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The Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission hap- provided
<br />comments on this project to t]-:( 1;'.S. :1r•-ly Cor -)s of Engineers and the
<br />Florida Department of Environ ental F.egulatien (see enclosed letter
<br />dated 27 April 1981). In so doing, we assessed the project impact on
<br />fish and wildlife resources, and made several recommendations for design
<br />changes which, although i.nsignificanr in cost of implementation, are
<br />imperative to insure an environmentally sound project.
<br />We -have subsequently learned, via verbal comrinnication and informal
<br />correspondence, that Indian River Count-..- intends to adopt only one of
<br />those recommendations, that d,,alim_ vit', t'le. hest elevation for the are
<br />of proposed uike removal. .".;«-cher rc:E.a-:r,e dation, asking that the dike
<br />west of the goad and north ,_ 'he ':'c it urs :'reek canal be scraped down
<br />to an intertidal elevation, - dl,,7, -ss 1. as nnnec:esscirv. The a -mount
<br />of mitigation rrquir.ed [or jc':t Ls some -',_L siil,jec t ive, but this
<br />3/r4 aC rC lNUU 1l1 VL11 LL iiih i it i.:� ii arca to npproximately 2.
<br />acres: not very much for 8 :: res :�f .aE t land :'ill. We still believe
<br />this is a reasonable request., a:nd continue to urge its adoption.
<br />The last of our recomme dation,-; is the most critically important
<br />and, since its implementatic- woul;l ",iv .lti z` no additional construction
<br />costs, the lack of County �,cceptan_ e is, at best, t)ewildering. It
<br />involves 5 sets of culverts between the e::isting mosquito control impoundmert-
<br />and tidally influenced waterways. Thes�2 culverts ,,ere first proposed
<br />during interagency negotiation on th«_ project with the idea of restoring
<br />tidewater access to the impoundments. 'loaever, the current design of
<br />the roadwav has two of these culvert sets pltigged and three more with
<br />flap gates on the tidewater, or downsr-reaii.,. end. The dorymstream location
<br />of these flap gates would not only exclude t'.dal access to this saltmarsh,
<br />but would eliminate the impoundment of rainfall which presently occurs.
<br />In effect, this roadway, as prE>sentl.., designed, would eliminate not oiily
<br />the 8.1 acres of wetlands whi-h would be filled, but would eliminate,
<br />via drainage, 103 acres of, saltmarsh wetlanas. Thus, what began as a
<br />simple road project with --some simple mitigation possibilities has become
<br />a plan to drain over 10:9 acres of privately-o.aned historic wetlands
<br />using public funds. lie have recommended that all these culverts either
<br />remain open or be equipped wit'i flasbboard risers, as originally intended,
<br />but the County has thus far. refused.
<br />Before I continue my cormlents on the proposed wetland drainage, it
<br />is important that we know the Mature ..f the land in question. Pre -
<br />impoundment photos clearly; she„-: that tLese me squito control impoundments
<br />were salt marsh containing ti"til creeks, pone_, ane' a portion of Vossini,ur
<br />Creek. bay. The area }las been a snit .Harsh fcr hundre-d,, if not thousands
<br />of years, a tact verified by v -[e pre:sen�e of marine anim—il remains in
<br />the sediments. The tidal ret:-ne in the saiti. rsh %-ari,,d from dail_
<br />in:.ndution in the creeks, Pan.. -1.2, and n : to r,.,nthl,. , storm, or seasonal
<br />flooding over the r(,mainde,- n' the l,:t a daily hap -is
<br />on!-,, during the several weeks in lnr. - s,Inimer or autumn when sea level.
<br />along Florida's east coast is righ_r t'r.1n usual. This condition is
<br />occurring not::, and most of thC-e i7TY)r.tnced x:-_ -.lands would be under
<br />tidewater today had the El ilc. c :�,en breached.
<br />Because of infrc.quent tida' f lnoE'. i.na, high marsh n-trients are
<br />delivered to the Indian River iii seasonal bursts, in contrast to daily
<br />nutrient pulses from the low T-i�-sl;. 1.'h re di --hing has extended the web
<br />of natural. tide channels, detri al to the estuary is enhanced.
<br />The aquatic hahitat affor,Jd b., ditches, natural channels and
<br />ponds, and the mars]: itself dur'ng hi. ,}r ,autumn tide= is utilized by a
<br />multitude of forage species in: ! udint; �,,r.all f ;hes, biva.ve and gap-tropod
<br />molluscs, isopods, fiddler c•r<i1 u�; %,ip, 3s, ,i:id oti:E r st:ialt crustace;tns-
<br />These areas also provide nurser:: for r :gimp, hl:te crabs, mullet,
<br />snook, and tarpon. A variet-: ta;idi :- D:rds inciu: in;_ _he herons,
<br />egrets, woos: stork, .:nd whiti is cor:nc)-1 f, :-d Ern flOMIE'd portions of
<br />the high marsh.
<br />The high marsh, to^ether t 1 it itcrw.:rd her' of int]-rtidal
<br />manYrove swarth, 4S E';;trCme1V ] 01"t :rt.w coIo.": o t}: Ir.dl:.r
<br />River lagoon. T-) :I c.isctlSSA(1 r n.3t :r al i _in, .-0n silt marsh ecorzy t
<br />the late Dr. .iuur ice 11r,1vost I ; :t e'E::
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