Fiscal Services
Lake Management: Restoration & Aquatic Weed Control MSBU
|
|
Aquatic Weed Control
Lake Restoration
|
MSBU Process and Procedures
Lake Management activities, such as lake restoration and aquatic weed control serve public purposes by improving water quality, improving and protecting overall health and utility of waterbodies, and/or enhancing the management of stormwater. In unincorporated Seminole County, when these public services are requested, they are funded by special assessment administered by the MSBU Program. Routine operation/management of lake management MSBUs is governed through MSBU Ordinances approved/established by the Seminole County
Board of County Commissioners (BCC). Improvement efforts are funded by assessments levied against benefiting waterfront properties.
The initial step in evaluating needs and recommendations may include water quality surveys and analyses. After the evaluation, a management plan is formulated. The management plan, and subsequently, the scope of services may contain several features:
-
Chemical control of noxious aquatic plant species through herbicide treatments.
-
Biological controls typically involve stocking with triploid grass carp (when hydrilla management is targeted in the service scope), and/or shoreline replanting with native plants. Note: Shoreline replanting is conducted independent of MSBU funding and is deemed a property owner activity (unless otherwise scheduled as a participatory planting event with other residents and volunteers).
-
Mechanical removal of noxious aquatic vegetation. Disposal alternatives will be evaluated based on site location, nature and volume of vegetation to be removed.
-
Excavating to remove accumulated sediment. Disposal alternatives will be evaluated based on site location, nature and volume of sediment to be removed.
Lake restoration plans may include all features listed, while aquatic weed control plans are typically limited to features 1, 2 and 3. Cost and priorities are reviewed with applicants as plans are formalized. will be discussed. The final plan and scope of services are based on the resources available, including assessment funding and community volunteer assistance relative to shoreline planting events. An MSBU may be established for either category of service; however, to ensure long-term success of a restoration project, a lake management MSBU focused on aquatic weed control is often established in conjunction with a lake restoration MSBU. The creation of an MSBU, as well as the ongoing efforts to provide improvements, requires community involvement and support. The MSBU Program Lake Management: Restoration & Aquatic Weed Control
application packet provides additional information regarding the process for establishing an MSBU for funding lake improvements.
When coordinating lake management services, the MSBU Program and the Seminole County Public Works Department's Lake Management Program work closely with community liaisons to initiate best lake management
practices, to provide monitoring that fund expenditures are for essential services, to manage and monitor service contracts, to oversee the financial status of MSBUs within budgeting constraints, and where feasible, to plan ahead for more extensive lake needs/services in future years. When the available MSBU funding is insufficient to address the full range of needs associated with a waterbody, the lake needs are prioritized to fit the available funding.
The factors that must be considered by Seminole County when addressing lake management can be complex. To begin, the County's resources for lake management and for aquatic weed control via MSBU funding are focused on essential services. As a standard practice, MSBU funds are designated primarily to addressing conditions deemed "essential" - conditions that would be detrimental to the health of the lake. Complete shoreline treatment, spraying of native species, and/or treatment of vegetation that does not present a detriment to the waterbody do not qualify as "essential". Therefore, full/entire shoreline treatment of vegetation is not a level of service pursued via assessment funding. There are times when broader spraying of herbicides may be provided, however, when expending MSBU funds, caution is exercised to ensure the funds are allocated to treatments that serve public (not private) purposes. Property owners are encouraged to establish supportive riparian stewardship practices, and independently address their individual property and/or shoreline concerns when the conditions are not clearly within the essential service category.
Supplemental aquatic weed control services (and permitting) obtained privately (or provided by individual owners) must be compliant with State of Florida and FWC regulations. Acquiring herbicide application assistance from State of Florida licensed vendors is strongly advised.
For more information about invasive plants, permits, and the Florida Aquatic Weed Control Act, please visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at myfwc.com.