To identify the authorities and regulatory tools to be used to protect water from the natural system from consumptive uses and specifically define the volume and timing of water to be reserved from allocation for the Picayune Strand Restoration ...

 

WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS
South Florida Water Management District

RULE NO: RULE TITLE
40E-10.011: Purpose and General Provisions
40E-10.021: Definitions
40E-10.031: Implementation Tools
40E-10.221: Protected Natural Systems Water Bodies
40E-10.321: Regional Wetland Systems
40E-10.421: Water Reservations
40E-10.431: Water Reservation Areas: Lower West Coast
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: To identify the authorities and regulatory tools to be used to protect water from the natural system from consumptive uses and specifically define the volume and timing of water to be reserved from allocation for the Picayune Strand Restoration Project.
SUBJECT AREA TO BE ADDRESSED: The rule is to be applied to protect waters for the natural systems that occur within the boundaries of the South Florida Water Management District.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 373.016, 373.044, 373.103(4), 373.113, 373.118, 373.171, 373.219, 373.223 FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 373.026(8), 373.036, 373.0361, 373.103(4), 373.118, 373.1501, 373.223, 373.229, 373.4592, 373.4595 FS.
A RULE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:
DATE AND TIME: July 24, 2008, 1:00 p.m.
PLACE: Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 300 Tower Road, Naples, FL 34113
Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 5 days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: South Florida Water Management District Clerk, 1(800)432-2045, ext. 2087 or [phone]. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT AND A COPY OF THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT, IF AVAILABLE, IS: Scott Burns, Director, Everglades Water Supply Policy, South Florida Water Management District, P.O. Box 24680, West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4680, 1(800)432-2045, ext. 6817 or [phone], email: [e-mail]; Brenda Mills, Lead Planner, South Florida Water Management District, P.O. Box 24680, West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4680, 1(800)432-2045, ext. 4208 or [phone], email: [e-mail]; Beth Lewis, Senior Supervising Attorney, South Florida Water Management District, P.O. Box 24680, West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4680, 1(800)432-2045 ext. 6343 or [phone], email: [e-mail]. For procedural questions: Jan Sluth, Paralegal, South Florida Water Management District, P. O. Box 24680, West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4680, 1(800)432-2045, ext. 6299 or [phone], email: [e-mail]

THE PRELIMINARY TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT IS:

40E-10.011 Policy and Purpose.

(1) The waters of the state are among its basic resources. Such waters should be managed to preserve or restore natural resources, fish and wildlife and to promote the availability of sufficient water for all existing and future reasonable and beneficial uses and the natural system.

(2) The governing board may require permits for consumptive use of water and may impose reasonable conditions as are necessary to assure that such use is consistent with the overall objectives of the district and is not harmful to the water resources of the area.

(3) The objectives of the Governing Board in issuing consumptive use permits with regard to preserving or restoring the natural resources shall include:

(a) No harm to wetland systems occurs;

(b) Established minimum flows and levels criteria contained in District rules are met;

(c) Water that has been allocated or reserved for the natural system by the District under this chapter is not allocated to consumptive uses;

(d) Consistency with the restoration, preservation and protection objectives of the Everglades Restoration is achieved; and

(e) Consistency with the restoration, preservation and protection objectives of the water resource projects which the District has been established as local sponsor per Section 373.1501, F.S., is achieve.

(4) The purpose of this chapter is to:

(a) Identify the criteria and implementation authorities used to protect the natural system from consumptive uses,

(b) Identify the natural system waters protected, and

(c) Define the volume and timing of waters reserved from allocation for the natural system, where applicable.

(5) The waters for the natural systems pursuant to this chapter are based on best available information and public policy that has been expressed by legislation and governing board direction and may be periodically reviewed as a result of new information or changing public policy.  The District shall amend this chapter consistent with the provision contained in Section 120.54, F.S.

Specific Authority 373.044, 373.113, 373.171 FS. Law Implemented 373.016, 373.1501, 373.1502, 373.219, 373.223, 373.4592, 373.4595, 373.470 FS. History–New________.

 

40E-10.021 Definitions.

(1) CERP Project Component(s) – Any structural or operational change, resulting from the Restudy, to the Central and Southern Florida Project as it existed and was operated as of January 1999.

(2) Fakahatchee Estuary – Waters that occur within the Ten Thousand Islands region include the following river/bay systems, from west to east (Figure 4): Royal Palm Creek/Palm Bay, Blackwater River/Blackwater Bay, Whitney River/Buttonwood Bay, Pumpkin River/Pumpkin Bay, Wood River, Little Wood River and Faka Union Canal/Faka Union Bay, and Fakahatchee Bay.

(3)  Natural system – An ecological system supporting aquatic and wetland-dependent natural resources, including fish and aquatic and wetland-dependent wildlife habitat, water quality enhancement and water storage.

(4) Picayune Strand – The lands and waters that occur within the boundaries located southwest of the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), north of the Ten Thousand Islands NWR, east of the South Belle Meade State Conservation and Recreation Lands (CARL) Project, west of the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, and northeast of Collier-Seminole State Park and Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Preserve.

(5) Prospective reservation –  A reservation of water in such locations and quantities, and for such seasons of the year, required for the protection of fish and wildlife or the public health or safety that is anticipated to be made available through the completion of a project(s) or change in operation of a water management system.  When water is reserved prospectively the quantities that are anticipated to become available shall be identified in Rule 40E-10.421, F.A.C., along with a description of how the reserved quantities will be adjusted if the actual water made available is different than the quantities identified in the prospective reservation.

(6) State priority ecosystems – Ecosystems which have been specifically identified by state statue for protection or restoration as part of the public interest and are identified in Rule 40E-10.321, F.A.C., for the purposes of protecting waters for the natural system from consumptive use.

(7)  Water reservation – Water that is withheld from allocation in such locations and quantities, and for such seasons of the year, required for the protection of fish and wildlife or the public health or safety for a specific water body as defined within Rule 40E-10.421, F.A.C. A reservation of water can be adopted prospectively.

(8)  Wetlands – Those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soils. Soils present in wetlands generally are classified as hydric or alluvial, or possess characteristics that are associated with reducing soil conditions. The prevalent vegetation in wetlands generally consists of facultative or obligate hydrophytic macrophytes that are typically adapted to areas having soil conditions described above. These species, due to morphological, physiological, or reproductive adaptation, have the ability to grow, reproduce, or persist in aquatic environments or anaerobic soil conditions. Florida wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bayheads, bogs, cypress domes and strands, sloughs, wet prairies, riverine swamps and marshes, hydric seepage slopes, tidal marshes, mangrove swamps and other similar areas. Florida wetlands do not include longleaf or slash pine flatwoods with an understory dominated by saw palmetto.

Specific Authority 373.044, 373.113, 373.171 FS. Law Implemented 373.016, 373.1501, 373.1502, 373.219, 373.223, 373.4592, 373.4595, 373.470 FS. History–New________.

 

40E-10.031 Permit Criteria for the Protection of the Natural System.

(1) The Governing Board shall regulate consumptive uses in a manner that is consistent with the provision of water in such locations and quantities and for such seasons of the year as is needed to prevent harm to natural systems, aid in the restoration of harmed/non-sustainable natural systems and otherwise needed for the protection of fish and wildlife. Applicants for consumptive use permits shall meet the requirements of this rule by providing reasonable assurances the criteria in paragraph 40E-2.301(1)(c), F.A.C., is met. The Governing Board shall impose such reasonable conditions on consumptive use permits as are necessary to assure that such use is consistent with the objectives of this chapter along with other permit criteria of the District. Minimum flows and levels (MFLs) are established by rule for specified priority water bodies that have been designated pursuant to Section 373.042(2), F.S. The recovery and prevention strategies set forth in Rule 40E-8.421, F.A.C., and implemented through the consumptive use permitting procedures described in paragraph 40E-2.301(1)(i), Rule 40E-8.431, F.A.C., and Section 3.9 of the Water Use Basis of Review are components for the prevention of significant harm to the water resources and ecology of the District.

(2) The Governing Board or Executive Director may by order, declare a water shortage when conditions are such as to require temporary reduction in total use within the area to protect water resources from serious harm. When considering whether to declare a water shortage, the District shall evaluate the potential for irreversible adverse impacts to fish and wildlife and the potential for an MFL exceedance during climatic conditions more severe than a 1 in 10 year drought, to the extent consumptive uses contribute to such conditions per Chapters 40E-8 and 40E-21, F.A.C. During declared water shortages consumptive use permit holders will comply with the criteria contained in Chapters 40E-21 and 40E-22, F.A.C.

(4) Waters may be withheld from allocation or otherwise provided for the protection of the natural system under this rule for the purposes of:

(a) Maintain existing functions of sustainable natural systems,

(b) Prevent additional impacts to degraded natural systems,

(c) Aid in the restoration of harmed/non-sustainable natural systems,

(d) Protect public health and safety.

Applicants for consumptive use permits shall meet the requirements of this rule by providing reasonable assurances the criteria in paragraph 40E-2.301(1)(k), F.A.C., are met.

Specific Authority 373.044, 373.113, 373.171 FS. Law Implemented 373.016, 373.042, 373.175, 373.219, 373.223, 373.246 FS. History– New________.

 

40E-10.221 Protected Natural Systems Water.

(1) Wetlands not specifically identified in Rule 40E-10.321 or 40E-10.421, F.A.C.: Waters for wetlands are protected from harmful consumptive use impacts through demonstrated compliance with the criteria contained in section 3.3 of the Water Use Basis of Review.

(2) State Priority Ecosystems: Water for State Priority Ecosystems identified in Rule 40E-10.321, F.A.C., below shall be protected from harmful consumptive use impacts through demonstrated compliance with the criteria contained in section 3.2.1.of the Water Use Basis of Review.

(3) CERP Project Components: Water for the protection or restoration of a natural system(s) associated with a CERP project components shall be protected from consumptive use withdrawals through demonstrated compliance with section 3.11 or 3.2.1. of the Water Use Basis of Review.

(4) Other Natural Systems Water Bodies: Water for the protection or restoration of a natural system(s) not identified in Rule 40E-10.321 or 40E-10.421, F.A.C., shall be protected from harmful consumptive use impacts through demonstrated compliance with section 3.11 or 3.2.1.of the Water Use Basis of Review.

Specific Authority 373.044, 373.113, 373.171 FS. Law Implemented 373.016, 373.1501, 373.1502, 373.219, 373.223, 373.4592, 373.4595, 373.470 FS. History–New________.

 

40E-10.321 State Priority Ecosystems.

The following state priority ecosystems are protected from consumptive uses as described in subsection 40E-10.221(2), F.A.C.:

(1) Lake Istokpoga as defined in subsection 40E-8.021(11), F.A.C.; criteria governing consumptive uses from this water body are contained in section 3.2.1. A. of the Water Use Basis of Review.

(2) Lower East Coast Everglades Waterbodies and Northern Palm Beach County/Loxahatchee River Watershed Waterbodies as defined in subsection 40E-8.021(12), F.A.C., and section 1.8 of the Water Use Basis of Review; criteria governing consumptive uses from this water body are contained in section 3.2.1.E. of the Water Use Basis of Review.

(3) Lake Okeechobee as defined in subsection 40E-8.021(12), F.A.C.; criteria governing consumptive uses from this water body are contained in section 3.2.1.G. of the Water Use Basis of Review.

Specific Authority 373.044, 373.113, 373.171 FS. Law Implemented 373.016, 373.1501, 373.1502, 373.219, 373.223, 373.4592, 373.4595, 373.470 FS. History–New________.

 

40E-10.421 Water Reservations.

(1) Water reservations defined in Rules 40E-10.431, .441, .451, .461 and .471, F.A.C. are established consistent with Section 373.233(4) F.S. and Rule 62-40.474, F.A.C.

(2) Water reservations may be established for protection or aid in the restoration of natural systems, public health and safety, or for water for the natural system associated with projects which are constructed and operated as part of Everglades Restoration.

(3) Such reservations shall be subject to periodic review at least every five year and revised if necessary in light of changed conditions or new information.

(4) Applicants for new or increased withdrawals shall demonstrate that the proposed withdrawals are consistent with this section by providing reasonable assurances that waters reserved in Rules 40E-10.431, .441, .451, .461 and .471 F.A.C., at such locations, quantities and for such seasons of the year are not impacted by the proposed use.

(5) Existing legal uses of water that impact the waters reserved in Rules 40E-10.431, .441, .451, .461 and .471, F.A.C., shall be protected unless such use is determined by the Governing Board to be contrary to the public interest.

Specific Authority 373.044, 373.113, 373.171 FS. Law Implemented 373.016, 373.1501, 373.1502, 373.219, 373.223, 373.4592, 373.4595, 373.470 FS. History–New________.

 

40E-10.431 Water Reservation Areas: Lower West Coast Planning Area.

(1) Picayune Strand as defined in Rule 40E-10.021, F.A.C.:

(a) Surface waters:

1. The surface water flows within the Miller Canal at I-75 [structure id number] as depicted on Figure 10.1 are reserved from allocation.

2. The surface water flows within the Faka Union Canal at I-75 [structure id number] as depicted on Figure 10.2 are reserved from allocation.

3. The surface water flows within the Merritt Canal at I-75 [structure id number] as depicted on Figure 10.3 are reserved from allocation.

(b) Groundwater:

1. All groundwater in the unconfined surficial aquifer system that occurs within the Picayune Strand is reserved from allocation.

2. Groundwater that contributes to the surface water flows reserved in paragraph (a) of this section are reserved from allocation.

(2) Fakahatchee Estuary as defined in Rule 40E-10.021, F.A.C.

(a) Surface waters:

1. The surface water flows delivered from the Faka Union Canal at US 41 the as depicted on Figure 10.4 are reserved from allocation.

2. The surface water flows delivered from the Southern Transect at US 41 the as depicted on Figure 10.5 are reserved from allocation.

(b) Groundwater: Groundwater that contributes to the surface water flows reserved in paragraph (a) of this Rule are reserved from allocation.

Specific Authority 373.044, 373.113, 373.171 FS.  Law Implemented 373.016, 373.1501, 373.1502, 373.219, 373.223, 373.4592, 373.4595, 373.470 FS.  History–New________.