FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 7, 2015
DEP HOSTS UPDATE MEETING FOR LOWER ST.
JOHNS RIVER TRIBUTARIES
~Meeting to
discuss progress and identify actions moving forward~
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection is hosting an annual update meeting on Aug. 11
for two restoration plans covering 25 Lower St. Johns River tributaries. The
department will present the second phase of the restoration plans and discuss
additional efforts to reduce fecal coliform bacteria loading to the tributaries.
To address the excess
levels of bacteria, Basin Management Action Plans, or BMAPs, were adopted in
2009 and 2010. All 25 tributaries connect to the Lower St. Johns River Mainstem
and many are located in highly urbanized areas that receive stormwater
runoff, which
can transport bacteria from yards and roadways.
Results from the first phase of the restoration plans show
improvements in bacteria levels in 21 of the 25 tributaries. Activities
identified in the second phase, which will take place during the next five
years, include the use of microbial
source tracking to identify the origin of bacteria through DNA analysis.
Knowing the
bacteria’s origin enables DEP to target potential sources more accurately. As
sources are determined, management programs will be utilized to eliminate
the human-activity-based sources.
“The department is utilizing new techniques to identify the
sources of pollution,” said
Tom Frick, director of the Division of Environmental Assessment and
Restoration. “The department and stakeholders then use this information to
develop projects that most efficiently target the pollution sources.”
The BMAP process
emphasizes the importance of collaborative watershed restoration efforts. The
city of Jacksonville plans to organize community trash cleanups of 10
tributaries by the end of the second phase. JEA,
city of Jacksonville, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, city of Jacksonville
Beach, Florida Department of Health, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and DEP will continue their ongoing programs to
address potential pollutant sources.
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