FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 13, 2016
DEP TO HOLD FIVE MEETINGS AROUND THE STATE
FOR INPUT ON WATER-QUALITY ASSESSMENTS
~Basin assessments identify
waters not attaining water quality standards~
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Beginning Jan.
20, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will kick off a series
of five meetings around Florida to take public input on the draft assessment
lists for the Group 3 basins. The meetings will be held in Sarasota, Palm Bay, Boynton
Beach, Fort Myers and Panama City.
“Because our programs can’t succeed without stakeholder
cooperation and action, we are committed to taking advantage of local
perspectives and priorities to better inform our watershed work plans,” said
Tom Frick, director of DEP’s Division of Environmental Assessment and
Restoration.
To restore and
protect Florida’s surface waters, the department collects water-quality data
through its own monitoring programs and with the help of other agencies. The
department uses this data to assess approximately 20 percent of Florida’s watersheds each year
to identify waterbodies that do not meet water-quality standards (“impaired
waters”), which are then placed on a “Verified List” to guide restoration
priorities. Other potentially impaired waters, where more data is needed, are
listed for further investigation. The upcoming meetings will provide an
opportunity for the department to present these assessment lists and findings for the Group 3 basins.
At the public meetings, department staff will explain the
results of draft basin-specific assessments for waters in the Choctawhatchee -
St. Andrews, Sarasota Bay – Peace – Myakka, Upper St. Johns, Lake Worth Lagoon
– Palm Beach Coast, and Caloosahatchee basins.
For each impaired waterbody or group of related waters, the
department develops and adopts a scientifically derived restoration target,
known as a Total Maximum Daily Load. Based on the target, a restoration
plan is implemented to return the waterbody to health.
A complete list of workshop dates and locations can be
found here.
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