinas in the 1880s, the community includes 97 structures that have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Cortez Road (State Road 684) delineates most of the Preserve's northern boundary. Cortez Road is a major east-west thoroughfare in Manatee County and provides one of only two accesses from the mainland to Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key. Over 1,000,000 people annually visit the beaches of these barrier islands. To the south, the Preserve boundary includes mangrove wetlands adjoining Sarasota Bay as well as intertidal mudflats and submerged bay bottom. Sarasota Bay has been designated as an Outstanding Florida Water and has been recognized as an estuary of national importance by the National Estuary Program. However, the watershed has undergone rapid development in recent decades. During the past 40 years, approximately 78% of the native bay shoreline has been altered. 

The FISH Preserve is one of the last remaining undeveloped parcels on Sarasota Bay.  The purpose of the acquisition of the Cortez Preserve property is to: 1) preserve, protect and restore environmentally sensitive wetlands; 2) protect endangered and threatened species that inhabit the property and an adjacent Audubon bird rookery (Cortez Key); 3) protect and preserve a historic structure, the 1912 Schoolhouse; 4) protect the public health, safety and welfare of citizens living in Manatee County by redirecting development away from the Coastal Storm Vulnerability Area (CSVA) and Coastal Evacuation Area (CEA); 5) avoid potential negative impacts to the water quality in Sarasota Bay and 6) provide for passive recreational and resource based educational opportunities for residents and visitors.

In partnership with Ocean Trust, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Fish and Wildlife, Southwest Florida Water Management District and Sarasota Bay National Estuary and many other local and national individuals and organizations, FISH expects to complete the restoration of the FISH Preserve in 2014.  

The property, excluding the trap yard and Boatshop (formerly known as the Wilkerson Property, is managed in cooperation with  the Manatee County Clerk of Circuit Court under a management agreement with the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners through the County Administrator’s Office only for the conservation, protection and enhancement of the property's natural and cultural resources.  In 2012, a Conservation Easement was dedicated to Manatee County by FISH ensuring that the entire parcel will forever remain a preserve.  All public outdoor recreational opportunities provided will be compatible with the conservation, protection and enhancement of the site. 

The next phase of development will include passive recreational and educational opportunities for visitors.  The FISH Preserve Management Plan calls for the installation of boardwalks, trails and signage in 2014-2015.  This grant will provide the resources necessary for design, permit, construction and interpretation of boardwalks, trails and signage throughout the 95 acre preserve to increase visitor experience and educational opportunities as well as to promote local fisheries and Florida’s seafood industry.

Living Coastal and Marine Resources on the FISH Preserve

Plant Species

Native Species

Cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto)
Saw palmetto (Seronoa repens)
Live oak (Quercus virginiana)
Slash pine (Pinus elliottii)
Long leaf pine (Pinus palustris)
Red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle)
Black mangrove (Avicennia germinans)
White mangrove (Languncularia racemosa)
Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus)
Giant leather fern (Acrostichum danaeifolium)
Myrsine (Myrsine guianensis)
Strangler fig (Ficus aurea)
Beach elder (Iva imbricata)
Sea purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum)Seashore drop seed (Sporobolus virginicus)
Seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens)
Cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamome)
Coin vine (Dalbergia ecastophullum)
Wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera)
Wild grape (Vitis spp)
Cat brier (Smilex rotundifolia)
Shining sumac (Rhus copallina)
Saltbush (Baccharis halimifolia)
Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)
Beauty berry (Callicarpus americana)
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Southern red cedar (Juniperus silicicola)
Braken fern (Pteridium aquilinum)
Wild lime (Zanthoxylum fagara)
Bear grass (Yucca filamentosa)
Florida private (Forestiera segregata)
Bay cedar (Suriana maritina)
Salt grass (Distichilis spicata)
Salt jointgrass (Paspalum ditichum)

Animal Species

Coastal Upland and Mangrove Animals (Non-bird)

Alligator (A. mississippiensis)
Bird voice tree frog (Hhyla avivoca)
Black swamp snake (Seminatrix pygaea)
Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)
Cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus)
Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorous)
Gray fox (Urocyron cinereoargenteus)
Gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
Gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)
Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
S.e. five lined skink (Eumeces inexectatus)
Southern toad (Bufo terrestris)
Wood rat (Neotoma floridana)
Mud turtle (Kinosternon sp.)
Banded water snake (Nerodiafasciata)
Florida water rat (Neofiger alieni)
Green tree frog (Hyla cinerea)
Black racer (Coluber constrictor priapus)
Box turtle (Terra pine carolina)
Coachwhip (Mastcophus flagellum)
Eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius)
Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)
Red ratsnake (Elaphe guttata)
Florida mouse (Podomys floridanus)
Indigo snake (Drymarchon corgis)
Sand skink (Neoseps reynoldsi)
Eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus)
Armadillo (Dasypodidae)
Opossum (Didelphus virginiana)
Otter (Lontra canadensis )                                            
Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)
Swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus)
Cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus)
Pygmy rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius barbouri)
Coral snake (Micrurus fulvius)
Scarlet king snake (Lampropeltis elapsoides)

Common birds (native and seasonal)

Common loon (Galvia almek)
Pileated woodpecker (Picus pilateus)
Barred owl (Strix varia)
Mangrove cuckoo (Coccyzus minor)
Common tern (Sterna hirundo)
Black skimmer (Rhynchops niger)
American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus)
Red shoulder hawk (Butea lineatus)
Turkey vulture (Cathartesaura)
American anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)
Magnificent frigate bird (Fregata magnificens)
Little blue heron (Florida caerulea)
Snowy egret (Egretta thula)
Wood stork (Mycteria americana)
Roseate spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja)
American crow (Corvus americana)
Downy woodpecker (Picus pubescens)
Boattail grackle (Cassadix major)
Hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus)
Red cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis)
American white pelican (Pelicanus erythrorhynchos)
Belted kingfisher (Alcedo alcyon)Chuck-wills-widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis)
Mourning dove (Columba)
Royal tern (Sterna maxima)
Laughing gull (Larus atricilla)
American coot (Fulica americana)
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Brown pelican (Belcanus occidentalis)
Double crested cormorant (Phalacrocrax auritus)
Great blue heron (Ardia herodias)
Great egret (Casmerodius albus)
Yellow crowned night heron (Nyctanassa violacea)
White ibis (Eudocimus albus)
Chimney swift (Chaetura pelagica)
Fish crow (Corvus ossifragus)
Mockingbird (Minus polyglottos)
Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Red wing blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis)

Common Marine Animals (Fishes)

Common snook (Centropomus undecimalis)
Redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus)
Gulf flounder (Paralichthys albigotta)
Black drum (Pogonias cromis)
Pinfish (Lagadon rhomboides)
Inshore lizardfish (Synodus foetens)
Gray snapper (Luatjanus grixus)
Gaffiopsail catfish (Bagre marinus)
Sheepshead minnow (Cyprinidon variegatas)
Lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus)
Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatas limbatus)
Bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo americana)
Spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari)
Cow nose ray (Rhinopterabonasu)
Striped mullet (Mugil cephalus)
Spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosis)
Sheep shead (Arcosargitus probatocephalis)
Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus)
Lady fish (Elops saurus)
Killifish (Adinia xenica)
Hard head catfish (Arius felius)
Jack crevalle (Caranx hippos)
Gulf pipefish (Synbnathus scovelli)
Needlefish (Strongylura marina)
Southern stingray (Dasyatic sp.)
Grunts (Haaemulidae)
Stripped mojarra (Gerreidae)

Others

Jellyfish Medusa phylum
Inkfish  Cephlapods
Sea squirts Tunicates
Horseshoe Crab  (Limulus polyphemsu)
Blue Crab (Callinectus sapidus)
Stone Crab (Mercenaria menippe)
Fiddler Crab (Uca Pugilator)
Oyster (Crassostrea virginica)
Spider Crab (Libinia dubia) 
Bay Scallop (Argopecten irradians)
Quahog Clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) 
Shrimp lightning welk (Busycon contrarium)
Sponges (unidentified species)
Urchins (lytechinus variagatus)
Starfish
Seabiscuit
Marine Mammals
West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus)

Location:
FISH Preserve, Village of Cortez, Cortez Road and North Shore of Sarasota Bay, Cortez, FL

Partners:
SBEP, Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, SWFWMD

Quantify Env Results:
Habitat restoration to be monitored by joint program of students and volunteers through visual surveys and water quality monitoring

Eco Benefits Text:
Restore and conserve habitat, promote tourism and seafood consumption, water quality improvements, fisheries production

Habitat:
?: 95 acres of the FISH Preserve which includes mangrove, bay bottom and uplands

Pollutant Red:
: The FISH Preserve Management Plan prohibits the use of fertilizers or pesticides on the 95 acre Preserve.  This will eliminate runoff into Sarasota Bay from this crucial point on its northern shore

Living Resoruces:
See attached list of living coastal and marine resources which exist on the FISH Preserve and will be improved by interpretation of the site to visitors and students.  This project will encourage participants to protect these species not only on the FISH Preserve, but throughout the Gulf Coast of Florida.  It will also promote local fisheries and Florida’s seafood industry.

Resilience:
The commercial fishing heritage of Cortez Village has been intimately connected to the mangrove wetlands within the property. Healthy, functioning estuarine habitat is critical for supporting the abundant marine life necessary for supporting a commercial fishing industry. The waters adjacent to the FISH Preserve have been historically referred to as "the Kitchen" because of the abundant marine life that always provided food. The independence and self-sufficiency of the community have been historically tied to "the Kitchen" and the surrounding wetlands. Through economic uncertainty and regulation, the Village of Cortez has held onto its maritime heritage and is one of the few working fishing villages in the United States.  The FISH Preserve will assist the economy of the village through preservation of the environment upon which fishermen make their living as well as through tourism.  A high percentage of Florida’s visitors come for its environmental opportunities and ecotourism.  The FISH Preserve will offer visitors and residents to Manatee County a chance to enjoy and learn from the environment.

Added Justification:
Additional Justification:  In 2012, FISH adopted a Management Plan for the FISH Preserve that 
sets the following objectives:

1.	Manage and protect the upland and estuarine resources of the Preserve.
2.	Utilize the FISH Preserve to support the working waterfront heritage of the Village of Cortez.
3.	Develop and manage the FISH Preserve for appropriate recreational opportunities.
4.	Utilize the Preserve to promote environmental and ecological awareness.
5.	Support the acquisition of lands contiguous to and consistent with the criteria and processes developed by FISH.
6.	Establish a conservation easement for the Preserve

This funding will allow FISH to meet all of its goals, particularly to support the working waterfront heritage of the Village of Cortez as well as promote environmental and ecological awareness.


Title:
WQ Management & Seagrass Restoration of Roberts Bay Estuary

Desription:
Phase I – Feasibility Study for a Design-Build Facility

The proposed project is called the Tidal Activated Water Exchange System (TAWES) which was developed by Gannett Fleming to expedite water quality improvement in bays and estuaries by managing the residence time and increasing photosynthetically active radiation (PARS) to restore seagrass meadows and biodiversity.  TAWES pumps water from offshore in to the estuary strategically during the ebb tide at null points and uses flood tide mixing when pumps are off.  Models show rapid improvement in water quality, particularly when compared to slow incremental improvements to water quality from retrofits in surrounding developed areas.

The project will be performed in several phases, including feasibility study, design, construction, commissioning, and performance verification/validation of environmental offset credits.    Phase I - Feasibility Study will include review of existing programmatic plans, archived water quality and hydrological data, and meteorological records to define input variables for hydrodynamic modeling in support of Phase II - Design.  The results of modeling will determine the location of the intake pipeline and identify project specifications and constraints.

Location:
Sarasota County, FL

The “Siesta Stretch” of the ICW between Big Sarasota Pass and Midnight Pass adjacent to Crescent Beach; this estuary is the receiving water for portions of the Sarasota Bay and Little Sarasota Bay Watersheds

Partners:
Sarasota County, FL

The “Siesta Stretch” of the ICW between Big Sarasota Pass and Midnight Pass adjacent to Crescent Beach; this estuary is the receiving water for portions of the Sarasota Bay and Little Sarasota Bay Watersheds

Status-all:
This project is in the planning stage.  Water quality modeling will utilize data previously collected by TBNEP, county, SWFWMD and state agencies to identify engineering constraints and design parameters for construction and operation.

Quantify Env Results:
1.	Restoration of estuarine WQ (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, PAR, Chlorophyll A, and  Turbidity) will be measured quarterly by standard laboratory methods to determine conformance with the optimum parameter range for seagrass growth established by NOAA DAS No. 12:  http://www.cop.noaa.gov/pubs/das/
2.	Restoration of seagrasses will be measured using the SWaPS method developed by NOAA-RSMAS for Biscayne Bay and annually compared to the pre-project baseline acreage and blade density: http://yyy.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/SWaPS/index.html
3.	Sequestration of GHGs (CO2, CH4, N2O) will be measured using the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS)- Wetlands Restoration and Conservation (WRC) project category for seagrasses:  http://v-c-s.org/wetlands_restoration_conservation

Eco Benefits Text:
The project area between Siesta Drive Bridge (SR758) and the Coral Cove peninsulas encompasses approximately 1,470 acres of water surface area. Using the FDEP’s estimated valuation of $20,500/acre results in the maximum valuation at 100% seagrass coverage of $30,125,000/year. (http://www.sms.si.edu/IRLSpec/Seagrass_Habitat.htm )

Habitat:
SBNEP data indicate patchy seagrass coverage of about 50% or 735 acres. The project seeks to achieve increased seagrass coverage and blade density of approximately 75% or 1,102 acres. The area of the ICW dredged channel is not expected to support any seagrass growth. During the Feasibility Study data review and site inspection will provide an accurate accounting of the seagrass coverage and blade density to establish the pre-project baseline condition. WQ will be improved throughout the project area by reducing nutrient concentration and increasing PAR value.

Pollutant Red:
This project intends to attain and maintain WQ requirements for seagrass as identified in NOAA-DAS No. 12 (http://www.cop.noaa.gov/pubs/das/) by regulated introduction of low nutrient/high clarity seawater at the tidal node, affecting flow north and south to existing inlets.  The project complements upland efforts to mitigate estuary impacts from stormwater runoff emanating from a fully-developed watershed and to aid compliance with TMDLs that could be established at specific locations in the estuary.  Additionally, carbon sequestration by seagrass may be quantifiable to identify the project’s contribution to reducing atmospheric CO2.

Living Resoruces:
The project intends to restore the 1,470 acres and volume of the defined estuary limits to the recommended optimal range of WQ variables established by NOAA in DAS No. 12. Seagrass meadows are expected to expand coverage to 1,102 acres and increase diversity of biota dependent on this aquatic habitat.  As a fully-functional nursery, the restore estuary will contribute to recruitment of offshore stocks.  Attainment and maintenance of these local goals are integral to restoration of the greater Gulf of Mexico ecosystem, which is the focus of both NRDA and the RESTORE Act.

Resilience:
Management of water quality will enhance the nursery function of seagrass habitats to improve bay and coastal fisheries. The local community will benefit from improved commercial fishing and tourist-based activities, which will contribute to economic resiliency.
Physical resiliency of the estuarine ecosystem is enhanced by the versatility of TAWES to allow immediate response to rapid freshwater inflows during storm events and to allow alteration of seawater pH that may result over time from ocean acidification.

Added Justification:
The proposed project is called the Tidal Activated Water Exchange System (TAWES.) developed by Gannett Fleming.  TAWES addresses water quality problems resulting from both the watershed and barrier islands.  Preliminary evaluations based upon the estuary configuration, hydraulic constraints, and area indicate that one TAWES facility should be capable of meeting the desired WQ criteria.

TAWES includes a screened inlet pipe in the Gulf of Mexico, pumping station on the barrier island, and discharge pipe and diffusers in the estuary.  The inlet and discharge pipelines are installed with modern directional drilling methods, which have been used to install many types of cables and pipelines across the barrier islands of the U.S. for the past 20 years.  The Palm Beach Inlet sand by-pass pipeline is an example of a large diameter HDD installation.   Attached is a generic cross-section presenting two example configurations for the TAWES facility.

TAWES is typically located at an historic, remnant flood shoal of a former natural inlet and/or at the estuarine null zone.  By delivering Gulf seawater of high clarity and low nutrient concentration only during the ebb tide phase, up to ten times the pumped-volume of estuarine water can be improved.  Natural mixing of these waters occurs on the flood tide phase when the pumps are off.  Components of this proposed project also include real-time monitoring of Gulf, estuary and watershed parameters as input variables to a software platform for decision-based facility operation and performance evaluation.  Maintaining the WQ criteria established by NOAA-DAS No.12 within the estuary will provide optimal conditions for seagrass growth.  

TAWES more rapidly and cost-effectively achieves the estuarine WQ goals of the NEP CCMPs to benefit restoration of the greater Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem.  Models indicate significant water quality improvements within six to twelve months of activation of the TAWES system.  This is a major enhancement to upland watershed mitigation components which often take decades to implement and obtain water quality improvements. 

Once the TAWES is installed and activated, verification of seagrass restoration will be performed by using the SWaPS seagrass monitoring method developed by NOAA & RSMAS for Biscayne Bay.  

The Gannett Fleming Team’s (Team) approach to the implementation of the project includes development of a feasibility study; identification of a project sponsor/owner; implementation of the project; and monitoring and quantification of water quality and biotic improvements.  The feasibility study will include environmental evaluation; hydrology, hydraulics and water quality modeling; 30% design/procurement documents; identification of permitting requirements and evaluation of public support for the project.  During the course of the feasibility study, the Team will work with the local community to assist in identification of a local project sponsor/owner.  The Team will work with the local project sponsor/owner through the final design, permitting and construction procurement process.    It is anticipated that the Team will assist the project sponsor by providing administrative, procurement, construction inspection and engineering services, and assistance in quantification of the water quality and biotic improvements realized by the project.  The Team envisions that the final design and construction of the project will be implemented by a competitive design/build procurement process to accelerate the project completion and thereby realize the environmental benefits almost immediately.  Under this process, final design, permitting, land acquisition/easements, construction and commissioning would be the responsibility of the design/build contractor.

The proposed project is one element of a regional solution to estuary water quality issues.  Nine other projects are proposed separately and include (North to South):

Project/Proposal Name	Estuary Program	Location	Acreage Impacted
The Narrows	TBEP	Belleair Bluffs Bridge south to the 150th Ave. Bridge	1,749
Casey Key	SBEP	ICW – Midnight Pass to Venice Inlet	1,511
Lemon Bay	CHNEP	ICW – Red Lake to Stump Pass	4,450
Bocilla Island	CHNEP	ICW – Stump Pass to Gasparilla Pass	2,646
Bokeelia Island	CHNEP	Back Bay on Bokeelia Island	633
Estero Bay	CHNEP	Deadend Canals - Matanzas Pass to Big Carlos Pass	100
Little Hickory	CHNEP	Fish Trap & Little Hickory Bays	1,749
Naples Park	CHNEP	Harbor Basin	333
Park Shores	CHNEP	Multi Bay Area – Clam Pass to Doctors Pass	340

USEPA administers four National Estuary Programs in Florida (six NEPs are on the coast of the five Gulf states) under Section 320 of the 1987 Clean Water Act to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance.  NOAA administers four National Estuarine Research Reserves in Florida (five NERRS are on the coast of the five Gulf states). The Florida DEP Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas (CAMA) manages a total of 41 aquatic preserves, which includes the NEP and NERR Florida sites.  These programs recognize that over 70% of commercially important marine fish and shellfish species are dependent on estuaries and that restoring and managing estuarine water quality is paramount to optimizing the quality of these aquatic ecosystems.

Seagrass meadows provide an important nursery habitat for thousands of species.  In the most recent FFWC-FWRI report on Florida seagrass mapping and monitoring (Yarbro & Carlson, March 2011at http://myfwc.com/media/1591147/fullsimm1.pdf ) it is noted that seagrasses in all estuaries remain well below the acreage and blade density known to exist prior to the 1970’s.  Restoration efforts to date have been focused on identifying pollutant sources in the watershed and designing mitigation systems.  This upland corrective activity is expensive and requires decades for implementation with long-term compliance and enforcement obligations for operating permits.

The barrier island component of estuaries is typically missing from restoration plans.  Dredging of intra-coastal waterway channels and hardening of inlets has radically altered natural estuarine hydraulics.  Commercial, residential and road construction on the barrier island has eliminated the natural processes of coastal erosion and island inlet breaching, which may be a natural cycle on the order of 100 years or more that renewed these habitats by affecting residence time and location of the hydraulic null zone.  

This project improves upon the design and operation of the Destin, Florida Old Pass Lagoon Flushing Station sponsored by the Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD) and funded by the Florida Legislature.  This facility has been manually operated by the City of Destin since 1996.

Other examples of existing active and passive seawater controls used to manage coastal water quality include:

-	Gowanus Canal Flushing Station, sponsored by USEPA, USACE, State of New York and New York City: under construction in Brooklyn, NY
-	Coastal Impoundments for Wildlife Habitat Management, sponsored by USFWS and five Gulf state environmental agencies
-	Seawater Intake Pipeline and Flow-through, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL as representative of all coastal marine laboratories and public marine aquariums
-	Coastal Commercial Mariculture farms and hatcheries, multi-decade operations worldwide for production of fish, shrimp, crabs, bivalves, mollusks and alga utilizing seawater/bay intake pump stations and passive tide gates

The three NEPs utilize a set of criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of basin activities and the proposed estuary restoration project meets these criteria as follows: 

South Florida Regional Ecosystem Plan Documents Checklist
Priority Project Criteria 	Yes/No/Unknown
Multiple Natural Resources	Yes
Science-based Plan, w/monitoring	Yes
Multi-faceted	Yes
Enhances WQ/Especially Impairments	Yes
Range of Bio-diversity Protected	Yes
Enhances Hydrology of the Gulf 	Yes
Links to Ongoing Restoration Planning Efforts	Yes
In Permitting, Shovel-ready	No
Dollar Value Ratio, Including Ecosystem Services	Yes
Enhances Critical Habitat of Impaired Wildlife	Yes
Demonstrable Outcomes	Yes
Opportunity for Public to Participate	Yes
Leverage Other Sources of Funding	Unknown
Enhances Existing Plans or Projects	Yes
Enhances Local Economy	Yes

See Proposal for Acreage Impacted and Ecosystem Checklist










The project team is comprised of:

Prime Contractor:                  Gannett Fleming, Inc. - Design-Build Engineers for Constr. & Ops.
Coastal Engineering:             Taylor Engineering, Inc. - Modeling & Permitting
Justification & Valuation:     Environmental Services, Inc.- Data Review & Baseline Condition
Offset Credits Verification:  York RSG, Inc.-Environmental – Seagrass Monitoring & Reporting


ConInfo:
Ron Leins, V.P. Environmental Management
Gannett Fleming, Inc. rleins@gfnet.com

ConInfo-a:
9119 Corporate Lake Dr., Suite 150
Tampa, FL 33634

Title:
WQ Management & Seagrass Restoration Casey Key - ICW Estuary

Location:
Sarasota County, FL

The Dryman Bay reach of the ICW between Midnight Pass and the Venice Inlet adjacent to Casey Key; this estuary is the receiving water for portions of the Little Sarasota Bay Watershed

Quantify Env Results:
1.	Restoration of estuarine WQ (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, PAR, Chlorophyll A, and  Turbidity) will be measured quarterly by standard laboratory methods to determine conformance with the optimum parameter range for seagrass growth established by NOAA DAS No. 12:  http://www.cop.noaa.gov/pubs/das/
2.	Restoration of seagrasses will be measured using the SWaPS method developed by NOAA-RSMAS for Biscayne Bay and annually compared to the pre-project baseline acreage and blade density: http://yyy.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/SWaPS/index.html
3.	 Sequestration of GHGs (CO2, CH4, N2O) will be measured using the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS)- Wetlands Restoration and Conservation (WRC) project category for seagrasses:  http://v-c-s.org/wetlands_restoration_conservation

Eco Benefits Text:
The project area between Bird Keys and Turner Key encompasses approximately 1,511 acres of water surface area. Using the FDEP’s estimated valuation of $20,500/acre results in the maximum valuation at 100% seagrass coverage of $30,976,000/year. (http://www.sms.si.edu/IRLSpec/Seagrass_Habitat.htm )

Habitat:
SBNEP data indicate patchy and continuous seagrass coverage of about 80% or 1,208 acres. The project seeks to achieve increased seagrass coverage and blade density of appx. 90% or 1,360 acres. The area of the ICW dredged channel is not expected to support any seagrass growth. During the Feasibility Study data review and site inspection will provide an accurate accounting of the seagrass coverage and blade density to establish the pre-project baseline condition. WQ will be improved throughout the project area by reducing nutrient concentration and increasing PAR value.

Living Resoruces:
The project intends to restore the 1,511 acres and volume of the defined estuary limits to the recommended optimal range of WQ variables established by NOAA in DAS No. 12. Seagrass meadows are expected to expand coverage to 1,360 acres and increase diversity of biota dependent on this aquatic habitat.  As a fully-functional nursery, the restore estuary will contribute to recruitment of offshore stocks.  Attainment and maintenance of these local goals are integral to restoration of the greater Gulf of Mexico ecosystem, which is the focus of both NRDA and the RESTORE Act.

Added Justification:
The proposed project is called the Tidal Activated Water Exchange System (TAWES.) developed by Gannett Fleming.  TAWES addresses water quality problems resulting from both the watershed and barrier islands.  Preliminary evaluations based upon the estuary configuration, hydraulic constraints, and area indicate that two TAWES facilities (one each in Dryman Bay and Blackman Bay) should be capable of meeting the desired WQ criteria.

TAWES includes a screened inlet pipe in the Gulf of Mexico, pumping station on the barrier island, and discharge pipe and diffusers in the estuary.  The inlet and discharge pipelines are installed with modern directional drilling methods, which have been used to install many types of cables and pipelines across the barrier islands of the U.S. for the past 20 years.  The Palm Beach Inlet sand by-pass pipeline is an example of a large diameter HDD installation.   Attached is a generic cross-section presenting two example configurations for the TAWES facility.

TAWES is typically located at an historic, remnant flood shoal of a former natural inlet and/or at the estuarine null zone.  By delivering Gulf seawater of high clarity and low nutrient concentration only during the ebb tide phase, up to ten times the pumped-volume of estuarine water can be improved.  Natural mixing of these waters occurs on the flood tide phase when the pumps are off.  Components of this proposed project also include real-time monitoring of Gulf, estuary and watershed parameters as input variables to a software platform for decision-based facility operation and performance evaluation.  Maintaining the WQ criteria established by NOAA-DAS No.12 within the estuary will provide optimal conditions for seagrass growth.  

TAWES more rapidly and cost-effectively achieves the estuarine WQ goals of the NEP CCMPs to benefit restoration of the greater Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem.  Models indicate significant water quality improvements within six to twelve months of activation of the TAWES system.  This is a major enhancement to upland watershed mitigation components which often take decades to implement and obtain water quality improvements. 

Once the TAWES is installed and activated, verification of seagrass restoration will be performed by using the SWaPS seagrass monitoring method developed by NOAA & RSMAS for Biscayne Bay.  

The Gannett Fleming Team’s (Team) approach to the implementation of the project includes development of a feasibility study; identification of a project sponsor/owner; implementation of the project; and monitoring and quantification of water quality and biotic improvements.  The feasibility study will include environmental evaluation; hydrology, hydraulics and water quality modeling; 30% design/procurement documents; identification of permitting requirements and evaluation of public support for the project.  During the course of the feasibility study, the Team will work with the local community to assist in identification of a local project sponsor/owner.  The Team will work with the local project sponsor/owner through the final design, permitting and construction procurement process.    It is anticipated that the Team will assist the project sponsor by providing administrative, procurement, construction inspection and engineering services, and assistance in quantification of the water quality and biotic improvements realized by the project.  The Team envisions that the final design and construction of the project will be implemented by a competitive design/build procurement process to accelerate the project completion and thereby realize the environmental benefits almost immediately.  Under this process, final design, permitting, land acquisition/easements, construction and commissioning would be the responsibility of the design/build contractor.

The proposed project is one element of a regional solution to estuary water quality issues.  Nine other projects are proposed separately and include (North to South):

Project/Proposal Name	Estuary Program	Location	Acreage Impacted
The Narrows	TBEP	Belleair Bluffs Bridge south to the 150th Ave. Bridge	1,749
Roberts Bay	SBEP	ICW – Big Sarasota to Midnight Pass	1,470
Lemon Bay	CHNEP	ICW – Red Lake to Stump Pass	4,450
Bocilla Island	CHNEP	ICW – Stump Pass to Gasparilla Pass	2,646
Bokeelia Island	CHNEP	Back Bay on Bokeelia Island	633
Estero Bay	CHNEP	Deadend Canals - Matanzas Pass to Big Carlos Pass	100
Little Hickory	CHNEP	Fish Trap & Little Hickory Bays	1,749
Naples Park	CHNEP	Harbor Basin	333
Park Shores	CHNEP	Multi Bay Area – Clam Pass to Doctors Pass	340

USEPA administers four National Estuary Programs in Florida (six NEPs are on the coast of the five Gulf states) under Section 320 of the 1987 Clean Water Act to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance.  NOAA administers four National Estuarine Research Reserves in Florida (five NERRS are on the coast of the five Gulf states). The Florida DEP Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas (CAMA) manages a total of 41 aquatic preserves, which includes the NEP and NERR Florida sites.  These programs recognize that over 70% of commercially important marine fish and shellfish species are dependent on estuaries and that restoring and managing estuarine water quality is paramount to optimizing the quality of these aquatic ecosystems.

Seagrass meadows provide an important nursery habitat for thousands of species.  In the most recent FFWC-FWRI report on Florida seagrass mapping and monitoring (Yarbro & Carlson, March 2011at http://myfwc.com/media/1591147/fullsimm1.pdf ) it is noted that seagrasses in all estuaries remain well below the acreage and blade density known to exist prior to the 1970’s.  Restoration efforts to date have been focused on identifying pollutant sources in the watershed and designing mitigation systems.  This upland corrective activity is expensive and requires decades for implementation with long-term compliance and enforcement obligations for operating permits.

The barrier island component of estuaries is typically missing from restoration plans.  Dredging of intra-coastal waterway channels and hardening of inlets has radically altered natural estuarine hydraulics.  Commercial, residential and road construction on the barrier island has eliminated the natural processes of coastal erosion and island inlet breaching, which may be a natural cycle on the order of 100 years or more that renewed these habitats by affecting residence time and location of the hydraulic null zone.  

This project improves upon the design and operation of the Destin, Florida Old Pass Lagoon Flushing Station sponsored by the Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD) and funded by the Florida Legislature.  This facility has been manually operated by the City of Destin since 1996.

Other examples of existing active and passive seawater controls used to manage coastal water quality include:

-	Gowanus Canal Flushing Station, sponsored by USEPA, USACE, State of New York and New York City: under construction in Brooklyn, NY
-	Coastal Impoundments for Wildlife Habitat Management, sponsored by USFWS and five Gulf state environmental agencies
-	Seawater Intake Pipeline and Flow-through, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL as representative of all coastal marine laboratories and public marine aquariums
-	Coastal Commercial Mariculture farms and hatcheries, multi-decade operations worldwide for production of fish, shrimp, crabs, bivalves, mollusks and alga utilizing seawater/bay intake pump stations and passive tide gates

The three NEPs utilize a set of criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of basin activities and the proposed estuary restoration project meets these criteria as follows: 

South Florida Regional Ecosystem Plan Documents Checklist
Priority Project Criteria 	Yes/No/Unknown
Multiple Natural Resources	Yes
Science-based Plan, w/monitoring	Yes
Multi-faceted	Yes
Enhances WQ/Especially Impairments	Yes
Range of Bio-diversity Protected	Yes
Enhances Hydrology of the Gulf 	Yes
Links to Ongoing Restoration Planning Efforts	Yes
In Permitting, Shovel-ready	No
Dollar Value Ratio, Including Ecosystem Services	Yes
Enhances Critical Habitat of Impaired Wildlife	Yes
Demonstrable Outcomes	Yes
Opportunity for Public to Participate	Yes
Leverage Other Sources of Funding	Unknown
Enhances Existing Plans or Projects	Yes
Enhances Local Economy	Yes









The project team is comprised of:

Prime Contractor:                  Gannett Fleming, Inc. - Design-Build Engineers for Constr. & Ops.
Coastal Engineering:             Taylor Engineering, Inc. - Modeling & Permitting
Justification & Valuation:     Environmental Services, Inc.- Data Review & Baseline Condition
Offset Credits Verification:  York RSG, Inc.-Environmental – Seagrass Monitoring & Reporting

See Proposal for Acreage Impacted and Ecosystem Checklist


Desription:
Remove invasive exotic species from uplands adjacent to roughly 1,000 linear feet of estuarine beach on public property (the campus of New College of Florida).

Location:
Caples Beach (125 yards) and Uplands Beach (200 yards), New College of Florida, City of Sarasota

Status-summary:
We have a bid from a reputable ecological consulting firm and can start shortly after funds become available. We may need a de minimis finding from DEP for removal of exotic palms in the intertidal area

Quantify Env Results:
We will document improvements in linear feet of intertidal habitat as well as volume of invasive plant material removed. We will also observe shorebird behavior and use before and after

Eco Benefits Text:
We have not calculated ecosystem benefits at this point. Potential economic benefits include increased value of the estuarine beach for formal and informal education, research, bird watching, photography, and general appreciation of this rare coastal bay beach habitat. Improved habitat will make rental of college grounds more attractive and removal of large, vista-blocking Phoenix reclinata palms will improve the view of the bay (and consequently real estate value) for seven homes along Uplands Boulevard

Habitat:
Approximately 1,000 linear feet along the Bay, and going inland 35 feet.

Living Resoruces:
Removal of intertidal Phoenix palms will allow shorebirds uninterrupted movement along the beach. Removal of tall exotic upland plants such as Brazilian pepper and towering Phoenix reclinata palms will create more open conditions normally associated with beach habitat, which may be more conducive to shorebird use. Exotic removal will allow native species to establish.

Resilience:
Even though invasive exotics have colonized the shoreline, we believe long-term response to high winds, freezes, storm surge and rising sea level will be enhanced by native species. Removing exotics and restoring estuarine beach will facilitate beach relocation landward, allowing shallow intertidal habitat to persist as sea level continues to rise.

Added Justification:
One can still find a rare habitat known as estuarine beach in just a few places along our bay shorelines where mangroves are not common, and where the shoreline has not been stabilized with seawalls or revetment,. These estuarine bay beaches are important habitat for egg-laying horseshoe crabs, short-legged shorebirds, and wading birds such as ibis, herons and egrets.  Analysis using Google Earth revealed that 36% of all the publically-accessible estuarine beach* on Sarasota Bay occurs on the New College of Florida campus. The campus waterfront is open to the public from sunrise until one-half hour after sunset (unless otherwise posted). Perhaps more significantly, many of the other local estuarine beach sites are adjacent to high traffic areas while the nearest road (a quiet residential street) at New College is nearly 300 feet from the shoreline. This makes New College the premier destination for birdwatchers, natural historians, photographers, researchers and others who want to experience a local estuarine beach. 

Unfortunately, uplands adjacent to these bay beaches on the campus have been colonized by a variety of exotic invasive species, particularly Phoenix reclinata palms, Brazilian Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), Beach Naupaka, (Scaevola taccada), Castor Bean (Ricinus communis) and others. The Phoenix palms are particularly problematic because of their size and the fact that many have roots in the intertidal zone. 

New College of Florida is the obvious destination for anyone interested in innovative coastal projects. Here are five noteworthy examples already found on campus:

1)	1992 Caples Hall Shoreline Stabilization • SBNEP early action project removed 325 feet of aging seawall to aid in the restoration of estuarine beach
2)	2001 Innovative constructed high marsh to treat seawater from Pritzker Marine Science Center
3)	2005 NOAA grant results in SEC signage explaining student research documenting the role of canopies in treating stormwater
4)	2012 USF&WS grant removed exotic vegetation adjacent to creek leading from Uplands
5)	2012 Restored historic Ringling seawall with innovative features (steps leading into the bay, wheelchair accessible dock) and created experimental intertidal lagoon (and high marsh and estuarine beach) by excavating behind an aging seawall

In addition, the college features an acre and a half of restored scrubby flatwoods, a policy to leave dead pines in place wherever possible for Osprey nesting, and a no phosphorus, no nitrogen fertilizer policy.

*Mainland shoreline north of Siesta Drive and south of the Cortez Bridge. Publically-accessible estuarine beach refers to sandy shorelines not dominated by mangroves, (and not backed by rock revetment) that the public can access without paying a fee. In addition to the 325 yards of estuarine beach at New College, there are approximately 160 yards at O’Leary’s, 40 yards on the south side of Ringling Causeway next to Golden Gate point, 50 yards each at G-Wiz and Pioneer Park, 160 yards at Indian Beach, 15 yards at Sun Circle, and 110 yards at Crosley.


ConInfo-a:
1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL, 34236

Title:
Synergistic effects of chemical contaminents on toxicity, recovery and sustainability of oil spill-impacted estuarine invertebrates

Desription:
This three-year project will assess the recoverability and sustainability of two ecologically important estuarine invertebrate species (oysters and fiddler crabs) that have been exposed to oil and dispersant, in the presence of other chemical contaminants commonly found in estuarine environments.  Understanding synergistic interactions of oil and dispersant with common-use pesticides and pharmaceuticals will enhance the ability of resource managers and NRDA officials to develop appropriate response strategies for maintenance and recovery of oil and dispersant-impacted SW
Florida estuarine ecosystems.
Oysters are recreationally and commercially important species as well as an important source of food and habitat for many estuarine vertebrate and invertebrate species. Fiddler crabs, inhabiting the intertidal zone, are an important food source linking aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Both species are vulnerable to impact from oil spills and their restoration following an oil spill is essential for the sustainable recovery of an estuarine ecosystem. Environmental samples from selected sites in Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor Estuary will be screened for synergistic contaminants, including current use pesticides, as well as a suite of 25 pharmaceuticals, to determine relevant compounds and concentrations for toxicity tests. Quantification of synergistic effects will be measured through
exposure tests for acute lethal and sublethal toxicity, and biomarkers of effects. The toxicity end points will include reproductive effects on gametes, early life stage development (embryo and larvae), adult reproductive function, DNA damage, and immune function to determine impacts on living organisms as well as future generations.

Location:
Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor Estuaries, focusing on central Sarasota
Bay, receiving runoff from Sarasota communities and Hudson Bayou (Figure 1), and San Carlos Bay in Charlotte Harbor, receiving runoff from Ft. Myers and Cape Coral through the Caloosahatchee River (Figure 2).  These sites are representative of subtidal and intertidal regions of SW Florida estuaries susceptible to impact from an oil spill that also receive pesticides and pharmaceutical contamination.

Responsible:
Mote Marine Laboratory:
1600 Ken Thompson Parkway Sarasota, FL 34236 www.mote.org

Partners:
1. Mote Marine Laboratory Programs:
R. Pierce, PI, Ecotoxicology
D. Wetzel, Co-PI, Environmental Forensics
C. Walsh, Co-PI, Marine Immunology
2. FL Gulf Coast University:
A. Volety, Co-PI, Marine and Environ. Sci.

Quantify Env Results:
Quantification of
environmental results will be measured on environmental concentrations of synergistic contaminants and the reproduction, development and biomarkers of effects (lethal and sublethal) affecting existing populations as well as future generations.

Eco Benefits Text:
Economic benefits from this study will
derive from the protection and sustainable recovery of oil-impacted oyster and fiddler crab communities, including estuarine flora and fauna associated with these key ecological components of a viable estuarine ecosystem.  Economic benefits are dependent on the type and amount of oil impacting the estuaries, the type and extent of habitat impacted, the ability to implement non-destructive clean-up, and the ability to reduce exposure to the synergistic chemical contaminants identified from this project.

Habitat:
This study provides empirical data for
developing response to future oil spills.  The amount of habitat restored and conserved depends on the type and extent of habitat impacted by a future oil spill.  Hundreds of acres of intertidal mangrove and saltmarsh habitat are at risk in Charlotte Harbor and Sarasota Bay.

Pollutant Red:
This project is designed to identify and quantify chemical
contaminants in the estuaries that cause adverse synergistic effects on organisms in the event of an oil spill. The type and amount of pollutant reductions required for sustainable recovery from an oil spill will be determined through completion of this study.

Living Resoruces:
Oyster reef
communities, including vertebrate and invertebrate inhabitants and estuarine fish foraging on the reefs; fiddler crab habitats of intertidal mangrove and saltmarsh, including predators inhabiting these environments.

Resilience:
Identification and reduction of synergistic
contaminant loading to estuarine habitats will reduce adverse synergistic impacts in the event of an oil spill, resulting in lower mortality and more rapid and sustainable ecological and economic recovery.

Added Justification:
Pesticides, pharmaceuticals, oil and refined oil products are classes of
chemical contaminants that enter estuarine environments from aerial deposition and land runoff. Chemical stressors, in combination with an oil spill can cause much greater ecological damage that the stressors or oil alone.  Although various chemical stressors have been tested individually, the ability to develop proper oil spill response and recovery strategies requires that we
understand what chemical stressors pose serious problems such that limited resources can be applied to reducing their input, thus enhancing restoration and sustainable ecological recovery.


ConInfo:
Sean Byrne, Director of Land Protection
Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast
Sean@ConservationFoundation.com

Title:
Strategic Coastal Land Acquisition Project: Facilitating Coastal Ecosystem Adaptive Response
to Sea Level Rise

Desription:
Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast is requesting up to $90,000,000 for a multi-year, regional land conservation project designed to conserve and improve the types of rare coastal habitats that were negatively affected by the BP oil spill, which are critical to southwest Florida’s long-term resiliency and vitality. The primary tool for accomplishing the goal will be the acquisition of fee-simple or conservation easement interests on strategically identified properties that comprise and extend ecological corridors consisting of rare coastal habitat. Corridor protection ensures that the coastal habitat will be able to migrate upslope as sea levels rise. 
One hundred high priority properties, or 3,579 acres, that comprise the strategic corridors have already been identified by the applicant using a scientifically rigorous, spatially explicit selection process, utilizing Geographic Information Systems and the available data regarding the properties’ habitat quality (figure 1). Also considered is the properties’ likelihood to be a transitional bridge to new habitat as climate change results in sea level rise along the Gulf of Mexico. The project will focus on the coastal landscapes of four contiguous counties in southwest Florida. The properties are privately owned and not already protected by a conservation plan, although some are adjacent to other protected conservation lands owned by county, state, and non‐governmental organization entities. 
The requested amount of $15,000,000 per year will conserve the types of rare coastal habitats negatively impacted by the BP oil spill, such as coastal mangroves, that are critical to Florida’s ecological and economic well being. The most important properties, with the most motivated sellers, will be prioritized and protected in order to retain the greatest coastal value and impact at the least acquisition cost. Should fewer dollars per year be available, Conservation Foundation will protect as many high-priority properties as funding will allow.
Conservation Foundation’s proposed project will benefit from the technical assistance of conservation partners including Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council and The Nature Conservancy, as well as from collaboration with landowners of parcels adjacent to the 100 priority properties. Various government agencies and other quasi‐governmental entities in the region have devised plans to address the effects of climate change, including sea level rise and its impact on wildlife habitat. This project would put action to those and other plans by non‐governmental organizations and serve as a pilot project showcasing the use of land conservation as a tool to mitigate the effects of climate change and sea level rise.

Location:
Coastal Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, and Lee Counties in Florida

Responsible:
Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast

Status-all:
100 high priority properties, or 3,579 acres, that comprise strategic adaptation corridors have already been identified by the applicant using a scientifically rigorous, spatially explicit selection process, utilizing Geographic Information Systems and the available data regarding the properties’ habitat quality. Furthermore, the applicant has already identified the landowners for each property, and has begun discussions with them. Conservation Foundation has protected over 8,000 acres on 29 properties in this area, and is uniquely capable of completing this project. Negotiations for the conservation and acquisition of properties are already underway, so acquisition funding could be put into action immediately.

Habitat:
Up to 3,579 acres. Conservation Foundation believes that it can reasonably conserve 597 acres per year.

Pollutant Red:
The magnitude of pollutant reductions will depend on the characteristics of the properties protected.

Living Resoruces:
Coastal natural communities such as sea grass, oyster reefs, mangrove swamps, salt marshes, maritime hammocks, and floodplain swamps will be preserved in perpetuity. The magnitude of the improvement, when compared with alternative land-use scenarios, will depend on the characteristics of the properties protected.

Resilience:
All coastal natural communities will protect coastal infrastructure from storm damage and sea level rise. This is true both now, and in the future, where land protection prevents the addition of at-risk infrastructure. Additionally, this project will conserve ecological corridors that will facilitate upslope migration of critical coastal habitats during sea level rise.

Added Justification:
The proposed conservation acquisition sites can also be utilized as staging areas for cleanup and treatment of injured wildlife in response to future oil spills along the southwest Florida gulf coast.

See photo attached to proposal.


ConInfo:
Lee Amos, Land Steward 
Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast
Lee@conservationfoundation.com

Title:
Restoration of Essential Habitats for Juvenile Tarpon and Snook

Desription:
Habitat loss and degradation are major threats to coastal fisheries,
especially alterations of freshwater flow into estuarine habitats. This project will restore
natural topography, hydrology, and natural communities to 229 acres of coastal land that includes juvenile habitat for economically and recreationally important tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) and snook (Centropomus undecimalis) (Figure 1). This will be done through restoration of improved pasture to mesic flatwoods, the filling of drainage ditches and swales in uplands, restoration of a filled-in slough marsh, re-hydration of a depression marsh, creation of a stormwater run-off treatment marsh, and filling of mosquito ditches. Monitoring of water quality and fishes within mangrove creeks will quantify these improvements. Together, these activities will demonstrate how watershed restoration affects fisheries and estuary health. Lessons learned will be disseminated to the public through an established education program, and the project site will be protected and managed as a public park and nature preserve in perpetuity. Educational signage and programming at the park will communicate the importance of land protection and restoration.

Location:
The project site is located on Pine Island, in Lee County, Florida. It is adjacent to Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park. Its watershed is Matlacha Pass, a component of the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary.

Partners:
Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Mote Marine Laboratory

Status-all:
Topographical alterations have been identified and geo-referenced. Formal project design and permitting will be completed within 8-14 months of  project funding.

Quantify Env Results:
Seine nets will be used to monitor mangrove creek fishes at the restoration site prior to
and after restoration to determine the extent that the restoration is successful in improving habitat
quality of these creeks. Prior to completion of restoration activities, samples will be conducted
monthly using a crew of three science personnel and numerous volunteers. It is anticipated that
pre-restoration sampling will take place over a 12 month time period as permitting and restoration are completed. These data will provide the baseline against which the post-restoration data will be compared to evaluate the success of the restoration. Furthermore, data exists from eight years of monitoring four analogous mangrove creeks in adjacent Charlotte Harbor, and will be used as reference. These creeks occur along a habitat quality gradient based upon watershed alteration (degraded, semi-degraded, restored, natural), so will provide a framework for examining the mangrove creeks that are being addressed in this project.
After restoration, sampling will occur every two months for two years. The expectation is that there will be more juvenile tarpon and snook, and more mangrove associated fishes in general, in these creeks post-restoration. Mangrove creek fish assemblages will be sampled using seines following protocols used in previous work to study the effects of freshwater flow alterations on mangrove creek fishes in Charlotte Harbor. Four creeks will be sampled: one remnant creek north of the project site that will be influenced by the restoration, one creek that is part of the project site; and two creeks to the south of the study site which should not be affected by the restoration. 
Fish taxa will be defined as residents (R), transients (T), juveniles (J), freshwater (F), or
exotics (E) based upon frequency of occurrence, habitat requirements, dominant life stage when in the creeks, and whether they are native. Residents are species that are present in > 35% of samples and have creek-associated habitat requirements, transients are marine or estuarine species able to use numerous habitats and present in < 36% samples, taxa will be categorized as juveniles when > 90% of individuals captured are juveniles (e.g., tarpon and snook), freshwater taxa are obligate residents of fresh or oligohaline waters, and exotics are non-native species as defined by Shafland (1996). Total abundance of each species will be calculated for each creek, and ranked in order of total abundance. Species abundances will be converted to density for comparison (all species combined and top ten most abundant species) between creeks and within creeks before versus after restoration. Assemblage-level abundance and abundance of select species (NOAA Trust species) will be examined with ANOVA (Creek and Time as factors) to test for a restoration effect. The term of interest will be the Creek x Time interaction term, which would indicate that fish abundances changed over time differently in the creeks. Species abundances will be grouped by Creek and Pre- and Post-Restoration and examined with Cluster analysis, with the expectation that the post-restoration study creeks will group separately from all pre-restoration creeks and from post-restoration control creeks.
Water samples will be collected at each of the four creeks described supra, by the same
crew of volunteers and science personnel, during net sampling of creek fishes. It is anticipated
that pre-restoration sampling will take place over a 12 month time period (January – December
2012) as permitting and restoration are completed. These data will provide the baseline against
which the post-restoration data will be compared to evaluate the success of the restoration. After
restoration, sampling will occur every two months for two years.
Samples and analyses will capture system variability and the expected range in nutrient
levels along an estuarine dilution gradient. As most of the Harbor is nitrogen limited (based on
Redfield ratios of inorganic N to inorganic P of much less than 16:1), analyses will emphasize
the nitrogen species ammonia, nitrate-nitrite-nitrogen, and total Kjeldahl nitrogen. Total
phosphorus will also be analyzed, as phosphorus has been shown to act as a nearly-conservative
tracer in Harbor waters, and can act as a water mass tracer as well as predicting ultimate algal
response to nutrient loads present. 
Samples will be collected and analyzed under Mote Marine Laboratory’s (MML) Quality
Manual, maintained as a condition of the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation
Program (NELAP) certification for the analysis of environmental samples. The Quality Manual
is comprehensive and addresses a multitude of requirements such as container and field blanks,
replicate sample collections, allowed methods, and analytical protocols such as sample
duplicates, spikes, and standards. This document can serve as the project quality assurance plan
or can be adopted by reference if a separate Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) is required
for EPA. 
Resulting data will be analyzed to compare systems for total nutrients and for inorganic
nitrogen, using raw concentrations and nutrients adjusted for the fraction of freshwater. Dilution
curves between systems will also be examined for differences to determine areas where nutrient
uptake is apparently in excess of the reduction in concentration due to dilution with Harbor
waters. 
We will use a multivariate approach to determine whether water quality changes in the
restoration creeks relative to the control creeks. The expectation is that post-restoration water
quality in the restoration creeks will improve relative to the control creeks.

Jobs Text:
Approximately 2 jobs will be created or preserved. (formula = project cost / $100,000)

Living Resoruces:
?: Recreationally important species tarpon (Megalops atlanticus), snook (Centropomus undecimalis), pink shrimp (Penaeus duorarum), southern bay scallop (Argopecten irradians concentricus), blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), Florida stone crab (Menippe mercenaria), and striped mullet (Mugil cephalus); seagrass beds; salt marshes; mangroves; and green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are expected to benefit from this project. The magnitude of increase in  mangrove fish species, especially juvenile tarpon and snook, will be measured using an established monitoring protocol. Improvements in water quality will also be measured using an established protocol, and will serve as an indication of the benefit of restoration to the entire estuary.

Resilience:
This project will fill mosquito ditches adjacent to a salt marsh, which when dug, decreased the size and health of the marsh. Restoration should increase total salt marsh size and health, and make the salt marsh more resistant to the effects of climate change. Restored hydrology throughout the 229 acres of uplands will help the coastal natural communities resist the effects of climate change and facilitate upslope migration during sea-level rise. It may also reduce the nutrient inputs into salt marshes, which have been shown to lead to marsh death.

Added Justification:
This project will quantify fishery improvements resulting from restoration.  Such information is critical for Gulf Coast States, which will have the opportunity to improve their economies by replicating this project

See map attached to proposal


