Lake County Comprehensive Plan Evaluation & Appraisal Report ...

derives the majority of its flow from numerous natural springs, has been designated as anOutstanding Florida Water, a National Wild and Scenic River, and a Florida Aquatic Preserve. 16In 1988, the Florida Legislature enacted the WekivaRiver Protection Act which required that Lake, Orange,and Seminole counties adopt Comprehensive Planpolicies and land development regulations to betterprotect hydrology, water quality, habitats, and wildlifewithin a designated “Wekiva River Protection Area.”Those policies and regulations included the protectionof rural character, limiting development densities,creating river and wetland setbacks, and recognizinghydrologic protection zones. Pursuant to the Act, asystem of transferable development rights wasimplemented in Lake County to shift developmentdensity away from the river system.Figure 5: Location of the Wekiva RiverProtection Area and Wekiva Study AreaThe aquifer recharge area that contributes to springflow within the Wekiva River System has been onlyrecently well defined. Known as the WekivaSpringshed, this area extends considerably west andsouth of the Wekiva River Protection Area, largelyoutside of boundaries defined by the originallegislation. 17 Therefore, in order to better protectgroundwater resources and also address regionaltransportation needs, the Florida legislature, in 2004,enacted a second piece of legislation titled the WekivaParkway and Protection Act. This new legislationcontains guiding principles for development of the Wekiva Parkway, including requirements forwildlife crossings to ensure wildlife movement and habitat connectivity. The Act also identifiesproperties to be protected by acquisition or conservation easement in the vicinity of the road.To provide greater protection of groundwater resources, the Act designates a larger “WekivaStudy Area” which includes much of the Wekiva Springshed. The Act calls for various action bylocal governments and state agencies, including adoption of Comprehensive Plan policies andland development regulations to optimize open space and promote a pattern of developmentprotective of recharge, karst features, natural habitat, and greenways. Strategies to accomplishthis include clustering, land acquisition, conservation easements, low density development, andbest management practices. The Act also addresses the coordination of stormwater plans,wastewater treatment, and the conversion of conventional septic systems to performancebasedtechnology. 18Source:sjrwmd.com/streamlines/2006spring/wekiva_map.html16 http://www.dca.state.fl.us/FDCP/DCP/wekiva/wekivacc/report/FinalWekivaReport.pdf17 http://www.dca.state.fl.us/FDCP/DCP/wekiva/wekivacc/report/FinalWekivaReport.pdf18 http://www.dca.state.fl.us/fdcp/DCP/wekiva/wekivaact/index.cfm2008 Evaluation and Appraisal Report – Lake County, FloridaSeptember 23, 2008 26