NWFWMD Newsletter V3N3

8/4/2019 NWFWMD Newsletter V3N3

1/8

to act on risk informaon that

might impact their properes. The

Districts Flood Informaon Portal

gives users the ability to view, in a

printable report at the property

level, the revised and previous

ood maps side by side, along with

ood zone designaons, predicted

depths of ooding, and other usefuinformaon.

The District recently accepted

addional funding of $1.7 million

from FEMA to add inland counes

to the web portal, improve ood

risk maps in the Chipola and New

River basins and update risk map-

ping assessment and planning in

coastal counes.

Residents of nine northwest Flori-

da coastal counes can now enter a

portal from their home computers

and obtain ood risk informaon for

their properes. They can visit

hp://portal nwfwmdood-

maps.com/, enter their addresses or

use the click and zoom feature tolocate properes and determine

whether they are in a ood hazard

area.

Floodplain maps are now ac-

cessible and interacve online for all

northwest Florida coastal counes,

said Ron Bartel, Director of the Dis-

tricts Division of Resource Manage-

ment. Residents will be able to re-

view their ood risk without going toa library or planning department.

Though ocial FEMA ood insur-

ance rate maps, called FIRMs, must

sll be used to determine ood in-

surance rates, this new tool allows

people to look at FIRMs from their

homes.

The new tool was developed

for its ability to present new or dra

ood risk informaon as it is devel-

oped, said Senior Hydrologist Jer-

rick Saquibal. The coastal area is

currently being restudied for the en-

re District and plans are to post the

dra maps on the tool as well. The

dra maps are called preliminary

FIRMs, which in the past were di-

cult to view without going to a public

meeng or a library when they are

presented. The ability to view ood

risk informaon through the portal

is an important outreach tool, al-

lowing people in ood hazard areas

to comment on the dra maps and,

in some instances, use them before

theyre nalized.

In some communies this is the

rst update in 10 or 20 years. The

maps are based on the Districts re-

cently modernized topographic in-

formaon derived digitally from

Light Detecon and Ranging (LiDAR)

data. This data, along with digital

aerial photography, has helped the

District produce new maps with de-

tailed oodplain delineaons in

some areas. These revisions may

increase or decrease the ood haz-

ard area, and encourages residents

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

NORTHWEST NEWS & UPDATES

SEPTEMBER 2011 VOL. 3, NO. 3

District Opens

Flood RiskPortal

The ood portal oers click

and zoom property re-

ports, revised ood risk

informaon and predicted

depths of ooding. St.

George Island Lighthouse,

for instance, is in a ood

zone.
http://portal.nwfwmdfloodmaps.com/http://portal.nwfwmdfloodmaps.com/http://portal.nwfwmdfloodmaps.com/http://portal.nwfwmdfloodmaps.com/http://portal.nwfwmdfloodmaps.com/


2/8

Page 2 NORTHWEST NEWS & UPDATES

District Funds Resource-Conserving Sod ResearchFarmers and the environment

are expected to benet from re-

search funded through a grant from

the Northwest Florida Water Man-

agement District. The researchdemonstrates that a new system of

rotang sod into crop sequences

could increase prots, reduce risk

and conserve resources.

The District recently provided a

$40,000 grant to the University of

Floridas Instute of Food and Agri-

culture Science (IFAS). IFAS research

in Jackson and Gadsden counes,

indicates that farmers who rotate

two years of grass sod with one year

each of peanuts and coon, may di-

versify and increase prots as well as

soil and water quality, while de-

creasing irrigaon, use and loss of

nitrogen (ferlizer), plant disease

and crop failure.

This is a simple win-win agricul-

tural pracce, said Ron Bartel, Di-

rector of the Districts Division of

Resource Management. growerswho convert to this system put more

money in their pockets while con-

serving and protecng the public

water supply.

In Jackson County the Floridan

Aquifer, a porous limestone layerthat holds water, discharges to Jack-

son Blue Spring in the Marianna ar-

ea. The aquifer is used primarily for

irrigaon and for domesc and pub-

lic drinking water. It is also a major

source of water during low ow,

thus contribung to the Chipola Riv-

er and the Apalachicola River and

Bay. During extreme drought, dis-

charge from the aquifer to Jackson

Blue Spring is greatly reduced as the

aquifer level drops and its capacity

to bear water becomes limited.

We would like to see more

farmers applying this research,

which we have supported for several

years, said District Execuve Direc-

tor DougBarr, since it demonstra-

bly reduces irrigaon and nitrogen

runo to our watershed.

According to the IFAS grant pro-posal, sod has most of its biomass

underground, instead of above

ground like annual cover crops, so

improves soil quality. The project

goal is to rene and demonstrate

the ecological, environmental andeconomic successes of integrang

beef cale/perennial grass into mu

crop producon using conserva-

on and other best management

pracces implementaon.

Economic returns are two to

seven mes greater when rotated

with two years of grazed bahia gra

than the convenonal rotaon of

peanuts followed by two years of

coon, the IFAS proposal says. Bot

coon and peanuts increase yields

following bahia grass and cale gra

ing. Nutrients and water in the dee

soil are used by succeeding summe

crops due to improved root penetr

on following sod. Root studies

show double the root mass on crop

following bahia grass than standard

rotaons and many of the roots ar

found deeper in the soil.Improved water capture reduc

es irrigaon needs

by as much as 80

percent. Research

resulted in peanut

yields 15-40 perce

greater, averaged

across llage treat

ments, as well as

improved coon

yields. The Florida

sod study is locate

on sites of the

North Florida Re-

search and Educa-

on Center, which

has two sites in

Quincy and a farm

(connued)


3/8

Purchase Enhances Protection of Escambia RiverSEPTEMBER 2011 VOL. 3, NO. 3 Page 3

District Funds Sod Research (contd)

size demonstraon in Marianna.

The rotaons have been established

since 2000.

The yield gains were aributed

to the two years of bahia grass andcow manure nutrients that are being

recycled and kept in the root zone.

Animals fare beer, too, since para-

site cycles are broken by rotang

row crops. Also, with half the land

in perennial grasses at any given

me, pescides are reduced by half.

Cale trac increases surface soil

compacon only and has not aect-

ed peanut or coon yields. This is adirecon for further research.

The sod-based rotaon system

provides a great opportunity for

farmers at local and global levels to

increase the health and producvity

of their soil while conserving vital

resources such as water and ener-

gy, said The Nature Conservancys

David Reckford, Director of the Flint

River Basin Partnership, founded in

2004 to help farmers conserve wa-ter. In southwest Georgia, we now

have more than 1,000 acres in the

system on working farms, thanks in

large part to the support of the out-

standing research team at NFREC

(North Florida Research and Educa-

on Center) -IFAS.

This research is proving we can

stretch the water supply at great

benet to the agriculture communi-

ty as well as others, said Guy Gow-

ens, District Director of Resource

Regulaon. If put into pracce, this

system will allow the District to con-nue issuing permits for irrigaon

without negave impacts.

Though research on the sod ro-

taon program has been focused in

Florida, Alabama and Georgia, sever-

al other university faculty, state and

federal agencies and conservaon

groups have also cooperated and

connue to expand the scope of th

work and outreach.

If the sod based rotaon work

can also be implemented by Ala-

bama and Georgia growers, the ben

ets to the Apalachicola-

Chaahoochee-Flint basin water re

sources will be realized many mes

over,said Dan Tonsmeire of the

Apalachicola RiverKeeper.

For more see hp://

nfrec.ifas.u.edu/programs/

sod_rotaon.shtml

Exclusion cages in grazed and non-grazed plots help determine soil bulk densitymoisture and nutrient cycling in a winter cover crop.

The District will connue to pro-

duce water quality data aer receiv-

ing funding of $197,432.97 from the

Florida Department of Environmen-

tal Protecon.

The historical record providesdata to analyze long term water

quality condions, assess impacts

and make improvements, said Ex-

ecuve Director Doug Barr. Since

our incepon, we have established a

network of ground and surface wa-

ter sampling sites across the Dis-

trict.

The Integrated Water Resources

Monitoring Program involves threesampling projects. One is the

Ground and Surface Water Quality

Status Project, an annual collecon

of 110 random samples in six cate-

gories conned and unconned

aquifers, streams, rivers, ponds and

lakes. The other two are the

Ground Water Quality Temporal

Variability Project and Surface Wa-

ter Temporal variability, which takesamples each month at xed moni-

toring locaons to assess water

quality trends.

District Accepts Water Monitoring Funding
http://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/programs/sod_rotation.shtmlhttp://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/programs/sod_rotation.shtmlhttp://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/programs/sod_rotation.shtmlhttp://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/programs/sod_rotation.shtmlhttp://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/programs/sod_rotation.shtmlhttp://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/programs/sod_rotation.shtmlhttp://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/programs/sod_rotation.shtml


4/8


Econna Creek has aracted

varied cultures and conicts over

the millennia. Five experts will

give an overview of the Creeks

rich historical resources during a

panel discussion tled, Econna

Creek: Preserving Water Resource

History, at Pi Spring on Friday,

Sept. 30, 10-11:30 a.m. central

me.

A public discussion will follow

presentaons by Archaeologist

Gregory A. Mikell, Florida State

University History Professor An-

drew Frank, seler descendantsBrian Chambless and Faye

Mahews, and District Land Man-

ager William O. "Bill" Cleckley.

The District, which owns a majori-

ty of the creek basin for public water

resource protecon, will host the

program through a $25,000 grant

from the Florida Humanies Council

(FHC) with funds from the Naonal

Endowment for the Humanies(NEH). Pi Spring is north of Panama

City on Highway 20, 7 miles west of

U.S. 231.

Mikell will discuss archaeological

evidence of Paleoindian, Archaic and

Woodland cultures through Early

American selement, Frank will cov-

er Nave American and colonial

selement cultures and conicts,

Chambless and Mahews will discuss

agriculture, Civil War raids, trade,industry and burial pracces and

Cleckley will discuss public land ac-

quision history and natural re-

source restoraon and preservaon

eorts by the District. The program

will wrap up with Cleckley leading a

walking tour of Pi and Sylvan

springs restoraon and protecon

eorts. A kiosk exhibit and driving

tour will be unveiled and brochures,

maps and study booklets will be dis-

tributed. These publicaons will also

be available on the District website,

hp://www.nwfwmd.state..us/aboutdistrict.html

This unique event at beaufully

restored Pi Spring, highlights the

natural resource importance of Econ-

na Creek, said District Execuve

Director Douglas E. Barr. We hope

it will raise community awareness

and support for protecng and pre-

serving Econna Creek and springs,

Bay Countys major drinking water

supply.

Twenty years ago, said Cleck-

ley, we began buying over 41,000

acres of Econna Creek corridor and

adjacent high groundwater recharge

area for water supply protecon,

public access and enjoyment. We

hired Mikell to conduct an archaeo-

logical reconnaissance survey so that

we could protect such important

sites as the Gainer family home-

steads, the Civil War ruins of Adam

Mill and several cemeteries, includ-

ing Mt. Pleasant, Bay Countys rst

dedicated African American grave-yard.

The District is responsible for pr

tecng and managing water re-

sources in a sustainable manner for

the connued welfare of people an

natural systems, and depends on th

cooperaon of cizens in accom-

plishing these goals. The FHC grant

has helped the District create public

programs and resources that provid

historical perspecves and culturalinsights into sustaining these natura

resources. Any views, ndings, con

clusions or recommendaons ex-

pressed in the program do not nec-

essarily represent those of the FHC

or the NEH.

Econfina Creek Panel Features Water Resource History

The Civil War ruins of Adams Mill include

a notched beam and grinding stone frag-

ment. An L-shaped cut in the Econna

Creek tributary suggests the mill was

operated by a tub wheel turbine.

FaithEidsephoto


5/8

SEPTEMBER 2011 VOL. 3, NO. 2 Page 5

GaryMillerandDannyLayfeldma

p


6/8


Walton Countys coastal water

customers will benet from recent

acon to expand water main capaci-

ty to carry inland ground water tothe coast. The District Governing

Board recently approved a grant

agreement with Florida Community

Services Corporaon of Walton

County (Regional Ulies) for

$500,000 in match funding to help

develop a major water line exten-

sion along U.S. Highway 98 in Wal-

ton County. The 25-inch diameter

pipeline will carry well water about

6,200 feet to the ulitys coastal po-

table water distribuon system.

This project eases concerns

about saltwater intrusion on the

coastal Floridan Aquifer, said Doug-

las E. Barr, Execuve Director. It

ensures a sucient fresh water sup-

ply for the community while sustain-

ing the countys water resources.

This grant helps implement the

Districts Regional Water Supply

Plan (RWSP) for Region II, a Water

Resource Cauon Area, said Ron

Bartel, Director of the Division ofResource Management. The Dis-

trict developed and updated the

RWSP to meet ancipated water

supply demands of coastal Walton,

Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counes

through 2025. The RWSP idened

inland ground water as the pre-

ferred alternave water supply

source for Region II.

Regional Ulies has agreed

to help implement the Districts

Coastal Water System Interconnec-

on strategy, said Paul Thorpe, Di-

rector of the Resource Planning Sec-

on. This is part of a mul-phase

plan to upgrade exisng potable wa-

ter transmission infrastructure along

major corridors in southern Walton

County.

The grant will be taken from

the Districts General Fund and is

not to exceed 50 percent of the

costs for compleng Phase I of th

project. Regional Ulies has ideed sucient resources to provid

match funding and expects to co

plete the project within a year. T

brings District funding to $2.5 mi

lion over three years, to substan

ly increase the ulitys capacity t

serve coastal Walton County.

Other components have incl

ed $5 million water transmission

lines under Choctawhatchee Bay

$3 million gallon ground storage

tank, upgrading three inland sup

wells, developing a pump staon

and generator at the Owls Head

water plant, installing actuated

valves and meters for the improv

ments and upgrading the system

supervisory control and data sys-

tem.

Governor Rick Sco appointed

two businessmen to the District Gov-

erning Board on July 26, 2011, Angus

Gus Andrews and Nicholas NickPatronis.

Andrews, 55, of DeFuniak

Springs, owns Andrews & Arnsdo

Realty and Southern Beach Manage-

ment, a renter of beach chairs, bicy-

cles and kayaks. He once owned Ab-

bo and Andrews Realty and now is

on the Board of Directors for Trust-

mark Bank. A gradate of Florida

State University, he was born in Wal-

ton County and succeeds Tim Norris

who represented Basin II.

Patronis, 44, of Panama City

Beach co-owns Captain Andersons

Restaurant

and be-

longs to

the Floridaand Na-

onal res-

taurant as-

sociaons.

He was

named

Tree

Farmer of

the Year in

1986 and is

commied

to protecng Northwest Florida's

natural resources. He aended Gulf

Coast Community College and suc-

ceeds Steve Ghazvini who serve

large. Both men were appointe

terms ending March 1, 2015.

District Grant to Help Extend Walton County Water Line

Andrews and Patronis Appointed to Governing Board

Gus Andrews Nick Patronis


7/8

Page 7DECEMBER 2009 VOL. 1, NO. 3

Page 7SEPTEMBER 2011 VOL. 3, NO. 2

Marsh Planng Adds Property Value, Natural Defense to East Bay ProperesLush marsh grass grows where

waves once eroded bayfront proper-

ty at the mouth of Watson Bayouwhere East Bay joins St. Andrew

Bay. In late 2008, volunteers planted

smooth cordgrass along 260 feet of

property. The cordgrass eventually

thrived, trapping sediment and

building the shoreline. Trees whose

bare roots were exposed, were

braced by the restored wetlands

and natural shoreline has grown by

at least ten feet.

Hardened seawalls and bulk-

heads would not produce such sedi-

ment buildup and shoreline protec-

on, said Linda Chaisson, Associate

Hydrologist at the Northwest Florida

Water Management District, who

helped map the project and plant

the emergent grass. Now a thriv-

ing marsh holds the property and its

value securely in place.

Most people do not realizehow much value the marsh brings to

sh and wildlife, said James

Barkuloo, project coordinator.It

lters stormwater runo, removes

harmful nutrients and provides valu-

able habitat for shorebirds, shes

and invertebrates.

Barkuloo is Baywatch Coordina-

tor, as well as treasurer and past

president of St. Andrew Bay Re-

source Management Associaon

(RMA). He was awarded a ve-

year,$28,500 grant from the U. S. Fish

and Wildlife Service Coastal Pro-

gram, which is managed locally by

Melody Ray-Culp.

It took two planngs but it has

enlightened people about the ad-

vantages of natural buers as shore-

line defenses, Barkuloo said. I was

grateful to the District who helped

with permit compliance so that we

were eventually exempt. Using

Chaissons design, we installed sea

grass plugs no more than ten feet

from mean high water line.

The inial planng of 450 plugs

on New Years Eve 2008 brought out

property owners (J. R. and Kay Mid-

dlemas, Linda Macbeth and Andrea,

Tony and Dominique Davis), volun-

teers (John Newman, Steve Haines

and Charlie Yautz) as well as Chais-son and Marn Laws, a District stu-

dent assistant.

By April, only about 50 percent

had survived the winter, said

Barkuloo. But I had enough funding

to purchase another 190 plugs and

plant again on May 9, 2009.

The resulng 2,600 square feet

of sea grass helped shore up proper-

ty and extend protecon to the

Charles Grammling and Middlemas

homes, about 140 feet from shore.Barkuloo has also led restoraon of

hardened shorelines in lower West

Bay and Prey Bayou. During 21

years at Baywatch, he has helped

increase to 71 the number of water

quality sampling staons in West

Bay.

Read more on shoreline resto-

raon, www.nwfwmd.state..us/

pubs/shoreline/shoreline.htm

District employees Marn Laws and

Chaisson helped plant marsh grass

on New Years Eve 08.

Marsh grass reinforced property in Panama City and saved a precarious palm tree.

JamesBarkuloophotos

Before After
http://www.nwfwmd.state.fl.us/pubs/shoreline/shoreline.htmhttp://www.nwfwmd.state.fl.us/pubs/shoreline/shoreline.htmhttp://www.nwfwmd.state.fl.us/pubs/shoreline/shoreline.htmhttp://www.nwfwmd.state.fl.us/pubs/shoreline/shoreline.htmhttp://www.nwfwmd.state.fl.us/pubs/shoreline/shoreline.htm


8/8

NORTHWEST

FLORIDA WATER

MANAGEMENT

DISTRICT

Protecting and managing water resources sustainably ...

81 Water Management Dr.Havana, FL 32333

Phone: 850-539-5999Fax: 850-539-2777

E-mail:[email protected]

Were on the web!

nwfwmd.state.fl.us

Text by Faith Eidse; othercontributions by District staff.

Page 8

As drought condions deepened this

summer and wildres blazed, GovernorSco issued an execuve order re-

quesng state and local agencies who

were equipped, to help ght res.

On June 16, four Northwest Florida

Water Management District eld sta

answered a request from the Florida For-

est Service. They worked 15 days

straight on the 6,000-acre Santa Fe

Swamp Wildre in the Suwannee River

Water Management District, leaving fam-

ily and home.

Their labor was recognized as

essenal, professional, dedicated and

safe in a resoluon presented by District

Governing Board Chair George Roberts on

August 25.

The employees included Jimmie Ates,

Forest Technical/Equipment Operator,

Milton Field Oce; Coakley Taylor, Assis-

tant Lands Manager, Marianna Field

Oce; Mahew Whiield, Lands Techni-

cian/Equipment Operator and Eric Toole,

Forest Lands Manager, Econna Field

Oce.

They were great!, said Nels Parson

of the St. Johns River Water Managemen

District. They had to work in an atrociou

environment, with such setbacks as a

thrown track, and they were always posi-

ve and got the job done.

Field Sta Recognized for Emergency Fire Fighng

Ma Whiield, Jimmie Ates, Coakley Taylor and Er

Toole (not pictured) were recognized for their ser-vice in ghng Floridas wildres.

The rst week in Santa Fe

Swamp, our mission was to secure a

re line though a swamp that was

accessible only by foot or in the Dis-

tricts Marsh Master. Fireghters had

begun placing re hoses and several

sprinklers along the re line to soak

the ground and vegetaon and keep

the re from escaping. They were

having to drag the hoses and sprin-

klers down the line by foot and the

extreme heat and mud were taking a

toll on them.

We arrived and used our Marsh

Master to nish laying the sprinklersystem and were able to contain the

re on that side of the swamp. Fire

burned to the line and went out, end-

ing the danger of escaping embers.

So we removed the hoses and sprin-

klers and helped the Florida Forest

Service (FFS) set backing

res to eliminate un-

burned vegetaon be-

tween the re and the re

lines. We patrolled the

re, looking for spot overs

and pung out hot spots

along the re perimeter.

Aernoon thunder

showers rolled through

daily with a lot of light-

ning but very lile rain. This caused a

lot more wild res and the FFS had to

pull resources from our re to ght

new ones. At mes we were the pri-mary workers on our assigned re.

During the second week we re-

ceived more and more rain, and it

began to put out the re. By the end

of the second week, the re was con-

tained and the FFS began relieving

crews and dropping to a monitorin

phase.

It was hot and humid with tem

peratures in the high 90s. If the wdidnt blow, it was a furnace; aer

rain, it was broiling. There was li

shade and we had to keep hydrate

But the work was rewarding and I

to work with some great people fr

dierent agencies.

Fire Fight: An Eyewitness Accountby Eric Toole

Field staff helped contain a wild fire in Santa Fe Swam

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