Resources: Publications, Posters, Videos and More

Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program unites government agencies with industry, concerned citizens and others in the Charlotte Harbor watershed to reach agreement on the most pressing problems to maintaining a healthy environment and on methods for solving those problems.

CHNEP is pleased to provide several resources free of charge that will provide you with information to help become part of the solution.

As technology has changed and partnerships developed, the CHNEP has changed how many of these resources are made available. As documents are approved by the CHNEP Management Conference, they are often featured in Harbor Happenings. All the publications are available as PDF files on this website and some are only available in this format. PDF files can be read using the free software Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can get Adobe Acrobat Reader free by clicking on the icon and following the instructions.

Some of the more popular items can be picked up from the CHNEP office or from our partners. Other items, such as videos, CDs, DVDs and posters, can be requested by completing the form below. Orders are filled four times a year toward the end of the months of March, June, September and December.

Information described in Harbor Happenings can be found on the newsletter page.

The Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program has been providing these resources for free. Please consider a donation to help support our efforts. It typically costs between $5 and $10 in postage alone for each order filled. We are limited in how these donations can be received so we ask that you send a check made payable to SWFRPC/CHNEP and mail to CHNEP Publications, c/o SWFRPC, 1926 Victoria Ave, Fort Myers FL 33901-3414. Because of the expense in mailing outside the United States, we ask that those who live outside of the United States retrieve the documents as PDF files from the Program website.

Items available from CHNEP are grouped into several categories. For more information on material available in any of these categories, click on the link below.

Popular items, including the newsletter, posters, videos and more. Please scroll down this page to learn more.
Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). Additional information is also provided on this page.
Administrative Documents such as Annual Workplans
Technical Documents: Many of these documents are only available from this website as PDF files. Items available on request can be ordered using the form on this page. Many of the scientific reports include several support documents that can be requested on a CD or DVD from the Program website.
Events: The link provides Information about all events sponsored or hosted by CHNEP, including conferences and workshops. Reports that summarize each event, presentations made and more are available.
Grant Directory and Reports: This link provides reports produced with funding as either Public Outreach Grants (up to $5,000) or Research and Restoration Partner Grants (up to $20,000/partner)
CHNEP has also sponsored the public service announcement Keep it Picture Perfect with Clyde Butcher.

The CHNEP will soon be adding a bibliography of all CHNEP-supported materials. With this list, you will no longer need to know how the item was produced!

Would you like to cite a publication that CHNEP has made available? Here's an example of how we request you cite these publications.

Adams, Aaron, Evaluating the effects of restoration of subtropical oligohaline marshes on abundance and habitat use by juvenile snook, Centropomus undecimalis and associated fish communities, Prepared by Mote Marine Lab Center for Fisheries Enhancement under contract with Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, June 2005.

To order, you can. . .

Pick up many of the items from one of our many partners who receive a small supply of the more popular items.
Complete the form provided below and submit the order electronically. (This is the easiest method for the Program to receive requests!)
Download a publication order form (this is a PDF file) that will either need to be mailed or faxed.
Send an email message with the name of the publications, your name and complete mailing address
Name and address changes for newsletter: If you already are a subscriber to Harbor Happenings and wish to change your name or address, please send the changes via email providing both the new and old information.

To order online, please complete this form.

Please provide the following information to that the publications can be mailed to you. (Leave blank any fields that not relevant or that you don't wish to provide.)

If you subscribe to the newsletter and calendar, your address must be recognized by the U.S. Postal Service. Please check to be sure the address is in their database by visiting the USPS website. In the past year they have made it mandatory that each address be in their system or they won't attempt delivery. Thank you.

The form below now works. We're sorry but the form did not work for a few months during the summer of 2011. All requests that were successful received, have been filled. If you submitted a request for materials, and haven't yet received them, the request went to cyberspace. Would you please complete the form again? (Be sure to hit "submit" at the end of the page.) Thank you.

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Only the items with a check box can be ordered from the CHNEP. All other documents are available as PDF files from this website.

CCMP and CCMP Summary

Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) 2008 Update

In 2006, the CHNEP Management Conference initiated an update of its CCMP, its plan to protect the environment. The update was completed in 2008.

CCMP 2008 Summary

This 20-page publication provides an overview of the Program, including its partnerships throughout the watershed and the plan to protect fish and wildlife habitat, water quality, water flow and stewardship. It is a summary of the CCMP updated in 2008 described above. April 2008. It is available both as a PDF file from this website (follow the link) and a printed copy may be requested.

CCMP 2000

On February 11, 2000, the Charlotte Harbor Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) was approved by the Program's Management Conference. The development of the Management Plan began in 1995 when Charlotte Harbor was accepted into the National Estuary Program. On April 13, 2000, the program celebrated the adoption of the CCMP during a a signing ceremony. The ceremony celebrated the completion of the management plan and the beginning of its implementation to restore and protect the estuary and its watershed.

Volume 1 Committing To Our Future: Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
Volume 2 Committing To Our Future: Preliminary Action Plans

CCMP 2000 Summary

This 24-page publication provides an overview of the Program, including its partnerships throughout the watershed and the plan to protect fish and wildlife habitat, water quality and water flow. It is a summary of the CCMP that was approved in 2000. September 2002.

Popular Documents

Want to receive information on a regular basis? Subscribe to harbor happenings!

Harbor Happenings Newsletter and Calendar

The newsletter provides current information four times a year on Program activities as well as topic and issues of concern in the greater Charlotte Harbor watershed. 16 pages/issue. All back issues of the newsletter are posted on this website. New publications, posters, videos, etc. are always mentioned in the newsletter. Since 2005, newsletter subscribers (as of September 30) also receive a copy of the CHNEP calendar in the mail. Because of the expense in mailing the newsletter outside the United States, we ask that those who live outside of the United States retrieve the newsletter as a PDF file from the Program website.

CHNEP Watershed Report

How healthy is our environment? The CHNEP’s Charlotte Harbor Seven-County Watershed Report summarizes 10 environmental indicators to answer the question. The 28-page report reviews progress in implementing the program’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, the 20-year plan to protect the environment. The CHNEP partners provided data, analysis and guidance. August 2011. It is available both as a PDF file from this website (follow the link above) and a printed copy may be requested.

Environmental indicators answered in the report are:

Do our waters support diverse and healthy fish communities?
Are the fish and shellfish safe to eat?
Is fish and wildlife habitat increasing or decreasing?
What is the condition of our shoreline?
What lands are managed for the environment?
Who restores nature?
Are our river flows natural?
Is our water clean?
What is the source of water pollution?
Emerging concerns

The Story of the Greater Charlotte Harbor Watershed

Characterizes the state of the natural systems and major resource management issues throughout the area. Intended to provide an overview of the physical, biological, historical, and economic aspects of the greater Charlotte Harbor watershed. 92 pages. 1998.

Adventures in the Charlotte Harbor Watershed: A Story of Four Animals and Their Neighborhoods

Learn about the environment of southwest Florida through the adventures of four animals: a yellow-crowned night-heron on the Caloosahatchee River, an alligator on the Peace River, an otter on the Myakka River and a mullet in the estuaries. The Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP) created this 60-page book to help children better understand the natural environment of southwest Florida.

In April 2008 and again in April 2009, CHNEP provided approximately 18,000 free copies of the books to the school districts of the seven counties that participate in the CHNEP. The school districts will be giving a copy to each third grade or fifth grade student (their choice). The book is available free as a PDF file from this website (linked above). Printed books are available for a donation of $8.95 ($14 if mailed) and $5 if a quantity of the books are ordered plus shipping. All proceeds received will help allow the CHNEP make the book available free to students next school year. For more information, please send an email to mhilgendorf@swfrpc.org.

Directory of Existing Environmental Education Program in the Greater Charlotte Harbor Watershed

Provides information on public environmental education programs and providers in the study area. November 1997 version is available as a PDF file. (Sorry but the pages are upside down!)

Our Southwest Florida Resources and Economy

This fact sheet provides a one-year snapshot of the economic benefits from current uses of the natural resources in the region. 4 pages. 1999.

Videos: To order all of these videos, place a check in the box that appears below this line.

The CHNEP has created a number of videos to help viewers better understand issues that affect the natural environment of southwest Florida. The following videos are available on one DVD. The shorter videos are now available on You Tube!

NOTE: All video links take you to the version of the video posted on You Tube. If the links are broken, please go to YouTube and search for "Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program." Thanks.

The Network of an Estuary: Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program — Clyde Butcher introduces the CHNEP to the viewer and 17 members of the Program's Management Conference tell the value of our local estuaries, the importance of the NEP and issues of concern and actions undertaken by the Program's partners. This video is available as both a 27-minute program and 8-minute program. 2002.
Neighbor-to-Neighbor Florida-Friendly Landscaping — Seventeen neighbors in southwest Florida show how they transformed their diverse properties into beautiful oasis for people and wildlife that conserve precious water resources and reduce pollution but also save time and money. 27-minutes and ten 1-minute videos on right plant-right place, water efficiency, fertilizers, mulch, wildlife, pesticides, recycle, storm water runoff, waterfront property and benefits. 2008.
Where Rivers Meet the Sea — Five short videos help viewers better understand local estuaries, watersheds, animals, mangroves and seagrasses. Local experts tell the story of these valuable natural resources in five 2-minute videos. A 7.5 minute video helps boaters understand the importance of seagrasses, how to spot them while boating and how to minimize damage to these valuable plants. 2006.
What’s an Estuary? Now you Know — The National Estuary Programs teamed up to create this fun, fact-filled short video that will leave you knowing smiling and knowing the definition and value of an estuary! 2003.
Keep it Picture Perfect — Clyde Butcher teamed up with Live Oak Productions and the CHNEP to produce a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) to discourage littering. 2002.

The CHNEP will have a second DVD available of more videos available by October 2011. This DVD will include Estuaries Live (described below), the Lee County School District's video based on CHNEP's Adventures in the Charlotte Harbor Watershed book and its series of virtual wading trip videos. These videos will showcase the animals that live in and depend on our local experts and will feature local experts. One longer video (less than 30 minutes) and multiple short videos (1-2 minute) will be created. The shorter videos will again be made available for viewing on the Internet. If you request this DVD, please know that it is not expected to be available for distribution until September or October 2011.

Curious Kids Nature Club, March 2007: This DVD captures the entire club website -- videos, teasers, songs, and more -- located at www.WGCU.org.

Estuaries Live 2002 and 2003 -- The CHNEP participated in the production of two live broadcasts. Visit Pine Island Sound in 2002 and Charlotte Harbor in 2003 during these field trips. CHNEP hosted the program with local experts exploring the value and beauty of estuaries, including what makes estuaries in a tropical environment different, the value of estuaries to native Americans, the role of mangroves, seagrasses and other native plants in an estuary, and see some of the creatures — large and small — that can be found in a Florida estuary. Curriculum for grades 5-9 created for the Estuaries Live 2003 program is available as a PDF file.

The VHS version of the programs are no longer available and the CHNEP is currently working to reformat them in order to continue to make them available. Once the reformatting is completed, this information will be updated.

Short clips have been captured and are now on available on the Internet, thanks to Bill Lovin. These are still drafts and don’t have credits yet and are missing some graphics. Check out http://www.earthlive.org/tv/index_tv.htm. Each clip is 5 to 8 minutes long. The clips from the hours shot in Charlotte Harbor are:

Posters: From the very beginning of the CHNEP, wildlife art has played an important role in the CHNEP’s efforts to protect the natural environment of Florida from Venice to Bonita Springs to Winter Haven. In 1998, the CHNEP commissioned two pieces of art that became two of its very popular posters. In 2001 and 2002, Clyde Butcher donated two of his black-and-white photographs. In 2005, the CHNEP began producing calendars of donated images that show the beauty of the natural environment of southwest Florida. The featured 9 x 12 inch images in the calendars are suitable for framing. With the first five calendars published, our collection of art expanded from four to 73!

Because of the cost in time and postage to mail individual posters, we no longer encourage people to order them from the CHNEP. If you'd like a poster mailed to you, please send in a written request (CHNEP Publications, 1926 Victoria Ave, Fort Myers FL 33901) along with a donation (check made payable to SWFRPC) of $15. The posters are also often available for pick-up from CHNEP and will be available from select partners. A list of these partners will soon be available on this website.

Poster: Educational Ecosystem

Artist Shelly Castle depicts the dominant ecosystem types in the greater Charlotte Harbor watershed in this beautiful 26 x 39 inch poster. It also includes a drawing of the study area depicting the major basin boundaries. This poster was created to help educate people regarding the biodiversity of plants and animals in this vast area and to portray their interaction with the environment.

Poster: Osprey Poster

Artist Diane Pierce features a captivating, real-life osprey/river scene in this 24 x 34 inch poster.

Poster: Myakka Canopy Trail #2 by Clyde Butcher

This poster of a hydric hammock is 22 inches wide by 19.5 inches and is suitable for framing.

Poster: Lake Hancock, Where the Peace River Begins by Clyde Butcher

This poster is 17 inches wide by 24 inches and is suitable for framing.

Events

CHNEP is pleased to have held many important events. PDF files of programs, abstracts, workshop summaries and PowerPoint presentations are available for downloading on this website. More details are posted on the Events page.

Grants and Contracts

CHNEP is pleased to have awarded many grants and contracts. Reports from Public Outreach Grants, Research & Restoration Partners Grants and Micro-Grants are available as PDF files.

Technical Documents: Only technical documents that include supplemental information, such as GIS files, are listed here. All other technical documents developed under contract are available as PDF files from this website. (You can request a DVD by checking the box above that includes all the PDF files on this website and PowerPoint presentations made at CHNEP events.)

CHEVWQMN Status and Trends: 1998-2005 Citizen Summary: This report describes water quality conditions throughout the Charlotte Harbor estuaries region of southwest Florida. Data used in the analyses were collected by the Charlotte Harbor Estuaries Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Network (CHEVWQMN) from 1998 through 2005. The CHEVWQMN conducts water quality monitoring throughout the region each month at 48 sites for 19 field and laboratory parameters. Across the region, CHEVWMQN results generally indicated average conditions compared to Florida’s estuaries although results varied. Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations were typically below average compared to typical Florida estuaries values, and frequently fell below Florida Surface Water Criteria of 4.0 and 5.0 mg/L. Decreasing trends in salinity, turbidity, total Kjeldahl nitrogen and increases in color concentrations were observed for many estuaries. Water quality in Upper Lemon Bay and Upper Charlotte Harbor was below average compared to other estuary regions within the Charlotte Harbor area. Lower water clarity and DO, and higher color, nutrients and bacteria values were observed in these regions. San Carlos Bay had the best water quality, followed by Pine Island Sound. February 2009.

Water quality data analysis and reports 2007 and 2003

This report updates the 2003 and 2007 water quality status and trends analyses, including trends analysis reporting trends in water quality by region, by station and by surface/bottom depth for each water quality analyte for two different time periods. It also evaluates the data for trends in rainfall and hydrologic changes and analyses data collected by the Coastal Charlotte Harbor Monitoring Network, an interagency monitoring program that collects monthly water quality data for the 270 square mile coastal Charlotte Harbor region. This Network uses a probabilistic sampling design to monitor such a large area. The CD includes a database of all surface and groundwater quality, precipitation and streamflow data used in the report, GIS files and results of the thousands of analyses, as well as a report validating the optical model used in the CHNEP water quality targets. July 2007.

Citizens Summary of CHEVWQMN Status and Trends from 1998-2005

The Charlotte Harbor Estuaries Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Network (CHEVWQMN) are volunteers who collected water quality data from 1998 through 2005. Each month, volunteers collected water samples at 48 sites from Venice to Bonita Springs for 19 field and laboratory parameters. This report provides a summary of the data across the region and in nine basins. CHNEP has supported this effort since 1998. 16 pages. March 2009.

Mapping the characteristics and condition of the Charlotte Harbor coastal shoreline

This project developed a shoreline condition map for the coastal areas within the CHNEP boundary. A twofold program was developed to address both large- and small-scale shoreline conditions: a volunteer boater survey and photointerpretation mapping. Volunteers attended a luncheon November 17, 2007, where they heard presentations and received a draft report. A 60-page report of the photointerpretation was presented to the CHNEP Management Conference and accepted. November 2008. Additional files are available.

NOTE: All the GIS files and related Access database are available but a portable hard drive needs to be provided. For more information or to request that the files be provided, please contact CHNEP Program Scientist Judy Ott at 866/835-5785 x 230 or jott@swfrpc.org.

Historic coastal benthic habitat map

This joint CHNEP, Southwest and South Florida water management districts project mapped historic seagrass, oyster bar and intertidal unvegetated areal extent in the coastal Charlotte Harbor region. Photo Science Inc. located 1948 photos of Sarasota County, 1951–1952 images of Charlotte County and 1953 images of Lee County from the National Archives. These black and white images were scanned, orthorectified, aeriotriangulated and mosaiked into a GIS-based product. The images were then interpreted using Florida FLUCCS codes. The CD includes the geodatabase of historic coastal benthic habitats, including metadata describing the methods used and a bay-by-bay segment data table listing habitat acreages by FLUCCS code. November 2007.

Assessment of Boat Propeller Scar Damage within the Greater Charlotte Harbor Region

This cooperative effort between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and the CHNEP updates the 1995 state-wide effort to assess the extent, location and severity of boat propeller scars for the coastal Charlotte Harbor area, including parts of Sarasota County (Sargent et al 1995). This CD/DVD contains the final report, the report Scarring of Florida’s Seagrasses: Assessment and Management Options by Sargent, F.J., W.B. Sargent, T.J. Leary, D.W. Crewz, and C.R. Kruer written in 1995 for the Florida Marine Research Institute, scanned, georeferenced and mosaicked aerial photos used for the 1999 seagrass maps by South and Southwest Florida water management districts, GIS files, overflight photography and the seagrass toolkit created by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Analysis of hydrologic conditions within the CHNEP study area (No files on this project are posted on this website.)

This report describes existing information on hydrologic conditions and spatial and temporal analyses of groundwater levels within the CHNEP study area and implications to surface flows. The CD includes the report and appendices, GIS data for locations of monitoring sites, a database of compiled groundwater level and surface flow and stage data as well as the results of thousands of analyses of these data. December 2005.

Benthic invertebrate species richness and diversity at different habitats in the greater Charlotte Harbor system

This project, conducted by Mote Marine Laboratory on behalf of CHNEP, includes the 232-page Benthic Invertebrate Species Richness and Diversity at Different Habitats in the Greater Charlotte Harbor System, a 28-page supplement, Common Macrobenthic Invertebrates of Charlotte Harbor that illustrates some of the common species. Both documents include hyperlinks to Internet sources for additional information. The CD contains these two reports, raw data, data from similar studies, images, maps and geographic information system (GIS) files.

The results of the project illustrate that, in general, the upper estuary, lower salinity regions exhibit the greatest abundance of organisms but have a lower overall species diversity. This relationship is a paradigm of estuarine ecology. Fresh water brings nutrients and organic matter into the sea via the mixing zone known as the estuary.

Seagrass Annual Data Summary: 1996-2006: The state of Charlotte Harbor and Estero Bay seagrass habitats have become an important issue within the past two decades as understanding of the value of these resources has risen. Despite recognition, there has been documented decline in their abundance. This summary aims to become a tool in providing critical information to resource managers to assess the status of this resource.

CHNEP offers information to help you better understand and protect the natural environment of southwest Florida

Thank you for your interest in greater Charlotte Harbor estuaries and watersheds!

Revised: October 21, 2011

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