FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 3, 2015
DEP MEETING TO PROVIDE UPDATES ON
LAKE JESUP RESTORATION PLAN
~Projects implemented provide foundation for continued restoration ~
SANFORD, Fla. – The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection will host an annual update meeting on Sept. 9 to discuss the status of the restoration plan for Lake Jesup, part
of the St. Johns River system. Meeting topics will include a review of the annual report, ongoing implementation efforts for the upcoming year and a presentation on revisions to the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), or restoration goal, model.
“The success we have
experienced so far in this basin is a testament to the remarkable efforts
of our stakeholders, and our collective commitment to preserving Florida’s
valuable natural resources,” said Tom Frick, director of the Division of
Environmental Assessment and Restoration. “We will continue to restore the
water quality in this basin and return Lake Jesup to health.”
The Lake Jesup
restoration plan addresses five water bodies including Gee Creek, Howell Creek,
Lake Jesup, Little Lake Howell and Soldiers Creek. The restoration plan was
originally adopted in 2010 to reduce excess nutrients, specifically phosphorous, that have caused a
decline in water quality. Since
implementation of the restoration plan, total phosphorous loading has been
significantly reduced by over 70 percent, more than doubling the reduction goal of 33 percent.
The Lake Jesup Wilderness Area, on the lake's northern shore, serves as
habitat for native wildlife and provides recreational opportunities such as
hiking, biking and horseback riding. One of the largest lakes in Central
Florida, Lake Jesup is also home to one of the state’s largest population of
alligators.
More information on
the upcoming meeting and Lake Jesup restoration plan can be found here.
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