Restoration of the Refuge's Natural Hydrology

Roadside ditch along the Lower Suwannee Nature Drive. Ditching and filling to build the road created open water and dry land in areas that formerly might have been seepage swamp or moist forest. (photos by Russ Hall)

The Lower Suwannee Refuge is working with several potential partners on submitting grants for Gulf oil spill funds to conduct a hydrologic engineering assessment in preparation for restoring more natural hydrology on the Refuge. 
 
The 143 miles of Refuge roads and trails are former logging roads constructed to access timber stands.  Natural hydrologic flow and connections to the Suwannee River Sound, estuary, and Big Bend region of the Gulf of Mexico is negatively impacted by this old road network. The roads function the same way levees or dikes would. They impound the water and in many instances redirect it into culverts, disrupting natural sheet flow. This blockage of surface flow means that much of this water does not make it to the estuary. It is detained long enough to evaporate inland altering the estuarine balance and the ecology and productivity of the nearshore waters.  This affects freshwater and marine fisheries that are important for recreation and commerce.
 
The proposals being worked on address the most significant road features, the Dixie Mainline and the southern half of the Nature Drive. They seek to restore hydrology on the Refuge through:

• The replacement of undersized and dilapidated culverts.
• The installation of additional culverts, low water crossings, ditch plugs, and bridges.
• The removal or breaching of underutilized roads and trails and subsequent filling of roadside ditches.

The strategy is to restore the connection of the estuary to the adjacent forested wetlands and floodplains within the Refuge. The project is an important step in the restoration of the natural hydrology and movement of water through the Refuge to the Gulf of Mexico. It will improve the health of the estuary by restoring freshwater to it. Moreover,it will help sustain the economic viability of recreational and commercial fishing, ecologically important oyster reefs, federally-protected species, and the significant shellfish aquaculture industry in the region.