RESTORATION OF BAYOU CHICO TO BE DISCUSSED AT ANNUAL UPDATE MEETING

Florida DEP Banner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 8, 2014

CONTACT: DEP Press Office, 850-245-2112, DEPNews@dep.state.fl.us

RESTORATION OF BAYOU CHICO TO BE DISCUSSED AT ANNUAL UPDATE MEETING

~DEP staff and stakeholders review ongoing and potential restoration efforts ~

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TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection invites stakeholders – government representatives, scientists, environmental organizations, agricultural operators and others – to attend a meeting that will provide updates on the ongoing restoration plan for Bayou Chico. It has been three years since the original adoption of the restoration plan.

WHAT:       Bayou Chico Restoration Plan Annual Update Meeting

WHEN:      Thursday, Dec. 11

                  1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

WHERE:    Escambia County Board of Commissioners Central Office Complex

                  3363 West Park Place

                  Pensacola, FL 32505

“We thank our stakeholders for their dedication to restoring Bayou Chico,” said Tom Frick, director of the Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration. “While there is more work to be done, we can be proud of the improvements we have accomplished so far.”

The day of the annual update meeting, DEP representatives will also be hosting a “Maps on the Table” exercise for the waterbodies. Stakeholders, sanitary sewer staff, local public health officials and others with local expertise will meet to discuss possible sources of bacterial pollution. The department will use the information generated at this exercise to schedule a more detailed field evaluation in the future. At the field evaluation, DEP staff and stakeholders will investigate the perimeters of each waterbody to identify possible bacterial pollution sources. Water samples will be collected and sent to the DEP lab for analysis.

The restoration plan, known as a basin management action plan or BMAP, covers Bayou Chico and six water body segments, all of which flow into Bayou Chico and the bay: Jones Creek, Jackson Creek, Bayou Chico Drain, Bayou Chico Beach, Bayou Chico proper and Sanders Beach. BMAPs are long-term plans developed in collaboration with stakeholders that identify strategies and projects to eliminate or reduce pollutant sources and restore the waterbody to health.

For more information about the Bayou Chico restoration plan, please click here.