Rocky Brushy Creek Watershed Mgmt. Plan (2007) -- Part 2

EXISTING NATURAL SYSTEMS CONDITIONS8.4.3 Urban Altered Land UseThe following land use descriptions are based on the 2004 land use map of the Rocky Creek -Brushy Creek watershed, the corresponding descriptions FLUCFCS, and staff knowledge of thearea.Residential [Low (110), Medium (120), High (130)],DensityResidential land uses occupied less than 1% in 1916and less than 1% of the watershed in 1950. By 2004,they accounted for 41% of the watershed, reflectingmuch more rapid growth in the last half of the 20 thcentury. In 2004, 7.8% is in low density uses (< 2units/acre), while 13% is occupied by medium densityuses (2-5 units/acre). A total of 20.5% of theresidential use is in high density use (>5 units/acre).The majority of the residential development hasoccurred in the lower reaches of the watershed and at major crossroads where native uplandhabitat has been replaced by dwelling units.Commercial and Services (140)Commercial areas and services is a land use that is predominantly associated with the distributionof products and services. This category is composed of a large number of individual types ofcommercial land use, which often occur in complex combinations. This category often includes amain building and the integral areas that support the main structure. In the 1950 mapping,commercial land uses occupied 0.1% of the watershed, while 3% of the watershed currently (2004)is devoted to commercial activities. Land uses present in the watershed that fall into theCommercial areas and Services category include: service stations and convenience stores, retailfacilities, restaurants, manufacturing facilities, and boat and auto repair shops.Institutional (170)In the Rocky Creek - Brushy Creek watershed, Institutional land uses include schools, churches,and small office facilities. At least three churches and a school were present in the early 1900’s,but the category was absent from the 1950 land use mapping. Currently (2004), this categoryoccupies 1.4% of the watershed.Recreational (180)Recreational land uses were absent in the1950 land use mapping but were reported as occupying0.8% of the watershed in 2004 which represent community recreational facilities, historic sites, andarea parks, including Lake Park south of Van Dyke Road and west of Dale Mabry Highway.Open land (190)Open Land includes undeveloped land within urban areas and inactive land with street patterns butwithout structures. Open land normally does not have any structures or any indication of intended8-14Rocky/Brushy Creek Watershed Management Plan