Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW) A Brief History Bill - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW) A Brief History Bill Helfferich South Florida Water Management District

• Ed Carlson & Dave Addison—Bird Rookery Swamp—1986 • Lee Co. (Bill Byle)—Flintpen Strand—1987 • SFWMD--combined and expanded boundaries—1989 (50,000 ac.) • Purposely didn’t include southern Flintpen Strand

Legislative objectives of the SOR program: Acquire lands important for • water management • water supply • conservation & protection of water resources

District objectives for CREW: • Protect Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary • Protect headwaters & flowway of Imperial River & Estero Bay • • Protect major water supply source for SW Florida

Acquisition History • 1990—first purchase--Corkscrew Marsh from Alico ~6,000 ac. • Lee Co. pledged $10M for acquisition in Flintpen Strand --acquisition efforts were led by Ellen Lindblad --title was given to the District and District managed (except Section 33—Lee Co. wellfield) --Lee Co. purchased >7,000 ac. --Still ~1300 ac. In private ownership in Flintpen • First purchases in Collier Co. were Fisch & Musca properties • To date more than 25,000 ac. are in public ownership

FWC is our management partner • Conduct public hunt program • Undertake wildlife surveys & inventories • Provide personnel & equip. for prescribed burn assistance

Basic components of all land management programs Habitat restoration Exotic treatment Prescribed burning Monitoring Demolition/illegal dumping Public use Basic needs of all land management programs People Equipment Money

Hydrologic changes are allowing willows to invade Corkscrew Marsh

CREW Marsh near present overlook platform in 1991

Corkscrew Marsh today Mechanical treatment is expensive Specialized equipment needed to work in organic soils

Aerial herbicide application treated ~400 ac. Very effective, but also very expensive

Bonita Beach Rd. Hydrologic restoration in Southern CREW

Ditch plugs slow rate of drainage Work done with District personnel & equipment

Exotic treatment has been a 17-year battle And an investment of $4 million

We started out treating exotics with chemicals …now we use ground up dollar bills

Prescribed burning Our most important & cost effective management tool

Much of CREW is very close to roads or residential development Smoke control is our major concern

Burning is hot, smelly, & dangerous But it is everyone’s absolute favorite part of the job

Dumping is a constant problem in Southern CREW—East Bonita Beach area Scattering of private lots requires us to maintain public access

Old logging trams in Bird Rookery Swamp offer Great hiking and biking opportunities

$400,000 boardwalk leading to trams is complete All we need is for Collier Co. to permit our parking lot

1974 1952 Early forest management—Corkscrew Marsh

1991 2008