Transcript Upper St. Johns River Basin Project

Upper St. Johns
River Basin Project
A joint project between the
St. Johns River Water Management District
and the Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Hector Herrera
Basin Program Manager
St. Johns River Water Management District
US Army
Corps of
Engineers
A Jewel in Florida’s Watery Crown
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Project is situated in
east-central Florida just
inland from Florida’s
Space Coast.
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The project is semistructural in design,
relying on reclaimed
floodplains to function
as nature intended.
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The project footprint
consists of 150,000
acres (237 sq. mi.) and
includes over 150 miles
of flood protection
levees and dozens of
water conveyance
structures.
Why Do We Need the USJRBP?
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In the late 1800’s and
early 1900’s, steam
shovels and survey
rods opened Florida’s
vast watery interior.
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Efforts to drain the
headwaters of the St.
Johns marshes
began in earnest in
the mid-1940’s.
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Following devastating
hurricanes in south
Florida, Congress
authorized flood
control in the upper
reaches of the St.
Johns in 1948.
Reclaiming the Upper St. Johns
River Marsh
By the early 1970’s, 82% of the river’s floodplain
had been removed for agricultural development.
A Look Back
 1948 - Congress authorized the Central & Southern Florida
Flood Control Project in response to catastrophic
flooding
 1966 - US Army Corps of Engineers and C&SF FCD start
construction of a highly structural flood control project
 1972 - Construction was halted due to environmental concerns
after passage of the National Environmental Policy Act
 1977 - Project sponsorship was transferred to SJRWMD;
District undertakes comprehensive redesign based on
a semi-structural design concept
 1988 - Construction of the current Upper St. Johns River Basin
Project began
Project Goals
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Flood Damage
Prevention
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Water Quality
Improvement
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Hydro-period
Restoration
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Habitat, Fish & Wildlife
Enhancement
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Reductions in massive
freshwater flows to the
Indian River Lagoon
estuary
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Increased Public
Recreation
Opportunities
Prescription for the River’s Cure
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A semi-structural
design concept to
allow water levels to
mimic the natural
hydrologic regime.
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Returning farm and
pasture fields to
shallow marshes.
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Construct large, offline retention
reservoirs to treat
agricultural runoff.
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Introduce fire as a
marsh management
tool to re-establish
diverse wetland plant
communities.
How the Project Works
Water Management Areas
•Provide stormwater storage
•Contain agricultural discharges so
that high quality wetland habitat
may be preserved
•Provide water quality treatment
•Provide irrigation water for
agriculture
Retention Areas/ Detention
Areas
•Provide stormwater storage
Marsh Conservation Areas
•Provide stormwater storage
•Preserve wetland habitat
Restoration Areas
•Recreate historic wetlands
•Provide wildlife habitat
•Increase floodplain storage
•Increase recreational opportunities
What’s Been Done?
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Construction and operation of 95% of the Federal and
SJRWMD-constructed project elements
Canal plugging of C-40 and parts of borrow canals along
western side of the marsh
Hydrologic restoration internal to Ft. Drum MCA
C-54 Retention Area/T.M. Goodwin Waterfowl Area
NRCS WRP restoration projects at Sixmile Creek,
Broadmoor marsh and Moccasin Island
Acquired additional lands within Blue Cypress WMA
Reconstructed the Lake Washington Weir
Acquired most of the 10-yr floodplain of the St. Johns River
between US 192 and SR 46
Kenansville Lake Drainage Improvements
Restoration and reconnection of 318 acre citrus grove known
as Banjo Groves
What’s Left & When?
Three Forks Marsh Conservation Area
 EIS completed in
September 2002
 Construction started
in 2008
 Construction
suspended in 2009
to resolve cultural
resource issues
 Anticipate
construction
completion in 2011
What’s Left & When?
Fellsmere Water Management Area
 Interim flooding of
4,000 acres to be
completed in 2008
 Purchased an
additional 6,000
acres in 2008
 Flooding of 10,000
by 2015
Benefits of the USJRBP
 Provide reliable flood protection
 Improve water quality and habitat
 Reduce fresh water discharges to the
Indian River Lagoon
 Restore and enhance wetland habitat
 Increase public recreational opportunities
 Provide low flow augmentation to downstream
reaches of the St. Johns River
USJRBP Accolades
 Second largest wetland restoration project in the country
 Winner of the 2008 International Thiess Riverprize
 Waterfowl populations have gone from approx. 2,000
birds in 1970 to over 42,000 in 2000
 Nationally renown large mouth bass fishery
 Home to over 160 rare or listed species of plants and
animals