Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
The basin is comprised of four sub-basins
that collectively encompass 51 square
miles of urban and rural Gainesville: An
unnamed drain that includes the Ironwood
Golf Course area, Airport Basin, Gum
Root Swamp Basin and Prairie Creek
Reach, which surrounds Newnans Lake
(Figure 7.2). Land surface elevation
above NGVD ranges from 165 feet in the
upper part of the watershed to 70 feet near
Newnans Lake.
7.1
Introduction
The Little Hatchet Creek watershed is located in the northeastern quadrant of the
city of Gainesville (Figure 7.1). Little
Hatchet Creek flows from west to east and
empties into Newnans Lake.
The majority of the watershed is located
in the Northern Highlands physiographic
province (White 1970). Land surface
elevations decrease as Little Hatchet
Creek crosses the Cody Scarp (toe at 100
feet above NGVD) into the Central
Highlands physiographic province on the
north side of Newnans Lake (White 1970;
Hoenstine and Lane 1991). A thin mantle
of Plio-Pleistocene terrace deposits of
Figure 7.1 Location of Little Hatchet Creek watershed in
Alachua County
The watershed of Little Hatchet Creek is
Figure 7.2 Little Hatchet Creek Watershed
7-1
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
sands, silts and clays overlies the entire
watershed. Beneath these surface
deposits, along the creek banks and bed
are outcrops of the Hawthorn Group
(Spangler 1985). These outcrops are
easily observed as the elevation decreases,
downstream of Waldo Road (SR 24).
Biological communities in the watershed
consist of pine flatwoods, bald cypress
swamps and mixed hardwood hammocks.
Soils in the majority of Little Hatchet
Creek watershed are somewhat poorly
drained and sandy to a depth of 40-80
inches. A small area of the watershed in
the vicinity of Gum Root Swamp
Conservation Area has soils that are very
poorly drained (Thomas et al 1985).
Schools in the area include Howard Bishop
Middle School, Metcalf Elementary
School, a One-Room Charter Schoolhouse
and St. Patrick’s School. Several State
facilities are located in the area around SR
222, including Santa Fe Community
Correctional Center, Gainesville
Correctional Institution, Alachua County
Sheriffs Office, Alachua County
Correctional Center Department of the Jail,
and North Florida Juvenile Detention
Center. Ironwood Golf Course, Gum Root
Park and Gum Root Swamp Conservation
Area are located in the southern and
eastern parts of the watershed and are used
for recreation in the form of golfing and
hiking. Ironwood Golf Course is an
award-winning course that has won many
awards for its natural community
conservation and environmental
awareness. In 1999, it became one of the
first municipal golf courses in Florida to be
certified by Audubon International, a
group that grades courses based on wildlife
habitat, water conservation and pesticide
use (USGA 2002). Gum Root Park and
Gum Root Swamp Conservation Area
encompass 741 acres of forested wetlands
Residential, commercial, and institutional
land uses dominate in the western areas of
the watershed. Single family homes and
most local businesses are located west of
SR 24 between NE 39th Avenue (SR 222)
and NE 16th Avenue. Located close to the
headwaters of Little Hatchet Creek is the
Murphree Wellfield and Water Treatment
Plant, where groundwater is pumped from
the Floridan aquifer to supply the drinking
water needs of Gainesville. Gainesville
Regional Utilities operates the plant and
owns 7100 acres of the surrounding area
as a conservation easement. Located in
the northern portion of the watershed are
the Alachua County Animal Services
facility, the Alachua Solid Waste Transfer
Station, and the Alachua County
Household Hazardous Waste Collections
Center. Other properties include the
Gainesville Regional Airport located on
SR 222 and multiple small businesses
such as automobile and appliance repair
shops and furniture refinishers, located in
industrial parks along Waldo Road.
Ironwood.Golf Course
7-2
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
of bald cypress and black gum, upland
scrubby flatwoods, and a 20-acre pasture.
Much of this acreage is in public
ownership. Ironwood Golf Course is
owned by the City of Gainesville, and
Gum Root Park and Gum Root Swamp
Conservation Areas are cooperatively
managed by the City of Gainesville and the
St. Johns River Water Management
District.
the Airport Industrial Park after which it
flows through Gum Root Swamp Conservation Area and empties into the northern
portion of Newnans Lake.
Main tributaries of Little Hatchet Creek
include a tributary located on Ironwood
Golf Course and the Airport Basin tributary (Figure 7.2). Ironwood tributary
flows east to meet the southern branch of
Little Hatchet Creek just north of NE 39th
Avenue. The Airport Basin tributary begins on the Alachua County Fairgrounds,
crosses under NE 39th Avenue twice and
drains into pine flatwoods which connect
with Gum Root Swamp Conservation
Area.
7.2
Watershed Description
Little Hatchet Creek consists of a number
of intermittent natural tributaries, dredged
canals, and swamps. The sections of the
creek that are dredged or channelized tend
to flow more consistently than the natural,
more swampy sections, many of which are
dry except during periods of high flow.
Much of Little Hatchet Creek’s baseflow is
from springs and seeps that emerge in
dredged ditches and canals along the
creek’s southwestern portion in Unnamed
and Airport Basins. An area of pine flatwoods northeast of NE 39th Avenue serves
as a sheetflow area that drains both to the
creek and to Newnans Lake. Gum Root
Swamp also contributes baseflow to the
creek as Little Hatchet Creek flows
through the swamp before emptying into
Newnans Lake. The main channel of Little Hatchet Creek begins from a 24-inch
corrugated metal pipe in the vicinity of NE
53rd Avenue and flows east to Brittany Estates subdivision. A tributary of Little
Hatchet Creek, Lateral A, begins near NE
9th Street and flows northeast to join the
main channel at the eastern edge of Brittany Estates.
7.2.1 Main Channel
NE 53rd Avenue to Brittany Estates
The main channel of Little Hatchet Creek
emerges from a 24-inch RCP culvert under NE 53rd Avenue and flows southeast
for 1.5 km before entering Brittany Estates Mobile Home Park subdivision.
Shortly after emerging from beneath NE
53rd Avenue, the main channel is joined
by a tributary flowing east from NE 15th
Street. Here, Little Hatchet Creek meanders slowly southeast, bordered by low,
stable banks with wide riparian zones of
native vegetation. Streambed erosion is
very slight and scouring is low. The creek
flows east through Brittany Estates for
approximately 0.3 km in the form of a
dredged channel and then is joined by
Lateral A tributary. The banks of the
channel are low and moderately stable and
reinforced with retaining walls of concrete
and rock. However, natural vegetative
riparian zones on either side of the creek
are less than 2 m wide. The streambed is
moderately eroded with some evident
The main channel of Little Hatchet Creek
continues east and then southeast through
7-3
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
scouring and sand smothering.
and flood damaged. Outer banks observed
along the length of this segment extend up
to 4-6 meters in height and the creek has
an incised inner channel 1-2 meters deep.
The streambed is scoured down to a clay
substrate in many areas along this section.
Little Hatchet North Branch at Airport
From Brittany Estates, Little Hatchet
Creek flows east under Waldo Road and
through the Airport Industrial park via a
Little Hatchet Creek western segment
south of NE 39th Avenue
Little Hatchet Creek emerges south of NE
39th Avenue through a double box culvert.
This section of the creek is intermittently
dry and during dry periods may have only
a few shallow pools of water near the culvert. Banks near the culvert are 1.5 meters
high and moderately stable with some
signs of erosion. Several meters beyond
the culvert, the height of the creek banks
drop to floodplain level. The creek continues to flow in this manner through the
floodplain for about 0.30 km, becoming
braided as it flows into a cypress swamp.
Severely eroded bank along Little Hatchet Creek near the
airport
Little Hatchet Creek eastern segment
north and south of NE 39th
A little more than 0.5 km north of NE 39th
Avenue, Little Hatchet Creek is dominated
by intermittent sheet flow with no discernable channel. Continuing south, an old
tram road with a collapsed bridge is observed. Beyond the tram road, Little
Hatchet Creek becomes a natural flowing
stream winding its way between low banks
through a heavily vegetated forest. Bank
conditions here are stable and low with no
evidence of erosion. The streambed itself
shows very slight scouring in a few places.
The channel flows under NE 39th Avenue
via a triple box culvert and continues
southeast as a straight channel for approximately 0.12 km. Banks here are steep and
moderately unstable. The channel is several meters wide with moderate bank ero-
large 72-inch RCP for approximately 0.75
km. This area of Little Hatchet Creek is
heavily sand smothered and streambed
erosion is moderate with some scouring
observed. Banks here are moderately unstable. Little Hatchet continues for 0.5
km and ends in a 10-foot concrete culvert
under an auxiliary runway at Gainesville
Regional Airport. Banks here are high,
steep and unstable due to severe erosion
occurring due to the large volume of rainfall runoff from the runway.
One area near a culvert along this segment
is heavily eroded with large amounts of
sand deposited in the creek. Streambed
erosion is moderate with some areas
scoured to shell/rock surfaces. Although
this area is enveloped in a wide, forested
riparian zone, banks are steep, unstable
7-4
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
sion. Some scouring of the streambed is
visible. As the stream continues, its banks
flatten, the streambed narrows and becomes more sinuous, a good indication of
recovery to a more natural state. From this
point, Little Hatchet Creek flows through a
forested cypress wetland for 0.60 km.
streambed in this location has been
scoured to a width of approximately 3 meters.
NE 23rd Avenue to NE 31st Avenue
At NE 23rd Avenue, Little Hatchet Creek
emerges from a 24-inch concrete single
box culvert and is bordered on both sides
by parking lots. The area is exclusively
commercial and the creek receives storm
water runoff from many parking lots and
the roof drains of several businesses. Erosion has deepened the creek to a narrow
channel that is less than 1 meter across.
Flow is low here with some sections containing pools of stagnant water. Channel
width ranges from 2 to 4 meters. The
stream banks show signs of heavy erosion
7.2.2 Description of the Tributaries:
NE 9th Street and NE 19th Place to NE
23rd Avenue
Lateral A tributary of Little Hatchet Creek
emerges from a 18-inch concrete culvert
under NE 9th Street as a uniformly dredged
channel. The segment is flanked by Howard Bishop Middle School and Metcalf
Elementary School on the west bank and
low density housing on the east bank. The
channel banks are steep (2 meters high)
and moderately unstable in several places.
From NE 9th Street to NE 17th Terrace
there is no natural vegetative riparian zone
on either side of the channel other than a
few feet of grass and trees. The streambed
is approximately 2 meters wide and devoid
of aquatic vegetation but contains some
grasses and weeds. Streambed erosion is
slight and sand smothering is low in most
areas of the channel with the exception of
areas near storm drains, which are sand
smothered to a depth of a 0.5 meters. The
creek receives runoff from several school
parking lots and access roads, playing
fields, retention ponds and residential areas. The residential areas in this portion of
the watershed have 18 and 24-inch culverts
placed along the west bank. The channel
bends sharply 90o to the north at NE 17th
Terrace and the deeply incised channel
continues for 0.5 km to NE 23rd Avenue,
bordered by homes < 1 meter from either
bank. This unnatural bend has caused further erosion and bank instability. The
Little Hatchet Creek near Waldo Road.
due to construction and are steep and
deeply incised, ranging in height from 1 to
4 meters. No natural vegetative riparian
zones are present. Portions of the creek
are fenced on either side with less than 0.5
meters between the creek and the fence.
A significant amount of asphalt rip-rap is
present in the streambed. Some sections
of the creek bank have caved in. A strong
7-5
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
odor of petroleum was evident, probably
related to the large number of automotive
businesses located in close proximity to
the creek in this area. Bank failure due to
eroding concrete reinforcement was observed at a 16-inch culvert beneath NE
19th Drive.
zone of the creek ranges from 0 to 5 meters
and consists of a mixture of golf course
grass and native forested habitat. Erosion
is slight and the creek banks are mostly
stable with an average height of 1.5 meters. Streambed scouring and sand smothering is low. Several 24-inch corrugated
metal pipe culverts direct runoff into the
creek from the golf course. The creek then
flows for 0.35 km through a mixed pine/
oak forest bordered to the north by a wide,
well-maintained fire road. Increased erosion due to fire is evident, in some areas
the deeply incised and scoured banks are
surrounded by open, scorched forest. The
streambed is scoured to clay substrate in
these areas.
NE 31st Avenue to 0.40 km north of NE
39th Avenue
This stretch of Little Hatchet emerges
from a double box culvert at NE 31st Avenue as a dredged canal. In this area, the
creek is bordered on both sides by a mature pine plantation. The banks are high,
steep and moderately unstable. The
streambed is 3 to 4 meters wide, scoured
in some areas and sand smothered in others. The creek flows under SR222
through a double box culvert and continues north for 0.5 km past a U-Haul Facility and Double Envelope Corporation.
The creek along this section is approximately 4 meters wide with bank heights of
2 to 3 meters. Bank erosion is severe,
with some caving. Streambed erosion is
moderate with scouring and rerouting of
the channel noted in several areas. The
channel continues to flow northeast past a
large retention pond and wooded area. It
joins the main channel near Brittany Estates subdivision.
Airport Basin Tributary
The Airport Basin tributary is a small
creek in the lower portion of the Little
Hatchet Creek watershed that begins in a
wooded area on the Alachua County Fairgrounds. It runs approximately 0.16 km
southeast through grassy open fields before
crossing under NE 39th Avenue. Banks are
Ironwood Tributary
This tributary of Little Hatchet Creek begins in a small pond on the northwestern
side of Ironwood Golf Course and flows
east for approximately 1.2 km to meet the
southern branch of Little Hatchet Creek,
just west of Waldo Road and north of NE
39th Avenue. For the first kilometer of its
length, Ironwood tributary is a channelized. Through this section, the riparian
Little Hatchet Creek wetland near SR26.
7-6
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
low and stable and have no indication of
streambed erosion. From NE 39th Avenue,
the channel emerges from a 48-inch concrete culvert and runs south, bordered for
about 0.5 kilometer by pine flatwoods on
the east bank. The west bank of the channel is flanked by a retention pond. The
creek then turns east and continues flowing
past the Correctional Facility before it
crosses under NE 39th Avenue via a concrete culvert. Emerging from this culvert,
the creek flows through a narrow, dredged
channel, with low stable banks and a
slightly scoured streambed. The creek
continues in this dredged channel for several meters before becoming increasingly
sinuous and then braided as it flows east
for about 1 kilometer through a pristine
pine swamp. This swamp shows evidence
of being a sheetflow area during rain
events and is likely another source for Little Hatchet baseflow. Airport basin tributary may not be hydrologically connected
to the main channel of Little Hatchet Creek
except during periods of high flow.
between 1997 and 2001. In 1997, FDEP
personnel from the Jacksonville Northeast
District conducted a BioRecon at Little
Hatchet Creek at SR 26 (FDEP 1999),
which rated the creek as suspect. During
2001, the same site received at rating of
impaired when ACEPD and WAV personnel conducted a second BioRecon on
Little Hatchet Creek. BioRecon results
are presented in Table 7.1. In both assessments, Little Hatchet Creek scored a 0 on
the EPT index, well below the value of
10, the lowest value indicative of clean
waters. The collection of water quality
samples and macroinvertebrates for the
BioRecons on Little Hatchet Creek was
somewhat difficult because the creek is
intermittently dry and many areas of the
creek are braided or in the form of sheet
flow through swamps.
7.3
Physical Habitat and Biology
Some segments of Little Hatchet Creek
have potential habitat to support diverse
and healthy populations of macroinvertibrates and other aquatic species. Other
sections of the creek lack sinuosity due to
channelization, and are located in dense
populated residential, business, or institutional areas. Much of the natural flow of
Little Hatchet Creek has been altered due
to changes in land use in the watershed.
Over the past century, considerable commercial, residential and industrial development occurred in the area that has eliminated many areas with natural buffer zones
along the creek.
Two Rapid BioRecons were completed
Helichus sp.-A species found in Little Hatchet Creek
Lateral A and Airport area
Examples of areas containing poor habitat
for macroinvertebrate populations include
much of the areas along Lateral A tributary from NE 9th Street to NE 31st Avenue
and parts of Airport Basin Tributary.
These are poor areas for macroinvertebrate populations due to heavy erosion,
increased water velocity during storm
events, and a lack of natural vegetative
7-7
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
riparian zones. Along Lateral A tributary,
pollution runoff from area industries that
have unused vehicles and discarded appliances may contribute to an unfavorable
environment for macroinvertebrates. Approximately 44% of the areas adjacent to
the creek have been altered, especially the
sections along Lateral A and the northern
part of the creek that flows through the
Airport Industrial Park and the airport.
Such activity has lead to increased flow
and erosion during and immediately following storm events. This has lead to the
accumulation of sediments on potential
productive macroinvertebrate habitats,
such as aquatic plants, root mats and snags.
These sediments smother the substrates
and prevent them from serving as habitat
for macroinvertebrates and other animal
species. Suspension of sediments in creeks
also reduces the growth potential of certain
plant species and interferes with oxygen
levels for fish and other aquatic fauna.
Much of the creek bed in the disturbed areas of the watershed exhibit heavy sand
smothering and provides habitat for few
species of macroinvertebrates.
(Tradescantia spp.). Streambed erosion is
very slight and scouring is low. Substrate
diversity here is high with riffles and
pools followed by lengthy segments of
exposed, sediment-free root systems, debris jams, and leaf packs shown to support
some macroinvertebrate taxa including
Diptera and Decapoda. Although substrate diversity is high, substrate availability is suboptimal here and habitat smothering occurs (Line 2002).
Eastern and southern region
Over 56% of Little Hatchet Creek, such as
its eastern and southern portions, flows
through rural areas with natural habitats
including forest and forested wetlands.
Much of this land is state owned and several areas within these habitats have
healthy ecosystems with potential habitat
for macroinvertebrates and other aquatic
species. The major limiting factor that
reduces the potential of these areas to support large macroinvertebrate populations
is the fact that the creek is intermittently
dry, especially in areas where the land is
swampy, banks are low and the channel is
braided. The eastern portions of Airport
Basin tributary and the eastern areas of
the main channel of Little Hatchet Creek,
near sampling stations LHAT 26 and
LHAT26E, contain areas of potential
macroinvertebrate habitat. During the wet
season, these areas are comprised of pine
flatwoods with pond cypress domes that
have the potential to house various macroinvertebrate species. The areas have low
stable banks, sinuous flow patterns, undercut banks, exposed roots and many instream snags. This sheetflow area drains
to Gum Root Swamp Conservation Area.
Floodplain areas such as this serve as important water storage areas and also func-
Main Channel near NE 53rd Avenue
The main channel of Little Hatchet Creek
emerging from under NE 53rd Avenue is a
good example of a recovering natural
creek supporting various species of macroinvertebrate populations. Here, Little
Hatchet flows slowly southeast bordered
by low, stable banks with some wide riparian zones composed of native oak, pond
cypress (Taxodium ascendens), and maple
with a diverse understory of wax myrtle
(Myrica cerifera), Lyonia spp., and cherry
(Prunus spp.). Aquatic macrophytes here
include lizard tail (Saururus cernuus),
Ludwigia spp., and spiderwort
7-8
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
7.4
Pollution Sources
Point Sources
Much of Little Hatchet Creek flows
through rural areas of Gainesville where
few point sources of pollution exist.
However, some facilities in the watershed
may serve as point sources of pollution.
The first point source along the main
channel of Little Hatchet Creek is the
wastewater treatment plant for Brittany
Estates Mobile Home Park. Brittany Estates has over 300 mobile home sites and
its wastewater treatment facility has a capacity of 0.06 MGD of annual average
daily flow. The facility consists of pumping stations, aeration basins, secondary
clarifiers, hypochlorination disinfectants
and dechlorination systems. Final effluent
is discharged into a 0.6 acre polishing
pond before flowing into Little Hatchet
Creek. The FDEP performed a biological
assessment of the creek downstream of
the wastewater discharge (Fifth Year
Study) but results are not yet available.
The discharge contains elevated levels of
nitrogen and phosphorus. Although Florida currently does not have maximum discharge limits for phosphorus and nitrogen
in Class III surface waters, levels of these
nutrients in the treated effluent from Brittany Estates is often elevated. Occasionally, nutrient levels are as much as one
order of magnitude above those normally
found in Little Hatchet Creek. Total
phosphorus in Brittany Estates effluent
from 1999 through March 2002 ranged
from 0.15 mg/L to 4.04 mg/L with a median value of 2.08 mg/L. Nitrate + nitrite
values during the same time period ranged
from 0.035 mg/L to 11.8 mg/L with a median of 0.64 mg/L. Figure 7.3 compares
the values in the treated effluent with
background values of nitrogen and phos-
2.5
2
Nutrients (mg/L)
1.5
1
0.5
0
LHTNB
LHAT26
TP
LHT26E
Brittany
Estates
Effluent
NO2+NO3
Table 7.3 Comparison of nutrients in Brittany Estates
effluent with other sites on Little Hatchet Creek.
phorus in Little Hatchet Creek.
Several potential point sources regulated
by the Alachua County Hazardous Materials Management Code are located in the
Airport Industrial Park near Gainesville
Regional Airport. These include Clariant
Inc., Fabco-Air Inc., and Vital Industries.
Clariant Inc., formerly PCR Inc., manufactures specialty organic chemicals.
Aerial photograph of the Clariant Facility
There have been numerous and repeated
chemical releases at this facility in the recent past, and contamination of the surficial aquifer at the site was detected in
7-9
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
1984. Contamination of the surficial aquifer is widespread, covering much of the
eastern part of the facility. A groundwater
remedial action plan for groundwater
cleanup began in 1999 (Bird 2000).
Fabco-Air Inc., manufactures pneumatic
control devices, and formerly used an organic solvent as a cleaner, which generated
a waste of residual solvents and chromium.
From 1978 to 1986, a drainfield system
was used for disposal of these wastes. In
1988 the FDER (now FDEP) checked for
soil and groundwater contamination at this
site and determined that both were contaminated. However, Little Hatchet Creek
did not appear to be affected and the
Murphree well field is located upgradient
of the site (AT&E 1988). The impacted
soil was removed in 1987 and the groundwater contamination has been placed under
“monitoring only “ (MO) status. FabcoAir currently uses a water-based cleaner
and its waste is discharged to the municipal sanitary sewer system (AT&E 1988).
Vital Industries produced television broadcast switching equipment from 1973 until
the late 1980s. Organic solvents and degreasers were used in the production process. Wastes were stored in 55 gallon
drums on site, and in 1984, an inspection
by FDER and ACDES (now FDEP and
ACEPD) determined that small amounts of
organic compounds such as tetrachloroethylene (TCE) had contaminated groundwater in the area. However, a follow-up
contamination assessment found no evidence of migration of the contamination
beyond the property boundary (ECT
1990).
site. The airport landfill (now closed) is
located north of Little Hatchet Creek and
consists of three areas: a yard trash area, a
garbage area and a construction and
demolition debris area. (ESE 1985). A
1986 Groundwater Investigation Report
(GIR) conducted by the FDEP found that
the water table aquifer had been contaminated with lead, chromium, benzene, and
TCE (FDEP 1986). Possible sources of
these contaminants (in addition to the
landfill) are the shooting range and old
burn site located adjacent to the landfill.
The shooting range was opened in 1972
and is currently used by the public as well
as area law enforcement agencies (ESE
1985). Bullets used by Law Enforcement
officials at this site from 1972 to 1985
were made up of 90% lead, 6% tin, and
4% antimony. 1978, a lead recovery project was completed at the firing range. A
private firm sifted the berm surrounding
the range and removed several tons of
lead from the site. However, the berm
was severely damaged in the process.
Lead contamination may pose serious environmental and human health risks. The
old burn site is located on the north side
of the main airport runway, south of Little
Hatchet Creek. This site was operated
from the late 1970’s until approximately
mid 1981 by the City of Gainesville Fire
Department, which practiced extinguishing fires in simulation of an airplane crash
(ESE 1985). Aviation fuel was normally
burned in the fires, but at times, waste organic chemicals from PCR Inc (presently
Clariant, Inc.) were used to fuel these
training fires. Records of the site indicate
that 1,500 gallons of flammables were
used at each burn. The organic wastes
burned were intermediate compounds in
the manufacture of silicone oils and rub-
Other point sources in the vicinity of
Gainesville Regional Airport include a
landfill, a shooting range and an old burn
7-10
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
bers and included hexamethyldisilazane,
hexane and hexamethyldisiloxane (ESE
1987). Between 1986 and 1992, 610 tons
of contaminated soil were removed from
the area and there has since been a significant reduction in the amounts of the contaminants in the groundwater at the site
(ESE 1992).
tween the businesses and the creek. Any
chemicals spilled on the impermeable surfaces surrounding these businesses are
washed directly into the creek.
Nonpoint Sources
Potential nonpoint pollution sources in the
Little Hatchet Creek watershed may be in
the form of golf course runoff and petroleum product discharge from the large
number of automotive businesses located
in close proximity to the creek. Golf
course runoff is a potential source of pollution to the Ironwood tributary of Little
Hatchet Creek that flows through Ironwood Golf Course. The creek is maintained as a drainage canal by Ironwood
staff and approximately half of its 1.2 km
length is devoid of any natural vegetative
riparian buffer zone. Instead, the golf
green is mowed to the edge of the creek.
Such grassy monocultures that eliminate
riparian buffer zones can enhance pollutant runoff to creeks. Additionally, overuse fertilizers and herbicides required to
maintain such monocultures can also degrade surface water quality. Petroleum
product discharge is a possible source of
nonpoint pollution along the south branch
of Little Hatchet Creek from NE 31st Avenue to NE 27th Avenue, west of Waldo
Road. In this area, several automotive
businesses, repair and storage shops, a
pool service, ironworks, and a furniture
refinishing company are located in close
proximity to the creek. Increased potential for the contamination of surface water
exists in this area due to the fact that no
natural vegetative riparian zones exist be-
7.5
Water Chemistry
ACEPD personnel have been sampling
three sites on Little Hatchet Creek since
February 1998: North Branch of Little
Hatchet Creek at the Airport (LHTNB),
Little Hatchet Creek at SR 26-western split
(LHAT26), and Little Hatchet Creek at SR
26-eastern split (LHT26E). These sites are
in the eastern portion of the watershed and
may not be representative of the urban,
channelized portions of the creek such as
Lateral A tributary.
Field Parameters
Parameters measured in the field include
water temperature, pH, specific
conductance and turbidity. Results for
three sites on Little Hatchet Creek are
shown in Table 7.2. Median water
temperatures for Little Hatchet Creek at
these sites were comparable to other low
Table 7.2 Field Parameters for three sites on Little Hatchet
Creek
7-11
LHTNB
LHAT26
LHAT26E
Water Temp
(ºC)
20.2
18.6
20.9
pH (SU)
7.3
6.2
6.6
Sp. Cond.
(uS/cm)
228
116
144
Turbidity
(NTU)
3.8
2.4
1.8
DO
(mg/L)
8.1
3.8
5.8
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
end median temperatures for similar
creeks in the Gainesville area, including
Lake Forest Creek at CR329B (LFC329B,
20.2oC) and Possum Creek at NW 16th
Avenue (POSNW16, 21.8 oC). The
median pH values are consistent with
similar streams in the area, especially the
low pH value of 6.2 standard units at
LHAT26, which is comparable to the pH
of Hatchet Creek at SR 26 (HAT26) at 5.8
SU. Both these creeks flow through
forested wetlands at these locations.
Water flowing through forested wetlands
is tannic and naturally low in pH.
Specific conductance in Little Hatchet
Creek is comparable to other median
specific conductance values in the area,
such as LFC329B (180 uS/cm) and
POSNW16 (239uS/cm). Turbidity in
Little Hatchet Creek is also comparable to
other Gainesville area streams. Median
dissolved oxygen (DO) values in Little
Hatchet Creek are comparable to those
found in other creeks with good flow and
natural vegetative riparian zones. The
low DO at LHAT26 could be related to
the creek’s intermittent nature and the low
flow in the forested wetland located
upstream of this sampling location. DO
values in wetlands are typically around 3
mg/L, likely a result of low flow and
relatively high concentrations of organic
carbon in the water.
0.35
0.3
Total Phosphorus (mg/L)
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
LHTNB
LHAT26
LHT26E
LFC329B
HAT26
Figure 7.3 Comparison of Median Total Phosphate Values
for Gainesville Creeks
than other comparable creeks and other
sections of Little Hatchet Creek. A
possible source for these high phosphorus
values is proximity to Hawthorn Group
outcrops. The creek in this area likely
receives baseflow that has come into
contact with the Hawthorn Group
sediments, sands, clays, carbonates and
phosphates. The phosphates in these
sediments may naturally elevate the
phosphorus concentrations of the water at
this location. Nitrogen values in Little
Hatchet Creek are also comparable to
those found in other area creeks.
However, median nitrate + nitrite values
for LHTNB are much higher than the other
two sites, evidence of the effect of urban
runoff on the creek in this area (Figure
7.4). LHTNB receives runoff from the
airport and the airport industrial park,
which likely contains petroleum and
fertilizer residues.
Nutrients
The values of all forms of baseflow
median phosphorus in Little Hatchet
Creek are higher than those found in the
other creeks in the area. Figure 7.3
compares total phosphorus data in Little
Hatchet Creek with other similar creeks.
The North Branch of Little Hatchet Creek
(LHTNB) is much higher in phosphorus
Coliform Bacteria
Only one site on Little Hatchet Creek
(LHTNB) showed fecal coliform levels
higher than the one time allowable limit of
7-12
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
0.18
0.16
0.14
Nitrate + Nitrite (mg/L)
0.12
0.1
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
LHTNB
LHAT26
LHT26E
LFC329B
HAT26
Figure 7.4 Comparison of NO2 + NO3 Values for Gainesville
Area Creeks
Stormflow on Little Hatchet Creek
800 fecal coliform colonies /100mL
(FDEP 1996). Samples were collected
from March 2001 to the present and on
two occasions, LHATNB had values of
1,700 and 900 CFUs/100 mL respectively.
Potential sources of fecal coliform bacteria
include runoff from animal (wild and pet)
and human activity, malfunctioning septic
systems, and failing sewer lines or private
connections to these lines.
increase dramatically. In addition to mobilizing settled sediments and their associated debris and pollutants, this increased
stormwater flow from streets and lawns
washes large amounts of pollutants into
the creek. Figures 7.5, 7.6 and 7.7 illustrate the large spikes in the values of nutrients and suspended solids in Little
Hatchet Creek during storm events.
7.6
Stormwater
Storm events were monitored on Little
Hatchet Creek by ACEPD personnel in
2000 and 2001. During the dry season,
flow in Little Hatchet Creek is intermittent
and many sections of the creek are often
dry. Additionally, much of the eastern
portion of the creek travels via sheet flow
through swamps where flow is typically
low. This low flow allows pollutants and
debris to settle out of the water column and
into the sediments on the creek bed. Storm
events can cause the volume and velocity
of water flow in Little Hatchet Creek to
1.4
Total Phosphorus
(mg/L)
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
Little H a t c h e t C r e e k N o r t h
Branch at Airport
Baseflow
Storm
Figure 7.5 Total Phosphorus Baseflow and Stormflow data
for LHTNB.
7-13
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Total Nitrate + Nitrite
(mg/L)
Draft 10/24/02
0.5
0.4
0.4
0.3
0.3
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.0
Little H a t c h e t C r e e k North
Branch at Airport
Bas e f low
Storm
Gumroot Swamp Conservation Area
Total Suspended
Solids (mg/L)
Figure 7.6 Nitrate an Nitrite Basseflow and Stormflow data
for LHTNB.
Avenue totaling 477 acres is one of six
tracts of land in Alachua County slated for
preservation. It has been awarded 1.17
million dollars from the Florida Communities Trust. The land is being considered
for purchase under the Alachua County
Forever Land Conservation Program
(Vardeman 2002). Gumroot Swamp Park
and Conservation Area provide a remarkable model of contiguous and diverse productive native habitats capable of supporting a range of macroinvertebrate and vertebrate populations. Distinct among other
areas in the watershed, Gumroot Swamp
areas range from floodplain swamp of bald
cypress (Taxodium distichum) and blackgum trees to upland scrubby pine flatwoods and pond cypress domes to mesic
hardwoods and pastures. Dominant canopy species include oak, maple, sweetgum,
cypress, and pine. Understory species include cherry, southern elderberry, wax
myrtle, palmettos and exotics Ligustrum
spp. and camphor (Cinnamomum spp.).
Aquatic macrophytes include native juncus
(Juncus spp.) and St. John’s Wort
(Hypericum spp.), exotic species such as
taro and parrot feather (Myrofilum spp.),
native weeds including crane’s bill
80.0
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
Little H a t c h e t C r e e k
North Branch at Airport
Bas e flow
Storm
Figure 7.7 Total Suspended Solids baseflow and stormflow
data for LHTNB.
7.7
Ecosystem Health
Biological Integrity
Many areas in Little Hatchet Creek have
diverse habitats that support a wide array
of avian, reptilian, and mammalian species. Parts of the Little Hatchet Creek watershed are also a refuge for rare migrant
species such as the black-headed gull,
spotted at the north end of Newnans Lake
in May 2000 (Rare Bird Alert, Cape Cod
Connection 2000).
Property surrounding Little Hatchet Creek
on the Ironwood Golf Course on NE 39th
7-14
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
(Geranium carolinianum) and lizard tail,
and exotic weeds including alligator weed
(Alternanthera philoxeroides) and baby
tears. Contiguous wetland habitats support
the development of many species, sustain
water dependent species such as fish and
wading birds, and serve regularly as wildlife corridors for many vertebrate species
from alligators to foxes.
degree turn north. This unnatural bend
has caused lateral erosion and bank failure
in several places and widened the creek
bed to around 8-10 feet. Many sections of
Lateral A have fences in close proximity
to the creek. A significant amount of asphalt is mixed into the streambed in the
section between NE 27th Avenue and NE
31st Avenue. A concrete culvert at NE
19th Drive is eroding and caving into the
creek. Bank heights along this segment
can reach up to 6 meters.
Physical Integrity
The main channel of Little Hatchet Creek
has many areas of natural sinuosity and a
large portion of the creek flows as sheet
flow through swamps. However, one
problem area is the section of creek that
flows through Gainesville Regional Airport. The creek has been channelized
through this area through large concrete
culverts approximately 3 meters wide.
Runoff from runways has caused serious
problems and many culverts have areas of
significant sand deposition. Erosion problems in the creek due to runoff are evident
even in relatively pristine areas of the
creek. After the creek exits the airport, it
flows through a wooded area with a wide,
forested riparian zone. However, the creek
bed in this area is steep, deeply cut, steep
unstable and flood damaged. Inner banks
along this segment are 1-2 meters high and
the outer banks are 6-7 meters in height.
The creek channel then becomes braided
and eventually flows as sheet flow as it
enters Gum Root Swamp Conservation
Area.
Ironwood tributary is maintained by Ironwood Golf Course and parts of the banks
are mowed right to the edge of the creek.
However, many portions of the creek
flowing through the golf course are surrounded by natural vegetation. These sections of the creek show little erosion and
banks are stable at a height of 1.5 meters.
7.8 Summary and Recommendations
Existing Conditions
The upper reaches of the Little Hatchet
Creek watershed is highly urbanized.
Much of the headwaters have been channelized to facilitate drainage and reduce
flooding potential. During rain events,
high volumes of water flow into the
ditches and storm drains that lead to the
creek. In residential and industrialized
areas in the vicinity of the airport, little
infiltration takes place. Much of this urban development occurred prior to state
and local requirements for stormwater
management. The lack of retention ponds
in this area allows direct discharge of nontreated stormwater to enter Little Hatchet
Creek. Rainfall cannot slowly infiltrate
and enter the creek through surficial aquifer spring and seeps, but instead flows
rapidly into the creek as the rainfall event
Much of Lateral A tributary has been
dredged and channelized. There are very
few natural vegetative riparian zones in
this area, and surface water runoff flows
directly into the creek. At the southern end
of Lateral A, the channel makes a sharp 90
7-15
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
occurs. This process allows runoff to directly enter the creek (1) transporting externally generated sediments directly into
the creek, (2) causing in-stream erosion
and bank failure, and (3) transporting pollutants, such as petroleum products, directly into the creek. In many of the urbanized and channelized sections of Little
Hatchet Creek, no natural buffers protect
the creek. This intensifies the erosion and
pollutant transport to the creek.
ing bank and streambed erosion and sedimentation, and enhancing water quality.
An important short-term goal is to increase
public awareness of the importance of restoration. Educating the residents as well as
owners and personnel employed in industrial and commercial activities in the watershed, is an important step in reducing
nonpoint source pollution from residential
activities and businesses.
Many treatment and restoration activities
require large capital investments, complex
engineering designs, and extensive land
area. One of the greatest problems in the
basin is management of stormwater volume and velocity in the urbanized areas of
the watershed following rainfall events.
Lowering these velocities will result in less
sediment movement through the system in
the form of in-stream bank erosion and
sediment deposition, and will improve water quality. Major restoration activities
requiring significant capital expenditures
include:
Some areas in the upper watershed have
been ditched and drained to reduce flooding, but retain some natural vegetation in
the form of forested wetlands including
cypress domes. These areas are important
because, although ditched and drained,
they contain relatively little impervious
area. The areas in the lower watershed in
and around Gum Root Swamp are important in reducing the impacts of urbanization on Newnans Lake. These forested
swamps allow sheet flow, which reduces
water velocities and turbidity. Reduced
velocities also allow nutrient uptake to
occur, potentially reducing the levels of
anthropogenic nitrogen and phosphorus
that enter Newnans Lake.
• Property acquisition in the headwaters
of the watershed to retain existing
natural areas
• Property acquisition and revegetation
to increase natural buffer widths along
the stream corridor
Treatment and Restoration
The goal of treatment and restoration activities in the Little Hatch Creek watershed include (1) retaining existing natural
forested lands, (2) providing increased
stormwater treatment and (3) increasing
the native riparian buffer in the urbanized
areas of the watershed. Increasing the
widths of riparian buffers which are
planted with native vegetation, and providing stormwater treatment are key restoration activities that will aid in improving
the in-stream biological habitat, decreas-
• Addition of stormwater basins throughout the watershed for water treatment
and storage to attenuate the volume
and rate at which stormwater enters the
creek
• Retrofit of existing stormwater systems
in the industrial and commercial areas
south and west of the airport, airport
7-16
Chapter 7: Little Hatchet Creek
Draft 10/24/02
industrial park, and the airport itself to
store and treat stormwater before discharge to the creek
• Continue monitoring activities at the
former Airport Landfill and monitoring and groundwater remediation at
other commercial and industrial facilities to assure that contaminants do not
adversely impact the creek.
It is critical to increase buffer widths and
improve the quality of the existing buffers. Areas of concern that have little buffers include the following: (1) residential
areas south of NE 39th Avenue and west
of Waldo Road, (2) the industrial and
commercial areas between NE 23rd Avenue and NE 53rd Avenue in the vicinity of
Waldo Road, (3) Brittany Estates Mobile
Home Park, (4) Ironwood Golf Course,
(5) the Airport Industrial Park, and (6)
Gainesville Regional Airport. Increased
storage of stormwater to attenuate rate and
volume is also needed in these same areas.
Unlike many of the more urbanized watersheds, the Little Hatchet Creek watershed
still contains many undeveloped parcels,
areas that could be developed for stormwater treatment. Public education programs are important and should be included in short term goals to this watershed. Educational activities can be targeted to specific commercial, industrial,
and residential activities or neighborhoods.
7-17