A Partners In Planning Publication of

The Hillsborough River Interlocal Planning Board &

The Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission

eNews Issue 17

Winter 2015

In This Issue

River Facts

16 permit reviews in FY14

Flows above average

Welcome Grant Rimbey

River Board legislation

Do you choose clean water?

Tampa Bay Water strategic plan

USGS Charts

Missed An Issue?

Upcoming Meetings

2015 Hillsborough River Interlocal Planning Board Meeting Dates:

Monday, February 23

Tuesday, May 19

(Joint mtg. with

TAC at SWFWMD

Tampa Office at 1:30 pm

Monday, August 24

Monday, November 23

Unless otherwise noted, all River Board meetings will be held at 9:30 a.m. at Temple Terrace City Hall
(City Council Conference Room) 11250 N 56th St, Temple Terrace, FL 33617

2015 Hillsborough River Technical Advisory

Council (TAC)

Upcoming Meeting Dates:

Tuesday, January 20

Tuesday, February 17

Tuesday, March 17

Tuesday, April 21

Tuesday, May 19

Tuesday, June 16

July (No Meeting)

Tuesday, August 18

Tuesday, September 15

Tuesday, October 20

Tuesday, November 17

December, (No Meeting)

All TAC meetings will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Tampa Service Center (Laurel Oaks Room)

7601 US Hwy 301, Tampa, FL 33637

For more information on the Hillsborough River Interlocal Planning Board & Technical Advisory Council, please contact staff at 813.272.5940 or visit:

planhillsborough.org

River Facts -

Hillsborough

River State Park

Opened in 1938, Hillsborough River State Park is one of Florida's first state parks; this Park is divided by the swiftly flowing Hillsborough River with a set of Class II rapids. The river provides opportunities for fishing, canoeing, and kayaking. The concession provides canoe, bike and golf cart rentals, breakfast and lunch menus,camping and picnic supplies, and a variety of memorable souvenirs.

For rates and hours of operation, please contact the Hillsborough Park Pool Side Cafe at 813/986-3322. Ranger led tours of Historic Fort Foster Site are conducted every Saturday at 2pm & 4pm and on Sunday at 11am for just $2.00 per person. Hikers can walk over seven miles of nature trails: Rapids Trail, Baynard Trail, a sub-section of the Florida Trail and the Wetlands Restoration Trail. Note: Wetlands Restoration accommodates bicyclists and hikers only.

When the weather calls for it, visitors can enjoy a refreshing swim in the park's ADA accessible swimming pool.

The park offers full-facility camping and a youth/group tent campground. A primitive campsite is available via foot trail; reservations are always recommended.

16 permit reviews in FY14

Spring Restoration along Hillsborough River

As part of its ongoing responsibilities pursuant to Chapter 86-355 Laws of Florida, the Hillsborough River Interlocal Planning Board (River Board) is responsible for monitoring development in the Hillsborough River Corridor. The River Board coordinates with Port Tampa Bay and the Environmental Protection Commission as they permit in water construction.

In Fiscal Year 2014, the River Board reviewed 16 permit applications to develop facilities such as docks and marinas in the Hillsborough River. This review is done to ensure these developments are constructed consistent with the Hillsborough River Master Plan, as is required by state law.

Hillsborough River flows above average for last quarter of 2014

Rainfall over the summer, as well as a few autumn storms, have created an increased flow in the Hillsborough River during the last quarter of 2014. The Tampa Bay Times reported a September 2014 rainfall at Tampa International Airport (TIA) of ~ 9.57 inches (average 6.3 inches) that helped fuel these increases. On October 21, 2014 (October rainfall 1.52 inches) ~ 12:30 PM, flow at three points along the river, beginning upstream at USGS Gauge 02303000 (Hillsborough River at Zephyrhills aka Hillsborough River State Park footbridge) was 141 cubic feet per second (cfs). The long term median for that date is 117 cfs. The Hillsborough River at Morris Bridge (USGS Gauge 02303330) was 311 cfs with long term median 115 cfs. These two sites flow downstream toward the City of Tampa's (COT) Rowlett Park dam (USGS Gauge 02304500) that had a flow that day of 427 cfs versus the median of 20 cfs.

Late November 25, 2014's rainfall of over 5 inches in some areas of the river basin generated 1,280 cfs at the Zephyrhills gauge (long term median 97 cfs) and over the COT dam ~ 2,200 cfs (1.4 billion gallons per day). The median over the dam is 0.65 cfs. The TIA gauge for November total was 5.26 inches (average 1.55 inches). Although December has generated less than an inch of rain at the TIA gauge, the December 16, 2014 flows at ~2:00 PM were 239 cfs at the Zephyrhills gauge (long term median 98 cfs), 285 cfs at the Morris Bridge gauge (median 97 cfs) and, 507 cfs at the COT dam, with the long term median of 0.

Author: Peter S. Owens, M.E.P.E.

Professional Engineer II

Wetlands Management Division

Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County

Welcome new Board Member Grant Rimbey

Temple Terrace Vice Mayor and River Board Member

In December, the Temple Terrace City Council appointed City Council Member and Vice Mayor Grant Rimbey to the River Board. Elected to the Temple Terrace City Council in November 2012, Vice Mayor Rimbey has lived in Temple Terrace on and off since 1967. Earning a bachelor's degree in Design and Architecture from the University of Florida in 1991, he attended the University of Texas at Austin on scholarship. There, he earned his Master of Architecture in 1997.

In 2001, Mr. Rimbey and his wife, Susan, moved back to Temple Terrace to raise their two sons. In addition to now serving on the Hillsborough River Interlocal Planning Board, he also represents the city on the Municipal Code Enforcement Board, the Metropolitan Planning Organization's Livable Roadways Committee, and is past Chair of the Temple Terrace Redevelopment Task Force. He is also a member of the Florida League of Cities Growth Management and Economic Development Legislative Policy Committee. Also a board member of the Temple Terrace Preservation Society, he was named the 2011 "Citizen of the Year" by the Greater Temple Terrace Chamber of Commerce and was awarded the Mayor Fran Barford Community Service Award in 2007.

Vice Mayor Rimbey has more than 20 years of experience as an award-winning project manager in architecture and green building and is a guest juror at the USF School of Architecture and Community Design. He is co-author of "Images of America, Temple Terrace" - the first published history of the city, published by Arcadia Publishing in 2010. We welcome Vice Mayor Rimbey and look forward to his insights on the River Board.

Legislative Delegation approves update of River Board Legislation

Created by the State Legislature, the River Board is the only inter-jurisdictional forum in Hillsborough County responsible for promoting economic development along the river corridor while ensuring the health of the Hillsborough River. As an advisory agency, the River Board provides support including: coordination for development activities, strategic planning, and monitoring services.

The recent dissolution of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) Basin Boards has required an update to the Hillsborough River Interlocal Planning Board's Special Act Chapter 86-335, Laws of Florida. Specifically, Chapter 86-335, Laws of Florida, provides for a member of the now defunct SWFWMD Hillsborough River Basin Board to be represented on the River Board's Technical Advisory Council (TAC). The inability to fill this vacancy sometimes leads to issues in establishing a quorum at meetings.

At the same time, the River Board has determined it appropriate to address other minor updates based on its now nearly 30 years of experience in operation. With sponsorship by Representative Dan Raulerson and Senator Tom Lee, the Hillsborough legislative delegation unanimously voted in favor of the local bill to make these changes.

Do you choose clean water?

Do you choose clean water? (PSA with no narration)

To have clean water downstream in our rivers and lakes we need healthy water upstream. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have proposed to strengthen protection for clean water that is vital to all of us.

To find out more about Waters of the U.S. and the Clean Water Act: http://www2.epa.gov/uswaters

For more about EPA: http://www.epa.gov/

2014 Strategic Plan Update for Tampa Bay Water

Having a strategic plan is vital to the success of any organization, and Tampa Bay Water is no exception. Recently, the Tampa Bay Water Strategic Plan in place since 2011 was updated to better guide staff in fulfilling the agency's mission of providing a clean, safe, reliable water supply to its six member governments and their customers.

A strategic plan is a roadmap for an organization. As Tampa Bay Water matures and moves from an agency focused on building new supplies to an agency focused on maintaining and operating the new, integrated supply system, a new roadmap is needed. The first decade of Tampa Bay Water focused on building and creating a new, integrated water supply system. Today, the focus has changed, and with that change comes the need for a new strategic plan... A plan that focuses on the future of water in this region.

The goals of the strategic plan are lofty - but achievable. They include:

Maintain water supply and delivery system reliability and sustainability.
Increase efficiency of all agency operations.
Maintain financial stability and sustainability.
Maintain open, collaborative relationships with member governments and other stakeholders.
Uphold a health and safety culture.

The first four goals remain constant from the previous strategic plan. However, the fifth goal, focusing on health, safety and security, is new for the agency. Each goal has an objective and a list of strategies that outlines how the agency will achieve these goals. View the entire strategic plan .

Precipitation

Discharge

Gage

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