The Northwest Florida Water Management District is closing the Econfina Creek Canoe/Kayak Launch near Highway 20 for one day for repairs. The site will be closed Thursday, June 17, and will re-open Friday, June 18.
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District acquires conservation easement to help protect the Chipola River
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HAVANA – The Governing Board for the Northwest Florida Water Management District finalized a conservation easement that will help provide long-term protection for the Chipola River.
The 622.79-acre parcel is located in Jackson County south of Interstate 10 and slightly west of Highway 73. The property is within the contribution area for the Chipola River with frontage along Dry Creek. It is adjacent to a 388.10-acre conservation easement the District acquired in 2020.
“The Chipola River plays a vital role in the economy and quality of life for residents in Jackson County,” said George Roberts, Chairman of the District’s Governing Board. “The District shares the vision of Governor DeSantis, the legislature, and the Department of Environmental Protection to protect the Chipola River and its associated springs and tributaries along with all of the precious natural resources in northwest Florida.”
The District’s Governing Board approved acquiring the conservation easement December 17, 2020 following two separate appraisals. A legislative appropriation through DEP for springs protection provided the $224,204.90 for the acquisition.
“This is another opportunity to protect the wildlife, the environment, and the Chipola River and I appreciate the work done by the water management district to secure this conservation easement,” said State Sen. George Gainer, who represents Jackson County. “This acquisition helps ensure the Chipola River will remain one of Florida’s most beautiful rivers.”
“The Chipola River is one of our area’s most beautiful treasures and ensuring its long-term health is a tremendous source of accomplishment,” said State Rep. Brad Drake, who represents Jackson County. “Protecting the Chipola means we have to make sure the water flowing into the river is healthy, which is why acquisitions of land within its contribution area are so important.”
Gov. DeSantis appoints three to District’s Governing Board
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TALLAHASSEE — Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Jerome “Jerry” Pate, Anna Upton, and John Alter to the Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board.
Jerome “Jerry” Pate
Pate, of Pensacola, is the owner of Jerry Pate Turf and Irrigation and Jerry Pate Design. He is a former professional golfer with 15 professional wins including the 1976 U.S. Open and the 1982 Players Championship. He was also a member of the winning 1981 United States Ryder Cup Team. Pate currently serves as Vice Chair of the Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board and on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Foundation Board of Directors. He earned his bachelor’s degree in administrative science from the University of Alabama.
Anna Upton
Upton, of Tallahassee, is a Managing Member of Anna H. Upton, P.L. and serves as General Counsel to The Everglades Foundation. She has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in the areas of business litigation, civil litigation defense, employment and labor law and environmental litigation. A recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award, she earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Wake Forest University and her juris doctor from Stetson University College of Law.
John Alter
Alter, of Malone, manages a family-run tree farm and is a retired Naval Aviator, earning an honorable discharge from the United States Navy at the rank of Captain. He has previously served on the Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board and is also a member of the Florida Forestry Association, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and the Optimist Club of Northeast Jackson County. Alter earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio University and his master’s degree in political science from Villanova University. These appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
District issues amended Emergency Order for Hurricane Sally
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The District has issued a fifth amended and restated Emergency Order related to Hurricane Sally. The order is in effect until July 6, 2021.
Prescribed fire update: District plans Thursday burn in Washington County
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The Northwest Florida Water Management District plans to conduct a prescribed fire Thursday on 479 acres in southern Washington County.
District contractors will conduct the prescribed burn at Carter Tract within the Econfina Creek Water Management Area. The Carter Tract burn units are north of Chain Lake Road and west of Highways 77 and 279 near the community of Greenhead.
The District uses prescribed fires as land-management tools on specific areas of land, during the right weather conditions, with established boundary lines.
All prescribed fires conducted by the District must be authorized by the Florida Forest Service.
Though prescribed fires may be planned months in advance, the final decision to burn typically occurs the day before or even the morning of the scheduled fire. The Florida Forest Service confirms if weather conditions and other site factors are suitable for authorizing the burn.
The detailed plan for every prescribed fire is reviewed with Florida’s Smoke Screening Tool, which uses computer models and forecasted weather data to view potential impacts from a predicted smoke plume. If the screening tool projects a significant impact to smoke-sensitive areas, such as hospitals, nursing homes, roadways, and airports, the burn plan must be changed.
Planning a prescribed fire also includes the designation of personnel and firefighting equipment, a map of fire breaks and burn area boundaries, wind speed and direction for surface and transport winds, the mixing height, relative humidity, temperature, fine fuel moisture, and desired fire behavior.
The District conducts prescribed fires to clear out overgrowth that could potentially fuel wildfires. These prescribed fires also help protect habitats by fostering new growth that keeps forests healthy and promotes biodiversity. The fires help control insects (such as ticks) and diseases (like brownspot fungal infection), which can kill young longleaf pines.
For more information on this prescribed fire or the District’s prescribed fire program, please email public.information@yopmail.com or call (850) 539-5999.
District awarded federal grant to test new strategy for springs restoration
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HAVANA – The Northwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board approved entering into an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement a program that demonstrates how nutrients discharged from agricultural operations can be captured and re-used on site.
As part of the agreement, the EPA will provide up to $959,754 in grant funding to initiate the program. The District will contract with the University of Florida for up to $247,830 for technical services for the project, and will also issue a request for proposals for a contractor to conduct algae harvesting and associated services.
“This is the type of innovative thinking we need to embrace as we continue to find ways to protect and preserve the precious natural resources in northwest Florida,” said George Roberts, Chairman of the District’s Governing Board. “We have had tremendous success with our Best Management Practices program for agricultural producers in Jackson County and we look forward to expanding our efforts to work with growers in other areas of the District.”
The program will first work with an agricultural operation in Gadsden County, such as a nursery, to capture nutrient-rich algal biomass from surface runoff. Samples of the algae will then be sent to the University of Florida, where scientists will determine the best method to repurpose it as fertilizer and, in the process, minimize a nonpoint pollution source.
This approach is expected to enable growers to implement a closed-loop process to consolidate the algal biomass on site, re-use it as fertilizer, reduce the use of commercial fertilizers, and minimize potential non-point pollution sources.
The project area is within two regional watersheds and is also within the groundwater contribution area for Wakulla Spring. By demonstrating innovative agricultural best management practices, the project will help implement District Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) plans.
“This innovative strategy gives us another tool to help improve the stewardship of water resources in our area,” Governing Board member Kellie Ralston said. “As technology continues to advance, we will continue to seek out this type of innovation to help protect our rivers and springs.”
District provides assistance to Gulf County for water system upgrades
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HAVANA – The Northwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board approved an agreement to help Gulf County make upgrades to its potable water system.
The District will provide up to $300,000 in grant funding for improvements to the former Lighthouse Utilities water system, which services approximately 13 square miles in the unincorporated southern portion of Gulf County. Included in the service area is St. Joseph Peninsula, Jones Homestead, Indian Pass, and St. Joseph Peninsula State Park.
“Having a safe and reliable source of clean water for the residents in Gulf County is absolutely essential, and we are happy to be part of this effort,” said State Sen. Loranne Ausley, who represents Gulf County. “This grant will help achieve this critical need for an area still feeling the impacts from Hurricane Michael. I appreciate the hard work of local leaders and the water management district to collaborate and fund this project.”
The system currently experiences persistent low water pressure in the northern portion of the peninsula. One of the utility’s two water treatment plants was badly damaged by Hurricane Michael, causing a booster plant and storage tank serving the peninsula to be taken offline and significantly exacerbating the problem.
“The damage caused by Hurricane Michael is still being felt by so many in our communities,” said State Rep. Jason Shoaf, who represents Gulf County. “I appreciate the water management district and its Governing Board for helping Gulf County take another step forward in its long-term recovery efforts.”
The county recently completed a preliminary engineering report, which recommended installing an in-line booster pumping station, as well as a ground storage tank control valve, diesel generator and automatic transfer switch, and other associated repairs and improvements.
The overall probable cost of the improvements, including engineering and construction, is estimated at approximately $690,000.
“For smaller communities like Gulf County, which are still feeling the financial impact of Hurricane Michael, the cost of repairing damaged infrastructure is significant,” said George Roberts, Chairman of the District’s Governing Board. “That’s why it is so important the District continues to work with our local communities to fund these types of projects that make such a positive impact.”
District employee to use unique skillset to help The Nature Conservancy
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HAVANA – As the Florida Chapter of The Nature Conservancy begins an oyster reef restoration project in Pensacola Bay, an employee of the Northwest Florida Water Management District is providing his unique skillset to help the effort.
Darryl Boudreau, the District’s Resource Planning Program Manager who formerly worked with The Nature Conservancy, will collect and share drone footage of the restoration project with the Conservancy. This footage will help TNC document construction efforts and will be useful for communication and outreach activities with the public.
“When we hired Darryl a year ago, we tasked him with working closely with stakeholders throughout northwest Florida to protect our water resources,” said Brett Cyphers, the District’s Executive Director. “We take tremendous pride in allowing our talented staff to share their knowledge and expertise with our partners on projects that protect our precious natural resources.”
The Florida Chapter of The Nature Conservancy received approximately $14,500,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund to design and implement an oyster reef restoration project in East Bay and Blackwater Bay of the Pensacola Bay System.
The project site extends along approximately six miles of shoreline from Grassy Point to south of Escribano Point at the northern boundary of Eglin Air Force Base. Project construction is set to begin in April 2021 and barring any delays is expected to be completed by November 2021.
The approximately 10-acre project will provide multiple functions and benefits, including fish and shellfish habitat restoration, improved water quality, shoreline stability, and enhanced productivity for commercial and recreational fisheries.
The District’s Governing Board approved the in-kind assistance, valued at approximately $6,000, to help with the project that is consistent with the Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plan for the Pensacola Bay System. Among SWIM priorities addressed with this project are estuarine habitat restoration and watershed stewardship.
District extends Emergency Order for COVID-19
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The Northwest Florida Water Management District extended its Emergency Order to address the needs of those seeking permits from the District as well as those with questions or issues related to existing permits during the COVID-19 health emergency.
You can view the Emergency Order by clicking here.
For any questions related to existing permits or permit applications, contact the District’s Regulatory Services division at (850) 539-5999.
Engineering students recognized for work to restore Cypress Spring
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TALLAHASSEE – Five recent graduates from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering were rewarded Thursday for their efforts in designing a project to restore and protect Cypress Spring.
The students consulted with engineers and other staff members at the Northwest Florida Water Management District to create designs for the project, which calls for stabilizing the shoreline and enhancing recreation access at the second magnitude spring located in Washington County.
The students – Abigail Burns, Lindsey Furrow, Maria Leal-Bruce, Jennifer Magi, and Caroline Wells – worked on the project as part of their Senior Design class. Nestlé Waters North America, Inc., awarded each of the students $1,000 for their efforts and made a $10,000 donation to the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.
“Protecting one of northwest Florida’s natural treasures while making it more accessible to the public is one of the more satisfying projects we have undertaken at the water management district,” said Ted Everett, a member of the District’s Governing Board who represents Washington County. “These students embraced that idea and created a design that will welcome the public to enjoy the spring while still protecting its beauty.“
Cypress Spring has long been one of northwest Florida’s most beautiful springs. Canoeists, kayakers, boaters, swimmers, and nature enthusiasts all make frequent stops at the spring, located roughly a mile east of Highway 79 and slightly north of the town of Vernon.
“My family has a special connection with the springs in northwest Florida and it began when my great-grandfather explored and settled in the area in the 1800s,” said State Sen. George Gainer, who represents Washington County. “The work of these students will go a long way toward ensuring Cypress Spring remains a place visitors can enjoy for generation to come.”
In 2018, the District purchased a conservation easement for $812,000 from Nestlé Waters North America on approximately 300 acres, which includes Cypress Spring and more than 1,000 linear feet of shoreline along Holmes Creek. NWNA donated that money back to the District to help pay for the shoreline restoration project and to offset ongoing land management costs.
Thanks to additional funding from Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida legislature, and the Department of Environmental Protection, the District has budgeted $1.6 million for restoration work at Cypress Spring.
“When the public and private sectors work together for a common goal, wonderful things can happen,“ said State Rep. Brad Drake, who represents Washington County. “This partnership between Nestlé, the College of Engineering, and the water management district is a perfect example of how we can work together to protect the precious natural resources in northwest Florida.”
The student project focused on addressing erosion problems along the shoreline, reconfiguring a culvert system originally designed to divert tannic water away from the spring, and designing a public restroom that will not contribute nutrients to the spring. The students completed their design in the spring of 2020.
Four of the five women who worked on the project began their professional engineering careers following graduation in 2020. The fifth enrolled in graduate school this past fall.
The success of the Cypress Spring project led to the District partnering with another student group from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering this academic year. The second group of students began working this past fall on a design to create a recreation site on a recently acquired property in Wakulla County.
“Inviting students from the College of Engineering to these projects gives all of us a chance to look at things through a different lens,” said Kellie Ralston, a member of the District’s Governing Board who represents Leon County. “They bring energy and innovation to the process and we are impressed by their approach to tackling the challenges in these projects.
“It is a testament to program built by Dr. Murray Gibson, the dean of the College of Engineering, and Dr. Sean Martin, the students’ professor who helped coordinate this partnership.”