Hydrology Restoration Update from the Refuge Manager Andrew Gude

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission's Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Program generously provided the Refuge with a purchase of 1000 tons of lime rock and 600 tons of gravel for our hydrologic restoration project’s low water crossing improvements. Engineering Equipment Operators George Pelt and Jason Coates are coordinating the delivery and staging of this material. 

This project will restore the overland sheet flow across the grass (behind the gates/closed to public driving) refuge roads.  We have areas of water that are being held back by our road system, which acts like a dike or levee, and is not allowing it to naturally flow.  Areas of the grass secondary road system that retain water will be restored by cutting portions of the road down to grade and placing rock in the new road bed so refuge management and prescribed fire traffic can cross without sinking and rutting the road but water can flow naturally as it did before the road was present. 

Yes, this will cause some unsightly impacts to certain areas.  Once the lime rock and gravel have become part of that landscape it will look far less stark. Any aesthetic concerns can be directed to Andrew.  (HE WILL SET UP A COMPLAINT BOX BEHIND THE DUMPSTER…)

Staff members from the engineering firm Wood PLC continue to survey our Refuge roads and collate their information with Suwannee River Water Management District rainfall data to determine the options available to improve and restore the natural sheet flow of water across the Refuge. The Suwannee River Water Management District received the funds through the Florida Technical Implementation Group’s (originally Gulf Oil Spill monies that went to the State of Florida) USFWS grant funds for the engineering and design portion of the hydrologic restoration project on the Refuge. We anticipate beginning to analyze the draft restoration options this summer.  Our work for these particular grant monies will focus on the Refuge’s public driving roads, the Dixie Mainline and Nature Drive, not the grass secondary roads.