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 Lower St. Johns
River Basin TMDL
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is committed to
addressing water quality issues in the lower St. Johns River. The
Department has consistently worked with its federal and local partners
to restore this critical natural resource. Efforts include the
restoration of nearly 19,000 acres of wetlands and wildlife habitat,
ecosystem management and waterfront redevelopment. Since 1997, the State
has invested more than $48 million to restore the St. Johns River.
In 1999, Florida took unparalleled steps to implement the Total
Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program, embarking on a bold initiative to
identify, evaluate and restore degraded waterways. The Department is
using a systematic, science-based and protective method for targeting
degraded waters and developing individual standards to restore each
unique water-body.
 In
August 2003, the DEP adopted a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for
nutrients in the Lower St. Johns River using sound science and a panel
of experts committed to the restoration of the river.
Before a water-body has been analyzed for its unique
characteristics, a default dissolved oxygen standard of 5 parts per
million is used in Florida. In the case of the Lower St. Johns River,
the DEP scientifically determined that a Site Specific Alternative
Criterion (SSAC) would allow for the restoration and continued
protection of the river. This SSAC recognizes and accounts for the
individual nature of the river.
Florida is one of many states that use targeted
science and the unique environmental characteristics of each waterbody
to adopt a specific and more appropriate standard for restoring and
protecting the river than the default standard. Years of scientific
study, field data and modeling provided the basis for developing the
SSAC and the TMDL for the lower St. Johns.
The EPA recently approved similar site specific criteria
for dissolved oxygen in waterbodies in Georgia, Maryland and Virginia.
In this individual case, our systematic, science-based
process confirmed the lower St. Johns River is a unique water-body that
will thrive using a site specific criterion. The DEP is taking the
necessary procedural steps to formally adopt a SSAC for dissolved oxygen
for the marine portion of the Lower St. Johns River, which will be fully
protective of fish and wildlife. The process will involve the public and
encourages comments and a critique of the scientific merits used to
determine the criteria and an opportunity for revision of the rule in
the light of those comments.
Florida’s water quality standards are among the highest
in the nation. Firm regulation and collaborative partnerships are
cleaning up pollution faster and better. Over the last seven years, the
State has invested more than $1.9 billion to clean up stormwater
pollution, upgrade drinking facilities and improve wastewater treatment.
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