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Matanzas River Basin:
Petition to designate Outstanding Florida Waters

The Matanzas River Basin is one of the most natural areas within the St. Johns River Water Management District’s 18-county region. The basin includes the Matanzas River, which stretches 25 miles between Palm Coast and St. Augustine, as well as uplands, freshwater creeks and sloughs, coastal barrier islands, brackish creeks, and extensive salt marshes. The basin contains an estuary that is the last relatively undisturbed and intact tidal marsh creek system along Florida's east coast.

Many partners, including the District, are working to ensure that the Matanzas basin remains healthy and productive for generations to come. In 2009, the District submitted a petition to initiate rulemaking to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to designate certain waters within the Matanzas River Basin as Outstanding Florida Waters (OFW). The designation would provide more stringent stormwater treatment standards for new activities that require an environmental resource permit from DEP or the District. The additional layer of water resource protection would not impact fishing activities, boating speeds, diving, or river setback ordinances.

DEP is reviewing the petition, a process that has included public workshops and fact gathering. The final step involves the Florida Environmental Regulation Commission, a seven-member citizens’ body, voting on the proposal at a public hearing.

Questions and answers

Who submitted the OFW petition to DEP for consideration?

In February 2009, the District submitted a petition to DEP to initiate rulemaking to designate certain waters within the Matanzas River Basin as OFW. The petition describes the basin’s water quality, and ecological and recreational significance. Prior to and after submitting the petition, the District held stakeholder meetings to allow opportunity for public input and to gather information from local governments, environmental groups, and landowners.

What is the District seeking to achieve with an OFW designation of certain waters in the Matanzas basin?

An OFW designation would help maintain the healthy ecosystem and existing water quality of the waters listed in the petition.

Are there special attributes or resources within the Matanzas basin that an OFW designation would help protect?

Yes. The area within the proposed OFW designation includes the last open oyster harvesting beds in northeast Florida. The basin’s tidal marshes support a myriad of invertebrates and fish, including most of the commercially and recreationally important species such as shrimp, blue crab, oysters, redfish, mullet, flounder, trout, and black drum. The tidal marshes also provide food for offshore species, and sport and commercial anglers rely on a productive fishery for recreation and their livelihood.

The Matanzas River is the only spot in Florida where you can stand on the edge of a nearly natural ocean inlet, watch the sun set over an 18th century Spanish fort, see the iconic Florida roseate spoonbill and Florida manatee, and catch a 100-pound fish from shore.

Which waters within the Matanzas basin are proposed for an OFW designation?

The following waters are proposed for OFW designation:

• Waters within Moses Creek Conservation Area
• Waters within the Matanzas State Forest
• Waters within Pellicer Creek Conservation Area
• Waters within Princess Place Preserve
• Waters within Southeast Intracoastal Waterway Park
• Waters within Fort Matanzas National Monument
• Waters within River to Sea Preserve at Marineland
• Matanzas River from marker 29 to marker 109
• Pellicer Creek and tributaries Stevens Branch and Dave Branch

Why is an OFW designation necessary when water in the Matanzas River Basin is already of a good quality?

An OFW designation would provide additional protection because under an OFW, new development may not degrade the existing water quality. Protecting existing water quality is considerably less expensive than restoring degraded waters.

Would an OFW designation prohibit development in the area?

No. An OFW designation would affect stormwater treatment requirements for new development that is required to obtain an environmental resource permit from DEP or the District. However, a designation can result in higher costs imposed for pollution abatement of new pollution sources. As an example, building a new housing community would have additional costs relating to the more stringent stormwater treatment requirements.

Do any portions of the Matanzas basin already have OFW designation?

Yes. Some waters within the Matanzas River Basin already have an OFW designation, including: Pellicer Creek Aquatic Preserve, almost all of Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, and some of Faver-Dykes State Park.

Resources

• Matanzas River Basin OFW petition
• Matanzas River Basin OFW overview map
• DEP questions and answers on Matanzas River Basin OFW petition
• DEP web page on OFW designations