Stakeholder Input Process Public Meeting #3 January 21, 2016 - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Orange Lake Habitat Management Plan Stakeholder Input Process Public Meeting #3 January 21, 2016

Welcome and Introductions

Orange Creek Basin Community Working Groups Orange Lake Habitat Management – Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Other CWGs:  Herbicide Workshop (March 2015) – Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission  Hydrology/Geology Workshop (November 2015)- OCB Interagency Working Group  Airboat Curfew Letter – Alachua County  Nutrient/BMAP Question – Department of Environmental Protection  Highway 301 Issue – OCB Interagency Working Group

Orange Lake Habitat Management Plan (HMP) Community Working Group  FWC is the lead agency  Stakeholders have been involved from the beginning and throughout the process of creating the Plan  Process is facilitated by Normandeau Associates, who are also writing the plan  Began in February 2015 and is anticipated to be complete in mid-2016

Normandeau Team Christine Denny Fay Baird Karen Hill

Ground Rules Please:  Allow others to express their opinions, even if they are different from your own.  Respect time limits.  Listen, and allow others the opportunity to speak when it is their turn.  Silence cell phones when in the meeting room.  Remember that everyone is here because they care about Orange Lake.

Promise to Stakeholders The Normandeau project team promises to provide opportunities for stakeholders to offer input into development of the FWC Orange Lake HMP. We promise to consider all stakeholder input and recommendations for lake management goals, objectives, and action strategies. We promise to address and balance, where feasible, the needs of stakeholder groups along with FWC habitat management guidelines for the lake. FWC is committed to an HMP that consists of stakeholder supported management actions that are within FWC’s jurisdiction. FWC will make the final decisions on content of the plan.

FWC STAKEHOLDER HABITAT MANAGEMENT INPUT GUIDELINES DOCUMENT HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN (HMP)

FWC HABITAT MANAGEMENT STAKEHOLDER GUIDELINES FOR THE INPUT AQUATIC RESOURCES OF THE ORANGE CREEK BASIN (“Guidelines document”) HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN (HMP) Meeting 2 Meeti eting ng 3 Meeting 1 Goals and Meeting 4 Collecting input Action on Objectives Review and on lake issues Comment on Strat rategies egies Held HMP Held July 14, October 13, Today April 2016 2015 2015

Status: Writing the Plan  Draft 1 Completed July 2015: Outline  Draft 2 Submitted for FWC review September 2015: Sections 1 – 3, Introduction, Background, Vision and Guiding Principles  Draft 3 Submitted for FWC review January 2016: Revisions to Sections 1-3; Section 4, Management Goals and Objectives. Drafts and other HMP documents are posted on the Orange Creek Basin website: https tps:// ://orangecree rangecreekbasin.w kbasin.word ordpres ress.co s.com m

Next Steps: Writing the Plan  Draft 4 (Final) Public Review version scheduled for submittal to FWC in March 2016  Stakeholder comments on Draft 4 will be solicited at Public Meeting 4  Final Plan including revisions and stakeholder comment resolution section scheduled for completion by May 28, 2016.

How we used your input from the first 2 public meetings From input at Meeting 1 , FWC determined what issues are of concern to various stakeholders and used these to set broad goals for the HMP At Meeting 2 , FWC • presented draft objectives to accomplish HMP goals; • solicited input on draft objectives; • solicited additional objectives from stakeholders.

How we used your input from the first 2 public meetings, continued Input has been incorporated into 1. Draft 3 of the HMP; 2. Guidelines that are being used by FWC to generate action strategies.

Tonight FWC will present information on action strategies that are being considered for the Orange Lake Habitat Management Plan.

What is an action strategy? Focus cus for Pu Publ blic c Me Meetin ting g #3  An action strategy says HOW YOU WILL get the objective accomplished. #1 #1 #2 #2 #3 #3 GOAL AL OBJEC ECTIV TIVE ACTION ION What t does es success cess STRATEG TEGY What t will it take? e? look like? How will you do it?

What t NO a O age gency ncy or pr privat ate e en enti tity ty can n do • Control wind • Control rainfall • Provide unlimited funds • Take action in areas in which it has no jurisdiction • Simultaneously meet the needs of all possible users of Orange Lake at all times in a system with a wide range of fluctuations in water levels, lake area and fish/wildlife habitats

Wh What t FW FWC can an pr provide vide th through ough th this s Plan an • Address the needs of most stakeholder groups • Commit to limitations on use of management techniques that are unpopular with many stakeholders • Use the HMP to create annual work plans that meet FWC mandates, habitat management guidelines, and balance stakeholder interests • Make the best use of available funding • Provide recommendations on future collaboration between agencies

Handout: Possible management tools

Communications In addition to action strategies for access, habitat and invasives, FWC is drafting actions to promote effective public communications. Actions under discussion include: Twice yearly meetings to inform the public • about upcoming work A new website with information on current • conditions and FWC activities

Anticipated Methods and Control of Plants on Orange Lake

Funding Priorities on Orange Lake • Floating plants (hyacinth/lettuce) • Plants blocking access & navigation • Control other noxious plants • Create open areas in large hydrilla mats

Floating Plant Management Water lettuce Water hyacinth

Maintenance Control Crisis management Control when populations are small

Maintenance Control Suwannee River 1974 - 2006 12 10 Hyacinth Acres Acres Controlled Units in Thousands Tons of Organics 8 Pounds of 2,4-D 6 4 2 0 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 Year 06

Frog’s Bit – Limnobium spongia • Acts like Hyacinth • Does not have an obvious flower Can form dense mats • • Displaces native plants

Cuban bulrush – Oxycaryum cubense • Can be floating or rooted • Can form dense mats Displaces native • plants

Access & Navigation Two components of managing for Access and Navigation on Orange Lake • Floating tussock management • Submersed Plant Management

Submerged Vegetation/Hydrilla Management Two types of treatments utilizing herbicide • Trails using contact herbicide • Small block (5-50 acres) at critical navigation points

Anticipated Use of Herbicides • There have been no hydrilla treatments in the last 5 years Acres of Plants Controlled with Herbicide • Little to none regarding ? 500 “tussock” control 450 400 350 • Does not reflect other 300 250 exotic/noxious plants 200 150 100 • Growing conditions can be 50 variable 0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Trail maintenance ? •

Floating Tussock Management Combination of mechanical shredding and herbicide • Shredder - floating mud and vegetation • Herbicide – mostly vegetation

Anticipated Use of Mechanical • Scale is a factor Acres of Tussock Material Mechanically Controlled • Shredder $875- 100 $1,250/Acre 90 80 70 60 • Wind conditions are 50 variable 40 30 20 • Water levels 10 0 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Orange Lake Trails Maintained in the Past Example of area calculation for treatment: ~ 44 miles of trails, 10ft. wide To Treat ½ = About 27 acres

daniel.dorosheff@myfwc.com 386-758-0525

Online Survey Options: Fill out a print copy tonight and leave it with • us. Visit the link shown on the agenda and fill the • survey out online. Take the print copy home, fill it out and mail • it to us at the address on the print copy. You’ll have to pay for the postage stamp. FWC will email the online survey link to the Orange Lake stakeholder list tomorrow. You must respond by February 7 th for your input to be included.

Why should we do this?

Observed meanings for “Restoration” used in pr pres esen entati tions ons at the e ShORE RE Symposium mposium on t the e Indi dian Riv iver er Lago goon, , Novem ember ber 2015  Stormwater system retrofit  Causeway removal  Septic tank removal and connection to sewage treatment plant  Muck removal to reduce internal nutrient loading  Canal dredging  Navigation channel dredging  Pollutant source removal  Increasing flushing rates

Anticipated Methods for Fish & Wildlife Habitat Management

Environmental Considerations  Water Levels Manage habitat composition when water levels are normal/high.  Pro active management and preventive maintenance to minimize  impacts of low water during extreme drought.

1998-1999 Tussock removal 2001-2002 Sediment excavation and rotovating