Public input sought on FWC permit request to restore 46 area lakes, water bodies

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has applied for a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District to conduct restoration activities on 46 lakes and water bodies in the FWC’s Northeast Region.

This permit is required pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. The request is part of an overall initiative in which the FWC is working with the Corps to obtain permits for routine restoration work in 95 lakes and water bodies throughout Florida.

The public can review the request and comment on it through April 8 (see link below).

The following water bodies within the FWC’s Northeast Region are included in the permit application:

Fox Lake, Lake Hellen Blazes, Sawgrass Lake, Little Sawgrass Lake, South Lake and T.M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area in Brevard County;
Lake Griffin and Lake Yale in Lake County;
Lake Eaton, Lake Jumper, Lake Weir, Little Lake Weir, Little Lake Kerr, Marshall Swamp and Ocklawaha Prairie in Marion County;
Johns Lake, Lake Apopka, and Lake Mann in Orange County;
Alligator Lake, Brick Lake, Coon Lake, Cypress Lake, East Lake Tohopekaliga, Fish Lake, Lake Center, Lake Gentry, Lake Hatchineha, Lake Jackson, Lake Kissimmee, Lake Lizzie, Lake Marian, Lake Tohopekaliga and Trout Lake in Osceola County;
Lake Jesup in Seminole County;
Guana Lake/Lake Ponte Vedra in St. Johns County;
Black Lake, Lake Deaton, Gant Lake, Lake Miona, Lake Okahumpka and Lake Panasofkee in Sumter County;
Blue Springs, Lake Ashby and Lake Macy in Volusia County;
St. Johns River in Indian River, Brevard, Seminole, Osceola, Orange, Lake, Volusia, Putnam, Marion, St. Johns, Clay and Duval counties.

The FWC seeks a permit that would authorize all of its routine mechanical aquatic plant maintenance activities related to habitat restoration and navigation maintenance within these water bodies for a period of 15 years. The proposed maintenance techniques include mechanical harvesting and shredding of aquatic vegetation and use of earth-moving and tilling equipment on vegetated areas during dry conditions.

The proposed restoration activities on lakes and other water bodies would improve habitat for fish and wildlife and provide outdoor opportunities for boating, angling and wildlife viewing.

The Corps permitting process requires the opportunity for public comment. The Corps has published a Public Notice for the proposed work on its website at:http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx. To view the notice, click on the following file number to open the Public Notice: SAJ-2015-00644 (SP-SLR). If you would like to provide comments or have any questions regarding the Corps permit process, please follow the directions included in the Public Notice. Note that the Web address is case sensitive and should be entered as it appears above.

Learn more about mechanical control of aquatic plants athttp://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/manage/control-methods/mechanical-control.