Lake County Water Authority Responses to Harris Restoration Council Questions March 3, 2017 Michael Perry Lake County Water Authority
Issue 1: North Shore Restoration Area (NSRA) Reconnection The Council strongly recommends a study for reconnecting Lake Apopka to the North Shore Restoration Area (NSRA). The Florida Legislature appointed the SJRWMD as the agency responsible for implementing the farm buy-out program. The plan for restoration after the buy-out focused on re-flooding the farm fields and elimination or breaching of the levees that separated the fields from the main body of the lake, allowing Lake Apopka to return to its historic size. (See p. 2 from the report entitled "Final Lake Apopka Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan," dated 6/2004). SJRWMD now seems intent on creating a bird sanctuary by placing infrastructure on former farmlands, which may prevent reconnection. Request: Council requests SJRWMD and pertinent Council technical advisory group (TAG) agencies (FWCC, FDEP, LCWA) to provide scientific data in a presentation to the Council that allows the NSRA to be connected or not connected to Lake Apopka. The presentation should include required steps, cost, and time line to reconnect.
Issue 1: North Shore Restoration Area (NSRA) Reconnection LCWA Response: Lake Apopka’s NSRA has become a premier eco-Tourism site through the efforts of the District, Lake and Orange counties, and several conservation organizations, Florida Audubon Society and Friends of Lake Apopka being the most prominent. The 11 mile Wildlife/Birding drive that is patterned after the drive at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is very popular with many groups coming to view the NSRA birds and wildlife. The Lake Apopka Loop Trail joins the West Orange Trail at Magnolia Park and continues around the lake to the Green Mountain Overlook, attracting many bikers and hikers to enjoy the Lake Apopka trail and the wildlife drive. The efforts of the govt. agencies and private citizens to establish and keep the NSRA a wildlife refuge for eco-tourism, are most important in economic development in this area. The Harris Chain of Lakes provides many more opportunities for fishing in its system than just Lake Apopka. The current Lake County Water Authority Board defers to the St. Johns River Water Management District regarding the reconnection.
Issue 2: Dredging SJRWMD is essentially building a flat sawgrass marsh to try to restore the marsh to its original condition. Alternatively, soil could be mounded to provide wind breaks, small islands of sawgrass, and deep holes, much like a marsh that would be developed by Ducks Unlimited. Deeper channels will allow boats to migrate through the NSRA for bird watching and fishing. Dredging could be used to provide soil for the NSRA. Request: Council requests pertinent TAG agencies to provide a plan to accomplish the above statements.
Issue 2: Dredging LCWA Response: The property is owned and managed by the St. Johns River Water Management District and much of the NSRA is in Orange County. The current Lake County Water Authority Board defers to the St. Johns River Water Management District regarding the configuration of the NSRA.
Issue 3: Aquatic Vegetation While SJRWMD has made reductions in phosphorus and chlorophyll (algae) and improved water clarity slightly, fisheries habitat (i.e., aquatic plants) have not increased significantly. Request: Provide to the Council a proposal for establishing more aquatic plants, e.g. continued plantings, use of geotubes, or other types of barriers to facilitate aquatic vegetation establishment. These barriers will reduce wave action along the shore and form a substrate for rooting or the use of geotubes could create islands to protect shore lines with newly planted vegetation. Agencies should consider an approach similar to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to create islands similar to Fox Lake in Illinois.
Issue 3: Aquatic Vegetation LCWA Response: The current Lake County Water Authority Board agrees with the Council that establishing more aquatic plants on the lake would be beneficial and is a critical indicator of restoration success. Several attempts have been made to establish aquatic vegetation in the lake but have been unsuccessful due to the soft and unstable sediment characteristics in Lake Apopka. The current Lake County Water Authority Board has no direct experience with using geotubes, however has observed that the fabric tubes degrade quickly in the sun and birds will peck at the fabric further accelerating the degradation. The Water Authority is willing to work with other agencies and entities to enhance aquatic plants in the lake and to explore in-lake methods for sediment disposal.
Issue 4: Water Quality Water quality improvements have stagnated due to the lack of rainfall and flushing of the lake. Request: Determine the best practice the agencies would use to remove fluid flocculent on the bottom of Lake Apopka in order to allow plant growth on the bottom of the lake to survive. Include a possibility of strategic dredging in certain parts of the lake.
Issue 4: Water Quality LCWA Response: Since the majority of Lake Apopka and its drainage basin are located in Orange County, the current Lake County Water Authority Board has focused its efforts on improving the water exiting Lake Apopka.
Issue 5: Gizzard Shad The Council does not support gizzard shad harvesting by SJRWMD. Request: Council requests SJRWMD to review gizzard shad harvesting as to benefits and costs. The review should also include an assessment of whether shad harvesting should be done in the rest of the Harris Chain.
Issue 5: Gizzard Shad LCWA Response: The Water Authority has funded rough fish harvesting in the past and has collaborated with the SJRWMD to harvest rough fish from lakes the Harris Chain. While the harvesting removed a lot of fish, it was determined that the harvesting was not intensive enough, there were conflicts with recreational fishers and boaters and the potential for by-catch of gamefish may be a problem. Funding priorities for the Water Authority changed when the Nutrient Reduction Facility (NuRF) was proposed. The current Lake County Water Authority Board defers to the SJRWMD regarding the continuation of rough fish harvesting in Lake Apopka.
Issue 6: Attract Anglers Aquatic vegetation will improve the establishment of sportfish populations. The Council recommends stocking adult bass when vegetation is limited. FWCC prefers advanced fingerlings, but have had limited success. Request: Council requests recommendations by the TAG agencies on methods to attract anglers to Lake Apopka.
Issue 6: Attract Anglers LCWA Response: The current Lake County Water Authority Board defers to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to take the lead on this issue but is willing to collaborate where able.
Issue 7: Hydrilla As vegetation enters the lake, hydrilla will colonize. Request: Council requests information on approaches for managing this plant, as it could have benefits for the largemouth bass fishery.
Issue 7: Hydrilla LCWA Response: The FWC is responsible for control of the invasive exotic plant hydrilla. The Water Authority has reviewed this topic several times and has received considerable public comment as well. The current Lake County Water Authority Board’s position on hydrilla is to support the current state approach to managing hydrilla and defers to the Lake County Mosquito and Aquatic Plant Management, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the SJRWMD and FWC to implement a surveillance-based, early detection/rapid response management program for hydrilla in the Upper Ocklawaha River basin. Hydrilla is a fast growing invasive, exotic plant that is difficult at best to confine to a specific geographic area. It would also be a considerably more expensive use of tax dollars to do so, than the current treatments to remove hydrilla when is found.
Issue 8: Phosphorus The Council recommends deemphasizing the importance of phosphate levels as science has shown that phosphate is not the major cause of the lake problems. Aquatic vegetation is the primary problem (too much or too little). Agencies need to collaborate on how vegetation should be managed and include MFL’s in the study. Request: SJRWMD and LCWA to report to the Council the need for the NuRF facility to continue to treat water coming from Lake Apopka and discharging to the Harris Chain. Should SJRWMD prioritize water for the marsh or downstream users if the marsh is not reconnected?
Issue 8: Phosphorus LCWA Response: For the foreseeable future, the Water Authority will continue to operate the Nutrient Reduction Facility (NuRF) on the Apopka Beauclair Canal. The SJRWMD goal for Lake Apopka is 55 ppb of phosphorus. The State’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Harris Chain of Lakes is 32 ppb of phosphorus. Even if the SJRWMD achieves the 55 ppb of phosphorus goal, additional treatment will still be required to achieve the TMDL in the remainder of the Harris Chain. Furthermore, the NuRF is an integral part of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Basin Management Plan (BMP) for the Harris Chain to achieve and maintain the State’s Class III designation.
Issue 8: Phosphorus
Issue 8: Phosphorus
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