restoration plan for the northwest fork of the loxahatchee river

S O U T H F L O R I D A W A T E R M A N A G E M E N T D I S T R I C TS O U T H F L O R I D A W A T E R M A N A G E M E N T D I S T R I C T

L o x a h a t c h e e R i v e r M a n a g e m e n t C o o r d i n a t i n g C o u n c i l – J a n u a r y 3 0 , 2 0 1 2

RESTORATION PLAN FOR THE NORTHWEST FORK OF THE

LOXAHATCHEE RIVER

Patti GormanScience Supervisor, Applied Sciences

Water Resources Division

A 5 year Addendum to the 2006 Plan

2011 ADDENDUM:

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Acknowledgements of Contributions

Florida Park Service Florida Department of Environmental Protection Loxahatchee River District Palm Beach County Martin County University of Florida Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation

Commission Continental Shelf Associates

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History of Efforts to Provide Scientific Support

Technical document to support development of Loxahatchee Minimum Flows and Levels for the Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee River completed in 2002

Restoration Plan for the Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee River completed in 2006

Loxahatchee River Science Plan completed in 2010 Addendum to the Restoration Plan for the Northwest

Fork of the Loxahatchee River completed in 2011

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2006 Restoration Plan Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee River

Inter-agency Team Major Goal was to develop appropriate

restoration flow scenarios Detailed Integrated Modeling and Science

• Linkages between watershed and river

• Emphasis on hydrology-salinity-ecological indicators

• Management implications elucidated

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Valued Ecosystem Components for Restoration

Cypress swamp and hydric hammock in the riverine reach

Cypress swamp in the tidal floodplain Fish larvae in the low salinity zone Oysters in the mid-estuary Seagrasses in the outer estuary

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Preferred Restoration Flow Scenario

Variable dry season flow between 50 and 110cfs, with a mean monthly flow of 69 cfs over Lainhart dam and an additional 30 cfs from the downstream tributaries when needed

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Loxahatchee Science Plan

Multi-agency team Developed in response to comments received

during development and review of the 2006 Restoration Plan

Looks at the needs of the entire river and estuary not just the Northwest Fork

Helped to guide focused science to reduce uncertainties and close data gaps

Used to prioritize future scientific studies

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2011 Addendum Called an addendum because it is not a

reevaluation of flow scenarios It is a compilation of new knowledge gained in

key areas that were identified as needing more information

New Research and monitoring was organized into 6 major categories: Salinity and Stage Floodplain Vegetation Floodplain fish and wildlife Estuarine Flora and Fauna Water Quality Restoration project progress

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List of Studies Conducted after 2006 plan - reported in the 2011 addendum

Continuous stage monitoring at transects 1 and 3

Groundwater, soil moisture, and pore water salinity data collection and analysis

Floodplain vegetation surveys conducted in 2007, 2009 and 2010

Salinity and inundation of Bald Cypress and Pond Apple seedlings

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Studies (continued)

Loxahatchee River Vegetation Demonstration Research Project

Fish distribution and movement related to flow and stage

Floodplain wildlife utilization Seagrass and oyster monitoring Oyster restoration Water quality monitoring Salinity monitoring

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Addendum Summary The results of the new analysis strengthened

the validity of the flow scenarios developed in the 2006 plan Flow-salinity relationships re-evaluated and confirmed Confirmed that groundwater contributions to the river can be a

significant source of water to the river especially in the dry season

Inundation of saltwater on the floodplain during high tides, not diffusion of saltwater in the river channel into the aquifer contributed to high porewater salinity in the floodplain

Bald cypress showed an increase in seedling production in the upper tidal reach

Alligators and small mammals seem to be the best wildlife indicators for the river

New seagrass maps showed an increase in acreage WQ was generally good, N&P below EPA and LRD targets

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Timeline and Next Steps

Analysis, synthesis and reporting of these studies completed during 2011

First DRAFT report reviewed by internal and external team September – October, 2011

Final DRAFT compiled and distributed to Coordinating Council January 11, 2012

Presentation and discussion today (January 30th, 2012)

Incorporate input from Coordinating Council Web post final document

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Special Thanks…

Staff in the Coastal Ecosystems Section of the Water Management District, in particular my co-project lead Fawen Zheng

Dick Roberts – FPS JDSP(retired) Rob Rossmanith – FPS District 5 Bud Howard - LRD

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Thank YouQuestions?

Patti GormanScience Supervisor, Applied SciencesWater Resources Division