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Integrated Report FINAL Integrated Water Quality Assessment for Florida: 2016 Sections 303(d), 305(b), and 314 Report and Listing Update Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration Florida Department of Environmental Protection June 2016 2600 Blair Stone Rd. Tallahassee, FL 32399-2400 FINAL 2016 Integrated Water Quality Assessment for Florida, June 2016 This Page Intentionally Blank. Page 2 of 298 FINAL 2016 Integrated Water Quality Assessment for Florida, June 2016 Letter to Floridians Page 3 of 298 FINAL 2016 Integrated Water Quality Assessment for Florida, June 2016 Acknowledgments This document was prepared by staff in the following divisions and offices of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP): Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration − Bureau of Laboratories: o Biology Section − Water Quality Standards Program: o Standards Development Section o Aquatic Ecology and Quality Assurance Section − Water Quality Assessment Program: o Watershed Assessment Section o Watershed Monitoring Section − Water Quality Evaluation and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) Program: o Ground Water Management Section o Watershed Evaluation and TMDL Section − Water Quality Restoration Program: o Nonpoint Source Management Section o Watershed Planning and Coordination Section Division of Water Resource Management − Domestic Wastewater Program − Industrial Wastewater Program − State Revolving Fund Program − Engineering, Hydrology, and Geology Program − Submerged Lands and Environmental Resources Coordination Program − Water Compliance Assurance Program Office of Water Policy Office of Intergovernmental Programs In addition, DEP thanks staff at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Department of Health, and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for their valuable help in updating sections of this report, and the Southwest, Suwannee River, and St. Johns River Water Management Districts for reviewing the report. Page 4 of 298 FINAL 2016 Integrated Water Quality Assessment for Florida, June 2016 Table of Contents LETTER TO FLORIDIANS ..............................................................................................................................3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................................................................................3 LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ...............................................................................................14 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..............................................................................................................................20 Purpose and Contents.......................................................................................................................20 Summary of Statewide Status and Trend Monitoring Results for Surface and Ground Water ...................................................................................................................................21 Summary of Water Quality Standards Attainment for Assessed Rivers/Streams, Lakes, Estuaries, Coastal Waters, and Beaches .............................................................................22 Summary of Ground Water Monitoring Results ...........................................................................22 Ongoing and New Issues and Initiatives .........................................................................................23 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................25 Purpose ..............................................................................................................................................25 Federal Assessment and Reporting Requirements ........................................................................25 Florida’s Integrated Approach to Monitoring and Assessment ...................................................26 Integrating the Federal Requirements into Florida’s Watershed Management Approach ...........................................................................................................................................28 The EPA Consent Decree .................................................................................................................29 The New EPA 303(d) Long-Term Vision........................................................................................30 Future Prioritization, 2016 to 2022 .........................................................................................30 Implementation of Numeric Nutrient Criteria (NNC) ..................................................................32 Probabilistic Monitoring ..................................................................................................................32 CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND INFORMATION ..............................................................................................33 Overview ............................................................................................................................................33 Population ................................................................................................................................35 Climate ......................................................................................................................................35 Physical Setting ........................................................................................................................36 Surface Water and Ground Water Resources ...............................................................................39 Streams and Rivers ...................................................................................................................39 Lakes .........................................................................................................................................40 Estuaries and Coastal Waters ..................................................................................................41 Wetlands ...................................................................................................................................42 Aquifers and Springs ................................................................................................................43 Hydrogeology ....................................................................................................................................44 Ground Water ...........................................................................................................................44 Surface Water–Ground Water Interactions ............................................................................45 CHAPTER 3: ISSUES OF ENVIRONMENTAL INTEREST AND WATER QUALITY INITIATIVES ....................46 Page 5 of 298 FINAL 2016 Integrated Water Quality Assessment for Florida, June 2016 Algal Growth in Springs ..................................................................................................................46 Chemical Wastewater Tracers To Identify Pollutant Sources .....................................................46 Florida Water Resources Monitoring Council Projects................................................................48 Low-Impact Development (LID) Projects and Practices ..............................................................50 Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) ...................................................................................50 Microbial Source Tracking (MST) Implementation .....................................................................52 Nitrogen Source Inventory and Loading Tool (NSILT) for Nutrient-Impaired Springs ...............................................................................................................................................53 Numeric Nutrient Criteria (NNC) Implementation To Address Nutrient Enrichment .............54 Pesticide Testing in Surface Waters and Spring Waters ..............................................................57 Reduction of Potential Fertilizer Impacts ......................................................................................57 South Florida Canal Aquatic Life Study ........................................................................................59 Triennial Review of Florida’s Water Quality Standards ..............................................................60 Increased Water Quality Modeling Coordination between DEP and the WMDs ......................61 CHAPTER 4: OVERVIEW OF WATER PROTECTION AND RESTORATION PROGRAMS ..............................64 Florida Water Resource Management Programs ..........................................................................64 Overview of Surface Water Monitoring Programs .......................................................................65 Watershed-Based Monitoring and Reporting .........................................................................65 Overview of Surface Water Protection Programs .........................................................................67 Water Quality Standards (WQS) Program ..............................................................................67 Watershed Assessment Program ..............................................................................................69 Surface Water Improvement and Management Program ......................................................74 Point Source Control Program
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