Alternative Text Description for Cumulative Impact Basins (WMD)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays cumulative impact basins across the state of Florida as defined by the five Water Management Districts. The map shows watershed boundaries that delineate areas where water resource impacts are assessed cumulatively for regulatory purposes. These basin boundaries represent areas used in water management permitting and planning processes as described in Florida's Applicant's Handbook Volume I and II, incorporated in Rule 62-330, F.A.C.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the entire state of Florida, from the panhandle in the northwest to the southern tip near Miami. Major cities labeled on the map include Jacksonville on the northeast coast, Orlando in the central region, Tampa on the west-central coast, and Miami in the southeast. The map extends slightly beyond Florida's borders to show portions of neighboring states including Montgomery and Dothan in Alabama to the north, Albany and Valdosta in Georgia to the north and northeast, and Savannah on the Georgia coast. The map shows Florida's distinctive peninsula shape bordered by the Atlantic Coast on the east and the Gulf of America on the west.

KEY INSIGHTS

The cumulative impact basins cover the entire state of Florida with a network of watershed boundaries delineated in white lines. These boundaries divide the state into numerous individual drainage basins of varying sizes. The basin network is comprehensive, with no gaps in coverage across the state. The pattern reveals Florida's hydrological organization, with basins generally following natural drainage patterns. Basin sizes vary considerably, with some larger basins in North Florida and the panhandle region, while other areas show more fragmented, smaller basin boundaries. The boundaries extend to Florida's coastlines and cross into portions of the panhandle region.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Cumulative Impact Basins Layer

This layer represents the compilation of cumulative impact basin boundaries from all five Florida Water Management Districts.

Cumulative Impact Basins (light blue polygons with white boundaries)

Appearance:

The basins are shown as light blue polygons covering the entire state of Florida. Each individual basin is outlined with white boundary lines that delineate the watershed divides. The blue fill is semi-transparent, allowing underlying base map features to remain visible.

Distribution:

Basin boundaries extend across the entire state of Florida, from the western panhandle through North Florida and down the peninsula to South Florida. Coverage is continuous with no unmapped areas within the state boundaries.

Notable locations:

Basin boundaries are present in all regions including the panhandle area near Pensacola and Tallahassee, throughout North Florida, around major population centers including Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Fort Myers, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami, and extending to the southern tip of the Florida peninsula including the Everglades region and the Florida Keys.

Spatial patterns:

The basin boundaries create an interconnected network of watersheds across Florida. Basin sizes vary geographically, with some larger consolidated basins appearing in portions of North Florida and the panhandle, while other regions show more numerous smaller basins. The boundaries generally follow topographic divides and natural drainage patterns. Coastal areas show basins that drain directly to the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of America, or the Straits of Florida. The pattern reflects Florida's relatively flat topography with subtle drainage divides separating individual watersheds.

Overlapping Patterns

The cumulative impact basins represent a single unified layer with adjacent basins meeting at common boundaries. There are no overlapping features, as each location in Florida falls within exactly one cumulative impact basin.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map provides a statewide view of how Florida is divided into cumulative impact basins for water resource management purposes. These basin boundaries are used by the Water Management Districts to evaluate the cumulative effects of water use permits, environmental resource permits, and other regulatory activities within a watershed context. The boundaries represent hydrologic units where impacts to water resources are assessed collectively rather than on a site-by-site basis alone. This approach allows regulators to consider how multiple permitted activities within the same drainage basin may collectively affect water levels, flows, and water quality. The boundaries shown are compiled from the individual Water Management Districts and represent the official basin delineations incorporated into Florida's regulatory framework.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data represents a compilation of cumulative impact basin boundaries obtained from Florida's five Water Management Districts: Northwest Florida Water Management District, Suwannee River Water Management District, St. Johns River Water Management District, Southwest Florida Water Management District, and South Florida Water Management District. These boundaries are officially recognized in the Applicant's Handbook Volume I and II, which is incorporated by reference in Florida Administrative Code Rule 62-330. Data source layer name: WMD_CI_BASINS_NOV15.

Definition Query:

No definition query or filter criteria was applied. The map displays the complete cumulative impact basin dataset for all five Water Management Districts.

Scale Information:

The map is displayed at a statewide scale showing the entire state of Florida and portions of neighboring states. At this scale, individual basin boundaries are visible and the overall pattern of watershed organization across Florida can be observed.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087).

Time Period of Content:

The dataset file name indicates November 2015 (NOV15) as a relevant date, likely representing when the data compilation was created or last updated.

Limitations:

The boundaries represent a compilation from multiple Water Management Districts, and slight variations in delineation methodologies or update schedules between districts may exist. Users should consult individual Water Management Districts for the most current basin boundary information for specific regulatory applications. The map shows watershed boundaries for regulatory purposes and may differ from other hydrologic unit delineations used for different purposes.

Map Coverage:

The map covers the complete state of Florida from approximately 24.5° to 31° North latitude and 80° to 87.5° West longitude. Portions of Alabama and Georgia are shown for geographic context beyond Florida's northern border.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.