United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
(4504B
EPA842-F-00-005S
February 2000
&EPA
CHAFtACTERISTICS
Charlotte Harbor and its major tributaries are located in Florida's
southern central interior and southwestern coast. The Charlotte
Harbor watershed is one of the largest watershed systems on the south-
west Florida coast, covering more than 4,400 square miles, incorporat-
ing three major river basins within southwest Florida. The Peace and
Myakka Rivers flow directly into Charlotte Harbor, while the
Caloosahatchee River connects to Charlotte Harbor through Pine
Island Sound and Matlacha Pass. In addition to these major rivers, die
watershed includes the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes, Coastal Venice,
Lemon Bay, and Estero Bay. Charlotte Harbor is die nation's 18th
largest estuarine system and is an important part of the Gulf of Mexico
watershed.
There are 23 local governments in the Charlotte Harbor watershed,
including Lakeland, Venice, Fort Myers, and Arcadia. The area is
divided into a number of districts and jurisdictions, creating significant
political challenges in terms of managing die watershed as an entire
system. Upland areas in the watershed are dominated by agricultural
activities and phosphate mining, while die coastal areas are more
urbanized and undergoing rapid population growth. Maintaining
water quality, wildlife habitat, and water supplies are concerns through-
out the region as human populations grow and land use intensifies.
Resolving these issues requires cooperative management in the private
sector and across all levels of government.
Estuaries and other coastal and marine waters are national
resources that are increasingly threatened by pollution, habitat
loss, coastal development, and resource conflicts. Congress
established the National Estuary Program (NEP) in 1987 to provide a
greater focus for coastal protection and to demonstrate practical, inno-
vative approaches for protecting estuaries and their living resources.
As part of the demonstration role, the NEP offers fundingfor mem-
ber estuaries to design and implement Action Plan Demonstration
Projects that demonstrate innovative approaches to address priority
problem areas, show improvements that can be achieved on a small
scale, and help determine the time and resources needed to apply
similar approaches basin-wide.
The NEP is managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). It currently includes 28 estuaries: Albemarle-Pamlico
Sounds, NC; Barataria-Terrebonne Estuarine Complex, LA;
Bamegat Bay, NJ; Buzzards Bay, MA; Casco Bay, ME; Charlotte
Harbor, PL; Columbia River, OR and WA; Corpus Christi Bay, TX;
Delaware Estuary, DE, NJ, and PA; Delaware Inland Bays, DE;
Galveston Bay, TX; Indian River Lagoon, FL; Long Island Sound,
CT and NY; Maryland Coastal Bays, MD; Massachusetts Bays, MA;
Mobile Bay, AL; Morro Bay, CA; Narragansett Bay, RI; New
Hampshire Estuaries, NH; New York-New Jersey Harbor, NY and
NJ; Peconic Bay, NY; Puget Sound, WA; San Francisco Bay-Delta
Estuary, CA; San Juan Bay, PR; Santa Monica Bay, CA; Sarasota
Bay, FL; Tampa Bay, FL; and Tillamook Bay, OR.
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The rate of development in Charlotte County has been
increasing since the 1940s. This early development led to
large areas of wedands being dredged and filled for resi-
dences. More than 200 miles of navigable canals are now
part of the residential landscape of the metropolitan area
along Charlotte Harbor where the Peace River enters into
the harbor.
Charlotte Harbor has important recreational and commercial
fisheries, including important species such as the tarpon
(Megalops atlanticus), snook (Centroponus undecimalis), and
spotted sea trout (Cynoscion nebnlosus). Estuarine species are
threatened by loss of vital habitats such as seagrass beds and
fishing pressures. Fisheries habitats can be damaged by
boats, dredging, nutrient overloading, and conversion of
wetlands to upland area. The importance of fish popula-
tions to the Charlotte Harbor system has resulted in efforts
to enhance fish habitat, control damage to seagrass beds,
improve water quality and implement significant restrictions
on fishing methods.
Charlotte Harbor is located in sub-tropical climate and its water-
shed contains large tracts of undeveloped areas which provide
habitat for a wide array of rare plants and animals. General
characteristics of Charlotte Harbor and its watershed include:
• Several endangered species, including the Florida
manatee, wood stork, Florida panther, and Adantic
loggerhead turtle.
• The current human population of 1.1 million (1997
census) is expected to grow to 1.65 million by 2020.
* The area supports a wide variety of economic uses
such as tourism, ranching, citrus forming, phosphate
mining, vegetable crops, and residential and urban
development.
• More than 275 species of shellfish are found in the
Charlotte Harbor estuaries, including oysters, clams,
and scallops. However, large areas are closed to shell
fish harvesting due to bacterial contamination and
periodic red tide events.
• The total coastal population increases by more than
30 percent during die wintertime, due to seasonal
business and vacationing tourists. Total annual
tourism expenditures can exceed $1 billion.
• Recreational fishing is a major attraction in both inland
and coastal areas of the watershed.
The Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, Florida
Department of Environmental Protection, Reef Ball Foundation,
Inc., and the Charlotte Harbor Reefs Association formed a part-
nership to improve existing water quality and creating new juve-
nile fishery habitats in these residential canals, as well as under
piers around the mouth of the Peace River and in the main body
of Charlotte Harbor.
The partnership chose to construct and deploy five hundred Reef
Balls in specified areas. Reef Balls are made of concrete, placed
on die seafloor bottom, and provide a habitat for juvenile fish.
Forty volunteers from the Charlotte Harbor Reefs Association
worked full time for nearly four mondis to construct the concrete
modules, using molds donated by the Reef Ball Foundation, Inc.
Three types of sites were chosen for fish habitat improvement
through die introduction of Reef Balls, including existing artificial
reefs, under private docks, and under public piers.
• 210 Reef Balls were placed in groups of three in the
harbor on an existing permitted artificial reef site.
• Homeowners in the residential area of Punta Gorda
Isles paid for the installation of another 180 Reef
Balls to be placed under 90 private docks within
neighborhood canals.
• Finally, the remainder of the Reef Balls were placed
under piers along the mouth of the Peace River.
Project Objectives
The primary objective of the project was to provide more habitat
for fisheries and to improve fishery production in Charlotte
Harbor. In addition to fish habitat enhancement, the Reef Balls
encourage the colonization of oysters and odier marine organ-
isms, which filter the water and provide a forage base for certain
species offish.
The Charlotte Harbor project areas were chosen for fish habitat
enhancement for the specific purpose of providing fishermen a
fishing destination. Much of die damage to natural spawning
grounds in the Harbor occurs when fishermen traverse seagrass
beds looking for fish. Seagrass beds provide important habitat
for fish by providing shelter and food, and are particularly
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important for nursery habitat. Providing fishermen a specific
fishing destination will help to divert fishermen away from shal-
low waters and seagrass beds to an easily accessible location in
deep water.
The placement of Reef Balls under the piers at the mouth of the
Peace River in the upper portion of Charlotte Harbor and adja-
cent to downtown Punta Gorda, was done to create high quality
habitat and attract fish to these sites. The three piers chosen for
the project extend into the river from two parks along the water
and are heavily used by the public for nature watching and fish-
ing. Fishermen and nature lovers alike will be able to enjoy the
large populations offish from these easily accessible piers.
Fisheries habitat enhancement in the east central part of
Charlotte Harbor involved renourishing an already estab-
lished artificial reef. Once permits and additional funding
were obtained for this project, 210 reef balls were added in
two phases to a marginally productive reef created 10 years
earlier using construction rubble. The site, located in a
more offshore environment than the other locations chosen
for enhancement, is a mile in length and 150 feet wide, with
water depths ranging from 13 to 16 feet.
The final project involved providing fishery habitat under
public piers where it would be accessible to everyone. Three
existing park areas on the Peace River were selected, and the
Reef Balls were recently deployed.
The project was initiated by a group of conservation-minded
fishermen who formed the Charlotte Harbor Reefs
Association, Inc., a non-profit corporation. Driven by the
desire to increase the number of fish in Charlotte Harbor,
the group gathered information on how to best accomplish
this goal and improve the aquatic resources of Charlotte
Harbor. During the planning phase it was determined that
concrete Reef Balls were the most environmentally compati-
ble and appropriate type of fishery habitat for the project.
With the support of many fishermen, as well as a number of
public and private organizations, the Association set up a
plan of action that included the construction and deploy-
ment of 500 Reef Balls in three distinctly different environ-
ments within Charlotte Harbor.
The Charlotte Harbor Reefs Association sought and
obtained funding from a variety of sources, including the
Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program and Florida
Department of Environmental Protection. In-kind support
services were provide by Reef Balls Foundation, Inc., who
donated the molds and assisted in placing the Reef Balls on
site, and the Florida Sea Grant Extension office provided
technical assistance.
The process for obtaining
the necessary permits began
in July of 1997. Placing
Reef Balls under private
docks in dredged canals
within the Punta Gorda Isles
residential area was a first of
its kind project. Obtaining
permits for this pha.se
required considerable time
and effort. It is expected
that the great success of the
project will encourage state
agencies to allow this kind of
project to be conducted in
other areas of Florida.
The project has united many interest groups,
organizations and government agencies in fishery
habitat development and enhancement. These groups
included the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary
Program, Florida Sea Grant Extension, Reef Ball
Foundation, Inc., Florida Department of
Environmental Protection, and the Charlotte Harbor
Reef Association. Future projects are already being
planned which include some of these same groups.
The large group of volunteers, which dedicated many
hours, is responsible for making this fishery habitat
project a success. This group is now more educated
about problems in the estuary and the value of its
natural resources.
Groups in other locations in Florida are interested in
creating artificial fishery habitat under private docks.
The response from the private residences to have Reef
Balls placed under docks was overwhelming. More
than 150 waterfront residents were willing to pay for
Reef Balls to be placed under their docks. Not all of the
requests could be fulfilled during this project; sixty of these
residents were placed on a waiting list for future projects.
Requests for further information regarding this
project continue to come in. The State of Florida is
looking at this project as a potential form of
mitigation for wetland projects.
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M
Aldiougli die Reef Balls have only recendy been deployed, ongo-
ing monitoring has provided some initial observations:
• The Reef Balls colonized widi oysters and odier
marine organisms much more quickly dian
expected under the private docks.
• Within weeks of deployment, large numbers of
juvenile and adult fish were utilizing the
structures deployed under private docks.
• Water monitoring efforts over the last twelve
months around die Reef Balls under private
docks have shown "better than expected" levels
of dissolved oxygen.
• Reef Balls placed in the harbor were colonized
quickly, but crab predation scoured larger
organisms. However, regrowth occurred and
different species offish are now attracted to the
area.
• Obtaining permits required considerable time and
effort. The great success of the project has
encouraged state agencies to allow this innovative
project to be duplicated in other areas of Florida.
Printed on Recycled Paper
®
Report Title
Biological Nutrients Removal Project
Buttermilk Bay Coliform Control Project
Georgetown Stormwater Management Project
Texas Coastal Preserves Project
Shell Creek Stormwater Diversion Project
City Island Habitat Restoration Project
Buzzards Bay "Sep Track" Initiative
New Options for Dredging in Barataria-Terrebonne
Coquina Bay Walk at Leffis Key
"Pilot Project Goes Airborne"
The National Estuary Program: A Ten-Year Perspective
Rock Barbs In Oregon's Tillamook Bay Watershed
The Weeks Bay Shoreline & Habitat Restoration Project
Evaluation of Shrimp Bycatch Reduction Devices in Texas Coastal Bend Waters
National Estuary Program
Long Island Sound, CT/NY
Buzzards Bay, MA
Delaware Inland Bays, DE
Galveston Bays, TX
Puget Sound, WA
Sarasota Bay, FL
Buzzards Bay, MA
Barataria-Terrebonne Basin, LA
Sarasota Bay, FL
Narragansett Bay, RI
General NEP Discussion
Tillamook Bay, Oregon
Mobile Bay, AL
Corpus Christi, TX
Date
Evaluating Simple, Cost Effective Solutions for Reducing Stormwater and Urban Runoff Santa Monica, CA
Bay Scallop Restoration Project in Chincoteague Bay Annapolis, MOD
Clear Creek Wetland Restoration Project Galveston Bay, TX
The Tampa BayWatch High School Wetland Nursery Program Tampa Bay, FL
1995
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1999
Publication #
EPA842-F-95-001A
EPA842-F-95-001B
EPA842-F-95-001C
EPA842-F-95-001D
EPA842-F-95-001E
EPA842-F-95-001F
EPA842-F-97-002G
EPA842-F-97-002H
EPA842-F-97-002I
EPA842-F-97-002J
EPA842-F-98-003K
EPA842-F-98-003L
EPA842-F-98-003M
EPA842-F-98-003N
EPA842-F-99-0040
EPA842-F-99-004P
EPA842-F-99-004Q
EPA842-F-99-004R
ft For Copies of any of these publications contact:
National Clearinghouse for Enviroiunentarp^licaltions Telephone: (513) 489-8190
Facsimile: (513) 489-8695
vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(4504F)
Washington, DC 20460
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