ISSUES

Caloosahatchee

Charlotte Harbor

Collier East

Collier West

Estero

Objective 1:  Conserve and protect water resources to ensure sustainability of economic and natural resources.

1.1 – Conversion of land uses

Conversion of agricultural lands to urban uses as well as expansion of agriculture within the basin (due in part to migration from the EAA) is an issue for consideration.

There are issues related to potential loss of natural systems in this basin.  An example is the area around Telegraph Swamp.

There are other issues with conversion of natural habitat to agriculture, driven by availability of water.

Borrow pits are being developed which is changing the hydrology -  breaks/intercepts sheetflow.

Look at future conversion of borrow pits to storage reservoirs for irrigation.

There are landuse changes from present use to more intensive uses in both agriculture and urban uses.

Conversion of raw land to agriculture and from low intensity agriculture to high intensity agriculture.

Sprawl effect in urban areas.

Collier County allows recreational use (golf courses) outside the urban boundaries.

Immokalee area – Collier County’s Rural Lands Committee is working on a growth plan.

New and expansion of marinas – Goodland to Cocohatchee.

Collier County Comprehensive Plan currently reflects planned development/agricultural use in all areas that are currently or planned for public ownership.

Several areas within the basin are being converted from agriculture to other land uses. The Belle Meade area and North Golden Gate Estates show signs of urban development.

Conversion of various land uses to urban is prevalent in many parts of this basin.

Collier County’s Rural Fringe Committee is working on growth plan.

New and expansion of marinas – Goodland to Cocohatchee

Increased development activity in North Golden Gate Estates (eastern portion).

Significant new road construction through undeveloped land – Livingston Road.

Immokalee Road, CR 951, and east US41 – increased growth (row land to developed, gated golf course communities)

Mining expansion (to support development).

There are issues with flood plain encroachment and conversion of agricultural lands to urban use.  The proposed Airport development, Mirasol development, and several highway projects are examples.

Allowing golf courses in DRGR

Fragmentation associated with urban/residential development.

Conversion of agriculture to mining large mines.

Eastern area – impacts of intensified agriculture during the 1990’s (silviculture to range to citrus, sugar, vegetable.

Extensive development in the watershed resulting in channelized flow.

Conversion of freshwater systems north and south of CREW.

Conversion of agricultural lands to mines affects adjacent preserve lands and wetlands (Corkscrew Road area).

Economic incentives to encourage infill development.

1.2 – Habitat preservation & land acquisition

There are issues with habitat preservation in this basin.

Federal impact lands/private conservation land programs.

Landscape scale preservation still possible in the area from the coast to SR 31.  Few remaining areas like this remaining.  Threatened by loss of acquisition funds.  P2020 (Lee Co.) will interconnect with area.

Threatened by estate development.

Areas are:  Charlotte Harbor Buffer, expansion of Webb Wildlife Management Area, Flatwoods/Yucca Pens

Caya Costa, Sanibel land acquisition programs.

Conversion of scrub jay habitat and other T&E species.

Pine Island – conversion of native to agriculture to urban.  Loss of Beautiful Paw Paw plant (E).

The Okaloacoochee Slough

There are habitat preservation issues related to the various species within the basin.

Fakahatchee out-parcels

Big Cypress Preserve out-parcels

Deltona settlement lands (Rookery Bay)

North Belle Meade, Southern Golden Gate Estates

CREW - Camp Keais, Bird Rookery area

Belle Meade CARL lands

National Wildlife Panther Refugee – 370,000 acres through easement or fee title.

10,000 Islands National Preserve expansion

Twin Eagles/Bonita Bay National Wildlife settlement

Clam Bay – conservation easements

Part of Picayune Strand (regional offsite mitigation area in North Golden Gate Estates to allow off-set mitigation within basin

Southern Golden Gate urban area (Collier County referendum)

Need to update EIS map or Coastal Corridor map then add easements

There are habitat preservation issues related to the various species within the basin, as well as with CREW and other conservation projects.

Preservation of remaining coastal areas.

Additional acquisition around Lake Trafford for sediment reduction.

Panther corridors in Lee County.

Bunch Beach area, Zemmel parcel, Troutman properties, Summerlin Sands

A greenways initiative, which involves protection of environmentally sensitive lands through public purchase and long-term conservation easements.  A typical component of a greenways program is what is referred to as Transfer of Density Rights (TDRs), whereby a land owner can shift density from one property which is of high environmental quality to one that is not.  This incentive protects the most important lands and allows the landowner a reasonable value for his land, without the public cost of purchasing it.

1.3 – Fisheries

Potential impact to commercial fishing resulting from water management activities such as releases from Lake Okeechobee is an issue in this basin.

Potential impact to recreational fishing and boating activities.

Excess fresh water discharges from the Caloosahatchee River is perceived to impact crabbing and clam farming within this basin.

Potential impact to recreational fishing and boating activities.

Water quality is a problem for clams and oysters.

Pine Island, Sanibel, Captiva - damage to seagrasses by need for channels.

Increase prop dredging in Charlotte Harbor from recreation fishing is becoming a real problem.

Location of fishing has changed from the Harbor to the Gulf – has increased the need to get out to the Harbor quickly.

Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass are approved shellfish harvesting areas.

Extensive freshwater fishing in the area, in particular in the Cape Coral canal system.

Economic impacts of fishing on Everglades City need to be considered.

Impacts from development and channelization – flow alterations – resulting in a diversity shift in fisheries.

Fishing has moved offshore – requires bigger, deep water boats – increased need for dredging of channels, speed zones (manatees) – Cocohatchee River mouth (increased dredging).

Freshwater fishing in canals – existing mercury warning.

Unknown – SR 29 canal and its effect??

Commercial and recreational fishing is common in the watershed.  Recreational fishing extends from the coastal regions to inland waters at Immokalee.  Commercial fishing is common in the coastal portion. 

Lake Trafford

Ten Mile Canal and Mullock Creek are manatee areas.

1.4 – Tourism

There are potential ecotourism impacts to such areas as the Babcock ranch, Okaloacoochee Slough,  etc.

The overuse of the resource and its impact is a concern.  E.g. increased boat traffic, jet ski use etc and the associated water quality impact.

Ecotourism is very big.  Ding Darling, Sanibel, Captiva.

Major employer in the Lee Island Coast.

Red tide impacts tourist dollars.

Privatization of the waterfront is an increasing problem – limited access.

Conflict between types of tourism – bird watchers vs jet skiers.

Ecotourism economic impacts to Everglades City need to be considered.

Significant impacts from tourism (e.g., beaches) and on ecotourism (e.g., golf courses) are considerations.

Tourism in this area is of a more traditional type – beach, fishing.

There are concerns with impacts from tourism and on ecotourism.

Major employer in the Lee Island Coast.

Red tide impacts tourist dollars.

Privatization of the waterfront is an increasing problem – limited access.

Conflict between types of tourism – bird watchers vs jet skiers.

1.5 – Recreation

Potential impact to recreational fishing and boating activities.

Potential impact to recreational fishing and boating activities.

High demand for public access.

Webb Wildlife Management Area is a large hunting area; there is a decline in private hunting areas.

Some off-road recreational vehicle usage in the area.

Water quality impacts to bathing beaches.

Ecotourism, boating and fishing activities are prevalent over a significant portion of this basin

Conflict between recreational demands on public lands and the intent behind the purchase.

Move toward designated trails, camping, etc. in order to reduce impacts.

Is an increase in airboats, jet skis, ORVs – moving to private lands since are being limited or moved off of public lands.

Recreational shift from east coast to west coast due to restoration emphasis on east coast. 

Increase in demand/use of preserves – especially for more than passive use.

Significant recreational use of various natural systems and coastal resources exist within this basin, and could be potentially impacted by water management activities. 

Water quality impacts to bathing beaches.

High demand for public access.

Objective 2:  Ensure availability of ground and surface water supplies for agricultural, environmental, and urban uses.

2.1 – Availability of surface water

There are issues with surface water deliveries for environmental, agriculture, and urban use within this basin.  These issues relate to location and future growth.

Dike/berm along southern end of Webb holds excess water on Web – need to return flow to previous streams, south to the Caloosahatchee River.

There are issues related to availability of surface water for irrigation on the various islands.

Disruption of sheetflow to estuary by proposed rerouting of water to Cape Coral (Gator Slough).

Need to reduce point discharges from Cape Coral canals to Matlacha Pass rather than increase flow to eastern canal system from Gator Slough.

Dike/berm along southern end of Webb holds excess water on Web – need to return flow to previous streams, south to the Caloosahatchee River. Need to restore flowways: Powell, Daughtery, Yellow Fever, Hancock.

Del Prado extension is further complicating the flow problems.

Potential for desalinization.

Need for small scale distributed reservoirs and ASRs

Fully realize potential for surface storage in Gator Slough.

Surface water use for agriculture is insignificant in this watershed.

North Belle Meade (north of I-75) has been drained – need for additional surface water supply (that is sheetflow vs canal).  Areas that used to drain to North Belle Meade now drain to the Gordon River and Naples Bay via canals.

District 6 – need for additional storage to minimize the need for increased infrastructure west of CR 951.

Increase in ASRS and demands for surface water out of canals to fill Marco Island wells.

Surface water flow restoration from South Belle Meade to Rookery Bay/10,000.  Need STAs due to contamination in watershed.

Extension of Tamiami Trail project to CR 951.

Flowway disruptions.

2.2 – Availability of groundwater

North of the Caloosahatchee river in Glades County and parts of Charlotte County and south of the river in a region outside of the LOSA there are groundwater availability concerns for agriculture.  There are areas with limited supplies south of the river

Single families are still dependent on shallow wells.

Utilities planning on going to Mid-Hawthorne.

Abandoned well field at the southern end of Webb Wildlife Management Area.

DRGR in North Fort Myers.

Some agriculture using groundwater is located in the northern portion of the basin.

Most areas have reached maximum safe yield withdrawals.

Need to develop alternative water supplies.

Ground water is used extensively for agriculture in the Camp Keais, Belle Meade, Okaloacoochee Slough, Barron River, South Lake Trafford, and to a more limited extent, Naples areas.

Need to develop alternative water supplies.

Groundwater supplies for agriculture are at or near maximum safe yield.

Collier County – deep Floridan wells.

Agricultural areas north of the Panther Refuge are affecting ground water levels in the north portion of the refuge with greater extremes.

Floridan used for ASR and potable – potential conflict?

Eastern portion of area – potable is individual wells (Golden Gate Estates, everything east of CR 951)

Orange Tree Estates has public supply.

Potential well in Belle Meade (eastern flowway) – Florida Water Services).

Lee County wellfields

Bonita Springs wellfields

DRGR (Density Reduction/Groundwater Resource)

Potential source for recharge is mines.

2.3 – Drought

Such areas as Felda, La Belle, Pioneer, Muse and Lehigh Acres have drought related issues.

Portions of Cape Coral and South Fort Myers also experience water shortages frequently. 

The low water level within such aquifers as the Mid Hawthorne is a problem. 

Clarification of level of service (1 in 10 year drought) needs to be resolved.  

Driest area in the study area – barrier islands in particular.

Area has the two largest wetland areas (Webb, Charlotte Harbor Flatwoods) which hold water longer

Golden Gate wellfield area experiences extreme drawdown in droughts. 

Several other areas within the basin have drought impacts. 

The Coastal Ridge well field and private wells in North West Collier County and the Marco Island Utility Lakes are vulnerable to saltwater intrusion during average drought conditions.

Severe drought areas in Belle Meade and Golden Gate Estates.  Results in wildfires.

The Bonita Springs area experiences water shortage almost every year even during average non-drought to low-severity drought events.  This is attributed in part to loss of wet season storage and the resulting reduced dry season recharge. 

There is  a limitation on availability of withdrawals for irrigation resulting from potential saltwater intrusion problems

2.4 – Urban landscape irrigation shortages

Perceived issues in Cape Coral.

Mobile Irrigation Lab

Xeriscape

Projected shortage of 57 million gallons per day of irrigation water for Cape Coral at buildout.

In spite of extensive recycled wastewater use, there is a problem with availability of adequate water supply for urban irrigation uses even when there are no water shortages elsewhere.

Irrigation systems (even new ones) are inefficient.

Check LWCWSP.

Alternative water sources and conservation are needed. 

Need to move back to xeriscape.

The coastal  (mostly urban) portion of the basin experiences some irrigation shortages even during average rainfall years.

Mobile Irrigation Lab

2.5 – Public water supply

Lee County Utilities and City of Fort Myers Utilities draw water from the river at Olga.  There are issues with availability of water from the river year round.  These issues are tied to high salinity during low flow periods.  Seasonal residents and tourist impacts are a consideration.   Saline water at surface water intake location and difficulty with disposal of concentrate (brine) are issues to address.

The Floridan aquifer is used as a drinking water source within this basin.  Cape Coral, Pine Island and Sanibel use reverse osmosis technology for water treatment and tap the Lower Hawthorn and Suwannee units of the Floridan.  Seasonal tourist impacts are a consideration.

Very limited new potable sources in the area.

Private well dependency.

More and more utilities are being oriented to the Floridan.  This accelerates the need for the modeling described in the LWCWSP.

The Lower Tamiami Aquifer source is approaching its safe yield limits.  Portions of the urban water use are being met from the Floridan Aquifer (with RO treatment).  Also, injection and ASR wells are present in the basin.  Seasonal tourist impacts are a consideration.

With projected population growth will need to look at desalinization.

MFLS need to clearly define threat to aquifer.

There are limitations on groundwater use due to saltwater intrusion and potential wetland impacts at the Bonita Springs wellfields. 

There are ASR facilities developed in the intermediate aquifer system. 

There may be a limitation on use of the Water Table aquifer as a potable water source in the San Carlos area due to septic system leachate.