Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) MeetingJune 14, 2019

Kim Fikoski, South Florida Water Management District Coordinator Charlotte Harbor Flatwoods Initiative

Charlotte Harbor Flatwoods Initiative Update

Florida Forever Board of Trustees Project Charlotte Harbor Flatwoods

• Charlotte Harbor Flatwoods Acquisitions

• Placed On List 1992

• Current Project Acreage: 20,759

• Acres Acquired To Date: 16,317 ($36,828,279)

• Acres Remaining: 4,442

• Potential inclusion of 2,751- acre Stolle Ranch & 145-acre Charlotte 580

• Part of the 90,000 square miles Charlotte Harbor Flatwoods Initiative multi-agency effort to protect and restore public land areas and improve water quality and hydrology

• FWC managed WMA’s provide hiking, hunting, birding, and environmental education for the public

Largest and highest quality slash-pine flatwoods left in southwest Florida

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• 65,000+ acre Babcock-Webb WMA owned by State and managed by FWC

• 669-acre Bond Farm acquired by State & FDOT – owned by State and managed by FWC

• 15,000+ acre Yucca Pens Unit WMA owned by State and managed by FWC

• 2,684-acre Prairie Pines Preserve, owned and managed by Lee County

• 679-acres Charlotte Harbor Flatwoods Preserves owned and managed by Lee County

• 487-acre Charlotte Flatwoods Environmental Park owned and managed by Charlotte County

• 46,000+ acre Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park owned/managed by DEP

Acquisition Partners

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Legend Acreage Acquired Acreage to be Acquired

Charlotte Harbor Flatwoods Initiative – finding synergy among agencies and across multiple boundaries

• Restore hydrologic connections for enhanced wetland hydroperiods in Webb and Yucca Pens WMA’s

• Increase regional wet season water storage for: • Enhanced dry season freshwater flows to tidal

creeks of Charlotte Harbor to improve water quality and hydrology

• Enhanced dry season freshwater flows to the Caloosahatchee Estuary to improve water quality and hydrology

• Reduce peak discharges from man-made canals to tidal waters in Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve

• Reduce peak discharges to Caloosahatchee River• Reduce wet season flooding in North Fort Myers • Enhance community resilience • Restore and revitalize local economy

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Regional and Statewide Initiatives

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• Ron DeSantis Executive Order 19-12: “Focus on rapid improvement for water quality, quantity and supply”

• Southwest Florida Comprehensive Watershed Plan

• Southwest Florida Regional Ecosystem Restoration Plan

• SFWMD 2018-2023 Strategic Plan

• Lower Charlotte Harbor SWIM Plan

Hydrological Conditions

1953 2017

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• McNew Ranch • Western conveyance from Bond

Farm to US 41• SLD Parcel or potential Charlotte

580 Parcel acquisition• Westernmost conveyance

opportunities• Need drainage easement or

acquisition • I-75 and US-41

• Coordination with FDOT • Stolle Ranch potential acquisition

• Southern conveyance opportunity to Caloosahatchee Estuary

Restore sheet flow to the largest remaining hydric pine flatwoods in southwest Florida

Acquisition Opportunities to Improve Water Quality and Hydrology

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Legend Acreage Acquired Acreage to be Acquired

Projects & Accomplishments

• 2010: SFWMD Yucca Pens Hydrological Restoration Plan Technical Memorandum

• 2010 & 2013: Lee County & FWC Yucca Pens ATV trails restoration• 2015: FDOT I-75 widening permit - initial Bond Farm modeling and

feasibility study• 2015: Tidal Creeks Land and Conservation Prioritization Report• 2016: Bond Farm acquisition and FWC/SFWMD permitting underway• 2017: City of Cape Coral – Yucca Pens well monitoring/modeling • 2018: Yucca Pens Hydrological Study & SWFWMD LIDAR • 2019: Charlotte County – additional Yucca Pens geotechnical analysis

and monitoring wells• 2019: NRDA Funding for comprehensive regional hydrological modeling• 2019: RESTORE funding proposal for Bond Farm construction

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Questions