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TALLAHASSEE – “The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection is encouraged by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s approval today of Site
Specific Alternative Criteria for dissolved oxygen in
the marine portion of the St. Johns River. The new
criteria will allow water quality improvements in the
St. Johns River to move forward, substantially reducing
nutrient discharges of nitrogen and phosphorus into the
river and restoring and preserving this critical
environmental and economic resource.
Experienced scientists guided by state-of-the-art
methods, site-specific data and the unique environmental
characteristics of the St. Johns River developed the
necessary standards for revitalizing and protecting the
river. According to the scientific data analyzed by the
DEP, in collaboration with the St. Johns River Water
Management District and EPA, aquatic life in the lower
St. Johns is fully protected by this stringent water
quality standard.” | 
