ITERATIVE LAND MANAGEMENT PURSUANT TO WETLAND RESTORATION IN A REGIONALLY SIGNIFICANT WATERSHED IN POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA

摘要

In 1996, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) was seeking mitigation opportunities caused by the need for additional runway construction at the Orlando International Airport. Due to on-site property constraints, a decision was made to seek off-site mitigation. Two tracts of land with mitigation potential were chosen in the Reedy Creek / Lake Marion Creek watershed in Polk County, Florida. After GOAA purchased the mitigation tracts, PBS&J's staff ecologists evaluated the properties and prepared a land management plan (the Plan). The Plan focused on enhancing and restoring wetlands that had been impacted by anthropogenic disturbances, as well as preserving the remaining wetland communities. Examination of historical aerials (1941) provided a template on which restoration activities were based. For the past two years, following a construction phase and baseline monitoring, land management efforts have focused on restoration elements cited in the Plan. These included, among others, a focus on restoring hydrology to impacted areas, elimination of nuisance vegetative and faunal species, the elimination of cattle grazing and the reintroduction of a native community fire regime. Many of the intended methods described above have been impacted by the weather conditions of the past few years. Due to drought conditions, the application of prescribed fire has often been restricted, while demonstration of hydrological improvements has proven difficult to quantitatively assess. In order to meet stated permit requirements, an iterative approach was used toward the strategies supporting wetland restoration. Based on local weather and hydrologic conditions, resources and actions were re-focused to address both the client's and the regulatory agencies' most important question: how do you restore a wetland during a drought?