Executive Summary

The Northwest Florida Water Management District, the Florida Greenways Program of 1000 Friends of Florida and the Conservation Fund, and the Florida Coastal Management Program have collaborated to develop a comprehensive resource assessment and greenway protection plan for the St. Marks and Wakulla rivers. This report assesses and maps the natural, recreational and historic resources in the St. Marks and Wakulla rivers watershed and offers recommendations for greenway conservation along the two rivers. This project is part of the Apalachee Greenways Project, a three-year effort funded by the Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation, to assess the region's greenway opportunities and identify potential conflicts with future growth. The St. Marks and Wakulla River Greenway project is phase 2 of the larger Apalachee project and is funded in part by the Florida Coastal Management Program.

Greenways are a land and water conservation tool that can enhance open space and recreational opportunities, provide economic and community benefits, and intergovernmental cooperation. A greenway is a corridor of protected open space that is managed for conservation and/or recreation. They link natural reserves, parks, cultural and historic sites with each other, and in some cases with urban areas. Greenways can serve many ecological and recreational functions: as habitat for plants and animals; as conduits allowing movement; as barriers to noise, light and unsightly views; as sources of seed allowing natural succession in adjacent areas; as places to visit and explore; as conduits for people along trails; as biological filters trapping nutrients and pollutants; and as sinks capturing floodwaters.

This is the first study of the St. Marks and Wakulla rivers watershed to map and quantify at a detailed level the type, location, and extent of land uses and land cover. Satellite imagery data from 1993 was analyzed using the Northwest Florida Water Management District's Geographic Information System. Low-density residential uses comprise six percent of the total watershed with other urban types of land uses making up less than one percent. Non-urban land uses comprise 93 percent of the watershed with silviculture uses (36 percent), natural upland forests (25 percent), and wetlands (18 percent) predominating.

Environmentally sensitive and important habitat lands were assessed to aid identification and mapping of greenway linkages (see Figure 1 - St. Marks and Wakulla Rivers Greenway). The Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission (FGFWFC) and the Florida Natural Areas Inventory provided data on land use and land cover, strategic habitat conservation areas, and rare animal, plant and communities occurrences. The FGFWFC data shows there are extensive areas of critical habitat throughout the watershed with the largest and highest quality habitat areas associated with the rivers.

Nonpoint source pollution (NPS) must be minimized if the quality of the St. Marks and Wakulla Rivers is to be protected. The assessment found that urban areas have the highest per-acre pollution rates while natural woodlands and silvicultural areas have the lowest per-acre pollution rates. On a watershed basis, forested and agricultural areas contribute the greatest NPS pollution load, but only because they have the greatest land coverage. These results suggest that NPS pollution can be expected to increase if silvicultural and forest lands are converted to more intensive land uses such as agriculture, residential or commercial. Implementation of best management practices (BMPs) for silviculture, agriculture and urban development are one important way to minimize NPS pollution. Best management practices are guidelines established by the Florida Department of Agriculture in conjunction with the forest/timber industry guiding forestry operations on proper tree harvesting, removal and replanting. Silviculture operations use the BMP's to determine where to harvest trees near rivers and streams and how much to harvest adjacent to streams.

The watershed's extensive public conservation lands provide many outstanding recreational opportunities. Annually, over one million visitors to the watershed fish, hunt, hike, swim, horse-back ride, off-road bicycle, in-line skate, canoe, kayak, and watch wildlife. They use trails such as the Florida National Scenic Trail, the Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail, the Big Bend Historic Saltwater Paddling Trail, and the canoe trails of the Wakulla and St. Marks rivers. Visitors enjoy outdoor recreational activities in the Apalachicola National Forest, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, and at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park. They also learn about the areas rich historical and cultural past at Fort San Marcos de Apalache State Historic Site and Natural Bridge Battlefield State Historic Site. All of these combine to make watershed an outstanding ecotourism destination and while contributing to the regional economic base.

Because of the relatively undeveloped nature of the St. Marks and Wakulla rivers, the opportunity to conserve this natural greenway corridor still exists. This greenway can help protect the water quality and fisheries of the rivers and Apalachee Bay, and help maintain their aesthetic and recreational appeal. This greenway is the watershed's linchpin for the ecosystem and the foundation on which to expand the area's economy through ecotourism.

The St. Marks and Wakulla Rivers Greenway is the unifying link between the watershed's conservation lands. Nearly all of the outdoor recreational activities within the basin are associated with the greenway in some manner. Wildlife thrives in the upper and lower reaches of the greenway. People recreate, live and work within and adjacent to it, and the greenway can help create a sense of place giving this unique area its own distinctive character.

The St. Marks and Wakulla Rivers Greenway will provide a rallying point or focus for conserving the natural, recreational and cultural resources which make the river corridors so attractive for people and wildlife. Living and owning property in the greenway does not impose additional restrictions on how lands are used. The existing comprehensive plan, development requirements and private and public stewardship will continue to be the primary tools to conserve the qualities of the greenway. Residents and property owners within the greenway are recommended to voluntarily continue and strengthen their stewardship of their lands. The greenway will provide a focus for federal, state, regional and local agencies to work together with landowners, businesses and visitors to retain the watershed's qualities which are enjoyed by all. The resulting partnerships will help focus financial, administrative and stewardship resources so they are better coordinated and produce more effective results. The benefits of a coordinated greenway stewardship effort are much greater than the sum of the separate conservation and planning practices. Conserving the greenway is an excellent mechanism for ensuring sustainable development in the watershed.

There are many different tools that can and should be used the conserve the greenway. These range from private stewardship to community planning and public land acquisition. Citizens and public officials have the tools and are using them to conserve the important natural, recreational, and cultural resources of the greenway. Local governments should consider using the local comprehensive planning process to incorporate greenways into their communities. The provision of the plan revised to incorporate greenways could emphasize the economic and recreational benefits a community can realize if it works with other local governments as well as state and federal conservation efforts. Using the local planning process could help establish visibility and cohesiveness of the greenway concept while maintaining the necessary flexibility for each local government. The local governments should focus upon ways to improve intergovernmental cooperation and build public and private partnerships to conserve the greenway.

State and federal agencies also need to play a significant role in conserving the remaining large tracts of undeveloped land along both rivers. The majority of these lands are owned by a few owners and are managed principally for silviculture. Surface water protection could be improved through the development of a surface water improvement and management program (SWIM) by the Northwest Florida Water Management District for the watershed. Lastly, the important role that citizens, users and landowners as stewards of the greenway is critical to this effort. Without their support and participation, this greenway conservation effort can not be successful.

In conclusion, the St. Marks and Wakulla rivers and their watershed offer an broad range of land and water conservation possibilities while providing eco-tourism economic development opportunities. The outstanding resources of the watershed and the Apalachee Region provide landowners, citizens and government with many opportunities to establish partnerships for land and water stewardship and enhance economic prosperity. Conserving the St. Marks and Wakulla River Greenway will help the watershed's communities take advantage of these opportunities.