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Publication #SGEF 161

 

The Regional Waterway Management System: A Tool for Balancing Coastal Resource Use and Protection1

Robert A. Swett and David A. Fann2

ABSTRACT: The Regional Waterway Management System applies the latest science and technology to address a daunting planning dilemma faced by coastal counties—how to balance the phenomenal growth of the boating population with conservation and management of surrounding environmental resources. The Regional Waterway Management System is designed to allow for the simultaneous use and protection of coastal waters, while maintaining the economic vitality of coastal communities.

The foundation of the System consists of: 1) comprehensive on-the-water census of the locations and characteristics of boats, moorings and related facilities; and (2) a survey of channel centerline depths. The boat draft and waterway depths are combined in a geographic information system (GIS) to identify (a) for each channel segment, which boats may be blocked at mean lower low water, and by how much, and (b) conversely, for each boat, which channel segments may block it, again by how much. The information is made available to counties, as maps, along with statistical analyses that help identify and quantify actual or potential problems.

The scientific approach provides unbiased information for a rational and objective method of waterway management, and allows local decision-makers to assign priorities on a regional basis. In situations where dredging is selected as an appropriate management option, the prescribed dredge depth and width will depend on a number of factors, such as regulatory and historical precedents, potential environmental impacts, draft characteristic of the present boat population, and cost.

The Regional Waterway Management System evolved from an initial pilot study in Sarasota Bay, followed by applications in Sarasota, Manatee and Lee counties. These projects are the foundation of a Florida administrative code, “Chapter 62-341.490 Noticed General Permits for Dredging by the West Coast Inland Navigation District (WCIND.” The general permit allows for better efficiency and effectiveness in dredging and maintaining Florida's waterways. The public policy successes of the Regional Waterway Management System stem from a combination of research and extension efforts, and a proactive process that involves various stakeholder groups.

Footnotes

1.

This publication was supported by the National Sea Grant College Program of the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Grant No. NA16RG-2195, and the West Coast Inland Navigation District. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of these organizations. Additional copies are available by contacting Florida Sea Grant, University of Florida, PO Box 110409, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0409, (352) 392-2801, http://flseagrant.org.

Originally published as SGEF 161, February 2005. Reviewed October 2011.

2.

Robert A. Swett, Florida Sea Grant and the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, PO Box 110400, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0400; rswett@ufl.edu.

David A. Fann, Florida Sea Grant, PO Box 110400, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0400; dafann@ufl.edu.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.