Issues, Florida Chapter

Green Swamp

The real liquid heart of Florida is the 560,000 acre Green Swamp, which includes portions of Polk, Lake, Sumter, Pasco, and Hernando counties, which lies over and feeds the Green Swamp potentiometric high. The Green Swamp potentiometric high rises up to 132 feet above mean sea level near Polk City and, like a water tower, provides the underground pressure to a multitude of free-flowing springs, the base flow of five major rivers, and hydologic support for countless lakes, ponds, seeps, and wetlands. Its ground water pressure supplies water to the majority of Florida's population and prevents salt-water intrusion into the aquifer along the heavily populated east and west coasts.

The incredibly gradual slope of the Green Swamp plateau retains annual rains, reduces the flood peaks in the rivers, and allows the aquifer to recharge over an extended period of time. The wetlands of five river systems: the Withlacoochee, Oklawaha, Hillsborough, Peace and Kissimmee provide invaluable wildlife habitat and are Florida's foremost wildlife corridor. The five major river systems reach from the Swamp to all corners of the state from Ft. Lauderdale to Yankeetown and Jacksonville to Flamingo.

The water supply is especially vulnerable to groundwater pollution because the Floridan Aquifer is very close to the surface here and is exposed through porous sand, lime rock out croppings, and mines.

Development and the habitat fragmentation caused by transportation and utility corridors are still major threats to the Green Swamp. Agricultural practices have historically drained wetlands and over-used surface and groundwater supplies. The draining of wetlands, the destruction of upland and wetland forests, poor soil conservation practices, and over pumping reduces the quality and quantity of water available to recharge the Floridan Aquifer and to ecosystems downstream of the Swamp.

In 1974, the Florida Legislature chose to recognize only 460 square miles of the recommended 875 hydrologically significant miles of the Green Swamp as an Area of Critical State Concern. This central half of the Critical Area totals 189,000 acres in Polk County and 106,000 acres in Lake County.

Florida Statute 380.05 provides that if a resource of regional or statewide importance such as the Green Swamp is threatened by unregulated development it can be designated an Area of Critical State Concern. Neither the counties nor the three water management districts involved were willing or able to resolve the developmental and agricultural problems threatening to destroy these critical resources therefore the Critical Area was designated. The Florida Department of Community Affairs then took control of development approvals for Polk and Lake Counties. The same pressures are at work today, as in the past, making resource protection through public ownership a major defense.

To protect the land and water resources of the Green Swamp Critical Area, the Southwest Florida Water Management District has purchased approximately 110,000 acres. This is in addition to 84,000 acres of other publicly owned Green Swamp lands. The District has also protected 9,638 acres of privately owned lands through the purchase of conservation easements. The Green Swamp Land Authority and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection have also purchased land protection agreements or conservation easements on 39,000 acres of privately owned lands. Citizen support for continued land acquisition and the enforcement of growth management laws and environmental regulations are key to the protection of this vital resource for future generations.

To learn more visit: http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/interactive/greenswamp/greenswamp.html

Threats and Opportunities

Opportunities for protection include the acquisition of additional Green Swamp lands through the FDEP Florida Forever Program and Water Management District’s Florida Forever Work Plan (both fee and less than fee).

The extreme low surface and ground water levels of past years and increasing demand for potable water will force the water management district (SWFWMD) ACOE and FDEP to reconsider past ditch, dike and drainage projects in favor of restoration and retention.

Polk and Lake Counties passed several ordinances and adopted three sets of Comprehensive Plans between 1974 and 1991. The Green Swamp section of the 1991 plan was found to be in compliance by the Florida Department of Community Affairs in 1996 and challenges by private property owners and Sierra Club have been resolved. Polk County implemented provisions of the adopted Comprehensive Plan for the protection of the Green Swamp in 2000 through the adoption of Land Development Regulations (LDR’s). Lake County has also adopted LDR’s . It is apparent, however, that since the Green Swamp Field Office in Polk County was closed certain development issues in the ACSC are being ignored. The Lake and Polk County Commissions and some municipalities continue to propose and approve inappropriate development and activities within the Critical Area. These activities are proving difficult to monitor and deal with in an effective manner. Local citizen involvement is required to deal with these issues.

Sierra should support local and state efforts to oppose county and city comprehensive plan amendments, annexations, and land development regulations that fail to adhere to the Principles for Guiding Development in the Green Swamp ACSC found in Rule 28-26.003, F.A.C.

In 2003, a task force of the Council of 100 recommended the creation of a State Water Supply Commission. It has been suggested that such a commission would reevaluate the "local sources first" requirements of F.S. Chapter 373 and encourage the legislature to make changes. This could include consideration of water supply development projects to move water across the state.

Goals

We will continue to encourage land acquisition (fee and less than fee) in the Swamp through the Florida Forever Program and the Water Management District’s Florida Forever Work Plan. It is imperative that our members demand full funding of the Forever Florida Program and not allow diversions of monies to non-conservation projects. It is also important for our committee and club members to continue education of the general public, agencies and elected officials on this issue. It is not too early to encourage discussion of a successor program to Florida Forever.

We have been in communication with DCA on development, wetland destruction, dredge and fill, and monitoring issues that are of concern and will continue to monitor activities in both counties as relates to issues outlined above.

We are working with the agencies and Polk and Lake County to promote restoration of water resources.

We continue to support appropriate studies by the ACOE for Withlacoochee River restoration purposes.

We will, to the best of our ability, work with Lake and Polk County residents to monitor comp plan amendments, development activities and other issues that pertain to the ACSC.

Oppose creation of a State Water Commission.

Oppose the weakening of existing "local sources first" requirements for the development of new water supplies.

Legislation

• Reauthorization of Florida Forever bonds for acquisition and management of lands.
• Rule making for Minimum Flow and Levels.
  

Expected government actions

The Legislature must vote to provide funding for the Florida Forever Program. The purchase of the Babcock Ranch should not deplete the Florida Forever Program – separate additional monies should be appropriated for acquisition of the Ranch.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the St. John’s River Water Management District are engaging in rule making for Minimum Flows and Levels. We will encourage these WMD’s and the South Florida WMD to coordinate their monitoring and permitting activities to prevent negative impacts to the "Green Swamp High" of the Floridan Aquifer.

Additional efforts

The USACOE has completed the Reconnaissance Phase of an investigation of the Withlacoochee River Basin. This work supports a restudy of the basin. Given the recent past years of extreme low water conditions this restudy is likely to be supportive of our goals to restore and retain water. Our objective is to assure that the health and function of the ecosystem is restored and sustained.

We will continue to identify, encourage and assist in the acquisition of essential parcels within the Green Swamp Basin - both fee and less-than-fee. We plan to investigate the monitoring and compliance of the less-than-fee easement agreements.

We will continue to monitor inappropriate development and other activities in the Green Swamp Area of Critical State Concern. We believe that close monitoring in Polk and Lake Counties is warranted and we will work with concerned local residents to file objections with the appropriate parties when necessary.

We will continue to educate the public and elected officials on Green Swamp issues through personal contact, exhibits, slide presentations and informational brochures.

We will participate in the Water Management District’s Minimum Flows and Levels workshops and hearings.

We will investigate the feasibility of implementing the Rural Lands Stewardship and/or Transfer of Development Rights Programs to conserve environmentally sensitive lands in the Green Swamp Ecosystem in Polk County.

Achievements

We participated in development of the Naturally Central Florida publication by writing the Green Swamp section. This effort is an outgrowth of myregion.org. For further information or to read the Naturally Central Florida Publication visit: http://www.myregion.org/

We continue to monitor and report questionable development and other activities in the Green Swamp. We have participated in public hearings for Land Development Regulation changes for municipalities whose boundaries include the ACSC.

We have given several Green Swamp presentations to civic groups and advised those citizens on ways to combat bad comp plan changes and annexations.

We participated in several tabling events where we featured Green Swamp issues.

We have communicated with Division of State Lands, FWCC and the SWFWMD regarding future land acquisition sites and wrote letters of support for the purchase of a significant property in the swamp.

What can you do?

If our members do not understand this issue, invite us to give a slide show/presentation to their group or other interested parties. If they do understand the importance of the issue, make sure that all elected officials understand the issue as well.

Members can contact their legislative representatives and demand full funding of the Florida Forever Program for acquisition and management of lands. They can also demand stronger comprehensive plans especially linking water availability to land use changes.

Participate in public workshops and hearings of the rule making for Minimum Flows and Levels. Speak in favor of restoring and maintaining surface water and aquifer levels, with emphasis on restoration of historic floodplains and wetlands.

Sierra members in Polk and Lake County should monitor development activities and if any are suspect they should report them to the appropriate authority or to us. Members should write or call the Department of Community Affairs to object to inappropriate development approvals or annexations in the Critical Area.

Our members should oppose creation of a State Water Commission and oppose the weakening of existing "local sources first" requirements for the development of new water supplies.