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TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP) today announced adoption of the Lake Jesup Basin Management
Action Plan (BMAP) to reduce pollution and restore the water quality
of the lake. Lake Jesup is one of the largest lakes in central
Florida. The action plan, developed in partnership with Seminole and
Orange Counties; the Cities of Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Lake
Mary, Longwood, Maitland, Orlando, Oviedo, Sanford, Winter Park; the
Town of Eatonville; the Florida Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Services; the Florida Department of Transportation; the
Florida Turnpike Enterprise; the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission; and the St. Johns River Water Management
District identifies actions to decrease nutrient concentrations in
Lake Jesup.
Water quality restoration targets, called Total Maximum Daily
Loads (TMDLs), were adopted by DEP for Lake Jesup. The TMDLs
establish the amount of reduction of nutrients needed to restore the
beneficial uses of this water body. The BMAP lists the steps that
must be taken to reduce nutrient concentrations, a schedule for
their implementation, and potential resources to accomplish the
reductions.
The Lake Jesup BMAP was developed under DEP’s comprehensive
approach to identify polluted waterways and build partnerships with
local, regional, and state interests to return the water bodies to a
healthy condition. Through its science-based program, DEP determined
that Lake Jesup did not meet Florida’s water quality standards and,
therefore, established restoration targets and worked in
collaboration with local stakeholders to create the BMAP. The local
stakeholders identified projects to achieve restoration in these
water bodies and have committed to monitoring to ensure restoration
occurs and to identify additional nutrient sources.
“This effort demonstrates the commitment of local governments and
stakeholders to the restoration of their local water bodies. To the
credit of local government, many projects have been implemented in
advance of finalizing the restoration plan,” said DEP Secretary
Michael W. Sole.
Proposed actions in the BMAP include stormwater system
management; regulations, ordinances and guidelines; conservation and
land acquisition; best management practices for agricultural lands;
public education and outreach; wastewater infrastructure; and
ongoing water quality monitoring. The stakeholders have already
implemented many of these actions and the remaining projects will be
in place within the next five years.
“The Lake Jesup Basin Management Action Plan represents important
commitments by the stakeholders to address nutrient pollution. This
unique effort addresses all the potential sources of excess
nutrients and recognizes the efforts of the organizations who are
managing those sources,” said DEP Deputy Secretary Mimi Drew. “I
commend these organizations for establishing a series of actions to
manage nutrient pollution; together we have established a plan to
restore healthy water quality in the lake.”
For more information about DEP’s water quality protection and
restoration programs visit:
www.dep.state.fl.us/water/tmdl/index.htm.
To view the Lake Jesup BMAP, visit
www.dep.state.fl.us/water/watersheds/bmap.htm.
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2010 State of Florida