1Lizanne Garcia, 1Chris Anastasiou, Ph.D.& 2Dave Tomasko, Ph.D

Draft Charlotte Harbor Surface Water Improvement & Management (SWIM) Plan

Charlotte Harbor Flatwoods Initiative Meeting

June 10, 2020

1Surface Water Improvement & Management (SWIM) Program

Southwest Florida Water Management District

2Environmental Science Associates, Inc.

The SWIM Act, F.S. 373. 451 - 453

• 1987 - Legislature enacted that SWIM Act

• 1988 – SWFWMD SWIM First Priority Waterbody List

• 2019 – Update to SWFWMD SWIM Priority List

SWFWMD SWIM Priority List

• 1988 – SWIM Priority Waterbody

• 1993 – Original SWIM Plan

• 2000 – SWIM Plan Update

• Added Lemon Bay and Dona

Roberts Bay

• Established PLRG

• Consistency with the CHNEP

CCMP

• 2020 – Current SWIM Plan Update

• Three Major Focus Areas:

• Water Quality

• Hydrologic Restoration

• Natural Systems

• CHARLOTTE HARBOR

PROPER

• LEMON BAY

• DONA & ROBERTS BAY

• MYAKKA RIVER

• PEACE RIVER

Charlotte Harbor Basin

Boundaries

SWIM Plan Outline – Bays and Estuaries

Define Issues & Drivers

Develop ManagementActions

Priority Projects & Initiatives

SWIM Plan Development

Set Quantifiable Objectives

Watershed and Waterbody Evaluation

• Pollutant loading model update

• 1985 to 1992 TN Loading

compared to 2009 to 2015 TN

Loading

• Water quality evaluation

• No evidence of degrading

water clarity

• No evidence of increasing TN

except Lemon Bay

• No evidence of increasing

Chl-a

• Observations of local

conditions, including algal

blooms

Development of CH SWIM Plan Update

• Observed Macroalgae Blooms

• Potential Seagrass losses

Hurricane Irma: Sep 2017

Red Tide: Sep 2017 – Jan 2019

• Delayed plan development and worked

with partners to better assess the situation

and to adjust the SWIM Plan accordingly

Water Quality Goals and Actions

Continue the “Hold the Line” strategy for

Total Nitrogen

• Maintain SWFWMD monitoring network in

the watershed

• Support ambient monitoring network in

the Harbor Proper(CCHMN)

• Manage land use sources of TN

• Cooperative Funding

• FARMS Program

Hydrologic Restoration Goals and Actions

Restore and maintain historic flow ways and

hydroperiods

• Reduce excess flows in Flatford Swamp

and Dona Bay

• Participate in the Charlotte Harbor

Flatwoods Initiative

• Urban stream renewal

• Support SWUCA recovery strategy for

Peace and Myakka River watersheds

Natural Systems Goals and Actions

Maintain seagrass abundance

• Support continued seagrass mapping

Preserve and restore health of natural

systems within Charlotte Harbor and its

watershed

• Implement Natural Systems

restoration projects identified in the

CHNEP Habitat Restoration Needs

Update

• Develop and continue monitoring of

impacts of Sea Level Rise on coastal

systems

✓ Presentation to the CHNEP TAC - April 2018

✓ Presentation to the CHNEP TAC - December 2018

✓ Presentation to SWFWMD EAC – January 2019

✓ Presentation to CHNEP TAC – April 2020

✓ Public Workshop - May 26, 2020

▪ Governing Board approval of final draft plan – June 23, 2020

▪ Send to state agencies and local governments

▪ 45-day review period

▪ Consider comments

▪ Governing Board approval of final plan

Charlotte Harbor SWIM Plan – Next Steps

Draft Charlotte Harbor SWIM Plan

Questions and Comments?

• WaterMatters.org/SWIM

• Via email @SWIMPlanUpdate@watermatters.org

• Via US Mail to: Charlotte Harbor SWIM Plan 7601 U.S Highway 301Tampa, FL 33637-6759

• Governing Board June 23, 2020