Ecological_Assessment_Report_10.16.25.pdf

B owman and B lair Ecology and Design, Inc.

Ecological Assessment Report

Orange County Sidewalks Y22-900

W Jackson Street from Ivey Lane to Ortman Drive Ortman Drive from south dead end to Cynthia Street

Ortman Drive from Cynthia Street to Old Winter Garden Road Expansion of Stormwater Pond east of S. Ortman Dr. and north of W. Jackson St.

Orange County, Florida

Prepared by:

Bowman and Blair Ecology and Design, Inc.

5080 Parkridge Ct.

Oviedo, FL 32765

Prepared for:

Pegasus Engineering, LLC 301 West State Road 434, Suite 309

Winter Springs, FL 32708

16 October 2025

B &B No 150008-28

Doc: \150008-28 –Pegasus. OC Sidewalks Ph. 1

5080 Parkridge Ct., Oviedo, FL 32765 407.637.5885 www.bandbecology.com

Ecological Assessment Report W Jackson Street from Ivey Lane to Ortman Drive

Ortman Drive from south dead end to Cynthia Street Ortman Drive from Cynthia Street to Old Winter Garden Road

Expansion of Stormwater Pond east of S. Ortman Dr. and north of W. Jackson St.

INTRODUCTION

Bowman and Blair Ecology and Design, Inc. (Bowman and Blair), as the ecological consultant to Pegasus Engineering, LLC, conducted an ecological assessment of the areas within the rights-of-way listed above and the County-owned parcel which includes a previously permitted upland cut stormwater pond. The purpose of the assessment was to document the presence of ecological conditions occurring on-site that may pose constraints to construction of the proposed improvements. The scope of this investigation was limited to biological elements such as plant community characterization, wetland delineation, and federal or state listed plant and animal species.

This report serves to document the findings from our investigation and is provided to accompany the application for a General Permit from St. Johns River Water Management District (District).

The 0.75-mile combined street length with the existing rights-of-way and the west end of the 2.72-acre stormwater pond parcel are located between Old Winter Garden Road and W. Jackson Street, generally northwest of Lake Mann in unincorporated Orange County.

METHODOLOGY

The project area review of published aerial photography, topographic, soils information, the state’s database of protected species occurrence was investigated through records and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Florida Audubon Eagle Nest Locator databases and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) maps of listed bird species nest colonies and/or forage territories. Finally, ecologists familiar with the vegetative communities of the state of Florida conducted field reviews to delineate jurisdictional wetlands and confirm or amend the information collected from database searches and the review of published information. The wetland and surface water documentation of occurrence were noted using the Unified Wetland Delineation Methodology for the State of Florida dated 1 July 1994 (62-340 F. A. C.). Wetlands were not found to occur along the streets where sidewalks are proposed. The limits of wetland conditions along the west side of Lake Mann for the pond site were previously established have been field-located by a professional surveyor and serve as the basis for the proposed expansion of the pond on its north, west, and south sides, with no involvement of the area between the existing pond and the lake shore.

The project area was also investigated in the field during meandering pedestrian transects for the presence of any resident listed plant and/or animal species through actual observation, signs of scat, prints, or other indications of their presence or utilization. The conclusions herein are based on limited field observations and existing data records, and do not exclude the possibility that other listed species may occasionally forage on-site or may move into the project area later. General observations and vegetative community types were recorded via field data sheets and photographs.

EXISTING SITE CONDITIONS

LOCATION

For all of the areas between S. Ortman Drive and W Jackson Street edges of pavement and the right-of-way fence include either shallow, mowed drainage swales or shallow roadside ditches, all parts of a previously permitted stormwater management system. The stormwater pond parcel at 109 S. Ortman Dr., with the pond composing the west approximately one acre portion of parcel 29- 22-29-6188-00-130; the larger part of the 2.72 acre parcel lies within Lake Mann. (Figures 1 and 1a)

TOPOGRAPHY

The project area is located in the United States Geological Service’s Orlando West, Florida quad.

(Figure 2) which depicts level terrain throughout the entirety of the parcel, showing elevations of approximately 100 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD), with slightly lower elevations near the shoreline of Lake Mann. The project area is located within the District’s Shingle Creek Basin.

SOILS

Soil mapping often provides an indication of the historic and/or current conditions of a site, the potential for presence of sensitive plant communities (e.g., wetlands, scrub, other vegetative communities), and/or the potential for the presence of listed plants and animal species that are typically limited to specific plant communities. These soils are mapped by the Natural Resources Conservation Service Web Soil Survey as depicted in Figure 3. The project area is mapped as including portions of three soil types, which are described below. Given the long history of development in the project area, the two primary soils, altered from their original conditions, are Ona-Urban land complex (unit 27) and Wabasso-Urban land complex (unit 52). Ona-Urban land complex is typically a non-hydric poorly drained soils where the depth to the water table is 6 to 12 inches. Wabasso-Urban land complex is a similar non-hydric soil occurring in areas where the depth to the water table is historically 6 to 18 inches.

LAND USES/VEGETATIVE COMMUNITIES

The land uses within the project limits were reviewed utilizing aerial photography and ground-truthing during the field investigation. Four primary land uses within and adjacent to the project area were mapped and described using the Florida Land Use, Cover and Forms Classification System (FLUCCS), 1999 (Figure 4).

Upland land uses include Residential Medium Density (FLUCCS 120), Multiple Dwelling Units, low rise (FLUCCS 133), Mixed Commercial (FLUCCS 147), and Reservoirs (manmade/retention ponds) less than 10 acres (FLUCCS 534)

Wetlands and Surface Waters

No natural wetlands were found to occur in the project limits. A large stormwater pond occurs on the west side of S. Ortman Dr., south of Old Winter Garden Road. A second, smaller pond at 109 S Ortman Dr. is proposed to be enlarged as part of the stormwater management plan for this sidewalk project (Fig 5). This smaller pond is surrounded by a berm on three sides, open to the east along the border with the large stormwater pond. The berm is vegetated by both native and non-native herbaceous plants, maintained by mowing.

LISTED ANIMAL AND PLANT SPECIES

Based on in-house data searches with ground truthing, the project area was investigated to determine if suitable habitat for any of the listed species occurs in a location that would result in project impacts to the species. The developed areas within the project do not include any of the habitat types required for the listed species that could occur within this area of Orange County.

Wetland dependent species such as wading birds or raptors could utilize the shallow edges of the constructed ponds for forage. The following text discusses species which would not be adversely affected but could be observed in the general vicinity of the project work; and these should be avoided during construction activities.

Birds

The Bald Eagle is no longer listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. However, it should be noted that protection of the bald eagle will continue under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and by the revised management plans issued by the FWC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the Service). The Audubon Florida Eagle Watch Public Nest Map search revealed that the closest Bald Eagle nest to the project site is OR082, which is 1.6 miles away. Due to the distance between the project and this nest, no further coordination will be necessary with the FWC or the FWS regarding bald eagle nests.

Wood stork (FT) – The project is not likely to adversely affect the wood stork, as it includes limited forage habitat, and no islands surrounded by expanses of open water which would provide nesting habitat.

Sandhill crane (ST) – Sandhill cranes may forage in open areas within development and along the stormwater ponds and shoreline areas of Lake Mann. The project site itself does not include any marshes that would offer suitable nesting habitat for this species. Foraging presence of this species does not necessitate any coordination with the FWC.

Reptiles

Eastern Indigo Snake – The project is not likely to adversely affect (NLAA) the eastern indigo snake, with the application of the standard protection measures. The extent of development within the project area has resulted in no xeric habitat supporting potentially active gopher tortoise burrows which are frequently used as refuge for indigo and other snakes. Individuals of this species typically have large home ranges of 200+ acres and use sandhill habitats in conjunction with wetlands during various parts of the year. The development areas within the project limits, and the remaining poorly drained undeveloped patches offer little forage for this snake.

Gopher tortoise – No evidence of gopher tortoises was observed during the site visit and no suitable habitat for their burrows occurs, given the shallow depth to the water table in the upland portion of the site.

Other Wildlife

Other wildlife or signs of wildlife that were encountered around the homesites during the site investigations included gray squirrel, brown anole (Anoles sagrei), blue-gray gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea), downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), and northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis).

Plants

State Endangered, Threatened, and Commercially Exploited Species – No coordination with the FDACS or the Service is required as it relates to listed plants. Listed plant species were not found to occur.

WETLAND/SURFACE WATER IMPACTS AND MITIGATION

Impacts to wetlands or surface waters are not proposed, other than expanding the capacity of the existing pond at 109 S. Ortman Drive. Impacts are not proposed to the east side of the Ortman pond which is separated from Lake Mann by a band of herbaceous and forested uplands.