Background

Watershed Management Plans (WMP) will be developed to protect water resource quality and quantity by drainage area or watershed. The 2006 Growth Management Plan (GMP) amendments specify that WMPs will be completed by 2010. The basins were prioritized by by the BCC at the November 27, 2007 meeting.  The ranking was based on growth potential, impacts to wetlands, and impacts to listed species habitats. Protection of County estuaries and wetland systems are the current goals of the WMPs.

We will use the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Everglades West Coast Waterbody GIS layer to describe the watersheds. (Differences between these basins and the SFWMD version will be resolved when we get new LIDAR topography prior to any modeling. The LIDAR is anticipated to be available by the fall of 09.) 

We had public meetings  in the fall of 2007 to refine the scope proposed in the 2006 GMP amendments.   The South West Florida Feasibility Study (SWFFS) has been evaluating projects to improve environmental conditions in south west Florida for several years.  As this study neared completion our WMP development altered timing to await the completion of the SWFFS.  The SWFFS is evaluating selected projects now.  The selected alternatives should be recommended this summer.  The USACE and SFWMD are expected to present the alternatives in early 2010. 

URS is assisting the County with project management and we have  contracted with the team of PBS&J and DHI to update the Big Cypress Basin (BCB) MIKE SHE MIKE 11 hydraulic model to evaluate alternatives and then develop the WMPs.  In the October 13, 2009 BCC meeting they authorized funding to move forward with Phase 2 of the contract with PBS&J to complete the plans. The scope of work includes comparing the SWFFS model water budgets and ground water levels with updated model results for existing and future conditions and a water quality model for the Golden Gate basin. Performance measures will be developed to assist in screening the SWFSS projects as well as other alternatives. Selected alternatives will be modeled using the updated BCB model. Recommended alternatives will be presented with performance measure results, projected implementation costs, and a recommended schedule.  This work is now expected to be completed by the end of September 2010. 

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)

FDEP developed TMDLs for pollutants causing water quality impairments in the Everglades West Coast Basin in 2008.  They released their Verified List of impaired water bodies May 19,2009 for Group 1 basins (including Everglades West Coast).  In this cycle the Collier County affected water bodies included Cocohatchee River (estuary, 3259A, fecal coliforms), Gordon River Extension ( 3278K, 3259C, dissolved oxygen), and Lake Trafford ( 3259W, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and unionized ammonia).  Final TMDL assessments are on FDEP’s TMDL web page.  Restoration work has already been done in Lake Trafford and the Gordon River Extension basins. The SFWMD Big Cypress Basin has been working to finish dredging the muck from Lake Trafford, and the water quality treatment system for the Gordon River Extension basin in Freedom Park is nearly completed.  FDEP has indicated they will develop Guidance Documents rather than BMAPS due to staffing limitations and the restoration work completed and or planned in both of these basins.   

The FDEP Impaired Waters evaluation will be assessed on a 5 year cycle.   FDEP and EPA are working to adopt numerical nutrient criteria in the winter of 2009 / 2010. The canals in south Florida will be the last group of waters to be addressed by FDEP. The current proposal for peninsular streams is .116 mg/l of Total Phosphorus and 1.73 mg/l Total Nitrogen (as annual geometric means). The proposed criteria for colored lakes like Lake Trafford is 20 ug/l Chlorophyll a, 0.05 mg/l Total Phosphorus, and 1.23 mg/l Total Nitrogen. 

Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) have been identified as the causative pollutant in the Gordon River Extension and Lake Trafford (and half of the major basins are listed as impaired waiting for the next cycle to be verified and have TMDLs developed).  Increased storm water treatment was one of the interim watershed policies already adopted.  The implementation of a fertilizer ordinance similar to the ones adopted by Lee County and Naples will be one of the topics discussed.

Part of the watershed modeling effort will be to test alternative solutions to resolve these water quality problems both in the impaired water bodies with TMDLs and the ones that are on the planning list. Our consultants will develop water budgets and seasonal water elevation figures from the earlier version of the model for comparison.

We will have more public meetings to discuss what alternatives need to be modeled prior to developing the WMPS.

I will post the scope of work for Phase 2 and the technical memos on conditions in the watersheds on the Informational Links and Documents web page as they are approved.  If you are interested in the model update please contact me.

If you wish to submit comments or be added to the WMP email notification list please contact Mac Hatcher (239.252.2954)

Last update: October 16, 2009