Lower Charlotte Harbor Reconnaissance Report (Final Draft)

The Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Act recognizes "that the water quality of many of the surface waters of the state has been degraded." This report provides data to South Florida Water Management District to assist in their development of a SWIM Plan for Lower Charlotte Harbor. This includes Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Pass, East and West Caloosahatchee, Estero Bay and the lower portion of Charlotte Harbor proper.

Because of the size of this document, the report is available as several PDF files.

Part 1 includes:

1. Introduction

Purpose

Project Description

2. Lower Charlotte Harbor Water Body System

General Overview

Physiographic Areas

Geologic and Human History of Lower Charlotte Harbor

Population and Urbanized Area Growth

Conditions that Have Led to the Need for Restoration

Agricultural and Urban Water Supplies

Governmental Units with Jurisdiction

Part 2 includes:

3. Programmatic Context

Programs with Federal Involvement

State Initiated Programs

District Plans and Programs

Local Plans and Programs

Non-Profit Programs

4. Geographic Analysis

Soils

Pre-Development and 2003 Land Cover

Existing and Future Land Use

Impervious Surface Percentages

Public Conservation Lands

Future Roads and Potential Impacts

Part 3 includes:

5.  Water Quality Status and Trends

Water Quality Monitoring

Impaired Waters

Caloosahatchee Basin Nutrient Loads

Trends

Identified Sources of Pollution

Part 4 includes:

6. Existing Hydrology and Hydraulics Plans

7. Existing Management Actions

Everglades Restoration

Lower Charlotte Harbor, Caloosahatchee and Estero Bay Initiatives

County Capital Improvements Programs (CIP)

City Capital Improvements Programs (CIP)

2004 Restoration Projects

8. Water Resource Management Issues of Concern

Research

Restoration

References

Linked Bibliography

Glossary

Appendix A- Verified Lists for LCH Area

Appendix B- Lower West Coast Project Descriptions