Lower Charlotte Harbor Flatwoods Hydrologic Restoration Initiative, Yucca Pens Unit (Planning and Design)
Implementing Organization
State of Florida
Overview
DWH Project Funding
$630,491
Known Leveraged Funding
$0
Funding Organization
Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees (NRDA)
Funding Program
Natural Resource Damage Assessment NRDA
Details
Project Category
Environmental
Project Actions
Water Quality Restoration and Maintenance
Targeted Resources
Wetlands/Marshes/Estuaries
Project Description
The project reduced pollution and hydrologic degradation to coastal watersheds in lower Charlotte Harbor through development and implementation of a science-based, data-driven Strategic Hydrological Planning Tool that provided resource management agencies guidance for restoration and management of surface waters that flow through the 15,014-acre Yucca Pens Unit of the Cecil Webb/Babcock Wildlife Management Area (WMA) into eastern Charlotte Harbor and the Caloosahatchee River via tidal channels. Specific activities included: • Baseline data collection for the modeling effort including installation of piezometers and sensors, GPS survey of the piezometers, installation of flow-meters in tidal creeks and canals, installation of rain gauges, mapping historical hydro-patterns, and mapping existing conditions; • Development of the Strategic Hydrological Planning Tool; • Completion of multiple model runs including a historic/pre-development conditions model/natural systems model, existing conditions model, and future conditions model; • Development of final report, summarizing results of each model run and recommendations on priority restoration and management projects or actions and associated benefits and implementation costs. Development, including the construction of major roadways such as US 41 and I-75, has significantly altered the historic surface water sheet flow from the Yucca Pens Unit into Charlotte Harbor and Caloosahatchee River by draining the area and directing freshwater discharges into Charlotte Harbor. This also resulted in excess discharges of water and nutrients into the Caloosahatchee tributaries. The Strategic H...click on "More Info" link below
Contact
Sarah Ketron(850) 245-2167
Sarah.Ketron@FloridaDEP.gov
Project Website
None
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