Abstract:
This feature class contains the boundaries for the Northern Everglades, Southern Everglades, and the protection plans for the Lake Okeechobee (LOPP), Caloosahatchee River Watershed (CRWPP), and St. Lucie River Watershed (SLRWPP). The feature class has a field named "Type"; corresponding to the following values:0 = set for the boundaries comprising the Northern and Southern Everglades; 1 = set for the overlap between the two areas North and South; 2 = set for Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program (NEEPP); 3 = set for watersheds; 4 = set for subwatersheds; 5 = set for drainage basins; 6 = set for the Lake Okeechobee (waterbody). The boundary for the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program (NEEPP) is defined as the combined area for the Lake Okeechobee, Caloosahatchee River, and St. Lucie River watersheds. These boundaries were defined over time from varying versions of the SFWMD ArcHydo-Enhanced-Dataset (AHED) and other supplemental data and were last updated in 2014.
Purpose:
This feature class contains boundaries for the Northern Everglades, Southern
Everglades, and the protection plans for the Lake Okeechobee (LOPP),
Caloosahatchee River Watershed (CRWPP), and St. Lucie River Watershed
(SLRWPP).
Supplemental_Information:
Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program:
Underscoring the state's commitment to Greater Everglades ecosystem
restoration, the Florida Legislature in 2007 expanded the Lake Okeechobee
Protection Act to strengthen protection for the Northern Everglades. This
is being achieved by restoring and preserving the Lake Okeechobee
watershed and the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries. The legislation
required watershed plans for Lake Okeechobee (including Fisheating Creek),
the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers and their estuaries. Features of
the Northern Everglades & Estuaries Protection Program:
* Recognizes that the Lake Okeechobee, Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie
watersheds are critical water resources of the State
* Builds upon and consolidates numerous restoration activities into a
comprehensive approach
* Expands use of the Save Our Everglades Trust Fund to include Northern
Everglades restoration and extends it through 2020 Initial phases of these
plans are now being implemented, as is planning for feasibility studies of
sub-basins within each plan.
More information about the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection
Program can be found at the following SFWMD webpage: https://www.sfwmd.gov/our-work/northern-everglades
North/South Everglades and NEEPP Boundaries:
The boundary for the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program
(NEEPP) is defined as the combined area for the Lake Okeechobee,
Caloosahatchee River, and St. Lucie River watersheds. These boundaries
were defined over time from varying versions of the SFWMD ArcHydo-
Enhanced-Dataset (AHED) and other supplemental data. The boundaries for
the Lake Okeechobee Watershed are primarily based on the 2013 linework
for the SFWMD ArcHydo-Enhanced-Dataset (AHED), the official repository for
watershed boundaries. Polygon boundary of the Northern Everglades and
Estuaries Protection Program (NEEPP), as of July 2014.
This dataset provides a common reference for linework and polygon areas
associated with the Northern Everglades, Southern Everglades, and the
protection plans for the Lake Okeechobee (LOPP), Caloosahatchee River
Watershed (CRWPP), and St. Lucie River Watershed (SLRWPP). Boundaries
are derived primarily from the current (July 2012) AHED linework. The Northern
Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program was mandated in 2007 by the
Florida Legislature. The 2012 Florida Statutes, section 373.4595 -- Northern
Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program -- defines the Northern Everglades
as "the Lake Okeechobee watershed, the Caloosahatchee River watershed,
and the St. Lucie River watershed", and finds that "the Lake Okeechobee
watershed, the Caloosahatchee River watershed, and the St. Lucie River
watershed are critical water resources of the state, providing many economic,
natural habitat, and biodiversity functions benefiting the public interest, including
agricultural, public, and environmental water supply; flood control; fishing;
navigation and recreation; and habitat to endangered and threatened species
and other flora and fauna. "The protection plans (PP) are revised every three
years.
The Lake Okeechobee Watershed includes four major tributary systems:
Kissimmee River, Lake Istokpoga - Indian Prairie/Harney Pond, Fisheating
Creek, and Taylor Creek/Nubbin Slough, as well as other drainage networks
around east, west, and south of the Lake. These tributary systems and
drainage networks are generally bound by the drainage divides of the major
water bodies and are further divisible into 69 drainage basins and grouped by
nine sub-watersheds based on hydrology and geography. The data set
represents the external boundaries of the Lake Okeechobee Watershed, the
9 sub-watersheds which comprise the LOW, and the 69 Basins which comprise
the sub-watersheds as per the 2014 LOWPP Update and the Northern
Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program. The basis for the boundaries
was the technical work associated with the "Draft - Technical Support
Document: Lake Okeechobee Watershed Performance Measure Methodologies"
Lake Okeechobee document dated February 2013 developed for revisions to
the 40E-61 Works of the District Program, with minor modifications.
The boundaries for the St. Lucie River Watershed are based on the current
linework for the SFWMD ArcHydo-Enhanced-Dataset (AHED), the official
repository for watershed boundaries. The St. Lucie River Watershed has the
following subwatersheds: C-25, C-24, C-23, C-44 (that includes S-153 and
Basin 8), St. Lucie North Fork, Basin 4, 5, and 6, North Mid-Estuary, South
Mid-Estuary, South Coastal, South Fork.
The boundaries for the Caloosahatchee River Watershed are based on the
current linework for the SFWMD ArcHydo-Enhanced-Dataset (AHED), the
official repository for watershed boundaries. The Caloosahatchee River
Watershed has five subwatersheds: S4, East Caloosahatchee, West
Caloosahatchee, Tidal, Coastal.
The dataset has one field named "Type" that corresponds to the following
values:0 = set for the boundaries comprising the Northern and Southern
Everglades 1 = set for the overlap between the two areas, North and
South2 = set for Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Plan
(NEEPP)3 = set for watersheds4 = set for subwatersheds5 = set for
drainage basins6 = set for the Lake Okeechobee (water body).