MANASOTA & PEACE RIVER BBDs Meeting Notebook 10-21-09.docx

H048
Myakka River Watershed Initiative
Complete Work Order #11 8/31/09 9/30/09
Complete Work Order #10 2/10/10
WMP Consulting Services-Dewberry
Execute Work Order #14 4/24/09 8/17/09
Status As Of: September 01, 2009
Status History: At the February 21, 2006 Governing Board Meeting, a transfer of funds ($500,000) from the Water
Supply and Resource Development reserves was approved to hire consultants to obtain LiDAR in eastern Manatee
County ($380,000) and to initiate the water budget analysis for the Upper Myakka watershed ($120,000). The notice to
proceed for the LiDAR work order was executed on February 24, 2006. The LiDAR vendor informed staff that the sensor
used to acquire the data earlier this spring experienced hardware problems and the data are not usable. The vendor
recollected the LiDAR data and the Eastern Manatee/Upper Myakka LiDAR was approved and delivered to the WMP
consultant. The Request for Proposals to perform the Watershed Management Program elements was posted on May
19, 2006. Oral presentations of the three respondents were given on July 25, 2006. Singhofen & Associates, Inc. (SAI)
was selected and approved on August 8, 2006. The SAI agreement was executed on December 4, 2006. Copies of the
executed agreement were transmitted to Manatee County, City of North Port, Sarasota County, and PRMRWSA. A
kick-off meeting was held with the Myakka River stakeholders on February 14, 2007, to present the project and collect
information from staff with projects, knowledge, and/or data within the watershed.
Work Order #1 deliverables (collecting and reviewing existing information, developing the methodology and approach for
completing the surface water, water quality, and water budget modeling and preparing the project management, quality
assurance, and outreach plan) were completed. Work Order #2 was executed on June 12, 2007, to develop the Upper
Myakka River water budget model. Work Orders #3 and 4 were executed to complete the digital topographic information
element, geospatially reference existing survey data from throughout the watershed, develop content for a web page,
complete historic land use mapping, and identify model-specific features for the geodatabase. Changes in the processes
of the Watershed Management Program as a result of FEMA work have delayed the development of Work Order #6.
Imagery (late 1940s and early 1950s) is being utilized for historic land use mapping in the water budget analysis. Training
on the Mike SHE (integrated computer model for the water budget) was held for District staff. Coordination efforts
continue with the H063 PRMRWSA Source Feasibility study. Work Order #6 that includes historic vegetation
investigation in Flatford Swamp, and preliminary sub-basin and watershed delineations was executed January 2, 2008.
The kick-off meeting for the the peer review was held March 20, 2008. The historic land-use mapping and the digital
terrain information are complete. The consultant has completed the future land use and historic land use hydrologic
scenario runs. The Myakka website can now be accessed on watermatters.org. The Upper Myakka Water Budget was
presented to the Watershed Summit sponsored by the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program. The MRWI was
presented to the Florida State conference of Agricultural and Biological Engineers in early June 2008. The peer review
document was received in early July 2008. Peer review comments have been addressed. In an effort to accelerate the
project, staff was able to initiate water quality monitoring for a major portion of the Class 3 constituents, along with
coordination efforts with potential users and updates to the GIS database as a result of state funding from FY2009.
These efforts can begin now instead of waiting for additional funding in the next fiscal year. This requires an amendment
to the current Singhofen & Associates agreement increasing the funding amount by $276,000 to cover the updated
database efforts and increased coordination efforts. The District's Chemistry Lab and Water Quality Monitoring Program
sections are managing the water quality monitoring element. The consultant is waiting on recommendations for utilizing
the recent Sarasota County Lidar from the District before proceeding. The consultant team presented removal scenarios
of excess water from Flatford swamp and screening for potential uses at a meeting April 30, 2009. Watershed Evaluation
work orders have been delayed again as coordination efforts are worked through at the District. The consultant team
continues to explore possible alternatives for users of excess water from Flatford Swamp. Initial meetings with potential
users will continue for the next several months.Current Status: Consultant has completed a preliminary alternatives
analysis in the Tatum Sawgrass area of the watershed. The consultant has started development of the hydraulic event
modeling for the river as well as several tributary sub-watersheds that will assist with future permitting of best
management practices to address alterations within the study area.
021 - Manasota Basin 213