FACT SHEET ON ALACHUA COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

(For Community Forum, December 5, 2001)

Summary of Aquifer Recharge Issues

• Agencies have mapped various features of the Floridan aquifer, such as elevation, confinement, vulnerability, and rates of recharge, at different scales over time. As a result, multiple maps are available for use in identifying resources important for groundwater protection.



• Four maps commonly referenced are "Degree of Confinement of the Floridan Aquifer System," "Recharge Potential of the Floridan Aquifer," "Recharge Areas of the Floridan Aquifer," and "Confinement of the Upper Floridan aquifer in the SRWMD." Major features of these maps are summarized on the back of this fact sheet. Each depicts a specific type of information which is useful for different purposes and in various contexts.



• State law requires the Comp Plan to include objectives and policies that protect the functions of natural groundwater recharge areas and natural drainage features (see F.A.C. 9J-5.011(2)).



• State law also authorizes a voluntary tax assessment ("bluebelt") program that allows a tax reduction in high-water recharge areas (see F.S. 193.625). Eligible lands must be identified by one of two methods: (1) prime groundwater recharge areas established pursuant to F.S. 373.0395 ("groundwater basin resource availability inventory"); or (2) areas considered by the WMDs to supply significant groundwater recharge. Neither identification is available for Alachua County.



• Comp Plan policies require groundwater protection for all of Alachua County (see 4.5.8-4.5.16, 4.4.4-4.4.6), and particularly earmark high aquifer recharge areas for increased protection.



• Alachua County has relied upon the 3-color map for the purposes of land use and development regulation over the last ten years. Policies relating to landfills, stormwater design, and hazardous materials management, and the Alachua County Hazardous Materials Code itself, require performance standards administered using the 3-color map (see policies 4.5.5, 4.5.6, 4.5.19).



• Staff has technical concerns with use of more recent publications for land use control. Many of the maps rely on generalized data, and do not account for structural and geomorphic regions of the County or for Hawthorn Group complexity.

• Because use of any of the more recent maps would result in the delineation of different high aquifer recharge areas than those currently adopted, policy 4.5.3 identifies the need for an updated recharge study to resolve potential discrepancies. Upon completion of the study, the Plan will be amended to adopt high aquifer recharge areas mapped as part of the updated study.

• The County will coordinate a partnership with the USGS, WMDs, GRU, and other willing participants to perform the updated study, to be phased over the next four years at an estimated cost of $90,000. With appropriate input and oversight from the WMDs, it is hoped that the study will also provide the identification necessary for bluebelt purposes.



• Policy 4.5.4 indicates the bluebelt assessment will be considered on completion of updated study.

Summary of Recent Publications Used to Define High Aquifer Recharge Areas