FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 14, 2013
DEP
HOSTS INDIAN RIVER LAGOON RESTORATION PLAN MEETING TO CONTINUE IMPLEMENTATION COORDINATION
~Basin
management action plan stakeholders provide updates to move forward~
MELBOURNE –The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection hosted a public meeting Wednesday before roughly 100
attendees to discuss ongoing monitoring and implementation of the
restoration plan for the Indian River Lagoon, continuing the
commitment of the Department and stakeholders to look for
solutions to restore this waterbody.
The Department adopted three restoration plans
for the Indian River Lagoon in February, after determining pollutant load
reduction targets based on sound science. Together, the adopted plans account
for more than $300 million invested—or to be invested—in wastewater and
stormwater infrastructure along with urban and agricultural best management
practices. As the plans are implemented, additional projects will be developed.
Stakeholders in these areas
already have completed or will complete hundreds of restoration projects over
the next five years. The Department has directed more than $25 million towards
the restoration of the Indian River Lagoon with more
than $10 million invested since 2009. The St. Johns River and South Florida water
management districts have made major investments in the health of the Indian
River Lagoon, through research, monitoring and restoration projects.
"These meetings are a
great opportunity to provide updates on progress being made to restore our
waterways," said Tom Frick, Program Administrator for the
Water Quality Restoration Program within DEP's Division of
Environmental Assessment and Restoration. "While more work remains, the
Department and its stakeholders have made a tremendous commitment to restoring
the Indian River Lagoon and these meetings are a valuable part of the continued refinement
of our efforts."
The technical meeting, held at Melbourne City Hall, included a report from Brevard County on water quality
modelling, an update on seagrass monitoring and a discussion of ongoing research
including the St. Johns River Water Management District's Indian River Lagoon Initiative. The Department anticipates producing a one-year progress report in February.
The Indian River Lagoon System
is a 156-mile-long estuary located on Florida’s east coast that directly and
indirectly supports a large part of the region’s and the state’s economy. The
Department has identified the Lagoon as a priority waterbody; formally
adopted a series of pollutant reduction targets for nitrogen and phosphorus; established three restoration plans to implement the projects and activities necessary to bring the Lagoon
back to health; and invested millions of dollars for
restoration.
The targets for total nitrogen and total phosphorus in the restoration plan were
established with the objective of restoring seagrasses to their historical
depths. Shortly after finalizing the 2009 total maximum daily loads, -- or pollution reduction targets -- the Department initiated the
stakeholder process for the three restoration plans to implement these
established reductions.
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