NORTHWEST NEWS & UPDATES

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

SEPTEMBER 2011 VOL. 3, NO. 3

District Opens Flood Risk Portal

Residents of nine northwest Florida coastal counties can now enter a portal from their home computers and obtain flood risk information for their properties. They can visit http://portal nwfwmdfloodmaps.com/, enter their addresses or use the click and zoom feature to locate properties and determine whether they are in a flood hazard area. Floodplain maps are now accessible and interactive online for all northwest Florida coastal counties, said Ron Bartel, Director of the Districts Division of Resource Management. Residents will be able to review their flood risk without going to a library or planning department. Though official FEMA flood insurance rate maps, called FIRMs, must still be used to determine flood insurance rates, this new tool allows people to look at FIRMs from their homes. The new tool was developed for its ability to present new or draft flood risk information as it is developed, said Senior Hydrologist Jerrick Saquibal. The coastal area is currently being restudied for the entire District and plans are to post the draft maps on the tool as well. The draft maps are called preliminary FIRMs, which in the past were difficult to view without going to a public meeting or a library when they are presented. The ability to view flood

The flood portal offers click and zoom property reports, revised flood risk information and predicted depths of flooding. St. George Island Lighthouse, for instance, is in a flood zone. risk information through the portal is an important outreach tool, allowing people in flood hazard areas to comment on the draft maps and, in some instances, use them before theyre finalized. In some communities this is the first update in 10 or 20 years. The maps are based on the Districts recently modernized topographic information derived digitally from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data. This data, along with digital aerial photography, has helped the District produce new maps with detailed floodplain delineations in some areas. These revisions may increase or decrease the flood hazard area, and encourages residents to act on risk information that might impact their properties. The Districts Flood Information Portal gives users the ability to view, in a printable report at the property level, the revised and previous flood maps side by side, along with flood zone designations, predicted depths of flooding, and other useful information. The District recently accepted additional funding of $1.7 million from FEMA to add inland counties to the web portal, improve flood risk maps in the Chipola and New River basins and update risk mapping assessment and planning in coastal counties.

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NORTHWEST NEWS & UPDATES

District Funds Resource-Conserving Sod Research

Farmers and the environment are expected to benefit from research funded through a grant from the Northwest Florida Water Management District. The research demonstrates that a new system of rotating sod into crop sequences could increase profits, reduce risk and conserve resources. The District recently provided a $40,000 grant to the University of Floridas Institute of Food and Agriculture Science (IFAS). IFAS research in Jackson and Gadsden counties, indicates that farmers who rotate two years of grass sod with one year each of peanuts and cotton, may diversify and increase profits as well as soil and water quality, while decreasing irrigation, use and loss of nitrogen (fertilizer), plant disease and crop failure. This is a simple win-win agricultural practice, said Ron Bartel, Director of the Districts Division of Resource Management. growers who convert to this system put more money in their pockets while conserving and protecting the public water supply. In Jackson County the Floridan Aquifer, a porous limestone layer that holds water, discharges to Jackson Blue Spring in the Marianna area. The aquifer is used primarily for irrigation and for domestic and public drinking water. It is also a major source of water during low flow, thus contributing to the Chipola River and the Apalachicola River and Bay. During extreme drought, discharge from the aquifer to Jackson Blue Spring is greatly reduced as the aquifer level drops and its capacity to bear water becomes limited. We would like to see more farmers applying this research, which we have supported for several years, said District Executive Director Doug Barr, since it demonstrably reduces irrigation and nitrogen runoff to our watershed. According to the IFAS grant proposal, sod has most of its biomass underground, instead of above ground like annual cover crops, so it improves soil quality. The project goal is to refine and demonstrate the ecological, environmental and economic successes of integrating beef cattle/perennial grass into multicrop production using conservation and other best management practices implementation. Economic returns are two to seven times greater when rotated with two years of grazed bahia grass than the conventional rotation of peanuts followed by two years of cotton, the IFAS proposal says. Both cotton and peanuts increase yields following bahia grass and cattle grazing. Nutrients and water in the deep soil are used by succeeding summer crops due to improved root penetration following sod. Root studies show double the root mass on crops following bahia grass than standard rotations and many of the roots are found deeper in the soil. Improved water capture reduces irrigation needs by as much as 80 percent. Research resulted in peanut yields 15-40 percent greater, averaged across tillage treatments, as well as improved cotton yields. The Florida sod study is located on sites of the North Florida Research and Education Center, which has two sites in Quincy and a farm (continued)

SEPTEMBER 2011 VOL. 3, NO. 3

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District Accepts Water Monitoring Funding

The District will continue to produce water quality data after receiving funding of $197,432.97 from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The historical record provides data to analyze long term water quality conditions, assess impacts and make improvements, said Executive Director Doug Barr. Since

Purchase EnhancesofProtection wa- Escambiarivers, ponds and network ground and surface of aquifers, streams, River
ter sampling sites across the District. The Integrated Water Resources Monitoring Program involves three sampling projects. One is the Ground and Surface Water Quality Status Project, an annual collection of 110 random samples in six catelakes. The other two are the Ground Water Quality Temporal Variability Project and Surface Water Temporal variability, which take samples each month at fixed monitoring locations to assess water quality trends.

our inception, we have established a gories confined and unconfined

District Funds Sod Research (contd) size demonstration in Marianna. The rotations have been established since 2000. The yield gains were attributed to the two years of bahia grass and cow manure nutrients that are being recycled and kept in the root zone. Animals fare better, too, since parasite cycles are broken by rotating row crops. Also, with half the land in perennial grasses at any given time, pesticides are reduced by half. Cattle traffic increases surface soil compaction only and has not affected peanut or cotton yields. This is a direction for further research. The sod-based rotation system provides a great opportunity for farmers at local and global levels to increase the health and productivity of their soil while conserving vital resources such as water and energy, said The Nature Conservancys David Reckford, Director of the Flint River Basin Partnership, founded in 2004 to help farmers conserve water. In southwest Georgia, we now have more than 1,000 acres in the system on working farms, thanks in large part to the support of the outstanding research team at NFREC (North Florida Research and Education Center) -IFAS. This research is proving we can

David L. Wright photo

Exclusion cages in grazed and non-grazed plots help determine soil bulk density, moisture and nutrient cycling in a winter cover crop.

stretch the water supply at great benefit to the agriculture community as well as others, said Guy Gowens, District Director of Resource Regulation. If put into practice, this system will allow the District to continue issuing permits for irrigation without negative impacts. Though research on the sod rotation program has been focused in Florida, Alabama and Georgia, several other university faculty, state and federal agencies and conservation groups have also cooperated and

continue to expand the scope of the work and outreach. If the sod based rotation work can also be implemented by Alabama and Georgia growers, the benefits to the ApalachicolaChattahoochee-Flint basin water resources will be realized many times over, said Dan Tonsmeire of the Apalachicola RiverKeeper. For more see http:// nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/programs/ sod_rotation.shtml

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NORTHWEST NEWS & UPDATES

Econfina Creek Panel Features Water Resource History

Econfina Creek has attracted varied cultures and conflicts over the millennia. Five experts will give an overview of the Creeks rich historical resources during a panel discussion titled, Econfina Creek: Preserving Water Resource History, at Pitt Spring on Friday, Sept. 30, 10-11:30 a.m. central time. A public discussion will follow presentations by Archaeologist Gregory A. Mikell, Florida State University History Professor AnThe Civil War ruins of Adams Mill include drew Frank, settler descendants a notched beam and grinding stone fragBrian Chambless and Faye ment. An L-shaped cut in the Econfina Matthews, and District Land Man- Creek tributary suggests the mill was operated by a tub wheel turbine. ager William O. "Bill" Cleckley. The District, which owns a majority of the creek basin for public water efforts. A kiosk exhibit and driving resource protection, will host the tour will be unveiled and brochures, program through a $25,000 grant maps and study booklets will be disfrom the Florida Humanities Council tributed. These publications will also (FHC) with funds from the National be available on the District website, Endowment for the Humanities http://www.nwfwmd.state.fl.us/ (NEH). Pitt Spring is north of Panama aboutdistrict.html City on Highway 20, 7 miles west of This unique event at beautifully U.S. 231. restored Pitt Spring, highlights the Mikell will discuss archaeological natural resource importance of Econevidence of Paleoindian, Archaic and fina Creek, said District Executive Woodland cultures through Early Director Douglas E. Barr. We hope American settlement, Frank will cov- it will raise community awareness er Native American and colonial and support for protecting and presettlement cultures and conflicts, serving Econfina Creek and springs, Chambless and Matthews will discuss Bay Countys major drinking water agriculture, Civil War raids, trade, supply. industry and burial practices and Twenty years ago, said CleckCleckley will discuss public land acley, we began buying over 41,000 quisition history and natural reacres of Econfina Creek corridor and source restoration and preservation adjacent high groundwater recharge efforts by the District. The program area for water supply protection, will wrap up with Cleckley leading a public access and enjoyment. We walking tour of Pitt and Sylvan hired Mikell to conduct an archaeosprings restoration and protection logical reconnaissance survey so that
Faith Eidse photo

Wilderness Graphics drawing

we could protect such important sites as the Gainer family homesteads, the Civil War ruins of Adams Mill and several cemeteries, including Mt. Pleasant, Bay Countys first dedicated African American graveyard. The District is responsible for protecting and managing water resources in a sustainable manner for the continued welfare of people and natural systems, and depends on the cooperation of citizens in accomplishing these goals. The FHC grant has helped the District create public programs and resources that provide historical perspectives and cultural insights into sustaining these natural resources. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily represent those of the FHC or the NEH.

SEPTEMBER 2011 VOL. 3, NO. 2

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Gary Miller and Danny Layfield map

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NORTHWEST NEWS & UPDATES

Andrews and Patronis Appointed to Governing Board

Governor Rick Scott appointed two businessmen to the District Governing Board on July 26, 2011, Angus Gus Andrews and Nicholas Nick Patronis. Andrews, 55, of DeFuniak Springs, owns Andrews & Arnsdoff Realty and Southern Beach Management, a renter of beach chairs, bicycles and kayaks. He once owned Abbott and Andrews Realty and now is on the Board of Directors for Trustmark Bank. A gradate of Florida State University, he was born in Walton County and succeeds Tim Norris who represented Basin II. Patronis, 44, of Panama City Beach co-owns Captain Andersons Restaurant and belongs to the Florida and National restaurant associations. He was named Tree Farmer of the Year in 1986 and is committed Gus Andrews to protecting Northwest Florida's natural resources. He attended Gulf Coast Community College and suc-

Richards Photography photo

Nick Patronis ceeds Steve Ghazvini who served at large. Both men were appointed for terms ending March 1, 2015.

District Grant to Help Extend Walton County Water Line

Walton Countys coastal water customers will benefit from recent action to expand water main capacity to carry inland ground water to the coast. The District Governing Board recently approved a grant agreement with Florida Community Services Corporation of Walton County (Regional Utilities) for $500,000 in match funding to help develop a major water line extension along U.S. Highway 98 in Walton County. The 25-inch diameter pipeline will carry well water about 6,200 feet to the utilitys coastal potable water distribution system. This project eases concerns about saltwater intrusion on the coastal Floridan Aquifer, said Douglas E. Barr, Executive Director. It ensures a sufficient fresh water supply for the community while sustaining the countys water resources. This grant helps implement the Districts Regional Water Supply Plan (RWSP) for Region II, a Water Resource Caution Area, said Ron Bartel, Director of the Division of Resource Management. The District developed and updated the RWSP to meet anticipated water supply demands of coastal Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties through 2025. The RWSP identified inland ground water as the preferred alternative water supply source for Region II. Regional Utilities has agreed to help implement the Districts Coastal Water System Interconnection strategy, said Paul Thorpe, Director of the Resource Planning Section. This is part of a multi-phase plan to upgrade existing potable water transmission infrastructure along major corridors in southern Walton County. The grant will be taken from the Districts General Fund and is not to exceed 50 percent of the costs for completing Phase I of the project. Regional Utilities has identified sufficient resources to provide match funding and expects to complete the project within a year. This brings District funding to $2.5 million over three years, to substantially increase the utilitys capacity to serve coastal Walton County. Other components have included $5 million water transmission lines under Choctawhatchee Bay, a $3 million gallon ground storage tank, upgrading three inland supply wells, developing a pump station and generator at the Owls Head water plant, installing actuated valves and meters for the improvements and upgrading the systems supervisory control and data system.

SEPTEMBER 2009VOL. 1,3, NO. 2 DECEMBER 2011 VOL. NO. 3

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James Barkuloo photos

Before

After

Marsh grass reinforced property in Panama City and saved a precarious palm tree.

Marsh Planting Adds Property Value, Natural Defense to East Bay Properties
Lush marsh grass grows where waves once eroded bayfront property at the mouth of Watson Bayou where East Bay joins St. Andrew Bay. In late 2008, volunteers planted smooth cordgrass along 260 feet of property. The cordgrass eventually thrived, trapping sediment and building the shoreline. Trees whose bare roots were exposed, were braced by the restored wetlands and natural shoreline has grown by at least ten feet. Hardened seawalls and bulkheads would not produce such sediment buildup and shoreline protection, said Linda Chaisson, Associate Hydrologist at the Northwest Florida Water Management District, who helped map the project and plant the emergent grass. Now a thriving marsh holds the property and its value securely in place. Most people do not realize how much value the marsh brings to fish and wildlife, said James Barkuloo, project coordinator. It filters stormwater runoff, removes harmful nutrients and provides valuable habitat for shorebirds, fishes and invertebrates. Barkuloo is Baywatch Coordinator, as well as treasurer and past president of St. Andrew Bay Resource Management Association (RMA). He was awarded a five-year, $28,500 grant from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program, which is managed locally by Melody Ray-Culp. It took two plantings but it has enlightened people about the advantages of natural buffers as shoreline defenses, Barkuloo said. I was grateful to the District who helped with permit compliance so that we were eventually exempt. Using Chaissons design, we installed sea grass plugs no more than ten feet from mean high water line. The initial planting of 450 plugs on New Years Eve 2008 brought out property owners (J. R. and Kay Middlemas, Linda Macbeth and Andrea, Tony and Dominique Davis), volunteers (John Newman, Steve Haines and Charlie Yautz) as well as Chaisson and Martin Laws, a District student assistant. By April, only about 50 percent had survived the winter, said Barkuloo. But I had enough funding to purchase another 190 plugs and plant again on May 9, 2009. The resulting 2,600 square feet of sea grass helped shore up property and extend protection to the Charles Grammling and Middlemas homes, about 140 feet from shore. Barkuloo has also led restoration of hardened shorelines in lower West Bay and Pretty Bayou. During 21 years at Baywatch, he has helped increase to 71 the number of water quality sampling stations in West Bay. Read more on shoreline restoration, www.nwfwmd.state.fl.us/ pubs/shoreline/shoreline.htm

District employees Martin Laws and Chaisson helped plant marsh grass on New Years Eve 08.

Protecting and managing water resources sustainably ...

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Fire Fight: An Eyewitness Account

by Eric Toole The first week in Santa Fe Swamp, our mission was to secure a fire line though a swamp that was accessible only by foot or in the Districts Marsh Master. Firefighters had begun placing fire hoses and several sprinklers along the fire line to soak the ground and vegetation and keep the fire from escaping. They were having to drag the hoses and sprinklers down the line by foot and the extreme heat and mud were taking a toll on them. We arrived and used our Marsh Master to finish laying the sprinkler system and were able to contain the fire on that side of the swamp. Fire burned to the line and went out, ending the danger of escaping embers. So we removed the hoses and sprinklers and helped the Florida Forest
Were on the web! nwfwmd.state.fl.us

Service (FFS) set backing fires to eliminate unburned vegetation between the fire and the fire lines. We patrolled the fire, looking for spot overs and putting out hot spots along the fire perimeter. Afternoon thunder showers rolled through Field staff helped contain a wild fire in Santa Fe Swamp. daily with a lot of lightning but very little rain. This caused a crews and dropping to a monitoring lot more wild fires and the FFS had to phase. pull resources from our fire to fight It was hot and humid with temnew ones. At times we were the pri- peratures in the high 90s. If the wind mary workers on our assigned fire. didnt blow, it was a furnace; after During the second week we rerain, it was broiling. There was little ceived more and more rain, and it shade and we had to keep hydrated. began to put out the fire. By the end But the work was rewarding and I got of the second week, the fire was con- to work with some great people from tained and the FFS began relieving different agencies.

Nels Parson photo

Field Staff Recognized for Emergency Fire Fighting

As drought conditions deepened this summer and wildfires blazed, Governor Scott issued an executive order requesting state and local agencies who were equipped, to help fight fires. On June 16, four Northwest Florida Water Management District field staff answered a request from the Florida Forest Service. They worked 15 days straight on the 6,000-acre Santa Fe Swamp Wildfire in the Suwannee River Water Management District, leaving family and home. Their labor was recognized as essential, professional, dedicated and safe in a resolution presented by District Governing Board Chair George Roberts on August 25. The employees included Jimmie Ates, Forest Technical/Equipment Operator, Milton Field Office; Coakley Taylor, Assistant Lands Manager, Marianna Field Office; Matthew Whitfield, Lands Techni-

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

Lucinda Scott photo

81 Water Management Dr. Havana, FL 32333

Phone: 850-539-5999 Fax: 850-539-2777 E-mail: Faith.Eidse@nwfwmd.state.fl.us

Matt Whitfield, Jimmie Ates, Coakley Taylor and Eric Toole (not pictured) were recognized for their service in fighting Floridas wildfires.

Text by Faith Eidse; other contributions by District staff.

cian/Equipment Operator and Eric Toole, Forest Lands Manager, Econfina Field Office. They were great!, said Nels Parson of the St. Johns River Water Management District. They had to work in an atrocious environment, with such setbacks as a thrown track, and they were always positive and got the job done.