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

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

hillsborough.wateratlas.usf.edu
from hillsborough.wateratlas.usf.edu More from this publisher
11.07.2015 Views

EXISTING NATURAL SYSTEMS CONDITIONS• Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI)• Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission (EPC)• Hillsborough County Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP)• Hillsborough County Planning Commission• Hillsborough River Greenways Task Force (HRGTF)• Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD)• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)• University of Florida, Geoplan Center, Florida Geographic Data Library (FGDL)• University of Florida Lakewatch Program• University of South Florida, Florida Center for Community Development and Design8.3 Overall Trends and SummaryThere are numerous ecological factors and relationships that define the condition of a naturalsystem, and therefore the “level of service” that can be provided by that system. To evaluate andscore the watershed, a series of parameters were considered which represented importantecological functions, extent of human development/impacts, and the presence/absence ofimportant wildlife species. The data that were used to develop quantitative parameter scores wereprocessed and generated from a library of information and staff experience, in addition to existingGIS data provided by the SWFWMD and Hillsborough County. Most of these data are presented insubsequent subsections of this chapter. The parameters used in this are described as follows:• historical and existing land use – expressed as a percent, this factor describes the changein land uses in the watershed area over the period from the 1950 to 2004;• loss of natural lands- habitat fragmentation – describes the impact to the watershed area of the splittingup and isolation of wildlife habitat;- riparian buffers – describes the losses of forested systems in stream floodplains andtheir significance to ecosystem quality in the watershed area;• hydrologic alterations – describes the impact to environmental quality and function resultingfrom physical alterations to streams and lakes such as channelization, diversion, filling, andencroachment;• exotic flora and fauna – describes the impact to native plant and animals in the watershedarea of the invasion and establishment of exotic species;• strategic habitat conservation areas – describes the identification by FFWCC of areas thatare particularly important to preserve in terms of wildlife conservation; and• land held in public ownership – describes the land acreage currently acquired by publicresource conservation agencies that provides important natural environmental functions inthe watershed area.8-2Rocky/Brushy Creek Watershed Management Plan

CHAPTER 8Using the data described in the following sections of this chapter, a natural systems evaluationmatrix was developed to provide a comparative tool for measuring the quality and quantity ofexisting natural habitats within the watershed. This tool can be used to evaluate the overallcondition of the watershed so that future efforts to protect or restore natural systems can beprioritized and implemented effectively either as stand-alone projects or in conjunction with floodand/or water quality improvement activities. An overall score was calculated based on the sum ofscores for each habitat parameter (Table 8-1). Using a scoring technique similar to the waterquality level of service evaluation, the overall natural system evaluation matrix score was based onthe ratio of the total watershed score divided by the maximum possible score. The watershed wasthen given a grade based on the following ratios: 1.0 to 0.8 = A, 0.79 to 0.6 = B, 0.59 to 0.4 = C,0.39 to 0.20 = D,

CHAPTER 8Using the data described in the following sections of this chapter, a natural systems evaluationmatrix was developed to provide a comparative tool for measuring the quality and quantity ofexisting natural habitats within the watershed. This tool can be used to evaluate the overallcondition of the watershed so that future efforts to protect or restore natural systems can beprioritized and implemented effectively either as stand-alone projects or in conjunction with floodand/or water quality improvement activities. An overall score was calculated based on the sum ofscores for each habitat parameter (Table 8-1). Using a scoring technique similar to the waterquality level of service evaluation, the overall natural system evaluation matrix score was based onthe ratio of the total watershed score divided by the maximum possible score. The watershed wasthen given a grade based on the following ratios: 1.0 to 0.8 = A, 0.79 to 0.6 = B, 0.59 to 0.4 = C,0.39 to 0.20 = D,

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