“Florida is restoring its waterways,” said Secretary Castille. “The State’s science-based method systematically targets impaired waters and guides water quality improvements to ensure healthier natural resources.”

Under the federal Clean Water Act, each state must identify impaired rivers, lakes and estuaries for clean up. Science-based pollution limits, called Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), are then developed for each degraded waterway. A TMDL is the maximum amount of a specific pollutant a waterbody can absorb and still meet its designated uses, such as fishing, swimming, shellfish harvesting or drinking water source. Florida adopted a nationally recognized program to govern TMDL development and implementation.

To target impaired waterways for clean up, the Department of Environmental Protection divided the state into 30 watersheds. Each year the State assesses groups of waters to determine which are impaired and require restoration and which need further study. Over time, Florida will design plans to evaluate, restore and monitor all degraded waterbodies in the state.

After collecting extensive scientific data, the State established the third group of rivers, lakes, and estuaries for restoration, identifying 205 waterbodies as impaired. This third verified list of impaired waters underwent extensive public review and will now be submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval.

The State has developed approximately 120 TMDLs for impaired waters on the first two lists adopted by the Secretary, including the Ocklawaha River chain, the Lower St. Johns River, and Lake Okeechobee.

Florida is working with federal and local governments, water management districts, public and private utilities, industry, agriculture and environmental groups to establish TMDLs, which promote improved farming practices, increased wastewater and stormwater treatment and better land use planning to reduce pollution.

Together with the TMDL program, the Department of Environmental Protection is improving water quality through long-standing environmental regulations, technical assistance and an annual investment of hundreds of millions of dollars to build water infrastructure, acquire conservation lands and restore waterways.

The Group 3 impaired waters list is available at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/tmdl/index.htm.

Group Three Impaired Waters

Questions and Answers

What is DEP doing?

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is in the third of a five-year program to identify the state’s impaired waterways and design plans for their restoration. Secretary Colleen M. Castille signed a final order targeting 205 impaired waters for clean up in the Choctawhatchee/St. Andrews Bay, Upper St. Johns River, Sarasota Bay/Peace River/Myakka River, Caloosahatchee River and Lake Worth Lagoon/Palm Beach Coast Basins.

What is an impaired water?

An impaired water is a river, lake or stream that, because of pollution levels, is not meeting water quality standards for its designated use, such as fishing, swimming, shellfish harvesting or as a source of drinking water.

Why is there a list of verified impaired waters?

The federal Clean Water Act and the 1999 Florida Watershed Restoration Act require the Department to identify impaired waters and prioritize them for restoration. Science-based pollution limits, called Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), are then developed to promote the clean up of each impaired waterway.

What is a TMDL?

A TMDL establishes the maximum amount of a specific pollutant the waterbody can absorb and still meet its designated uses. TMDLs provide important water quality targets so that any waters impaired by the cumulative impacts of regulated and unregulated sources of pollution can be restored.

How is Florida’s verified list of impaired waters different than the 1998 list?

Florida’s verified list is more scientifically sound than the list prepared in 1998. The previous methodology used to identify and list impaired waters relied on incomplete and unreliable, and in some cases, unavailable data.

Florida’s comprehensive methodology now ensures that the data used to make restoration decisions are scientifically verified, valid and current. The Department’s rotating basin approach divides the state into 30 watersheds. Each year, the Department evaluates waterways from six watersheds to determine which are impaired and require restoration and which need further study. This five-year evaluation process ensures that those waterways most in need of restoration are addressed first. Over time, all waterways will be addressed.

Are waterways removed from the impaired waters list?

A waterbody is removed from the 1998 list when there is enough scientific data to confirm that it is meeting its designated use or if there was a flaw in the initial listing. For Group 3 waterways, the science indicates that 182 waterbodies are either meeting water quality standards or were never impaired. Those waters with insufficient information to determine impairment remain on the list.

What role did the public play?

The Department solicited public input on the draft Group 3 impaired waters list at six public meetings held in each basin last summer (June/July) . All meetings were noticed in local newspapers and e-mails were sent to interested parties. In response to public comments, the lists were updated and made available for public review on September 27, 2004. Another public meeting was then held on October 1, 2004 to receive additional public comments.

Is there additional opportunity for public comment on the final Group 3 list?

The Department’s final order, once publicly noticed, starts a 21-day period during which interested parties may petition the agency’s decision to list or not list a waterbody as impaired.

What happens next?

After the 21 days, the Department will submit the Group 3 list to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval. Once EPA has approved the list, the Department will develop and implement TMDLs for the impaired waters.

How does this process restore Florida’s water?

Identifying impaired waters is only the first step. Once a TMDL is developed and adopted, the Department works with local stakeholders to develop a comprehensive restoration plan for the waterbody. Cleaning up impaired waters takes the participation and actions of local governments, businesses and citizens.

What is the status of those waterways on the Group 1 and Group 2 lists?

The first group of impaired waters was adopted on August 28, 2002. The Department has developed and adopted nearly 30 TMDLs for Group 1 waterbodies, all of which were approved by EPA.

The second group of impaired waters was adopted on May 27, 2004. The Department has developed and adopted nearly 18 TMDLs for Group 2 waterbodies, all of which were approved by EPA. The Department is currently working with local citizens, businesses and government agencies to develop Basin Management Action Plans that outline specific actions to reduce pollutants, achieve the TMDL and restore the affected waterbodies.