FINAL BASIN MANAGEMENT ACTION PLAN for the Implementation of Total Maximum Daily Loads adopted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in the Rainbow Springs Basin Management Area for Rainbow Springs Group and Rainbow Springs Group Run prepared by the Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration Water Quality Restoration Program Florida Department of Environmental Protection Tallahassee, FL 32399 in cooperation with the Rainbow Springs Basin Management Action Plan Working Group December 2015 FINAL Basin Management Action Plan: Rainbow Springs Group and Rainbow Springs Group Run, December 2015 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Florida Department of Environmental Protection adopted the Rainbow Springs Basin Management Action Plan by Secretarial Order as part of its statewide watershed management approach to restore and protect Florida’s water quality. The plan was developed in cooperation with the Rainbow Springs Basin Working Group (BWG), identified below, with participation from affected local, regional, and state governmental interests; elected officials and citizens; and private interests. FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Jonathan P. Steverson, Secretary RAINBOW SPRINGS BASIN WORKING GROUP PARTICIPANTS TYPE OF ENTITY NAME Marion County Levy County City of Dunnellon Local Governments City of Williston City of Ocala Town of Bronson Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (including the Florida Forest Service and Office of Agricultural Water Policy) Florida Department of Environmental Protection (including the Central District Office and Rainbow Springs Aquatic Preserve) Florida Department of Health in Marion County Regional and State Agencies Florida Department of Transportation, Districts 2 and 5 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Southwest Florida Water Management District Marion County/University of Florida–Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Rainbow River Conservation Other Interested Stakeholders Private Sector Agriculture and Businesses General Public For additional information on Total Maximum Daily Loads and the watershed management approach in the Rainbow Springs Basin, contact: Terry Hansen, P.G., Basin Coordinator Florida Department of Environmental Protection Water Quality Restoration Program, Watershed Planning and Coordination Section 2600 Blair Stone Road, Mail Station 3565 Tallahassee, FL 32399-2400 Email: [email protected] Phone: (850) 245–8561 Page ii of xiv FINAL Basin Management Action Plan: Rainbow Springs Group and Rainbow Springs Group Run, December 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................................................................................................................... II LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................. VI SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................... VIII CHAPTER 1 : CONTEXT, PURPOSE, AND SCOPE OF THE PLAN ............................................. 1 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................................. 3 1.2 Total Maximum Daily Load ................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Regional Setting of the Rainbow Springs Basin Management Area .................................. 5 1.4 BMAP Assumptions and Considerations............................................................................ 13 1.5 BMAP Development Process ............................................................................................... 14 1.6 Pollutant Reductions ............................................................................................................. 14 CHAPTER 2 : NITROGEN SOURCES AND FUTURE GROWTH ................................................ 16 2.1 Nitrogen Source Inventory and Loading Tool ................................................................... 16 2.1.1 Ground Water Recharge and Land Use...................................................................... 17 2.1.2 Estimating Nitrogen Inputs to the Land Surface......................................................... 17 2.1.3 Estimated Load to the UFA......................................................................................... 20 2.2 Estimating Changes in Potential Loading to the UFA ...................................................... 22 2.3 Additional Verified Impaired Waterbodies........................................................................ 22 2.4 Managing Pollutant Loads from Future Growth .............................................................. 23 2.4.1 Marion County ............................................................................................................ 23 2.4.2 City of Dunnellon ........................................................................................................ 26 2.5 Protection of Surface Water and Ground Water Resources through Land Conservation .......................................................................................................................... 26 CHAPTER 3 : REGULATORY LINKS AND RESEARCH STRATEGIES ................................... 29 3.1 Regulatory Links to BMAP Enforcement .......................................................................... 29 3.1.1 ERP ............................................................................................................................. 29 3.1.2 NPDES Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Stormwater Program ........ 29 3.1.3 Urban Nonpoint Sources............................................................................................. 30 3.2 Agricultural BMP Implementation ..................................................................................... 30 3.2.1 Agricultural BMPs ...................................................................................................... 32 3.2.2 BMP Enrollment ......................................................................................................... 35 3.2.3 Agricultural BMP Load Reduction Estimates............................................................. 39 3.2.4 FDACS OAWP Role In BMP Implementation and Follow-Up .................................. 39 3.2.5 OAWP Implementation Assurance Program .............................................................. 40 3.2.6 Florida Forest Service Role in BMP Implementation and Monitoring ...................... 41 3.3 SWFWMD Springs 2013–17 Management Plan ................................................................ 42 3.4 Other Research Efforts......................................................................................................... 43 CHAPTER 4 : NITROGEN LOADING SOURCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ................... 46 4.1 Management Efforts Focused on Rainbow River .............................................................. 46 Page iii of xiv FINAL Basin Management Action Plan: Rainbow Springs Group and Rainbow Springs Group Run, December 2015 4.2 Agricultural Management Strategies .................................................................................. 50 4.3 Wastewater Management ..................................................................................................... 57 4.3.1 Nitrogen Loading from WWTFs.................................................................................. 57 4.3.2 Proposed Wastewater Standards for the Rainbow River BMAP Area ....................... 64 4.3.3 Nitrogen Loading from OSTDS .................................................................................. 65 4.4 Wastewater Management Strategy ..................................................................................... 67 4.5 Urban Fertilizer .................................................................................................................... 71 CHAPTER 5 : ASSESSING PROGRESS AND MAKING CHANGES ........................................... 83 5.1 Sufficiency of Effort .............................................................................................................. 83 5.2 Monitoring Water Quality ................................................................................................... 85 5.2.1 Monitoring Objectives and Anticipated Benefits ........................................................ 86 5.2.2 Monitoring Network .................................................................................................... 86 5.2.3 Quality Assurance/Quality Control Mechanisms ....................................................... 87 5.2.4 Data Management Mechanisms for Data Storage and Retrieval ............................... 87 5.3 Funding Strategies for BMAP Implementation ................................................................. 90 5.4 Tracking and Follow-up Actions ......................................................................................... 91 5.5 Anticipated Outcomes of BMAP Implementation ............................................................. 92 5.6 Commitment to Plan Implementation ................................................................................ 92 APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................................... 94 Appendix A: References ...............................................................................................................