The Mosquito Lagoon Management Area (MLMA) extends from approximately 20 miles north of Ponce Inlet (Volusia County) south for approximately 55 miles thereby including impoundments along both the eastern and western edge of Mosquito Lagoon. The MLMA thus encompasses the Mosquito Lagoon Aquatic Preserve (MLAP), the Canaveral National Seashore's (CNS) marshes (which are located in Volusia County). The southern Mosquito Lagoon region in Volusia and Brevard Counties, includes part of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR) which borders Mosquito Lagoon.

NOTABLE FEATURES WITHIN MLMA.

The fact that most of the MLMA marshes are publicly owned (as part of the MLAP, the CNS or MINWR, makes this management area unique among the 10 management areas delineated. Because so much marsh property, in particular within the CNS is not impounded presents opportunities for management other than the more typical Rotational Impoundment Management employed in many impounded marshes along the lagoon. Also, Ponce Inlet provides a tidal exchange between the Atlantic Ocean and the north portion of this lagoonal management area. Development is minimized along this management area and because so much of the area is publicly owned, future development pressure in many areas is limited. The Mosquito Lagoon marshes are typically vegetated with Salicornia spp. (glasswort), Batis maritima (saltwort) and Distichlis spicata, with occasional Avicennia germinans (black mangrove) and Laguncularia racemosa (white mangrove). In contrast, in southern regions of the Indian River lagoon, marsh vegetation is often dominated by mangroves.

VOLUSIA COUNTY COMPONENT OF MLMA.

In Volusia County, the MLMA includes 10 impoundments totalling 1878 acres part within the CNS (C-8, D-2, D-12N, D-12S) and the others in the MINWR (V1-V5 & T45 (which straddles the 2 counties)). Also included are several unimpounded marshes, largely within the CNS.

IMPOUNDMENTS.

The 10 MLMA impoundments in Volusia County are currently managed in a variety of ways. The CNS impoundments include: 1) Open Marsh Water Management (OMWM) with and without rotary ditches, 2) an impoundment connected to the lagoon through culverts and 3) one totally unmanaged (this includes no use of mosquito larvicides on the marsh)and 4) one larvicided on a need basis. Four of the six MINWR impoundments (V1-V5) currently maintain culvert connections to the lagoon with little other management. Six more culverts will be installed in this group of impoundments in the future.

UNIMPOUNDED MARSHES.

The unimpounded marshes within CNS include both unditched and previously ditched marshes some of which currently require periodic larvicide treatments to control salt-marsh mosquito populations.

BREVARD COUNTY COMPONENT OF MLMA.

In Brevard County, the MLMA includes 18 impoundments (T27A-T45) totalling 5450 acres. Management of this large acreage, which is along both sides of the lagoon within the MINWR, is split with approximately half of the impoundments being largely unmanaged with only an occasional larvicide application, and the others maintained with elevated water levels.

Area Map