Middle St. Johns - Florida Department of Environmental Protection

96 Water Quality Assessment Report: Middle St. Johns
pollutants and eroded sediments. Appendix H provides a detailed analysis
of land use in the basin, by planning unit.
Ecological Summary
The Econlockhatchee River is characterized by a narrow border of significant
wetlands, with pine flatwoods adjacent to the river corridor. The
headwater area contains wetlands that are more expansive and flatwoods
that are interspersed with agriculture, with small patches of hardwood
forest and longleaf pine. Urbanization has reduced wetland and upland
habitats throughout the Econlockhatchee River watershed. In response,
special basin criteria have been adopted for the river and its tributaries;
these currently serve as a model in Florida for buffering development on
private properties along river systems (SJRWMD, 2001b).
Water Quality Improvement Plans and Projects
Several projects have been initiated to address issues with the Econlockhatchee
River. In partnership with the SJRWMD, Orange and
Seminole Counties are finalizing their Little Econlockhatchee master plans.
Efforts are already under way to begin the implementation of water quality
and quantity retrofit systems. State, regional, and local governments are
acquiring lands on the river to begin wetland restoration where possible.
Local governments have identified stormwater retrofit programs to improve
water quality and flood control in older developments constructed prior to
state stormwater regulations. Plans for the Natural Resources Agricultural
Learning Center on Long Branch Creek in Orange County are under way;
the center will promote environmental preservation, reduction of development
pressure, and educational outreach (URS, 2001). 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.
• Lake George Planning Unit
General Description
The Lake George planning unit, in portions of Lake, Marion, Volusia,
and Putnam Counties, comprises 161,139 acres (252 square miles), with
Lake George itself taking up 46,000 of these acres (72 square miles). Lake
George is the state’s second largest lake. The major waterbodies in the
planning unit include Lake George, the St. Johns River above the Ocklawaha
River, Price Creek, and Jumping Gully Creek. The U.S. Navy also
used Lake George as a bombing range (Fitzgerald et al., 1988). The lands
surrounding Lake George in Volusia County are now in the Lake George
State Forest.