Red Bug Lake is in the city of Casselberry in Seminole County. It is approximately 4 miles south of Lake Jesup and less than 1 mile northeast of Lake Howell. Red Bug Lake has a large regionally important county park on its southern shore, and has relatively large, intact wetlands around part of it northern shore. Redbug was placed on the Priority List in 2019 to replace the much smaller Lake Hodge in Seminole County.
The District’s MFLs approach involves two separate but interrelated components: 1) MFLs Determination; and 2) MFLs Assessment. The first involves determining a minimum hydrologic regime necessary to protect relevant water resource values. The second involves comparing this MFLs condition to a current-pumping condition to determine the current status of the MFLs. The overall process involves an analysis of ecological, recreational, and hydrological information, all of which undergo independent scientific peer review. Field work and surface water modeling for the Red Bug Lake are ongoing. The Red Bug Lake MFLs determination is scheduled for completion by the end of 2022.
MFLs Peer Review Approach in the CFWI
The District typically engages in voluntary peer review of all MFLs on its Priority List. Because Red Bug Lake (Seminole County) is within the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) area, the District will follow the CFWI MFLs peer review process. This includes stakeholder input in the selection of MFLs report and model peer reviewers as well as stakeholder involvement in public workshops for the review of the models, hydrological analyses and environmental analyses that are used to determine and evaluate proposed MFLs within the CFWI.
As with other CFWI MFLs, the Red Bug Lake MFLs peer review is divided into two phases. First, the surface water model, including calibration and long-term simulations, will be reviewed by independent technical experts in the field of hydrologic modeling. The second phase of the peer review process will involve an evaluation of recommended minimum lake levels, including the environmental criteria used for MFLs determination and the hydrologic analyses used for MFLs assessment. One or more firms will be selected for review of the MFLs determination and assessment.
Red Bug Lake HSPF Model and Documentation Report
Surface Water Model Peer Review
- Model Peer Review Schedule
- CFWI MFL peer review process
- Model peer reviewer selection matrix
- Peer review kick-off
- Surface water model peer review scope of work (SOW)
- Peer reviewer resume
- Peer Review workshop (December 16, 2020)
- Peer Review workshop (March 4, 2021)
- Workshop summary
- Workshop attendee list
- Peer review report
- SJRWMD peer review resolution document
