Middle St. Johns - Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Water Quality Assessment Report: Middle St. Johns
85
County. New and improved roads will add to development pressure and
associated nonpoint source contamination.
Ecological Summary
The rare and imperiled blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) has been
observed in the Lake Harney portion of the St. Johns River (Hoehn, 1998).
Water Quality Improvement Plans and Projects
Several programs are under way to preserve and protect lands in the
Deep Creek planning unit. These include Volusia Forever, Volusia County
Conservation Corridor, Small Lot Acquisition Program, Scrub Jay Habitat
Preservation Program, and the Environmental, Cultural, Historic, Outdoor
(ECHO) Program. Volusia County is conducting surface water monitoring
in its portion of the Deep Creek planning unit. EnviroNet, a program
run by Volusia County, uses volunteers to carry out a number of activities
that range from marking stormdrains to assisting in restoration efforts.
Appendix C summarizes restoration and protection efforts in the basin, by
planning unit
Waters will not be placed on the Verified List if the Department
receives reasonable assurance that existing or proposed projects and/or programs
are expected to result in the attainment of water quality standards or
consistently improve water quality over time. Chapter 4 and Appendix D
contain additional information on the requirements for reasonable
assurance.
For this planning unit, no management plans or projects complying
with the Department’s guidance for reasonable assurance have been provided
for the 2002 list of impaired waters.
• Econlockhatchee River Planning Unit
General Description
The Econlockhatchee River planning unit lies within portions of
Osceola, Orange, and east Seminole Counties. Totaling 173,142 acres
(270 square miles), it is contained mostly in the west slope of the St. Johns
River Valley. The planning unit is characteristic of blackwater systems in
that it drains large areas of marsh, which color the water with organic compounds.
The predominant waterbody is the Econlockhatchee River, which
is approximately 36 miles long. Major tributaries to the Econlockhatchee
River include the Little Econlockhatchee River, Mills Creek, Silcox Branch,
Mills Branch, Long Branch, Hart Branch, Cowpen Branch, Green Branch,
Turkey Creek, Little Creek, and Fourmile Creek. In 1992 the Environmental
Regulation Commission designated the Econlockhatchee River
as a “Special Waters” Outstanding Florida Water (OFW) in accordance
with Subsection 62-302.700(5), F.A.C. The planning unit also contains
numerous small, shallow lakes.
Water Quality Summary
Figure 3.5, a composite map of the planning unit, shows waters on
the 1998 303(d) list, the Planning List and Verified List, and potential
pollution sources. Water quality data from 78 monitoring stations were
used for assessment (Appendix F).