Orange Creek Basin Stakeholder Engagement

Meeting Purpose  Review FWC’s Stakeholder Engagement Process  Update the public on the previous 6 months of interim management  Propose interim management for the current year

Public Meeting Interagency Working Group Identify Themes Stakeholder Input Identify Issues Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) Process Community Working Groups Appropriate agency will lead/facilitate. Work on issues within a theme: Develop management plans. Gather data and information. Report on feasibility and costs of projects. Stakeholder involvement. Provide updates through BMAP process Interagency Working Group Project Development

Orange Lake Habitat Management Plan Community Working Group  FWC is the lead agency  Stakeholders will be involved from the beginning and throughout the process  Process will be facilitated by Normandeau Associates  Process is anticipated to take at least a year and a half

What do we do now?  Community Working Group –Long-term solution –High level of stakeholder input –Will take time  Interim Lake Management Activities –Short-term work –Utilize current funding

Interim Lake Management Activities  Short term projects intended to address immediate management needs while long term Habitat Management Plan is being developed.  Focused primarily on management of public access areas and maintenance control of exotic species.  Limited small scale habitat enhancement efforts intended to meet ongoing commitments and maintain existing enhancement sites.

 Access & Navigation –Maintain at least two points of public access.  Priority Level 1 –East: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings/Cross Creek –West: Mike’s Fish Camp  Priority Level 2 –Macintosh Bay/Tower to Tower Trail –Essen/PG Run Interim Project Proposal Dec – Jun. 2015

 Two Primary Access Points Being Maintained –East: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings/Cross Creek- ongoing- *recently blocked* –West: Mike’s Fish Camp-ongoing  Secondary Trails –Macintosh Bay/Tower to Tower Trail – trail cut in Jan-Feb has since been blocked by tussocks. –Essen/PG Run – work canceled due to unstable conditions and large drifting tussocks. –Heagy Burry now open due to favorable winds.  Sixty acres of vegetation managed last fiscal year by mechanical shredder for access. Access & Navigation ***UPDATE***

 Habitat Enhancement –Essen Run Deep Marsh & Rookery Island Enhancement  Consistent with FWC habitat guidelines document –Surplus of Shrub Swamp and Floating Marsh –Deficit of Shallow/Deep Marsh and Open Water  Mechanical Methods –Harvesting –Shredding  Potential dissolved oxygen improvement –Improved habitability for all aquatic organisms Interim Project Proposal Dec – Jun. 2015

Habitat Enhancement **Update**  Essen Run Deep Marsh Restoration Project -Approximately 67 acres accomplished to date- 90% complete. -Restored transition from upland/wetland interface to shallow marsh to deep marsh -Spatterdock and submersed aquatic vegetation returning -Promising fisheries response -Avian roosting

Essen Run Deep Marsh Restoration October 2013 September 2014

Rookery Islands Enhancement **Update**

Redbird Island May 2015

Redbird Island May 2015 September 2014

Grassy Point May 2015

 Avian Monitoring –Several hundred birds representing approximately 20 different species observed foraging in mulched vegetation during treatment. –Roosting observed immediately following treatment at Redbird Island and Grassy Point. –Active nesting at Redbird and North Islands  Little Green Heron  Anhinga  Mixed Egrets Rookery Islands Enhancement **Update**

Dissolved Oxygen Monitoring  DO within shredding zone and at a control site with similar vegetation cover was monitored before/during/after.  Improvements observed in dissolved oxygen profile  Long term monitoring to be performed quarterly for one year to compare DO at treated vs. untreated sites. Rookery Islands Enhancement **Update**

Interim Lake Management Activities July 2015 – Jun  Public Access and Floating Exotics Control  Small Scale Habitat Enhancement –Based on current availability of funds –Projects that are logistically feasible under current conditions. –Regulatory approval - permits in hand or feasible within short timeframe. –Aquatic plant and/or floating tussock management only.

Access & Navigation  Goal- continue to maintain at least two points of access at all times. –Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings/Cross Creek –Heagy Burry –Mike’s Fish Camp –Macintosh/Sportman’s cove –Essen/PG Run  Dependent on wind and scale of blockage- not necessarily all locations all the time  Restore with mechanical methods and maintain with herbicide when feasible.

Habitat Enhancement FWC-AHRES  Ongoing commitments related to USFWS/OLA Grant Projects –Essen Run –Cypress Island  Maintenance of existing habitat enhancement sites –Essen Run –Rookery Islands –Scrape sites (work performed in 2002)  Combination of Mechanical and Herbicide –Total area estimated to require maintenance/management is 150 acres (75/75)  Consistent with FWC habitat guidelines document –Surplus of Shrub Swamp (+1,188ac) and Floating Marsh (+3,354ac) –Deficit of rooted Shallow Marsh (-373ac) and Deep Marsh (-294) –Based on 2013 mapping- will be updated in 2016

Habitat Enhancement Summary

Additional FWC Activities  Investigating the feasibility of: -Anchoring large floating tree islands -Installation of heavy duty buoy lines at access points -Interagency coordination for prescribed fire

How do I stay informed? Orange Creek Basin Interagency Working Group web page –

Questions?

Rookery Islands Enhancement **Update**  A total of 150 acres of mechanical shredding completed 06 Feb-27 Feb –Bird Island(33ac)- vegetation within 300’ disturbance buffer preserved with a 300’ wide “moat” zone created beyond the buffer. –Redbird Island(48ac)- vegetation within the disturbance buffer mostly removed to restore deep marsh conditions immediately adjacent to nesting substrate. Moat zone of variable width ranging from 150’-300’ created for improved edge/diversity. –Grassy Point(69ac)- floating vegetation and willows removed to isolate offshore stand of willow into and island like configuration. Two islands (10ac and 45ac) created with variable moat zone 150’-300’ wide.