Water and Related Land Resources, Florida West Coast Tributaries

Excerpts from the report: The Florida West Coast Tributaries Basin includes the drainage areas of all streams and intervening areas which drain into the Gulf of Mexico between the Suwannee River on the north and the Caloosahatchee River on the south. It contains approximately 10,080 square miles, encompassing all of eight counties and portions of ten other counties. In 1963, the land area accounted for 6,016,800 acres with water occupying 430,100 acres. Of the total land area in 1963, 5,373,400 acres were in agricultural uses, and 643,400 acres were utilized for non-agricultural purposes. The water area included 186,800 acres of fresh water, and 243,300 acres of salt water in bays and inlets and considered as part of the overall county acreages. The objectives of the study were to: a. Determine the extent and location of present agricultural resources and resource development of the Basin. b. Suggest a desirable pattern of land use and treatment for agriculture recognizing the demands for additional area for non-agricultural purposes, for two target dates - 1980 and 2015. c. Determine the projected water requirements for agriculture. d. Evaluate the feasibility of works of improvement for upstream watershed protection, flood prevention, and agricultural water management. e. Locate water impoundment sites and evaluate their potential for flood prevention; beneficial water use, including water for irrigation, recreation, and fish and wildlife; and for low flow augmentation. f. Evaluate the economic impacts resulting from projected 1980 and 2015 agricultural land use changes.