Anglers and biologists know the key to good fishing, to fish that are safe to eat, and to maintaining a beautiful healthy natural environment--it is HABITAT! The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has consistently placed aquatic habitat management high on its list for funding support from the Legislature and seeks to maximize the impact of these dollars through the effective use of grants and partnering opportunities.
Aquatic Habitat Conservation and Restoration staff manage, enhance and preserve aquatic habitats to ensure quality fish and wildlife habitat in Florida wetlands, lakes, rivers, streams, estuaries and nearshore marine areas. Staff use a multi-disciplinary approach to develop and implement comprehensive management programs to improve the ecological health of freshwater, estuarine and marine habitats; to control exotic aquatic vegetation, along with other agencies; to develop comprehensive programs for managing selected water bodies; and to coordinate with other governmental entities on projects to enhance or restore aquatic habitats.
This type of work is essential to correct man-induced problems with our aquatic habitat. These problems include long-term stabilized water levels, reduction of pervious surfaces in drainage areas that previously filtered the water, but now discharge large amounts of fertilizers, pesticides, runoff from roads and treated sewage. Drawdowns are one of the techniques pioneered in the 1970s by agency biologists to help offset the impact of water level stabilization. Although effective for a time (often 5-10 years), they are an expensive stop gap measure that requires some community involvement. Aquatic plant transplanting and hydraulic dredging our other techniques that can help enhance aquatic communities.
Investing now in the future, not only for fish and wildlife but also for the ultimate health of our aquatic ecosystems, makes sense for all Floridians and our tourists.
| Freshwater Conservation |
