The amendments remove the existing prescriptive methodology rule language and the specific Minimum Wetland Level definition for certain, isolated cypress wetlands in order to allow use of minimum level methods that best ....

 

WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS

Southwest Florida Water Management District

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

40D-8.623Minimum Wetland Levels

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The amendments remove the existing prescriptive methodology rule language and the specific Minimum Wetland Level definition for certain, isolated cypress wetlands in order to allow use of minimum level methods that best address site-specific characteristics. Minimum levels are used in the District’s permitting and resource management and development programs.

SUMMARY: Section 373.042, F.S., requires the District to establish minimum flows and levels for lakes, wetlands, rivers and aquifers within the District’s boundaries. Section 373.0421(3), F.S., further requires the District to periodically reevaluate and revise adopted minimum flows and levels. The establishment and periodic evaluation of minimum levels is required to ensure that the minimum hydrologic requirements of the water resources and ecology of the area are maintained. This rulemaking is necessary to remove existing prescriptive methodology rule language and the specific Minimum Wetland Level definition for certain, isolated cypress wetlands in order to allow use of minimum level methods that best address site-specific characteristics instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.

SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS AND LEGISLATIVE RATIFICATION:

The Agency has determined that this will not have an adverse impact on small business or likely increase directly or indirectly regulatory costs in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate within one year after the implementation of the rule. A SERC has not been prepared by the Agency.

The Agency has determined that the proposed rule is not expected to require legislative ratification based on the statement of estimated regulatory costs or if no SERC is required, the information expressly relied upon and described herein: The District conducted an economic review of the revisions to the rule and determined that the impact or regulatory cost, if any, of the revisions will not exceed any one of the economic analysis criteria in a SERC as set forth in Section 120.541(2)(a), F.S. These amendments to the rule are not anticipated to adversely impact businesses or increase regulatory costs to permit applicants.

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.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 373.044, 373.113, 373.171 F.S.

LAW IMPLEMENTED: 373.036, 373.042, 373.0421, F.S.

IF REQUESTED WITHIN 21 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE, A HEARING WILL BE SCHEDULED AND ANNOUNCED IN THE FAR.

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: SWFWMD Human Resources Office, [phone]; 1(800)423-1476 (FL only), ext. 4706 or email to [e-mail].. 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 IS: Doug Leeper, MFL Program Lead, SWFWMD, 2379 Broad Street, Brooksville, FL 34604, [phone].

 

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

40D-8.623 Minimum Wetland Levels.

(1)(a) Minimum Wetland Levels for certain isolated, cypress dominated wetlands are established and incorporated into Table 8-1 the table at subsection 40D-8.623(3), F.A.C., below. For such wetlands, the Minimum Wetland Level shall be that level which is 1.8 feet below a reference elevation referred to as the normal pool elevation.

TABLE 8-1 Adopted Minimum Wetland Levels

Wetland Site	Minimum Wetland Level (feet NGVD)	Latitude (Decimal Degrees)	Longitude (Decimal Degrees)
(a) Cypress Creek W-11	67.8	28.2957	-82.3854
(b) Cypress Creek W-12	62.0	28.2922	-82.3942
(c) Cypress Creek W-17	62.8	28.2854	-82.3950
(d) Cypress Creek W-56 (G)	62.7	28.2726	-82.4051
(e) Starkey S-99	29.6	28.2563	-82.6272
(f) Starkey Central	43.3	28.2449	-82.5961
(g) Starkey Z	39.7	28.2362	-82.5854
(h) Starkey Eastern (S-73)	44.6	28.2464	-82.5658
(i) Starkey S-75	45.4	28.2507	-82.5604
(j) Starkey M (S-69)	43.1	28.2431	-82.5735
(k) Starkey N	45.2	28.2424	-82.5527
(l) Morris Bridge Entry Dome (MBR-35)	33.8	28.1144	-82.3069
(m) Morris Bridge X-4 (MBR-89)	40.4	28.1239	-82.3373
(n) Morris Bridge Clay Gully Cypress (MBR-88)	39.6	28.1233	-82.3456
(o) Morris Bridge Unnamed (MBR-16)	32.1	28.1064	-82.3426
(p) Eldridge Wilde 5	27.1	28.1559	-82.6631
(q) Eldridge Wilde 11 (NW-44)	36.4	28.1684	-82.6312
(r) South Pasco 2 (NW-49)	57.2	28.1839	-82.5077
(s) South Pasco South Cypress	56.9	28.1814	-82.5078
(t) South Pasco 6 (NW-50)	57.4	28.1883	-82.5080
(u) Cypress Bridge 16	58.4	28.2085	-82.3719
(v) Cypress Bridge 25	70.5	28.2330	-82.3592
(w) Cypress Bridge 32	48.7	28.1678	-82.3674
(x) Cypress Bridge 4	69.2	28.2290	-82.3658
(y) Cross Bar T-3	68.5	28.3484	-82.4952
(z) Cross Bar Q-1	72.5	28.3464	-82.4695
(aa) Cone Ranch 1	86.9	28.1325	-82.1214
(bb) Cone Ranch 2	90.5	28.1225	-82.1207
(cc) Cone Ranch 3	95.4	28.1107	-82.1213
(dd) Cone Ranch 4	99.0	28.1140	-82.0984
(ee) Cone Ranch 5	105.2	28.0984	-82.0815
(ff) Cone Ranch 6	96.0	28.1257	-82.0991
(gg) North Pasco 3	44.4	28.3167	-82.5757
(hh) North Pasco 21	44.5	28.2892	-82.5751

(b) The normal pool elevation shall be determined based on a consideration, utilizing reasonable scientific judgment, of Hydrologic Indicators of sustained inundation including:

1. The lower limit of epiphytic mosses and liverworts intolerant of sustained inundation;

2. The upper limit of the root crown on Lyonia lucida growing on tree tussocks;

3. The upper limit of adventitious roots on Hypericum fasiculatum and other species which exhibit this morphologic response to sustained inundation;

4. Other indicators which can be demonstrated to represent a similar period of sustained inundation.

(2) The Governing Board may consider information relating to protection of nonconsumptive uses when establishing Minimum Wetland Levels. This information includes potentiometric surface maps, information on surface-water features and ecology of the area, water withdrawal data, geologic or hydrologic information, recreation, navigation and aesthetics, and information relating to the wetland and surrounding land uses.

(3) Minimum Wetland Levels are hereby established as set forth in the following table. Wetland water levels are deemed to be below the Minimum Wetland Level when the Long-term Current P50 is below the Minimum Wetland Level. If insufficient data exists to determine if a wetland is below its Minimum Wetland Level, the wetland can be determined to be below the Minimum Wetland Level based on a comparison with wetlands that are hydrologically or hydrogeologically similar or, located in close proximity or, in the same drainage basin or, by use of aerial photographs or evaluation of hydrologic data or Hydrologic Indicators in the subject wetland.

TABLE 8-1 Adopted Minimum Wetland Levels

Wetland Site	Minimum Level (feet NGVD)	Latitude	Longitude
(a) Cypress Creek W-11	67.8	28 17 46	82 23 06
(b) Cypress Creek W-12	62.0	28 17 33	82 23 39
(c) Cypress Creek W-17	62.8	28 17 08	82 23 41
(d) Cypress Creek W-56 (G)	62.7	28 16 21	82 24 18
(e) Starkey S-99	29.6	28 15 20	82 37 39
(f) Starkey Central	43.3	28 14 40	82 35 45
(g) Starkey Z	39.7	28 14 10	82 35 07
(h) Starkey Eastern (S-73)	44.6	28 14 45	82 33 56
(i) Starkey S-75	45.4	28 15 00	82 33 46
(j) Starkey M (S-69)	43.1	28 14 34	82 34 24
(k) Starkey N	45.2	28 14 33	82 33 08
(l) Morris Bridge Entry Dome (MBR-35)	33.8	28 06 55	82 18 24
(m) Morris Bridge X-4 (MBR-89)	40.4	28 07 26	82 20 14
(n) Morris Bridge Clay Gully Cypress (MBR-88)	39.6	28 07 21	82 20 45
(o) Morris Bridge Unnamed (MBR-16)	32.1	28 06 20	82 20 33
(p) Eldridge Wilde 5	27.1	28 09 21	82 39 47
(q) Eldridge Wilde 11 (NW-44)	36.4	28 10 05	82 37 52
(r) South Pasco 2 (NW-49)	57.2	28 11 00	82 30 27
(s) South Pasco South Cypress	56.9	28 10 53	82 30 29
(t) South Pasco 6 (NW-50)	57.4	28 11 17	82 30 28
(u) Cypress Bridge 16	58.4	28 12 30	82 22 18
(v) Cypress Bridge 25	70.5	28 13 59	82 21 31
(w) Cypress Bridge 32	48.7	28 10 03	82 22 02
(x) Cypress Bridge 4	69.2	28 13 44	82 21 55
(y) Cross Bar T-3	68.5	28 20 52	82 29 44
(z) Cross Bar Q-1	72.5	28 20 46	82 28 11
(aa) Cone Ranch 1	86.9	28 07 57	82 07 16
(bb) Cone Ranch 2	90.5	28 07 14	82 07 11
(cc) Cone Ranch 3	95.4	28 06 39	82 07 14
(dd) Cone Ranch 4	99.0	28 06 50	82 05 54
(ee) Cone Ranch 5	105.2	28 05 53	82 04 56
(ff) Cone Ranch 6	96.0	28 07 32	82 05 57
(gg) North Pasco 3	44.4	28 19 00	82 34 32
(hh) North Pasco 21	44.5	28 17 23	82 34 30

 

Rulemaking Authority 373.044, 373.113, 373.171 FS. Law Implemented 373.036, 373.042, 373.0421 FS. History–New 8-7-00, Amended 4-6-20, 11-11-20, 4-12-21,     .

 

NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Southwest Florida Water Management District

NAME OF AGENCY HEAD WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board

DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: January 24, 2023

DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAR: March 3, 2023