Deep Creek Conservation Area
Land Management Plan
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
Lower St. Johns River Basin
Putnam County
St. Johns County
Governing Board Approved
August 2006
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
Management Plan Summary
Date of Plan: 08/2006
Management Area: The Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels at Deep Creek Conservation Area,
1342 acres.
This land management plan will address two disjunct parcels in the same region. Both the
Yarborough and Edgefield parcels are located in an area that, for decades, has been farmed
intensively. In order to prevent contaminated water from reaching the St. Johns River, staff have
installed a regional stormwater treatment facility at each parcel. The Dog Branch/ Edgefield
Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility is located at the Edgefield Parcel, and encompasses the
bulk of the parcel. The Deep Creek West Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility is located at
the Yarborough Parcel; however, the facility encompasses only 100 acres of the property. The
remaining acreage will be managed as a traditional conservation area and, for the purposes of
this land management plan, will be referred to as the Yarborough Land Management Tract.
Location: Putnam and St. Johns Counties.
Dates of Acquisition:
The Yarborough Parcel:01/16/98 - (Yarborough, LA# 94-105) –This property consists of one
parcel totaling 1103 acres. The parcel was purchased with $12, 952 in ad valorem tax dollars and
$1,014,599 in Florida Department of Transportation Funds. FDOT contributed to the funding of
the purchase in order to offset the effects of widening CR 207. Approximately 100 acres of the
parcel is being utilized as a stormwater treatment facility. This portion of the property will be
referred to as Deep Creek West Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility (RST) throughout the
management plan. The remainder of the parcel will be managed as a traditional conservation area
and will be referred to as the Yarborough Tract throughout the management plan.
The Edgefield Parcel:
12/21/2001 - (Edgefield, LA# 2001-32) – This acquisition consisted of three separate parcels
purchased from a single owner. Together, the parcels total 239 acres and were purchased with
$685,090 in Florida Forever funds. The parcels are approximately 3 acres, 23 acres, and 212
acres in size. Both the 3-acre parcel and the 23-acre parcel are subject to a life estate and will not
be addressed in this management plan. Nearly all of the 212-acre parcel is being utilized in a
regional stormwater treatment facility known as the Dog Branch/ Edgefield Regional Stormwater
Treatment Facility.
Funding Source: Ad valorem tax funds, Florida Forever funds, and DOT mitigation funds.
Management Partners:
The District is lead manager of the Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels within Deep Creek
Conservation Area. However, the District may seek an agreement designating St. Johns
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
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Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
County the lead manager of the Deep Creek West Regional Stormwater Treatment
Facility.
Additional conservation partners include the Florida Department of Transportation.
Key Resource Issues:
The Yarborough and the Dog Branch/ Edgefield Regional Stormwater Treatment Areas are
located in a region that has been heavily impacted by agriculture. The hydrology within this
portion of northeast Florida has been altered severely; numerous canals and ditches were
installed to improve drainage and make the land more suitable for agricultural production. A
consequence of the improved drainage is increased runoff from the agricultural fields, resulting
in increased nutrient loading and increased water loss. Agricultural activity has been a primary
land use in the area for decades now. In an effort to improve the water quality within this area,
the District initiated the construction of the regional stormwater treatment facilities (RST). These
RSTs are combination catchbasins and vegetative filtration systems designed specifically to
address the pollution and agricultural runoff issues associated with the intense agricultural
production in the area.
The Yarborough Land Management Tract is one of the few properties in the immediate area that
was not converted to agricultural land. The property has several areas of diverse scrubby
flatwoods. Deep Creek itself traverses the parcel as well.
Resource Management Issues:
WATER RESOURCES –
Water resources have been severely disturbed. The District has installed the Deep Creek
West RST, and is in the process of installing the Dog Branch/ Edgefield RST. These
stormwater treatment facilities are designed to capture and filter excess sediment,
nutrients, and pollutants resulting from agricultural runoff in the area.
Water resources have been disturbed; both parcels are marked by ditches or canals.
FIRE MANAGEMENT –
The Yarborough Land Management Tract - Prescribed burns will be implemented
through annual work plans. A comprehensive fire management plan has been written for
the property as part of the land management planning process.
FOREST MANAGEMENT
The Yarborough Land Management Tract - Most of the densely forested areas at the
Yarborough Land Management Tract were thinned in 2006. Therefore, prescribed fire
will be the primary forest management tool used at the parcel within the next five years.
INVASIVE SPECIES- Continue monitoring and chemical treatment of invasive species.
If necessary, a special use authorization may be issued to a private individual to assist
with the removal of feral hogs.
CULTURAL & ARCHEOLOGICAL RESOURCES – There are no known cultural sites
at either parcel. Coordinate with Division of Historical Resources should any new sites be
identified.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
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Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Key Land Use/Recreation Issues:
The Yarborough Land Management TractThe District plans to install a short multi-user trail at the Yarborough Land Management
Tract. This trail will be open to the public for hiking, biking, wildlife viewing,
photography, and equestrian activities. However, parking is very limited and the parking
area will accommodate only a few vehicles. There is a possibility that the parking area
may be relocated within the timeframe of this plan.
The Deep Creek West and Dog Branch/ Edgefield RSTsThe Deep Creek West RST is open to the public. The completed installation of the
Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility and the associated informational displays
provide opportunities for environmental education. The construction of the Dog Branch/
Edgefield RST is not yet complete. Once the facility is operational, it too will provide
educational opportunities for the public. Bermed areas surrounding each of the ponds will
serve as short walking paths for public use as well as provide management access for
District staff.
Land Use Management Issues:
ACCESS –Maintain all interior roads and trails. Maintain existing fencing, gates, and
boundary markers. Install and maintain parking area at the Edgefield Parcel; maintain
existing parking area at the Yarborough Parcel. Construct additional fencing as needed.
Maintain bermed areas surrounding water treatment ponds at Deep Creek West and Dog
Branch/ Edgefield RSTs in order to provide access for District staff and public.
RECREATION USE – Design, mark and maintain multi-use trails. Design and install a
kiosk for the proposed trails at the Yarborough Tract. Design and install a kiosk at the
Dog Branch/ Edgefield RST. Maintain existing kiosk located near the Deep Creek West
RST.
SECURITY – Maintain all upland fencing, gates, and boundary markers. Install
additional fencing, gates, and boundary markers as needed. Continue contract with
private security firm. Continue coordination with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission to provide security for the parcels.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
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Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Land Management Plan
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................... 1
LAND MANAGEMENT GOALS ............................................................................................... 3
CONSERVATION AREA OVERVIEW.................................................................................... 3
REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE............................................................................................................. 3
ACQUISITION HISTORY ................................................................................................................ 7
ZONING ........................................................................................................................................ 9
LEASES, EASEMENTS, AND CONCESSIONS ................................................................................... 9
NATURAL RESOURCES OVERVIEW.................................................................................... 9
TOPOGRAPHY AND HYDROLOGY .................................................................................................. 9
SOILS ......................................................................................................................................... 12
NATURAL COMMUNITIES ........................................................................................................... 14
WILDLIFE ................................................................................................................................... 18
IMPLEMENTATION ................................................................................................................ 19
RESOURCE PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT............................................................ 19
WATER RESOURCE PROTECTION ................................................................................................ 19
FOREST AND FIRE MANAGEMENT- THE YARBOROUGH LAND MANAGEMENT TRACT .................... 19
SPECIAL MANAGEMENT CONDITIONS- THE YARBOROUGH PARCEL ............................................ 21
WILDLIFE ................................................................................................................................... 22
INVASIVE SPECIES ...................................................................................................................... 22
CULTURAL RESOURCES PROTECTION ........................................................................................ 22
LAND USE MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................... 23
ACCESS ...................................................................................................................................... 23
RECREATION .............................................................................................................................. 24
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ................................................................................................... 27
SECURITY................................................................................................................................... 27
ADMINISTRATION .................................................................................................................. 28
ACQUISITION.............................................................................................................................. 28
COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS ..................................................................................................... 28
LEASES, EASEMENTS, AND CONCESSIONS ................................................................................. 28
MANAGEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION CHART...................................................... 29
APPENDIX A, FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN ....................................................................... 31
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
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Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Table of Figures
Figure 1. Location Map................................................................................................................... 2
Figure 2a. Regional Significance.................................................................................................... 5
Figure 2b. Regional Significance- Hydrologic Alterations ............................................................ 6
Figure 3. Acquisition Map .............................................................................................................. 8
Figure 4. Hydrology...................................................................................................................... 11
Figure 5. Soils Map....................................................................................................................... 13
Figure 6a. Natural Community Map- The Yarborough Parcel ..................................................... 16
Figure 6b. Natural Community Map- The Edgefield Parcel......................................................... 17
Figure 7a. Conceptual Equestrian Trail Map................................................................................ 25
Figure 7b. Roads and Recreation Map.......................................................................................... 26
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
vi
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
INTRODUCTION
This document provides guidelines for land management activities to be implemented at the
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels within Deep Creek Conservation Area for the next five years.
This management plan will address land management activities for both parcels; however, the
parcels are not contiguous and each has very different land management needs. For this reason,
the conservation area has been divided into three discrete management tracts. When necessary,
sections of the management plan will address each area individually. They will be referred to as
the Yarborough Parcel, the Edgefield Parcel, and the Yarborough Land Management Tract.
Please see Figure 1 for more information.
This plan will serve as a baseline land management plan for the Yarborough and Edgefield
Parcels at Deep Creek Conservation Area. The Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels are relatively
small parcels located in areas that have received tremendous amounts of disturbance from
agricultural activity. Aerial imagery from the 1940’s indicates that the agricultural fields
surrounding the parcels were well established at the time the photographs were taken. In order to
provide improved growing conditions for potatoes and cabbage, numerous canals were installed
within and around the agricultural fields in an effort to lower the water table. The ditches and
canals are still in place today. Though they were installed to drain excess water from the soils,
they drain much more. The canals provide a nearly direct route from the agricultural fields to
local waterways, namely Deep Creek, Dog Branch, and the St. Johns River. As a result, many of
these waterways have been degraded. To offset the consequences of long-term agricultural
activity, the District designed the Regional Stormwater Treatment Facilities (RSTs) for the
region.
The facilities are in different stages of completion; however, the District does expect the
installation of both facilities will be completed during the timeframe of this plan. As these
facilities are developed and installed, the resource management needs of the parcels will lessen
considerably; in fact, nearly the entire Edgefield Tract will be used for the facility.
Approximately 100 acres of the Yarborough Tract have been incorporated into the design for the
Deep Creek West Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility. The remainder of the property will
be managed as a traditional conservation area.
The Yarborough Parcel is situated in St. Johns County within portions of Sections 21, 22, 26, 27,
34, 37, and 38, Township 9 South, Range 28 East. The property is located approximately 4.5
miles east of the St. Johns River south of County Road 206, just southeast of Hastings.
The Edgefield Parcel is situated in Putnam County within sections 38 and 48, Township 9 South,
Range 27 East. The property is located just north of Orange Mills, or approximately 2.4 miles
northeast of East Palatka off County Road 207. A small section of the northern boundary adjoins
the St. Johns River.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
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Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
®
Figure 1. Location Map
207
S
T
206
S
T
Hastings
Edgefield
Parcel
Yarborough Parcel
East Palatka
100
S
T
15
S
T
17
t
u
20
S
T
US Highways
State Roads
County Roads
20
S
T
Figure 1.
Location Map
Edgefield and Yarborough Parcels
Edgefield and
Yarborough Parcels
Regional Stormwater
Treatment Facilities
Dog Branch/ Edgefield
Deep Creek West
0.8 0.4
0
0.8 Miles
1:100000
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
The remaining acreage at the Yarborough
Parcel will be managed as a traditional
conservation area and referred to as
the Yarborough Land Management Tract
2
The St. Johns River Water
Management District prepares
and uses this Information for
its own purposes and this
information may not be
suitable for other purposes. This
information is provided as is.
Further documentation of this
data can be obtained by contacting:
St. Johns River Water Management
District, Geographic Information
Systems,Program Management,
P.O.Box 1429, 4049 Reid Street
Palatka, Florida 32178-1429
Tel: (386) 329-4176.
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
LAND MANAGEMENT GOALS
Both the Yarborough Parcel and the Edgefield Parcel were acquired to help meet the goals of the
Lower St. Johns River Basin Projects set forth in the District’s Land Acquisition and
Management Five Year Plan and the District’s Water Management Plan. Brief summaries of
these goals as they apply to these conservation areas are as follows:
1. Improve water quality, maintain natural hydrological regime, and increase flood protection
by preserving important floodplain areas.
2. Restore, maintain, and protect native natural communities and diversity.
3. Provide opportunities for recreation where compatible with above listed goals.
The above goals are general land management objectives for both parcels. This management plan
outlines specific goals and strategies to achieve these objectives.
CONSERVATION AREA OVERVIEW
Regional Significance
Both the Yarborough Parcel and the Edgefield Parcel are located within the Lower St. Johns
River Basin. The parcels are located in one of the fastest growing areas of the state and are
surrounded by agricultural land that, for decades, has been used to grow row crops- namely
potatoes and cabbage. Initially, to make the land more suitable for these crops, landowners
installed numerous canals, draining excess water- and inadvertently, the nutrient-rich fertilizers
applied to the crops- from the fields and back into local waterways. Ultimately these small
waterways drain into the St. Johns River. In order to reduce the amounts of sediment and
nutrients that reach the river, the District has designed the Deep Creek West and Dog Branch/
Edgefield Regional Stormwater Treatment Facilities. Essentially, pollutant-laden runoff is
diverted to and captured in constructed treatment ponds, where sediment settles to the bottom.
The water is then pumped to created wetlands, where nutrients are absorbed by vegetation before
the water is released to return to the creeks. This should, over time, greatly improve water quality
and reduce the amounts of runoff that reach Deep Creek or the St. Johns River.
Both the Yarborough and Dog Branch/ Edgefield Parcels were purchased in part for their
locations in the midst of extremely disturbed agricultural lands. The parcels were purchased with
the intent of installing Regional Stormwater Treatment Facilities at each location, however, each
facility was strategically located in an area where it would collect as much stormwater runoff
from local canals as possible without flooding neighboring properties, maximizing its
effectiveness.
Deep Creek is a blackwater stream which flows northwesterly through the Yarborough Parcel,
then through several other District- owned parcels within Deep Creek Conservation Area,
eventually reaching the St. Johns River near Federal Point. The District- owned parcels protect
a core area within and along Deep Creek; the intact vegetated wetlands are extremely important
in helping improve water quality before it reaches the St. Johns River.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
3
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
The Dog Branch/ Edgefield Parcel is an important property as well. Dog Branch, which flows north
to empty into the St. Johns River, constitutes much of the western boundary of the property, while
Cat Branch runs just east of the property.
Though neither parcel is directly connected to other public conservation lands, they are important
connectors in an extensive “patchwork” of conservation lands, and each RST serves as a living
filtration system for area water prior to it reaching the St. Johns River. The parcels lie within an
area known as the St. Johns River Blueway Florida Forever Project. Acquisition within the
project area is a priority; the project is located in one of the fastest growing areas of the state, and
has been designed to protect the last remaining shorelines of the St. Johns River and several of its
tributaries.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
4
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
95
§
¦
¨
16
!
(
Figure
2a. Regional Significance
17
t
u
®
1
t
u
Bayard
Conservation
Area
!
(
312
!
(
Guana Tolomato Matanzas
National Estuarine
Research Reserve
207
Lambert Parcel
Moses Creek
Conservation
Area
Deep Creek
Parcel
Matanzas
State
Forest
!
(
206
§
¦
¨
207
95
Edgefield
Parcel
!
(
216
A1A
1
t
u
Yarborough Parcel
!
(
!
(
Faver Dykes
State Park
!
(
100
20
!
(
!
(
19
!
(
311
Pellicer Creek
Conservation
Area
Horseshoe Point
Conservation Area
Murphy Creek
Conservation Area
Dunns Creek
Conservation Area
Figure 2a.
Regional Significance
Edgefield and Yarborough Parcels
1
0
2 Miles
Edgefield and
Yarborough Parcels
Full fee
District
Ownership
Dunns Creek
State Park
2
13
!
(
20
!
(
Less than fee
Joint ownership
Other Public Lands
1:225000
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
5
The St. Johns River Water
Management District prepares
and uses this Information for
its own purposes and this
information may not be
suitable for other purposes. This
information is provided as is.
Further documentation of this
data can be obtained by contacting:
St. Johns River Water Management
District, Geographic Information
Systems,Program Management,
P.O.Box 1429, 4049 Reid Street
Palatka, Florida 32178-1429
Tel: (386) 329-4176.
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
­
St
.J
C
ep
De
oh
ns R i v e r
Figure 2b. Regional Significance- Hydrologic Alterations
ek
re
Figure 2b.
Regional Significance- Hydrologic Alterations
Edgefield and Yarborough Parcels
Edgefield and
Yarborough Parcels
Stream or River
0.7 0.35 0
Ditch or Canal
0.7 Miles
Marsh, Wetland, Swamp
1:100,000
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
6
The St. Johns River Water
Management District prepares
and uses this Information for
its own purposes and this
information may not be
suitable for other purposes. This
information is provided as is.
Further documentation of this
data can be obtained by contacting:
St. Johns River Water Management
District, Geographic Information
Systems,Program Management,
P.O.Box 1429, 4049 Reid Street
Palatka, Florida 32178-1429
Tel: (386) 329-4176.
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Acquisition History
01/16/98 - (Yarborough, LA# 94-105) –This property consists of one parcel totaling 1103 acres.
The parcel was purchased with $12,952 in ad valorem tax dollars and $1,014,599 in Florida
Department of Transportation Funds.
Approximately 100 acres of the property are being utilized in the Deep Creek West Regional
Stormwater Treatment Facility (RST). In order to offset wetland losses from the widening of
State Road 207, FDOT funded the $3.8 million Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility. The
facility will be referred to as Deep Creek West RST throughout this management plan. The
remainder of the parcel will be managed as a traditional conservation area and will be referred to
as the Yarborough Land Management Tract throughout this management plan.
12/21/2001 - (Edgefield, LA# 2001-32) – This acquisition consisted of three separate parcels
owned by a single family. A 3-acre parcel, a 23-acre parcel, and a 212-acre parcel together total
229 acres and were purchased with $685,090 in Florida Forever funds. The bulk of the property
is being utilized as a stormwater treatment facility and will be referred to as the Dog Branch/
Edgefield Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility (RST) throughout this management plan. The
facility was funded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA)
Coastal Impact Assistance Program, FDOT, and special legislative appropriations. Both the 3acre parcel and the 23-acre parcel are subject to a life estate and will not be addressed within this
management plan.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
7
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
­
Figure 3. Acquisition Map
Edgefield
Purchased 12/21/2001
by the District
Yarborough
Purchased 1/16/1998
by the District
Figure 3.
Acquisition Map
Edgefield and Yarborough Parcels
Deep Creek Conservation Area
0.7 0.35 0
Yarborough Parcel
Edgefield Parcel
0.7 Miles
1:75000
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
8
The St. Johns River Water
Management District prepares
and uses this Information for
its own purposes and this
information may not be
suitable for other purposes. This
information is provided as is.
Further documentation of this
data can be obtained by contacting:
St. Johns River Water Management
District, Geographic Information
Systems,Program Management,
P.O.Box 1429, 4049 Reid Street
Palatka, Florida 32178-1429
Tel: (386) 329-4176.
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Zoning
The Yarborough Parcel
St. Johns County identifies one zoning classification for this area in the St. Johns County Future
Land Use Code (2015). The following is a summary:
Parks and Open Space:
Parks and Open Space shall mean active and passive
recreation areas, or lands permanently maintained as open space. Permitted uses shall
include:
•Active and passive parks and recreational facilities, together with permitted
accessory uses;
• Public safety government facilities such as police, fire, and emergency medical
facilities.
The Edgefield Parcel
Putnam County identifies one zoning classification for the Edgefield Parcel in the Putnam
County Future Land Use Code.
Conservation:
The Conservation land use category depicted on the Future Land
Use Map includes areas designated for the purpose of conserving or protecting natural
resources including ground water, surface water, wildlife habitats, vegetative
communities, floodplains, and wetlands. Areas warranting protection include public and
private lands acquired for the purpose of preservation.
Cooperative Agreements
In order to offset wetland losses from the widening of State Route 207, the Florida Department
of Transportation (DOT) has funded portions of both the Deep Creek West Regional Stormwater
Treatment Facility as well as the Dog Branch/ Edgefield Regional Stormwater Treatment
Facility. A portion of the funding for the Dog Branch/ Edgefield RST was provided by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Coastal Impact Assistance
Program, and special legislative appropriations.
Leases, Easements, and Concessions
Two fields within the Yarborough Parcel are being leased to a private landowner for agricultural
operations. The lease will likely continue until such time as the fields are necessary for
conservation purposes.
NATURAL RESOURCES OVERVIEW
Topography and Hydrology
The Yarborough Parcel falls within the Deep Creek Unit, while the Edgefield Parcel falls within
the South Mainstem Unit of the Lower St. Johns River Basin. The Lower St. Johns River Basin
is the drainage area for the portion of the St. Johns River extending from the confluence of the
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
9
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers near Welaka north to the mouth of the St. Johns River at
Mayport (east of Jacksonville). This particular segment of the river is also referred to as the St.
Johns Estuary, a name indicating its importance as a breeding and feeding area for numerous
species of fish and other wildlife.
Though the highest elevations within the Yarborough Tract are just 20 feet above sea level, the
effects of the elevation (coupled with extensive draining of water from the area) on the natural
communities within the property are pronounced.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
10
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Figure 4. Hydrology
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
11
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Soils
The soils within the parcels are generally flat and poorly drained sandy soil in the few uplands
and thick organic muck in the wetlands. The following is a brief list of the major soil types and
several species with which each is associated.
Terra Ceia muck- Terra Ceia muck is associated primarily with Deep Creek and Dog Branch.
This is a very deep, very poorly drained organic soil that is typically associated with floodplains.
Natural vegetation associated with this soil type includes sawgrass, lilies, sedges, reeds,
maidencane, and other aquatic plants. Cypress, blackgum, cabbage palm, bay species, and pond
pine typically dominate the wooded wetland areas having this soil type.
Pomona and Wabasso fine sands- Pomona and Wabasso soils are deep poorly drained fine sands
originating in marine sediment. These soils are generally found in flatwoods and depressional
habitats. Typical species include longleaf pine, slash pine, gallberry, saw palmetto, and
wiregrass.
Floridana sands- Floridana sands are commonly found in depressional areas and floodplains.
They are poorly drained soils. Species the soils are most commonly associated with include
cabbage palmetto, wax myrtle, cypress, and cordgrass in depressions; while typical floodplain
species include tupelo, sweetgum, and red maple.
EauGallie sands- EauGallie sands are poorly drained sandy soils typically associated with
depressional areas and sloughs. Typical vegetation includes longleaf pine, saw palmetto,
gallberry, and wiregrass.
Riviera sands- Riviera sands are very deep poorly drained soils formed in sandy and loamy
marine sediment. These soils are typically found in depressions and flats. Characteristic
vegetation includes species typical of wetter flatwoods communities. Slash pine, cabbage palm,
saw palmetto, and wiregrass are common.
Placid fine sands- Placid fine sands are very deep and very poorly drained soils typical of flats,
depressions, and floodplains. These soils typically occur in wet forested areas; pond pine, bays,
cypress, gum, and a variety of grasses are characteristic species found in this soil type.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
12
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
®
Figure 5. Soils Map
Pomona
Malabar
Riviera
Wabasso
Wauchula
Floridana
Terra
Ceia
Pomona
Edgefield Parcel
0.2
0.1
0
0.2 Miles
1:22,000
Wabasso
Floridana
Yarborough Parcel
Riviera
0.3 0.15
0
0.3 Miles
1:30,000
Soil Type
CASSIA
FLORIDANA
PLACID
SURRENCY
WABASSO
EAUGALLIE
MALABAR
POMONA
TERRA CEIA
WAUCHULA
ELECTRA
ORSINO
RIVIERA
TOCOI
WINDER
Figure 5.
Soils Map
Edgefield and Yarborough Parcels
at Deep Creek Conservation Area
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
Edgefield and Yarborough
Parcel Property Boundaries
13
The St. Johns River Water
Management District prepares
and uses this Information for
its own purposes and this
information may not be
suitable for other purposes. This
information is provided as is.
Further documentation of this
data can be obtained by contacting:
St. Johns River Water Management
District, Geographic Information
Systems,Program Management,
P.O.Box 1429, 4049 Reid Street
Palatka, Florida 32178-1429
Tel: (386) 329-4176.
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Natural Communities
The following descriptions of the natural communities found within the conservation areas have
been compiled using the definitions of each natural community as found in the Florida Natural
Areas Inventory’s (FNAI) Guide to the Natural Communities of Florida. The descriptions below
have been tailored to best describe the natural communities being addressed in this management
plan.
Floodplain Swamp - Floodplain Swamp is a prominent natural community at the Yarborough
parcel. This community type occurs at the lowest elevations of the property, lining Deep Creek
as it meanders northwestward toward the St. Johns River. This natural community is flooded for
prolonged periods during the year. Common species are cypress, tupelo, and cabbage palm.
Little groundcover is present due to the typically wet conditions of this natural community.
Mesic Hammock – Several areas within the management area could best be described as mesic
hammock. These areas often are an intermediate natural community situated between uplands
and wetlands. Mesic hammocks are composed typically of a variety of hardwood species with
little or no groundcover. Hammock is a community that is the thought to be the result of fire
exclusion. Fuels within hammocks typically do not support fire spread. However, fire will be
allowed to move from adjacent fire-adapted communities into hammock edges, where it will
likely burn out. As a result, little or no active resource management will be required in these
areas.
Dome Swamp – Several very small dome swamps can be found scattered within the parcels.
Dome swamps are generally small areas that are formed in areas where a depression has been
created in the soil. Larger trees typically occupy the deeper waters at the centers of these
swamps, while smaller trees populate the outer, shallower edges of these swamps, giving them a
domed appearance. Though these small swamps can hold water for long periods of time, the
outer edges of them are dependent on fire. Typically, fire is allowed to move through the edges
of these swamps when prescribed fire is introduced in neighboring natural communities.
Flatwoods - Flatwoods are the most prominent natural community found at the Yarborough Land
Management Tract. The northern portions of the property east of Deep Creek have intact
flatwoods communities with an abundance of diversity in the groundcover as well as in the shrub
layer. The southern portions of the property east of Deep Creek tend to be significantly wetter,
and natural regeneration resulted in heavily stocked stands of loblolly and slash pine.
Mesic and scrubby flatwoods- Scrubby flatwoods have very similar species compositions as do
mesic flatwoods, with the addition of species commonly found in scrub areas. Mesic and scrubby
flatwoods are managed similarly and tend to occur as a mosaic at the Yarborough Parcel. For
this reason, they will be addressed together.
Several small areas within the mesic and scrubby flatwoods burned in wildfires after acquisition
by the District, and several prescribed burns have been implemented by District staff in recent
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
14
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
years. Several large open areas resulted from the wildfires; the canopy is composed mainly of
widely scattered longleaf pines and wiregrass is a common element across large portions of the
areas. Longleaf pine can also be found in the under and mid stories, where it appears to be
regenerating well. Open areas also characterized by a diverse mix of grasses, forbs, and low
growing shrubs. Scrubby flatwoods have been burned by District staff in the late dormant/ early
growing seasons. The results have been impressive; scrub components have been reduced in
stature and groundcover components have responded very well.
Wet flatwoodsPortions of the property located south of Cowpen Branch Road are dominated by wet flatwoods.
Prior to the District acquisition, the area had been allowed to regenerate naturally in loblolly and
slash pine. The result was a dense overstory of small diameter trees, a moderate shrub layer, and
few grasses and forbs. Much of this area was thinned in 2005-2006; creating an open canopy
reduces competition among trees, in time allowing for larger trees with fuller canopies. Increased
light penetration from an open canopy also promotes the growth of native grasses and forbs in
the understory.
Since acquisition of the Yarborugh Parcel, dormant season burns implemented by District staff
have reduced heavy fuel loads to manageable levels and several areas are now ready for growing
season burns. Flatwoods are a fire maintained community, and fire will be the primary
management tool used by the District in restoring and maintaining this natural community.
The Dog Branch/ Edgefield Parcel has a small area that could best be described as flatwoods,
and it is likely that the agricultural field that dominates the property was once a flatwoods
community.
Agricultural Areas – Several abandoned agricultural fields can be found within the Yarborough
Parcel. District Environmental Sciences staff are determining whether or not the locations of the
fields are suitable for the installation of an additional stormwater treatment facility. If the fields
are deemed unsuitable, District Land Management staff will restore the fields to the extent
practicable.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
15
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Figure 6a. Natural Community Map- The Yarborough Parcel
®
Figure 6a. Natural Community Map
Yarborough Parcel
0.2 0.1
0
0.2 Miles
1:20000
Aerial imagery courtesy of St. Johns County
Natural Community
agriculture
Created Wetland
Stormwater Pond
cypress dome
floodplain swamp
hammock
mesic flatwoods
scrubby flatwoods
wet flatwoods
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
The St. Johns River Water
Management District prepares
and uses this Information for
its own purposes and this
information may not be
suitable for other purposes. This
information is provided as is.
Further documentation of this
data can be obtained by contacting:
St. Johns River Water Management
District, Geographic Information
Systems,Program Management,
P.O.Box 1429, 4049 Reid Street
Palatka, Florida 32178-1429
Tel: (386) 329-4176.
16
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Figure 6b. Natural Community Map- The Edgefield Parcel
®
Figure 6b. Natural Community Map
Edgefield Parcel
0.1 0.05 0
0.1 Miles
1:10000
Life Estate
Natural Community
Regional Stormwater Treatment Area
floodplain forest
floodplain swamp
hammock
mesic flatwoods
upland mixed forest
wet flatwoods
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
The St. Johns River Water
Management District prepares
and uses this Information for
its own purposes and this
information may not be
suitable for other purposes. This
information is provided as is.
Further documentation of this
data can be obtained by contacting:
St. Johns River Water Management
District, Geographic Information
Systems,Program Management,
P.O.Box 1429, 4049 Reid Street
Palatka, Florida 32178-1429
Tel: (386) 329-4176.
17
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Wildlife
An inventory of wildlife has not been conducted as of yet. However, observations by District
personnel indicate that the area provides habitat for a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate
species. Most notable species are bald eagles, gopher tortoises and associated species, whitetailed deer, pygmy rattlesnakes, Virginia opossum, eastern cottontail, American alligator,
raccoon, wild turkey, woodpeckers, and owls. Numerous species of waterfowl and wading birds
occur in the wetland portions of the conservation areas.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
18
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
IMPLEMENTATION
The Yarborough Parcel, Edgefield Parcel, and The Yarborough Land Management Tract are
tremendously different parcels and will require very different things in their management. For
this reason, portions of this land management plan will address each parcel individually when
necessary.
RESOURCE PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT
Water Resource Protection
The wetlands and surface water within the region have received tremendous disturbance
historically. At both the Yarborough and Dog Branch/ Edgefield Parcels, surface water resources
and water quality have suffered as a result of intensive agricultural use and the associated
ditching and draining.
The District has improved roads, bridges, and culverts within both the Yarborough and Dog
Branch/ Edgefield properties, helping to reduce erosion. These roads and crossings will be
regularly inspected and maintained.
Water Resource Protection Strategies
Maintain roads, bridges, and culverts.
Regularly inspect roads, bridges, and culverts for erosion problems.
Forest and Fire Management- The Yarborough Land Management Tract
Yarborough is a diverse parcel, with natural communities ranging from swamp at lower
elevations to scrubby flatwoods at the highest elevations. The nature of the property, a mix of
pine flatwoods and wetlands, causes forest and fire management to be critically important and
integrally linked. It is crucial to understand that the planning and application of forest and fire
management activities must be coordinated to achieve restoration and management goals.
Chapter 253.036, Florida Statutes requires the lead agency of state lands to prepare a forest
resource analysis, “…which shall contain a component or section prepared by a qualified
professional forester which assesses the feasibility of managing timber resources on the parcel
for resource conservation and revenue generation purposes through a stewardship ethic that
embraces sustainable forest management practices if the lead management agency determines
that the timber resource management is not in conflict with the primary management objectives
of the parcel.” The management requirements of the site do require the harvesting of marketable
timber. In fact, a thinning of 134 acres was completed in 2006. The main objective of this
harvesting is to improve natural community health. All revenue generated from these forest
management activities is applied towards the District’s Land Management Division budget to
offset management costs for the property. The District will abide by all forestry Best
Management Practices and will maintain proper stand densities as described in the District Forest
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
19
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Management Plan. In slash and longleaf pine forests, the target overstory basal area ranges from
60 to 90 square feet per acre.
Commonly, when thinnings are complete, prescribed fire is applied. Thinnings often compact
fuel loads and provide physical breaks in the vegetation, lessening the speed with which fire can
spread. These reduced fuel loads allow District staff to introduce growing season burns years
sooner- often in a much wider range of conditions- than would be possible otherwise.
Nearly all of the upland areas within the parcel are either fire dependent or fire influenced,
making prescribed fire one of the most important land management tools available for use in the
restoration and maintenance of natural communities. Prescribed fire promotes community
diversity, maintains ecotonal areas, and reduces potentially hazardous fuel loads. Dormant
season burns will be used initially in areas with high fuel loads. Once fuel loads have been
reduced, growing season burns will be introduced in order to better mimic a natural fire cycle.
Large portions of the Yarborough Parcel were allowed to regenerate in pines (naturally) prior to
District ownership. Species range from loblolly and slash pine in wetter areas to longleaf pine in
drier sites. Little management was performed in forested areas prior to District ownership; at the
time of acquisition, wetter areas were densely forested. The District has conducted thinning
operations in several heavily stocked stands in order to reduce high fuels loads and to create a
more open canopy. Reducing fuel loads significantly lessens the danger of catastrophic wildfire.
Creating an open canopy reduces competition among trees, in time allowing for larger trees with
fuller canopies. Increased light penetration from an open canopy also promotes the growth of
native grasses and forbs in the understory.
In sharp contrast to heavily stocked wet flatwoods, longleaf pine dominated mesic and scrubby
flatwoods at the Yarborough parcel tend to be very open. Two small areas were affected by
wildfire shortly after acquisition by the District. The result is a very open canopy with a diverse
groundcover of native grasses and forbs. Regeneration of longleaf pine is evident as well. The
District has conducted prescribed burns in several stands; nearly all of the areas dominated by
longleaf pine are suitable to implement growing season prescribed burns in.
Though prescribed fire is the preferred restoration and maintenance tool used within the
conservation areas, in certain circumstances it may be necessary to implement alternative
methods. During periods of prolonged drought, or in areas where implementing prescribed fire
safely is not feasible, the District may use chemical or mechanical means to treat natural
communities in order to mimic the effects of fire. Mechanical methods may include, but are not
limited to mowing, rollerchopping, or overstory removal. Additionally, the District will remove
trees as needed in the case of insect infestations, disease, damage from severe weather, or other
occurrences that could jeopardize the health of the natural communities. In areas where the
overstory is absent, District staff will utilize all information (including soil type, existing
understory vegetation, position in the landscape) to determine what overstory species would be
most appropriate for the natural community. Planting or direct seeding will be used in
conjunction with natural regeneration when necessary.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
20
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Please see the attached fire management plan for the Yarborough Land Management Tract
(Appendix A) for more information.
Forest Management Strategies
Utilize prescribed fire as a forest management tool.
Monitor forested areas for disease or insect infestations.
Fire Management Strategies
Introduce dormant season burns in order to reduce fuel loads in areas where fire has been
excluded for long periods of time.
Continue to conduct dormant season burns until fuel reduction goals are met and growing
season burns can be safely conducted.
Begin implementing growing season burns in areas with reduced fuels.
Special Management Conditions- The Yarborough Parcel
Several large abandoned agricultural fields are present on the west side of Deep Creek at the
Yarborough Parcel. District Environmental Sciences staff considered installing an additional
Regional Stormwater Treatment Area in several of the fields, but have decided that the fields are
not appropriate. One or more of the fields may be exchanged with a neighboring landowner for
an area more suitable for the installation of another Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility;
should this not occur, District land management staff will initiate restoration of the fields.
Two other agricultural fields are located within the Yarborough Parcel on the east side of Deep
Creek. The District has issued a special use authorization (SUA) to a local farmer to continue
growing crops. The authorization will be renewed on an annual basis until the fields are deemed
necessary for District use in the management of the property. At that point, the fields will be
evaluated for restoration or exchange.
As with other agricultural areas in the region, water levels at the Yarborough Parcel have been
manipulated with water control structures and a series of canals. District land management staff
will fill many of the interior canals that bisect the agricultural fields in order to restore as many
of the natural hydrological processes and contours as are possible without affecting neighboring
landowners. Historic vegetation types, soils, and other factors will be used to determine the
historic upland/ wetland boundary. Soil maps indicate that large portions of the fields were
wetlands prior to conversion. Wetland areas will be restored to wetlands, while upland areas will
be revegetated with upland species.
District staff will then utilize all available information (including soil type, understory vegetation
in nearby intact natural areas, position in the landscape) to determine what species would be
most appropriate for the fields. Portions of the fields nearest existing intact natural communities
may experience some natural regeneration of overstory species, however, as distances between
natural areas and agricultural fields increase, natural regeneration will decrease. Planting or
direct seeding will be used in conjunction with natural regeneration when necessary.
Special Management Strategies
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
21
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Determine appropriate species for abandoned agricultural fields.
Replant or direct seed in conjunction with natural regeneration when necessary.
Wildlife
Detailed inventories of wildlife species on the properties have not been conducted as of yet.
However, observations by District staff and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
wildlife biologists indicate that the areas provide habitat for a variety of vertebrate and
invertebrate species. Species of note include black bears, bald eagles, gopher tortoises, whitetailed deer, Virginia opossum, eastern cottontail, wild turkey, raccoon, pygmy rattlesnakes, and
the American alligator. Numerous waterfowl and wading birds occur in the wetland portions of
the parcels. The simple act of acquiring the properties affords more short-term protection for
these species than almost any other activity. Restoration of uplands and maintenance of ecotones
between natural communities will enhance the habitats utilized by these species and provide
long-term protection as well.
Wildlife Protection Strategies
Continue to restore natural communities at the conservation areas.
Continue to maintain ecotones between natural communities.
Invasive Species
Several invasive plant species are known from the Yarborough Parcel. These species include
chinaberry, camphor, and the highly aggressive Japanese climbing fern. The property has been
incorporated into the District’s invasive plant management program; staff chemically treat the
populations as they are identified. Additionally, the property is monitored regularly for both new
and recurring populations and retreated as necessary. Though feral hogs are a common nuisance
species throughout much of Florida, few hogs have been observed at the Yarborough or
Edgefield Parcels. Should hogs become a problem at either of these parcels, the District will
issue a Special Use Authorization to a local hog trapper in order to assist with feral hog
management.
Exotic Species Strategies
Continue to monitor for invasive plant species and chemically treat as necessary.
Continue to monitor feral hog activity within the management area.
Issue a special use authorization (SUA) to an area hog trapper should feral hogs become a
nuisance at the Yarborough or Edgefield Parcels.
Cultural Resources Protection
A review of the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources (DHR) digital Master Site
files indicates that there are no registered cultural sites within either parcel. If sites are located,
District staff will document and report the sites to the Division of Historical Resources. Should
sites be found, District staff will evaluate and modify land management activities to prevent
impacting the sites.
Cultural Resource Protection Strategies
Identify and report any new sites to Florida Division of Historical Resources.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
22
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Should sites be discovered, evaluate and modify land management activities to avoid
impacting the sites.
LAND USE MANAGEMENT
The St. Johns River Water Management District is legislatively mandated to provide recreation
opportunities on District-owned land where compatible with land management goals. The
District may restrict use as necessary for protection of natural resources, restoration and
conservation projects, and avoidance of conflicting uses.
Access
The Yarborough Parcel – The Deep Creek West RST can be accessed from George Miller Road.
A small parking area is located on the west side of the road. This parking area is fenced and
gated, and provides walk-through access to the public. District staff will have motor vehicle
access to the water treatment facilities in order to perform regular maintenance as needed. St.
Johns County Equestrian Center has asked permission to access the Yarborough Parcel in an area
just west of the District’s westernmost boundary line. A deep canal interrupts the land between
the Equestrian Center property and the District property; staff at the Equestrian Center propose to
acquire the appropriate permits and construct a bridge that would provide access from one
property to the other. Installation of the trail will be contingent upon the completed construction
of the bridge.
The Yarborough Land Management Tract − A small parking area will be installed off Cowpen
Branch Road in order to provide access to the public for traditional recreational uses, as well as
to provide access to District staff in order to perform routine land management and maintenance
activities. The parking area will be fenced and gated, and a walk-through area will be provided.
A small road leads from the parking area west into the parcel. A multi-use trail will be installed
by District staff; much of the trail will follow existing woods roads.
The Edgefield Parcel– The Edgefield Parcel can be accessed from CR 207A. Currently, there is
no public access to the Edgefield parcel. However, once the installation of the RST is complete,
the area will be fenced and gated, and a walk- through area will be installed. District staff will
have motor vehicle access to the water treatment facilities in order to perform regular
maintenance as needed.
Access StrategiesInstall additional fencing, gates, walk-through areas, and parking areas as recreational
areas are constructed.
Continue to maintain existing fencing, gates, walk-through areas, and parking areas.
Install additional trails as needed.
Continue to maintain roads, bridges, and trails.
Maintain informational signage near parking areas.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
23
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Recreation
The Yarborough Parcel –At Deep Creek West RST, the public is directed to a designated
parking area. The District has installed a kiosk describing the purpose of the Facility. The
perimeters of both the stormwater pond and the created wetland are bermed. The bermed areas
will serve dual purposes as both recreational trails for public use and maintenance routes for
District staff. Because the water treatment area is designed to capture nutrient-laden
agricultural runoff, all water-based recreational activities are strictly prohibited.
St. Johns County Equestrian Center has asked permission to access the Yarborough Parcel in an
area just west of the District’s westernmost boundary line. However, a large canal separates the
properties. Equestrian Center staff plan to pursue appropriate permits and funding necessary in
order to have a bridge installed. Once the bridge is completed, District staff have agreed to
improve and maintain a short trail.
The Yarborough Land Management Tract
District staff plan to install a short marked trail and associated parking area on the eastern portion
of the Yarborough Parcel near Cowpen Branch Road. This marked trail will be suitable for
hiking, biking, wildlife viewing, photography, and equestrian activities. The District will install a
kiosk near the trailhead, and the property will be added to the District’s Recreation Guide to
Public Lands. Recreational users should note that the proposed parking area is small, and will
accommodate a limited number of vehicles.
Dog Branch/ Edgefield
Though the property is small and relatively isolated, the proposed RST will provide limited
recreational opportunities to the public. Like the pond at Deep Creek West Regional Stormwater
Treatment Facility, the bermed perimeter of the pond will be used by the public as a multi-use
trail. The berm will also be used by District staff as a maintenance route. All water-based
recreational activities are prohibited.
Recreation StrategiesInstall and maintain trails.
Install an informational kiosk near the parking area and water treatment area describing
allowed activities and explaining how the treatment system works.
Create a brochure detailing the trail system at the conservation area utilizing GPS data.
Continue to update and maintain brochure.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
24
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
®
Figure 7a. Conceptual Equestrian Trail Map
GEORGE MILLER ROAD
GEORGE M
ILLER ROA
D
Figure 7a.
Conceptual Equestrian Trail
Yarborough Parcel
St. Johns County
Equestrian Center
Conceptual
Equestrian Trail
Yarborough Parcel at Deep Creek
0.09
0.045 0
0.09 Miles
1:12000
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
The St. Johns River Water
Management District prepares
and uses this Information for
its own purposes and this
information may not be
suitable for other purposes. This
information is provided as is.
Further documentation of this
data can be obtained by contacting:
St. Johns River Water Management
District, Geographic Information
Systems,Program Management,
P.O.Box 1429, 4049 Reid Street
Palatka, Florida 32178-1429
Tel: (386) 329-4176.
Aerial imagery courtesy of St. Johns County
25
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
®
Figure 7b. Roads and Recreation Map
Figure 7b.
Roads and Potential Trails
Yarborough Parcel at
Deep Creek Conservation Area
0.2
0.1
0
0.2 Miles
Yarborough Parcel
Woods RoadsMowed annually and as needed
Future recreational trails will be placed
on existing roads whenever possible.
1:20000
The St. Johns River Water
Management District prepares
and uses this Information for
its own purposes and this
information may not be
suitable for other purposes. This
information is provided as is.
Further documentation of this
data can be obtained by contacting:
St. Johns River Water Management
District, Geographic Information
Systems,Program Management,
P.O.Box 1429, 4049 Reid Street
Palatka, Florida 32178-1429
Tel: (386) 329-4176.
Aerial imagery courtesy of St. Johns County.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
26
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Environmental Education
These parcels provide opportunities for groups and individuals to study Florida’s natural
communities and wildlife. The Deep Creek West and Dog Branch/ Edgefield RSTs will offer
working demonstrations of innovative water treatment techniques. An informational kiosk
describing the water treatment facility has been installed at the Deep Creek West RST. A similar
kiosk will be installed at the Dog Branch/ Edgefield RST once the installation of the facility is
complete. The District will continue to identify and encourage environmental education
opportunities within the conservation area.
Environmental Education Strategies
Encourage environmental education opportunities as they arise.
Security
The upland boundaries of the properties within the conservation area are fenced and marked
where necessary. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) law enforcement
officers and local law enforcement officers regularly patrol the conservation areas. Additionally,
the District has an existing contract with a private security firm to provide an extra measure of
security when needed. There are no plans at this time to establish a security residence within the
management area. The District will reevaluate the need for security residences should problems
arise.
The District provides recreation guides informing users of regulations and allowable uses of the
properties.
Security Strategies
Continue cooperation with FWC.
Continue cooperation with private security firm.
Design and distribute brochures describing trails, stormwater treatment facilities, and
allowed activities within the management area.
Maintain fencing, gates, boundary markings, and signage.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
27
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
ADMINISTRATION
Acquisition
District staff are seeking additional acquisition of parcels where additional water treatment areas
will most contribute to improved water quality. Therefore, additional acquisitions are likely to
occur within the area in the next five years.
Cooperative Agreements
No existing cooperative agreements. St. Johns County has expressed an interest in managing the
Deep Creek West Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility. Should the county become the lead
manager of the facility, a cooperative agreement will be written in order to formally designate
them as such.
Leases, Easements, and Concessions
No proposals for leases, easements, or concessions are expected within the next five years.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
28
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
MANAGEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION CHART
DEEP CREEK CONSERVATION AREA
Task
Responsible Lead
Due Date
Cooperators
Resource Protection and Management
Water Resource Protection
Regularly inspect roads and crossings
for erosion problems
Maintain pump stations at RSTs
DLM
Annually
DPWNR
DLM
As Needed
DLM
Annually
DLM
Annually
DLM
2007
DLM
As Needed
DLM
2007
DLM
2007
DLM
2007
DLM
Annually
DLM
Annually
DLM
Annually
DLM
As Needed
DLM
As Needed
Forest Management
Utilize prescribed fire as a forest
management tool
Monitor forested areas for disease or
insect infestations
Fire Management
Introduce dormant season burns in
areas where fire has been excluded
Continue to conduct dormant season
burns until fuel reduction goals are
met
Introduce growing season burns in
areas with reduced fuels
Special Management Strategies
Determine appropriate species for
abandoned agricultural fields.
Replant or direct seed in conjunction
with natural regeneration when
necessary
Wildlife
Continue to restore natural
communities
Continue to maintain ecotones
between natural communities
Exotic Species
Continue to monitor for invasive
plant species and treat as necessary
Continue coordination with hog
trapper
Cultural Resources
Identify and report any new sites to
Florida Division of Historical
Resources
DHR
Land Use Management
Access
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
29
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Maintain fencing, boundary markers,
roads, crossings, and parking areas
Maintain limited access points and
roads necessary for resource
management activities
Maintain informational signage near
trailheads and regional stormwater
treatment areas
DLM
Annually
DPWNR
DLM
Annually
DPWNR
DLM
Annually
DLM
2006
DLM
2006
DLM
DLM
As Needed
2006-2007
DLM
As Needed
DLM
As Needed
DLM
Annually
DLM
Annually
DLM
Annually
Recreation
Install marked multi-use trail at the
Yarborough Land Management Tract
Create a brochure detailing trail
system and allowed activities
Maintain marked multi- use trail
Install a informational kiosks at the
Yarborough Land Management Tract
and at the dog Branch/ Edgefield
RST
Update and maintain brochure for
trail system
TC
KC
Environmental Education
Encourage educational opportunities
as they arise
OC
Security
Continue contract with private
security firm.
Continue to coordinate with Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission and local law
enforcement.
Maintain gates, signage, fencing and
boundary marking.
DPWNR
Key
DLM
OC
DLA
DOF
DPWNR
FWC
DHR
TC
KC
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
Division of Land Management
Office of Communications
Division of Land Acquisition
Division of Forestry
Division of Public Works Northern Region
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Division of Historical Resources
Trailhead Developer Contractor
Kiosk Contractor
30
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
APPENDIX A, FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN
FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN
THE YARBOROUGH LAND MANAGEMENT TRACT
AT DEEP CREEK CONSERVATION AREA
PREPARED BY
ST. JOHNS RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
DIVISION OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
31
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................. 33
BURN FREQUENCY................................................................................................................. 33
BURN TIMING AND TYPE OF FIRE .................................................................................... 34
WILDFIRE POLICY ................................................................................................................. 35
BURN REPORTS ....................................................................................................................... 35
SMOKE MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................................ 36
FIGURE 1. MAP OF SMOKE SENSITIVE AREAS ............................................................................ 37
MECHANICAL TREATMENTS ............................................................................................. 38
HAZARDS ................................................................................................................................... 38
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................................... 38
WILDLIFE .................................................................................................................................. 38
FIGURE 2. EAGLE NEST LOCATION MAP .................................................................................... 40
FIRE MANAGEMENT UNITS................................................................................................. 41
FIGURE 3. MAP OF FIRE MANAGEMENT UNITS .......................................................................... 46
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
32
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
The Yarborough Land Management Tract at
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Fire Management Plan
St. Johns County
OBJECTIVES
General fire management philosophies, policies, procedures, standards, logistical information,
and reporting guidelines are addressed in the District Fire Management Plan. The District Fire
Management Plan is applicable throughout the district, while this particular fire management
plan is tailored to address issues that apply solely to the Yarborough Land Management Tract at
Deep Creek Conservation Area (Yarborough) for the next five years. Details concerning desired
weather parameters, logistics, required equipment, required number of staff, and other specifics
are detailed in the burn prescriptions that are written for each individual fire management unit
prior to burning.
The fire management goals of Yarborough are driven primarily by the assumption that fire
historically has played a vital role in creating and maintaining Florida ecosystems, and that the
species that comprise the ecosystems are dependent upon, or adapted to, periodic burning. It is
also recognized that excluding fire from them would alter successional patterns and create
excessive fuel loading which could damage natural communities and pose safety hazards.
The primary objectives of fire management at the conservation area are:
Reduction of heavy fuel loads through dormant season burns, decreasing the risk of
wildfires and resulting smoke management problems.
Stimulation of flowering in herbs, forbs, and other vascular plants through reintroduction
of growing season burns.
Promotion of diversity within and among natural communities.
Creation of a vegetation mosaic by varying intensity, frequency, and season of burn
within each maintained natural community.
Maintenance of natural ecotones between vegetation types.
Restoration and maintenance of habitat for rare plant and animal species.
These objectives will be accomplished through partitioning the management area into fire
management zones and implementing burn programs for each zone. The sections that follow
summarize the considerations that influence the use of fire as a tool for managing biological
communities and the techniques that are most useful within this particular conservation area.
BURN FREQUENCY
The biological community determines burn frequency. Some communities require frequent fires
to perpetuate themselves while others are adapted to infrequent catastrophic fires. Some
communities are not adapted to fire and require fire exclusion for their continued existence. The
following fire-adapted communities occur at the conservation area:
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
33
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Community
Fire Return Interval
Mesic Flatwoods
Wet Flatwoods
Cypress Dome (edges)
Scrubby Flatwoods
2-8 years
3-7 years
3-5 years
8-25 years
The fire return intervals listed above apply to communities in relatively pristine conditions. For
areas that are not in good condition, due to past fire exclusion, hydrologic alterations, or other
disturbances, the fire return intervals may vary. For example, in flatwoods areas where hardwood
encroachment is substantial, more frequent fire may be necessary until a sufficient level of
control is reached.
The community types listed below generally are not the primary targets for fire management at
the conservation area; however, these communities often are embedded within or grade into
communities which are fire tolerant or fire dependent. They are considered by many to be fire
influenced, because while they do support fire at some frequency, fire has the potential to have
rather extreme effects. In some cases, the fire-influenced communities listed below require fire in
only a portion of the areas they cover. For example, fire is necessary to maintain the open edges
in depression marsh habitats, but rarely burn entirely through the marsh.
Several areas within DCCA could best be described as oak hammock. These areas
normally have little to no groundcover, and burn infrequently. These communities often occur in
areas adjacent to pine flatwoods, and pines-and their associated needle litter- are not uncommon
in the ecotonal areas between the natural communities. In these transitional areas, fire will be
allowed to burn in as far as it will; as the pine declines in more interior areas within hammocks,
the fire will likely burn out.
Cypress domes are small depressional areas scattered within the flatwoods at Deep Creek
Conservation Area. Though fire rarely reaches interior portions of these domes (the fire return
interval is thought to range from 100 to 150 years), frequent fire is necessary in the maintenance
of their edges. For this reason, prescribed fire will be allowed to burn into the domes in order to
maintain their open edges while preventing excessive peat accumulation.
The above-listed communities make excellent natural firebreaks during normal or wet
conditions. Whenever possible, the ecotonal areas between these communities and adjacent fire
adapted communities will be included in burns.
BURN TIMING AND TYPE OF FIRE
The seasonal timing of ecological burns is as important as their frequency. Dormant season fires
help to reduce hazardous fuel loads, increasing safety and reducing extreme smoke hazards.
Growing season burns mimic natural lighting-ignited fires and can result in a reduced shrub
layer, a diverse and abundant herbaceous layer, and a reduction of hardwoods.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
34
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
A goal of fire management at the conservation area is to increase the frequency of growing
season burns in relation to dormant season burns. Most fires should occur during the natural fire
season, which occurs between April and August. However, a spring or summer fire will not be
introduced into an area that has high fuel accumulations. At this time, fire has been excluded
from the fire management units within the conservation area for a significant amount of time. For
this reason, dormant season burns will likely be introduced initially in order to reduce heavy fuel
loads.
Though growing season burning is an important factor in mimicking a “natural” fire regime,
variations within the natural fire season are important as well. Fire can stimulate seed production,
flowering or even seed germination in many plant species. Different plant species are stimulated
depending on the season of the burn. For example, wiregrass will not produce seed unless burned
in the summer, whereas a winter fire stimulates the strongest flowering response in saw palmetto.
WILDFIRE POLICY
Plant communities that are burned on a natural fire frequency do not build up excessive
accumulations of fuels and are relatively resistant to wildfires. For example, under normal
summer weather conditions, a lightning strike in a mesic flatwoods that had burned within the
past two to three years may burn itself out within a few acres, or burn at such low intensity and
rate of spread as to make containment within existing firebreaks possible. Regular prescribed
burning is the best defense against damaging wildfires.
Under ideal conditions the suppression strategy will utilize existing fuel breaks to contain the
wildfire. This is only possible, with the agreement of local fire rescue, DOF and District staff,
when all of the following conditions are met: 1) fuels within the area have been managed and are
therefore reduced; 2) no extreme weather conditions are present or expected; 3) there are no
other wildfires that may require action; 4) there are sufficient resources available to manage the
fire to containment; 5) the fire and the resulting smoke will not impact neighbors or smoke
sensitive areas. If the any of these conditions are not met, direct suppression action will be taken.
As soon as possible following a fire in which firelines are plowed, a plan for fireline
rehabilitation shall be developed and implemented.
Persons discovering arson or wildfires on the Conservation Area should report them to the
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Forestry (DOF), the St.
Johns River Water Management District, or by dialing 911.
BURN REPORTS
Before, during, and after a burn or a wildfire, burn zone reports must be filled out. These reports
assist both in planning a burn and in recording observations that afford the opportunity to
analyze each burn upon its completion. In this way, information on different techniques and
whether or not objectives were achieved is available for future use.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
35
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
SMOKE MANAGEMENT
Next to managing the burn, smoke management may be considered the most critical element in
using prescribed fire. Because the conservation area is located in an increasingly urbanized area
there are several challenges for the prescribed fire program, most of which arise from smoke
management. US Highway 17, US Highway 1, County Road 13, County Road 204, County Road
209, State Road 207, State Road 206, Interstate 95, a railroad, and numerous residential areas lie
within the one, two, and ten mile radii of the conservation area. This situation provides for a
narrow window of conditions to safely manage smoke. To further complicate the matters, the site
can experience significant (and often rapid) changes in wind speed and/ or direction as a result of
its close proximity to the St. Johns River and associated wetlands. Setting and adhering to strict
parameters of soil/fuel moisture, time of ignition, and weather for each fire management unit can
mitigate many of these smoke-related complications. High rates of dispersion will help to carry
the smoke up and away quickly.
As development increases in the area, fire management will become more difficult. Increasing
daily traffic on CR 13, SR 206, and SR 207 will impact the District’s ability to implement
prescribed burns at the appropriate fire return intervals (because an already narrow smoke
management window will continue to tighten) within the conservation area.
The majority of fire dependent areas at the conservation area fall within fuel models 2, 4, and 7,
and 9, or a combination thereof. Though the arrangement and composition of fuels is highly
variable within the fire management units, fire spread will typically be through grasses or long
needle litter and the shrub layer, with larger shrubs and ericaceous components contributing to
fire intensity. In much of the mesic flatwoods/ wet flatwoods, light grasses, saw palmetto,
gallberry, and various small shrubs dominate the understory with widely scattered slash or
longleaf pine in the overstory. Scrubby flatwoods communities are very similar to mesic
flatwoods communities with the addition of typical scrub species, such as myrtle oak and sand
live oak.
In order to reduce the impacts of smoke, the prescriptions for each individual fire management
unit must pass a smoke screening system before each prescribed burn. This system must include
a smoke map charting wind direction and identifying smoke sensitive areas. A map of smoke
sensitive areas is included within this plan as Figure 1. In addition to smoke management maps
created well in advance of a prescribed burn, smoke management maps are created early in the
morning on the day the prescribed fire will be conducted. Florida Division of Forestry provides a
Smoke Mapping Tool via the agency’s website. Using this computer program, land managers
delineate the areas they plan to burn, the computer program adds the forecasted weather
conditions for the duration of the prescribed fire, and a map is created defining the areas that
have the potential to be affected by smoke on that particular day. The website can be viewed at:
http://flame.fl-dof.com/wildfire/tools_sst.html#SST.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
36
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
kk
®
Figure 1. Map of Smoke Sensitive Areas
k
k
k
k
t
u
1
§
¦
¨
95
k
k
k
t
u
17
k
Schools
Interstate Highways
US Highways
County Roads
State Roads
k
Railroad
Smoke Sensitive Areas
Yarborough Land
Management Tract
Yarborough Land Management Tract
at Deep Creek Conservation Area
Smoke Buffer Radii
1 mile buffer
0.90.450
0.9 Miles
1:165500
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
2 mile buffer
10 mile buffer
37
The St. Johns River Water
Management District prepares
and uses this Information for
its own purposes and this
information may not be
suitable for other purposes. This
information is provided as is.
Further documentation of this
data can be obtained by contacting:
St. Johns River Water Management
District, Geographic Information
Systems,Program Management,
P.O.Box 1429, 4049 Reid Street
Palatka, Florida 32178-1429
Tel: (386) 329-4176.
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
MECHANICAL TREATMENTS
Weather conditions (both short and long term), as well as a fire management unit’s proximity to
urban areas, are critical factors in implementing a safe and effective prescribed fire program.
Should drought conditions become severe, or if smoke management becomes an insurmountable
problem, the District will use chemical applications or mechanical methods, such as mowing or
rollerchopping, as alternatives to prescribed fire.
HAZARDS
Common hazards include heat stress, venomous snakes, holes, and unsound or dead trees close
to the fireline. Individual prescriptions address the hazards to consider when burning each unit
and are discussed during the pre-burn briefing.
Numerous canals can be found in and around Yarborough. District staff should be aware of this
while conducting a prescribed burn, as the canals are not passable in a normal vehicle and can
make it difficult to access portions of fire management units. Alternate access points will be
discussed at pre-burn briefings prior to ignition of affected fire management units.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
Only burn managers certified by FDOF will approve the unit prescriptions and must be on site
while the burn is being conducted. Certified burn managers adhering to the requirements of State
Statute 590.026 are protected from liability for damage or injury caused by fire or resulting
smoke, unless negligence is proven.
WILDLIFE
BALD EAGLES
None of the fire management units are located near a bald eagles’ nest, in fact the closest
documented nest is over 2 miles away. Figure 2 shows the locations of area nests. Should a nest
be documented, the District will act in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the third
revision of the Habitat Management Guidelines for the Bald Eagle in the Southeast Region
established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1987. However, the habitat management
guidelines do not specifically address fire. As a result, the District has consulted with the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and/or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prior to
conducting any management activities that could disrupt bald eagle nesting between the dates of
October 1 to May 15 within the established management zones.
GOPHER TORTOISE
In June 2006, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission designated the gopher
tortoise a threatened species. Since the tortoise’s designation as a threatened species was so
recent, management guidelines for the tortoise have not yet been written. However, District staff
will take care to minimize disturbance in areas where gopher tortoise burrows have been
observed. Ideal gopher tortoise habitat is characterized by well-drained sandy soils and open
grassy areas, generally with a pine-dominated overstory. Prescribed fire is though to be
tremendously beneficial in maintaining tortoise habitat, and tortoises have been observed by
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
38
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
District staff within the boundaries of the fire management units at Deep Creek Conservation
Area. Numerous other protected species are known to use gopher tortoise burrows as well.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
39
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
®
2004
)
Figure 2. Eagle Nest Location Map
2004
)
2004
)
2004
)
2004
)
Eagle Activity
Active
No longer active
d Unknown
Nest no longer there
)
)
)
The number represents the year the nest was last known to be active.
Area Eagle Nest Locations
Yarborough Land Management Tract
at Deep Creek Conservation Area
0.9 0.45 0
0.9 Miles
Yarborough Land
Management Tract
Approximate locations of
Fire Management Unit
Boundaries
The St. Johns River Water
Management District prepares
and uses this Information for
its own purposes and this
information may not be
suitable for other purposes. This
information is provided as is.
Further documentation of this
data can be obtained by contacting:
St. Johns River Water Management
District, Geographic Information
Systems,Program Management,
P.O.Box 1429, 4049 Reid Street
Palatka, Florida 32178-1429
Tel: (386) 329-4176.
1:100000
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
40
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
FIRE MANAGEMENT UNITS
To organize fire management information, District staff divided upland areas into several distinct
Fire Management Units (FMUs). The factors considered for the size and arrangement of the
FMU’s are: the presence of existing natural and constructed barriers; the overall size of the
conservation area; fuel loads; and the proximity of the urban interface. In some instances, the
District may construct fuel breaks within the fire management units, dividing them to create
smaller compartments. This will enable staff to manage the fire more effectively when working
in the urban interface or in unusually heavy fuels. Fuel breaks will also serve as ignition lanes,
providing areas where prescribed fire staff can ignite the units more safely from within the larger
fire management unit.
The property’s history of wildfire has impacted the density of the overstory trees in several areas.
The result is an extremely open canopy with little shading or sheltering in large portions of
several of the FMUs. The understory vegetation is a mixture of grasses, small shrubs (such as
Vaccinium myrsinites), saw palmetto, and gallberry in wetter portions of the FMUs. Wiregrass is
a significant component of the groundcover in open areas, and both longleaf and slash pines,
though scattered, appear to be regenerating well.
The southeastern portions of the property tend to be relatively wet. These areas were allowed to
regenerate naturally, which resulted in a dense overstory of slash and loblolly pine. Fire
exclusion in these areas allowed oaks to grow into the midstory and even the overstory in some
cases. As a result, the groundcover is extremely suppressed. Virtually all of the affected areas
were thinned in 2006. The thinning will allow much-needed sunlight to reach the forest floor
while reducing competition in forested areas.
Prescribed fire will be the primary tool used by District staff in the restoration of forested areas
at the Yarborough Land Management Tract. As restoration begins and prescribed fire is
introduced, maintenance of natural community functions will become the primary goal for land
management staff. Regardless of what level of restoration each FMU has reached, prescribed fire
will continue to be a critical tool in the management of the Yarborough Land Management Tract
for years to come.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
41
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Below is a brief description and list of objectives for each FMU that is likely to be burned within
the next five years. A more detailed description of individual unit objectives will be included in
the prescriptions attached to the annual burn plan.
The Yarborough Parcel as a whole is a relatively narrow property. Deep Creek flows from
southeast to northwest through the parcel; for this reason nearly every Fire Management Unit
within the parcel grades to some degree into the edges of a wetland. Wetland edges tend to be
characterized by large saw palmetto, gallberry, and other shrubs. Fire behavior at wetland edges
will be affected by these changes in vegetation.
FMU YB-E5, YB-E6, YB-E7, YB-E8, YB-E9, YB-E10
Fire Management Units YB-E5 through YB-E10 are very similar and therefore will be described
together. All of the above listed units were thinned in 2006. The result is scattered slash or
loblolly pine in the overstory. Dense shading prior to thinning left the units with little
groundcover; many of the shrubs in the units were disturbed by the thinning and will be
suppressed for several years. Needle litter and logging debris are virtually the only fuels
available to burn in the next few years. By opening the canopy with the thinning and allowing
sunlight to reach the forest floor, understory grasses and forbs should respond well in time.
Natural Community
Fuel Model
Acres
Fire History
Vegetation
Fire Interval
Objectives
Primary Fire Carrier
Hazards
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
Flatwoods (mesic and wet)
9/ 11
Varies
Unknown. No obvious evidence of fire.
Understory: Needle litter. Light logging slash. Saw
palmetto is clustered in areas dominated by oaks, as
these areas were not affected by thinning.
Midstory: Hardwoods (oaks) dominate the
midstory.
Overstory: Scattered slash and loblolly pine. Oaks
occasionally reach into the overstory as well.
2-8, Growing season.
To reduce the amounts of logging debris and to
stimulate the growth of native grasses and forbs. To
reduce hardwood encroachment. To improve habitat
conditions for native wildlife species. To reduce
hazardous fuel loads (logging slash).
The primary carriers of the fire will be needle litter
and light logging slash, though pockets of larger
shrubs such as saw palmetto will contribute to fire
intensity and serve as “jackpots” of fuel.
Smoke- FMU is approx 3/4 mile from CR 204 at its
closest point. FMUs are just over 2 miles from
Southwoods Elementary School. Scattered
residences in general vicinity of the FMUs.
42
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Canals within and surrounding the property will
make portions of fire management units difficult to
access.
FMU YB-E11, YB-E12
Scrubby flatwoods is the dominant natural community type in both fire management units. This
portion of the property has been affected by wildfire, and prescribed fire has been utilized in the
units as well. These units both have very open overstories of widely scattered longleaf pine.
Understory vegetation is diverse; wiregrass and small shrubs provide a nearly continuous
fuelbed.
Natural Community
Fuel Model
Acres
Fire History
Vegetation
Fire Interval
Objectives
Primary Fire Carriers
Hazards
Scrubby flatwoods
7
Varies
Numerous fire plow lines are evident. Prescribed
fire in April, 2005.
Understory: Wiregrass and low growing shrubs.
Pockets of large shrubs and increase in needle litter
where units grade into wetter areas toward Deep
Creek.
Midstory: Scrubby oaks. Bulk of the midstory was
topkilled by prescribed fire in 2005. However,
midstory trees are resprouting. Overstory: Scattered
longleaf and slash pine.
8-25 years. Growing season.
To reduce hardwood encroachment. To improve
habitat conditions for native wildlife species. To
promote the growth and regeneration of native
species. To reduce hazardous fuel loads.
Wiregrass, low- growing saw palmetto, numerous
other species of grasses and low-growing shrubs.
Smoke- CR 204 is just over 1 mile from the FMUs.
Scattered residences in general area of the FMUs.
Canals within and surrounding the property will
make portions of fire management units difficult to
access.
FMU YB-E13, YB-E15,
Mesic flatwoods is the dominant natural community type in these fire management units.
Prescribed fires have been conducted in both FMUs; YB-E15 was burned in 2004, and YB-E13
was burned in 2005. Interior portions of these units have moderate overstories of longleaf and
slash pine. Shrub layers are moderate to heavy, with large saw palmetto (greater than 4 feet in
height) being common. Understory vegetation is suppressed due to shading and competition
from shrub layer.
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
43
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Natural Community
Fuel Model
Acres
Fire History
Vegetation
Fire Interval
Objectives
Primary Fire Carriers
Hazards
Mesic flatwoods
4
Varies
Numerous fire plow lines are evident. Prescribed
fire in March 2004 (YB-E15). Prescribed fire in late
April 2005 (YB-E13).
Understory: Needle litter. Very large shrubs, mainly
saw palmetto.
Midstory: Scrubby oaks. Bulk of the midstory was
topkilled by prescribed fire in 2005. However,
midstory trees are resprouting. Overstory:
Moderately dense longleaf and slash pine.
2-8 years. Dormant season.
To reduce shrub layer. To improve habitat
conditions for native wildlife species. To promote
the growth and regeneration of native species. To
reduce hazardous fuel loads.
Substantial shrub layers. A few small areas in each
unit are more open; fire will be carried primarily
through needle litter in these areas. However, the
primary carrier overall will be the shrubs.
Smoke- CR 13 is just over 1 mile from FMUs. SR
206 is just over two miles from FMUs. Scattered
residences in general area of the FMU. Canals
within and surrounding the property will make
portions of fire management units difficult to
access. YB-E15 has agricultural fields on two sides.
The openness of the agricultural fields may
influence localized winds (may cause swirling or
eddy effects).
FMU YB-E14, YB-E16, YB-E17
Mesic flatwoods is the dominant natural community type in these fire management units. This
portion of the property has been affected by wildfire , and prescribed fire has been utilized in the
units as well. Interior portions of these units have very open overstories of widely scattered
longleaf and slash pine. Understory vegetation is diverse; a variety of grasses and small shrubs
provide a nearly continuous fuelbed. Perimeters of the fire management units have a more
dominant shrub layer; saw palmetto tends to be larger in stature and more continuous.
Natural Community
Fuel Model
Acres
Fire History
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
Mesic flatwoods
7/ 4
Varies
Numerous fire plow lines are evident. Prescribed
fire in March 2004.
44
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
Vegetation
Fire Interval
Objectives
Primary Fire Carriers
Hazards
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
Understory: Wiregrass and low growing shrubs.
Pockets of large shrubs and increase in needle litter
where units grade into areas nearing wetlands
associated with Deep Creek. Midstory: Some
scattered hardwoods in each unit.
Overstory: Scattered longleaf and slash pine.
2-8 years. Growing season.
To reduce hardwood encroachment. To improve
habitat conditions for native wildlife species. To
promote the growth and regeneration of native
species. To reduce hazardous fuel loads.
Wiregrass, low- growing saw palmetto, numerous
other species of grasses and low-growing shrubs.
Smoke- CR 13 and SR 206 lie just outside the 1
mile buffer of the fire management units. Scattered
residences in general area of the FMU. Canals
within and surrounding the property will make
portions of fire management units difficult to
access.
45
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006
­
YB-E21
Figure 3. Map of Fire Management Units
YB-E18
YB-E17
YB-E16
YB-E15
YB-E14
YB-E13
YB-E12
YB-E11
YB-E10
YB-E9
YB-E7
YB-E8
YB-E5
YB-E6
CR
13
YB-E4
YB-E2
YB-E3
YB-E1
Yarborough Parcel
at Deep Creek Conservation Area
Map of Fire Managmenet Units
The Yarborough Parcel
Fire Management Units
0.1
0.05
0 0.1 Miles
1:20000
Deep Creek Conservation Area
Yarborough and Edgefield Parcels
Aerial imagery courtesy
of St. Johns County.
46
The St. Johns River Water
Management District prepares
and uses this Information for
its own purposes and this
information may not be
suitable for other purposes. This
information is provided as is.
Further documentation of this
data can be obtained by contacting:
St. Johns River Water Management
District, Geographic Information
Systems,Program Management,
P.O.Box 1429, 4049 Reid Street
Palatka, Florida 32178-1429
Tel: (386) 329-4176.
Land Management Plan
Board Final August 2006