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The South Florida Watershed

The South Florida Watershed. Kevin Carter, Office of Everglades Policy and Coordination, South Florida Water Management District kecarter@sfwmd.gov, phone: 561-682-6949 Our Florida Reefs Community Working Group Meetings April 22 nd and April 28 th , 2014. Presentation Overview.

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The South Florida Watershed

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  1. The South Florida Watershed Kevin Carter, Office of Everglades Policy and Coordination, South Florida Water Management District kecarter@sfwmd.gov, phone: 561-682-6949 Our Florida Reefs Community Working Group Meetings April 22nd and April 28th, 2014

  2. Presentation Overview • Central & South Florida Flood Control System (CS+F): • History, Scale, and Complexity • Restoration at the Watershed Scale: • CERP, Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan • CEPP, Central Everglades Planning Project • RS, Restoration Strategies • NEEPP, Northern Everglades + Estuaries Protection Program (hint: you will learn these acronyms, test at the end )

  3. What does the term Watershed mean to you? “In the continental US, there are 2,110 watersheds; including Hawaii Alaska, and Puerto Rico, there are 2,267 watersheds” http://water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/whatis.cfm Photo from http://www.nsrwa.org/Page.121.html

  4. Current The South Florida Watershed Historic

  5. Historical Events Leading to Constructionof C&SF Project • Hurricanes in 1926 and 1928 resulted in failure of the levee around Lake Okeechobee • Lower East Coast drought (1931 – 1945) and saltwater intrusion threat • Hurricane in 1947 resulted in wide-spread flooding throughout South Florida • State of Florida requested Federal assistance in 1947 • Congress authorized the C&SF Project in 1948 Areas Flooded in the 1947 Storm

  6. Today’s SFWMD • Lands stretch 240 miles from Orlando to the Keys • 18,000 sq. miles, encompassing one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world • ~2,000 miles of canals • ~2,800 miles of levees • More than 650 water control structures and 700 project culverts • Nearly 70 pump stations • 7.7 million residents • More than 3 million acres of agriculture • Protected/Managed natural areas • www.sfwmd.gov

  7. SFWMD Core Mission Five Water Management Districts were created by 1972 Water Resources Act: • Flood Control • Operate & maintain largest water management system in the world • Water Supply • Ensure sustainable water resources for South Florida’s environment and economy • Natural Systems • Protect and restore the Northern and Southern Everglades • Water Quality • Improve water quality in the Everglades 7

  8. Future South Florida Watershed:Increasing Flows to the South Managed Flows (circa 2010) Pre-drainage Flows

  9. Future South Florida Watershed:Increasing Flows to South (cont.) Quantity Quality Timing Distribution

  10. Rescuing an Endangered Ecosystem:The Plan to Restore America’s Everglades The Central and Southern Florida Project Comprehensive Review Study (The Restudy) July 1999 CERP: A Very Brief Background • 1999– Florida Legislature gives SFWMD authority to act as local sponsor for all portions of C&SF • 1999: The C+SF Restudy submitted to Congress; comprehensive plan with more than 60 components • 2000: Florida Legislature passes act to fund the state’s 50% cost-share • 2000: FederalWater Resources Development Act 2000: • Approves CERP as a framework for modifying the C&SF project • Authorizes 50-50 cost-share for CERP implementation and O&M • Requires approval of Project Implementation Report for each project

  11. CERP Projects • Pre-CERP Foundation Projects • Kissimmee River • C-111 South Dade • Modified Water Deliveries Nearing Completion • 1st Generation CERP • Picayune Strand • IRL-South • Site 1 Impoundment Under Construction • 2nd Generation CERP • C-43 Reservoir • Broward County WPA • C-111 Spreader Canal • Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Pending Congressional Authorization • 3rdGeneration CERP • Central Everglades Planning • Project • Loxahatchee River Watershed • Restoration Project Project Planning http://www.evergladesplan.org/

  12. Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) • Increases storage, treatment and conveyance of water south of Lake Okeechobee • Sends ~200,000 ac-ft of water south from the Lake • Removes and/or plugs canals and levees within the central Everglades • Improves hydroperiod and flow through Everglades National Park while protecting urban and agricultural areas to the east from flooding 12

  13. http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xweb%20protecting%20and%20restoring/restoration%20strategieshttp://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xweb%20protecting%20and%20restoring/restoration%20strategies 13

  14. Northern Everglades &Estuaries Protection Program (NEEPP) • Foundation for the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program (NEEPP, 373.4595 Florida Statutes): • Defines the three Coordinating Agencies: SFWMD, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) • Watershed Protection Plans: • Holistic watershed approach to restoration • Suite of projects and programs to improve the quality of water discharged from the watersheds and minimize undesirable flows 14

  15. NEEPP: Example Projects IRL-S Project St. Lucie Watershed Kissimmee River Restoration Lake Okeechobee Watershed Dispersed Water Management C-43 West Basin Storage Reservoir Caloosahatchee Watershed 15 http://my.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/xweb%20protecting%20and%20restoring/other%20everglades

  16. NEEPP and Water Quality Restoration • FDEP leads water quality restoration with its Total Maximum Daily Load Program (TMDL) • FDEP collaborates with SFWMD, FDACS and local stakeholders • Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) map the path forward for TMDL implementation: • St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Estuaries, 1st phase BMAPs underway • Lake Okeechobee BMAP in planning phase http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/watersheds/bmap.htm

  17. Florida Senate Select Committee on Indian River Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee Basin • The Committee, created on July 10, 2013 and led by Senator Joe Negron, has conducted hearings to: • Review water management policies and activities • Assess the impact of Lake releases on the St. Lucie Estuary • Identify options to improve basin wide water management, including alternatives to Lake discharges • Develop recommendations (short and long term) for improved water management • A Committee report was submitted November 4, 2013, to the Senate Committees on Appropriations, Environmental Preservation, and Agriculture http://www.flsenate.gov/Media/Topics/irllob

  18. Discussion and Contact Information Kevin Carter, Office of Everglades Policy and Coordination South Florida Water Management District kecarter@sfwmd.gov, phone: 561-682-6949

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