FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 21, 2015
DEP HOSTS MEETING TO FURTHER RESTORATION
PLAN FOR RAINBOW SPRINGS BASIN
~Public input sought on plan's projects and strategies~
DUNNELLON, Fla. – On Aug. 27, the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection will host a meeting to further develop
the long-term restoration plan for the Rainbow Springs system. Stakeholders
and interested members of the public are invited to attend. DEP staff will present
the draft restoration plan, also know as a Basin Management Action Plan or BMAP, take stakeholder feedback and explain the
adoption process.
“The draft Basin Management Action Plan identifies projects,
actions and activities that will be undertaken during the first phase of the
restoration of Rainbow Spring,” said Tom Frick, director of the Division of
Environmental Assessment and Restoration. “DEP along with local stakeholders
are committed to restoring the spring.”
One of the largest spring groups in
Florida by magnitude, the Rainbow Springs Group discharges an average flow of 456 million gallons per
day. The springs group and the river have significant habitat and recreational
value, including swimming, kayaking, canoeing and tubing. Rainbow Springs has been a tourist destination since the
1920s, featuring glass-bottom boats, and continues to have economic
significance to North-Central Florida. The main springhead - where the spring comes to the surface - is part of Rainbow Springs State Park.
Nutrient pollution, or an excess of nutrients like nitrogen and
phosphorous, is one of the primary challenges to water quality restoration
across the state. Nutrients are naturally present in water and necessary for
the healthy growth of plant and animal life; however, an excess of
nutrients, can lead to water quality problems like the rapid growth of
algal mats, habitat smothering and oxygen depletion in the water. To combat
water pollution, DEP first develops a restoration goal known as a TMDL. The
TMDL, or total maximum daily load, identifies the maximum amount of a specific
pollutant that may be present in a given water body for the water body to
remain healthy and functional.
The TMDL then functions as the primary target for a restoration
plan, called a BMAP or basin management action plan. The BMAP is a five-year
plan with set milestones that identifies projects and strategies to reduce
pollution or eliminate pollutant sources to achieve the TMDL.
Additional information on the BMAP process and the Rainbow Springs meeting can be found here.
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