Lake Panasoffkee SWIM Plan - Southwest Florida Water ...

Once the mitigation projects have been identified and included in the plan, the FDEP, WMD
or other entity implements the mitigation project and bears the costs of design and
construction. Upon completion of the project, whether it be wetland restoration or creation,
the entity that constructed the project may then apply to the FDOT for reimbursement of the
costs to complete the mitigation project.
The 1999 FDOT Mitigation Plan developed for the SWFWMD proposes using a portion of the
Lake Panasoffkee Restoration to mitigate impacts as a result of the FDOT’s widening of the
existing 1-75 bridge that crosses along the southeastern portion of Lake Panasoffkee. Based
on the approved mitigation plan, approximately two (2) acres of impacts have been identified.
Although the impacted acreage may change during actually permitting of transportation
propct.
Local Government Coordination and Partnering - The District has prepared county level
Integrated Plans for the local governments within its jurisdiction as part of the District‘s Water
Management Plan. The purpose of an Integrated Plan is to identify and evaluate key water
resource management issues within the local government’s jurisdiction and to develop
common District and local government strategies to address these issues. The Integrated
Plan is also intended to serve as a tool to foster the integration of land use planning and
growth management activities of local governments with the water use planning and
management activities of the District. This effort will strengthen the local government’s
comprehensive plan by linking local water resources planning to the best available data and
resources of the District. The development of Integrated Plans is a cooperative effort of the
District, local governments and citizens and is best viewed as a process. The process is
intended to promote continuing relations and mutual planning in the best interest of the
resource. It is hoped that the action strategies identified will be added to the local government
plan where local and District energies and funding can be directed toward them.
The current version of the Sumter County Comprehensive Plan acknowledges the Outstanding
Florida Water status of Lake Panasoffkee and identifies general policies related to
coordination to protect and enhance the resource. The County is currently working on
amendments to the plan as a result of the Evaluation and Appraisal Report. These
amendments contain more specific policies related to the restoration of Lake Panasoffkee and
are consistent with the restoration goals of the Lake Panasoffkee SWIM Plan and the Lake
Panasoffkee Restoration Council, Report to the Legislature, November 25, 1998. For more
information, the reader is referred to the Sumter County Planning Department.
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