The purpose of the rule development is to codify minimum flows and levels for the Upper Santa Fe River within Chapter 40B-8, F.A.C. The effect of the rule will be to provide protection for these areas from significant harm resulting from uses of ...

 

WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS
Suwannee River Water Management District

RULE NO: RULE TITLE
40B-8.021: Definitions
40B-8.061: Minimum Surfacewater Levels and Flows for the Upper Santa Fe River
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose of the rule development is to codify minimum flows and levels for the Upper Santa Fe River within Chapter 40B-8, F.A.C. The effect of the rule will be to provide protection for these areas from significant harm resulting from uses of ground and surface water.
SUMMARY: This proposed rule development will establish minimum flows and levels for the Upper Santa Fe River, in accordance with Rule 62-40.473, F.A.C., and Sections 373.042 and 373.0421, F.S.
SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS: No Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost was prepared.
Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 373.044, 373.113 FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 373.042, 373.0421, 373.103, 373.415 FS.
IF REQUESTED WITHIN 21 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE, A HEARING WILL BE SCHEDULED AND ANNOUNCED IN FAW.
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Linda Welch, Administrative Assistant, Suwannee River Water Management District, 9225 C.R. 49, Live Oak, Florida 32060, [phone] or [phone] (FL only)

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

 

40B-8.021 Definitions.

(1) “Fanning Spring” means single spring vent located within Levy County, adjacent to the Suwannee River at 29 degrees 33 minutes 14 seconds north latitude and 82 degrees 56 minutes 07 seconds west longitude.

(2) “Flow Duration Curve” means a statistical representation of flows, actual or synthetic, and their recurrence probabilities over a determined period of record.

(3) “Flow duration frequency” means the historic probability of a particular flow over a specified period of record.

(4)(3) “Historic period” means the period of record as documented in each technical report establishing minimum flow or level.

(5)(4)“Levy Blue Spring” means a single spring vent located within Levy County, near the Town of Bronson, adjacent to the Waccasassa River at 29 degrees 27 minutes 03 seconds latitude and 82 degrees 41 minutes 56 seconds longitude.

(6)(5) “Little Fanning Spring” means the single spring vent located within Levy County, adjacent to the Suwannee River at 29 degrees 35 minutes 09 seconds north latitude and 82 degrees 56 minutes 04 seconds west longitude.

(7)(6) “Lower Suwannee River” means the river segment below the Wilcox gauge to the estuary.

(8)(7) “Madison Blue Spring” means the single vent spring system located within Madison County, adjacent to the Withlacoochee River at 30 degrees 28 minutes 48 seconds north latitude and 83 degrees 14 minutes 40 seconds west longitude.

(9)(8) “Manatee Spring” means the single spring vent located within Levy County, adjacent to the Suwannee River at 29 degrees 29 minutes 21 seconds north latitude and 82 degrees 58 minutes 37 seconds west longitude.

(10)(9) “Minimum surfacewater flow” means a flow, expressed in cubic feet per second combined with a temporal element. The temporal element may be specifically expressed as a duration and return interval.

(11)(10) “Minimum surfacewater level” means an elevation in feet NGVD combined with a temporal element. The temporal element, for purposes of this chapter, may be specifically expressed as a duration and return interval.

(12)(11) “NGVD” means National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929.

(13)(12) “Withlacoochee River Near Pinetta, FL Pinetta gauge” means stream flow measuring gauge number 02319000 located on the Withlacoochee River approximately 10 miles upstream from Madison Blue Spring at 30 degrees 35 minutes 43 seconds north latitude and 83 degrees 15 minutes 35 seconds west longitude.

(14)(13) “Stage Duration Curve” means a statistical representation of stages, actual or synthetic, and their recurrence probabilities over a determined period of record.

(15)(14) “Suwannee River” means the riverine waterbody which originates in south central Georgia and flows southeast and south into Florida discharging into the Gulf of Mexico north of Cedar Key.

(16) “Santa Fe River” means the riverine waterbody which originates in Lake Santa Fe, Alachua County, Florida and flows west discharging into the Suwannee River south of Branford, Florida.

(17) “Santa Fe River Near Graham, FL gauge” means stream flow measuring gauge number 02320700 located on the Santa Fe River approximately 1.5 miles upstream from Sampson River at 29 degrees 50 minutes 46 seconds north latitude and 82 degrees 13 minutes 11 seconds west longitude, in Alachua County, Florida.

(18) “Santa Fe River at Worthington Springs, FL gauge” means stream flow measuring gauge number 02321500 located on the Santa Fe River 0.8 mile downstream from New River at 29 degrees 55 minutes 18 seconds north latitude and 82 degrees 25 minutes 35 seconds west longitude, in Alachua County, Florida.

(19)(15) “Suwannee River Near Wilcox, FL Wilcox gauge” means stream flow measuring gauge number 02323500 located on the Suwannee River at 29 degrees 05 minutes 90 seconds north latitude and 82 degrees 09 minutes 37 seconds west longitude.

(20)(16) “Waccasassa River and Estuary” means the riverine waterbody which originates in Gilchrist and Alachua Counties and flows southwest discharging into the Gulf of Mexico between Cedar Key and Yankeetown.

(21) “Waccasassa River Near Gulf Hammock, FL gauge” means stream flow measuring gauge number 02313700 located on the Waccasassa River 0.5 mile upstream from Otter Creek at 29 degrees 12 minutes 14 minutes north latitude, 82 degrees 46 minutes 09 seconds west longitude in Levy County, Florida.

(22)(17) “Withlacoochee River” means the riverine waterbody which originates in south-central Georgia and flows southeast and south into Florida discharging into the Suwannee River at Ellaville.

Specific Authority 373.044, 373.113 FS. Law Implemented 373.042, 373.415 FS. History–New 9-15-05, Amended 8-7-06, 7-29-07, ________.

 

40B-8.061 Minimum Surface Water Levels and Flows for the Santa Fe River.

The Governing Board hereby establishes the following minimum surfacewater flows. The Governing Board finds that the following minimum surfacewater flows are the limit at which further withdrawals would be significantly harmful to the water resources or ecology.

(1) The minimum surfacewater flows for the Santa Fe River Near Graham, FL, gage are the following points on the flow duration curve defined in “Technical Report – MFL Establishment for the Upper Santa Fe River, May 2007”:

(a) 171 cubic feet per second (cfs) for a flow duration frequency of five percent;

(b) 109 cfs for a flow duration frequency of 10 percent;

(c) 44 cfs for a flow duration frequency of 25 percent;

(d) 13 cfs for a flow duration frequency of 50 percent;

(e) 2.3 cfs for a flow duration frequency of 75 percent;

(f) 0.4 cfs for a flow duration frequency of 90 percent;

(g) 0.2 cfs for a flow duration frequency of 95 percent.

(2) The minimum surfacewater flows for the Santa Fe River at Worthington Springs, FL, gage are the following points on the flow duration curve defined in “Technical Report – MFL Establishment for the Upper Santa Fe River, May 2007”:

(a) 1,513 cfs for a flow duration frequency of five percent;

(b) 935 cfs for a flow duration frequency of 10 percent;

(c) 367 cfs for a flow duration frequency of 25 percent;

(d) 111 cfs for a flow duration frequency of 50 percent;

(e) 42 cfs for a flow duration frequency of 75 percent;

(f) 15 cfs for a flow duration frequency of 90 percent;

(g) 9 cfs for a flow duration frequency of 95 percent.

Specific Authority: 373.044, 373.113 FS. Law Implemented 373.042, 373.0421, 373.103 FS. History–New ________.

NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Jon Dinges, Director, Resource Management, Suwannee River Water Management District, 9225 County Road 49, Live Oak, Florida 32060, [phone]
NAME OF SUPERVISOR OR PERSON WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Governing Board of the Suwannee River Water Management District
DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: October 9, 2007
DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAW: August 24, 2007