2012 FDOT Mitigation Plan - Southwest Florida Water Management ...

REGIONAL MITIGATION PLAN
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Mitigation Project Name: Bahia Beach Project Number: SW 78
County: Hillsborough
Location: Sec. 1, T32S, R18E
IMPACT INFORMATION
(1) FM 4061511: Veteran’s Expressway, Memorial to Gunn (2011) ERP #: 49007864.022 COE #: 2009-03478 (IP-JPF)
(2)FM: 4143481- Tampa Airport, 36R Runway Protection Zone ERP #: 49008387.026 COE #: SAJ-2001-12399
(3)FM: 4143481- Tampa Airport, Taxiway "V & W" ERP #: 49008387.028 COE #: 200201521 (IP-MN)
(4)FM: 4143481- Tampa Airport, Drew Park (2008-2025) ERP #: 49008387.000 COE #: 2002-01521 (IP-CJW)
(5)FM: 4143481- Tampa Airport, Runway 17-35 System (2016) ERP #: 49008387.000 COE #: 2002-01521 (IP-CJW)
(6)FM: 4143481- Tampa Airport, Taxiway S West Extension (2021) ERP #: 49008387.000 COE #: 2002-01521 (IP-CJW)
(7)FM: 4143481- Tampa Airport, Taxiway E Reconstruction (2025) ERP #: 49008387.000 COE #: 2002-01521 (IP-CJW)
(8)FM: 4143481- Tampa Airport, Taxiway N Overpass (2013) ERP #: 49008387.000 COE #: 2002-01521 (IP-CJW)
(8) FM 4152349 - SR 597 (Dale Mabry) Lakeview Dr. to Van Dyke Rd. ERP #: ____________COE #: _________________
(9) FM 4245501 - US 41 (SR 45) Hills/ Manatee CL to 15th Ave. ERP #: ____________ COE #: _________________
(10) FM 4245614 - SR 60 Bridge #138 to Pinellas/ Hills. CL ERP #: ____________ COE #: _________________
(11) FM 4255001 - US 41 (SR 45) Linwood Dr. to County Line Rd. ERP #: ____________ COE #: _________________
(12) FM 4289241- SR 597 (Dale Mabry) Cheval Blvd. to County Line Rd. ERP #: ____________COE #: _________________
(13) FM 4289361 - SR 60/Adamo Dr. 22nd St. to 50th St. ERP #: ____________ COE #: _________________
Drainage Basin: Tampa Bay Water Body(s):Sweetwater Creek, Tampa Bay, Fish Creek SWIM water body? Yes
MITIGATION ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION
Mitigation Type: Creation, restoration and enhancement
Mitigation Area: 148 acres
SWIM project? Y Aquatic Plant Control project? N Exotic Plant Control Project? Y
Mitigation Bank? N Drainage Basin: Tampa Bay Drainage Water Body(s): Tampa Bay SWIM water body? Y
Project Description
A. Overall project goal: The Bahia Beach tract (148 acres) was acquired in 2001 by Hillsborough County
through their Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP), one of several contiguous
habitat tracts owned and managed by the County west of Ruskin (Figure B). The project is being co-sponsored
and managed by the Hillsborough County Conservation Section, Hillsborough County Environmental Protection
Commission (EPC) and SWFWMD to conduct a variety of habitat improvements including freshwater and
oligohaline wetland creation within an existing upland fallow field, enhancement of forested wetland hammock
habitat, and enhancement of salt-marsh/mangrove habitat (Figures E & F, site photos).
B. Brief description of current condition: As part of the acquisition agreement, the previous landowner
removed the citrus trees from the upland area, and subsequently the fallow field (58 acres) has generated bahia
grass, guinea grass, torpedo grass, dog fennel, and extensive Brazilian pepper. The field is bordered to the west
by two large parallel upland-cut drainage ditches dredged to convey contributing storm and surface water when
the grove was present. The shear-slope ditches are tidally connected, allowing the generation of white and black
mangrove species in the lower elevations and B. pepper along the slopes and top-of-bank. West of these ditches,
a forested wetland of coastal hydric hammock habitat (32 acres) is dominated by an overstory of cabbage palm,
live oak, laurel oaks, red juniper and slash pine. The subcanopy of the hammock includes minor to moderate
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