Project Title:
Aquatic Vegetation Mapping and Management
Summary:
Proliferation of hydrilla and cattails have
decreased the diversity of the aquatic plant community in Lake Tarpon. Harvesting of these two species has been
proposed as a management strategy to improve water quality (by removing
nutrients bound in the plant matter) and to improve habitat diversity. The Lake Tarpon DBMP (PBS&J, 1998)
recommended that Lake Tarpon be managed to promote the expansion of desirable
endemic submerged aquatic vegetation as well as to increase the diversity of
the emergent community. However, due to
the lack of consistent qualitative monitoring program, trends in the coverage
of these species has been difficult to assess.
Therefore, a project is proposed to collect the necessary baseline data
for aquatic plants against which future management activities can be evaluated.
Annual Budget Estimates:
|
|
FY 2000 |
FY 2001 |
FY 2002 |
FY 2003 |
FY 2004 |
|
Salaries |
$5000 |
$5000 |
|
|
|
|
Contracts |
$25000 |
$25000 |
|
|
|
|
Expenses |
$500 |
$500 |
|
|
|
|
Total |
$35,500 |
$35,500 |
|
|
|
Agency or Local Government Partnering:
Opportunities exist to develop cooperative
agreements with the University of Florida and Pinellas County to accomplish
this project.
Project Title: Hydrologic and Habitat Restoration
Summary:
Wetlands within the Lake Tarpon and Brooker
Creek watersheds have been impacted to varying degrees by anthropogenic
activities. Brooker Creek, the primary
surface water inflow to Lake Tarpon, has fourteen identified channels that
eventually converge and form the main channel which flows into Lake Tarpon on
its southeastern shore. Headwaters for
five of these channels begin in the lakes region of northwest Hillsborough
County. These channels flow in a west
to southwesterly direction toward the Brooker Creek Preserve in Pinellas
County.
The Brooker Creek Preserve, which covers
almost 8,000 acres, is made up of lands owned by the District and County and
the County is responsible for management.
Additionally, Pinellas County owns and manages the John Chesnut Sr. and
Anderson Parks directly on Lake Tarpon.
Hillsborough County and the District have jointly purchased about 1,400
acres in the Brooker Creek watershed in Hillsborough County. Additionally, Hillsborough County has
identified another approximately 2,900 acres for future acquisition.
Opportunities for hydrologic and/or habitat restoration projects exist on the
acquired properties in both Counties and other opportunities may become
available as more lands are acquired in the Lake Tarpon and Brooker Creek
watersheds.
Hydrologic and habitat restoration projects
that restore historic surface water flow patterns (i.e., ditch blocks and
rehydration) and wetland habitat would provide multiple benefits. These projects may also provide
opportunities for attenuation of sediment and nutrient loadings. One project has already been identified and
it is described separately, under Brooker Creek Restoration - Channel L.
Annual Budget Estimates:
|
|
FY 2000 |
FY 2001 |
FY 2002 |
FY 2003 |
FY 2004 |
|
Salaries |
$15,000 |
$15,000 |
$15,000 |
|
|
|
Contracts |
$500,000 |
$500,000 |
$500,000 |
|
|
|
Expenses |
$1,2000 |
$1,2000 |
$1,2000 |
|
|
|
Total |
$516,200 |
$516,200 |
$516,200 |
|
|
Agency or Local Government Partnering:
Currently, Pinellas County is in the process
of developing a hydrologic restoration plan for the Brooker Creek
Preserve. As additional projects are
identified it is expected that they will be proposed for funding through the
SWIM Program. There is the potential
that Hillsborough County may propose hydrologic and habitat restoration
projects in the part of the Brooker Creek watershed which extends into Hillsborough County.
Project Title: Brooker Creek Habitat Restoration - Channel
L (Pinellas County)
Summary:
This project proposes to design and
construct a restoration project to restore the historical hydrologic connection
of Channel L of Brooker Creek on Pinellas County’s Brooker Creek Preserve. Construction of a large power line corridor
and its access road have bisected the channel and redirected the flow as it
enters the Preserve. The project will
also result in habitat enhancement as a result of rehydration of flood plain
wetlands.
Annual Budget Estimates:
|
|
FY 2000 |
FY 2001 |
FY 2002 |
FY 2003 |
FY 2004 |
|
Salaries |
$2500 |
$2500 |
|
|
|
|
Contracts |
$87,500 |
$87,500 |
|
|
|
|
Expenses |
$500 |
$500 |
|
|
|
|
Total |
$90,500 |
$90,500 |
|
|
|
Agency or Local Government Partnering:
Pinellas County submitted this project for
cooperative funding during the FY 2000 funding cycle. The project has been approved for funding and an agreement
between the District and County has been executed. Additional coordination will be required between the District,
the County and Florida Power to develop a design that is consistent with
Florida Power’s management of the transmission line and access roads.
Project Title: Brooker Creek Habitat Restoration - Channel
F (Pinellas County)
Summary:
This project proposes to design and
construct a restoration project to restore the historical hydrologic connection
of Channel F of Brooker Creek on Pinellas County’s Brooker Creek Preserve. An historic jeep trail and fire plow line
have bisected the channel in two areas and
redirected the flow. The project
will result in habitat enhancement through rehydration of flood plain wetlands.
Annual Budget Estimates:
|
|
FY 2000 |
FY 2001 |
FY 2002 |
FY 2003 |
FY 2004 |
|
Salaries |
|
$2500 |
$2500 |
|
|
|
Contracts |
|
$160,000 |
$160,000 |
|
|
|
Expenses |
|
$500 |
$500 |
|
|
|
Total |
|
$163,000 |
$163,000 |
|
|
Agency or Local Government Partnering:
Pinellas County submitted this project for
cooperative funding during the FY 2001 funding cycle. The project has been tentatively approved for funding contingent
upon the Governing Boards approval of the FY 2001 budget in September
2000. Upon final approval, District and
Pinellas County staff will develop an agreement to implement the project.
Project Title: Brooker Creek Headwaters Restoration
(Hillsborough County)
Summary:
The project involves the design, permitting,
and construction of a habitat restoration project on a 1,111 acre parcel
located in Northwest Hillsborough County.
The property, jointly purchased
by the District and County in 1992, contains the headwaters of Brooker
Creek. The objective of the project is
to restore the property’s historic surface water hydrology and wetland habitats
through backfilling existing agricultural ditches and, if possible, creation of
additional wetlands within disturbed areas.
Restoring the historic water storage capacity of this site will provide
water quality treatment by increasing residence time on site while enhancing
existing wetland communities.
Annual Budget Estimates:
|
|
FY 2000 |
FY 2001 |
FY 2002 |
FY 2003 |
FY 2004 |
|
Salaries |
|
$2500 |
|
|
|
|
Contracts |
|
$300,000 |
|
|
|
|
Expenses |
|
$500 |
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$300,000 |
|
|
|
Agency or Local Government Partnering:
Hillsborough County submitted this project
for cooperative funding during the FY 2001 funding cycle. The project has been tentatively approved
for funding and an agreement between the District and County is currently being
reviewed by District Contracts staff.
Budgeted funds will be used for project design, permitting, and
construction.
Project Title: Public Education
Summary:
This project involves the development and
implementation of a comprehensive public involvement program for the Lake
Tarpon watershed. The program would
focus on informing the public about the various components of the DBMP
(PBS&J, 1998) and provide information on BMPs that could be implemented by
people within the watershed. The
information could be distributed in a variety of ways including newsletters,
public access television, video etc.
Improved public understanding of the causes
of lake management problems, and the role that individuals can play in managing
and improving the quality of the lake and watershed will go a long way to
furthering the goals of the Plan. In
addition, increased public involvement as stakeholders in the ownership and
implementation of the Plan should reduce unproductive public criticism of
governmental agencies, and improve the overall lake and watershed management
effort.
Annual Budget Estimates:
|
|
FY 2000 |
FY 2001 |
FY 2002 |
FY 2003 |
FY 2004 |
|
Salaries |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
|
|
|
Contracts |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
|
|
|
Expenses |
$500 |
$500 |
$500 |
|
|
|
Total |
$7,500 |
$7,500 |
$7,500 |
|
|
Agency or Local Government Partnering:
Pinellas County would be the lead agency in
implementing these projects. Funding
and technical assistance may be provided through the District.
Project Title:
Refinement of Groundwater Nutrient Estimates
Summary:
The most recent groundwater investigation
related to Lake Tarpon was the Lake Tarpon Groundwater Nutrient Study
prepared by ERM (1998). The objectives
of the ERM study (1998) were to: 1)estimate the flux of nutrients, especially
nitrate, in to Lake Tarpon via groundwater; 2) determine the origins of
nutrient rich groundwater in the Lake Tarpon watershed; and 3) identify the
potential for future flux of nutrients in the lake and Brooker Creek from
groundwater. The ERM study (1998)
provided a comprehensive and detailed investigation of the nutrient sources in
the Lake Tarpon and Brooker Creek watersheds and the potential for these
sources to lead to increased nutrient inflows to Lake Tarpon. However, ERM concluded that additional
groundwater wells were needed to refine the estimates of nutrient flux to the
lake. Without these wells and
additional data, it is difficult to point to any one land use or waste disposal
practice as being the most significant source of nutrients to the lake.
Annual Budget Estimates:
|
|
FY 2000 |
FY 2001 |
FY 2002 |
FY 2003 |
FY 2004 |
|
Salaries |
|
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
|
|
|
Contracts |
|
$50,000 |
$50,000 |
|
|
|
Expenses |
|
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
|
|
|
Total |
|
$57,000 |
$57,000 |
|
|
Agency or Local Government Partnering:
There are opportunities for the District to
partner with Pinellas County and possibly the City of Tarpon Springs through
the cooperative funding process to fund this investigation.