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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 4, 2016
DEP CONTINUES
TO ADVANCE RESTORATION OF THE LOWER ST. JOHNS RIVER TRIBUTARIES
~DEP
hosts meeting to discuss water-quality improvement and restoration project
efforts~
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is hosting
an annual update meeting on March 10 for two water-quality restoration
plans that address bacteria impairments and cover 25 Lower St. Johns River tributaries. At the meeting, DEP staff will discuss water-quality results from 2015 and challenges associated with identifying bacteria sources.
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. The goal of the BMAP is to reduce human activity-related sources of bacteria
to the tributaries. Deer Creek, Trout River (Middle Reach), Newcastle Creek, Deep Bottom Creek and Moncrief Creek are all showing water-quality improvements, with most recent monitoring results demonstrating less-frequent fecal coliform criteria exceedances.
“The expertise provided by stakeholders
and locals is crucial to the restoration process,” said Tom Frick, director of
the Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration. “Combining the
department’s research with first-hand knowledge allows us to identify the most
targeted and efficient path towards restoration.”
The BMAP process emphasizes the importance of collaborative watershed restoration efforts. Examples of this approach during 2015 were cleanups of McCoy’s Creek by Rising Tides and the St. Johns Riverkeeper’s young professionals group. Nine documented cleanups occurred, which included 264 volunteers who contributed 607 volunteer hours to collect 296 bags of trash
totaling 5,920 pounds. Additional cleanup events held in the spring of 2015 by Keep Jacksonville Beautiful included sites impacting Pottsburg Creek, McCoy’s Creek, Hogan Creek and Big Fishweir Creek. These events included 124 volunteers who contributed 347 volunteer hours to collect 188 bags of trash weighing 3,760 pounds.
Fecal coliform can be transported in
sediments and debris, and these materials can also create a breeding ground for
bacteria. Cleanup events increase public awareness and enhance community support
for healthy waterbodies while removing trash
from the tributaries.
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.
For more information
about the Lower St Johns River Tributaries restoration plans click here.
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