1. Imperial River: Water Quality Status and Basin Management Action Plan

2. Imperial River WBID 3258EA: Freshwater Imperial River Watershed City of Bonita Springs boundary Everglades West Coast Basin April 21, 2014

3. Importance of Good Water Quality Supports productive freshwater and coastal ecosystems Economics –Tourism –Recreational activities –Marine Industries –Fisheries Health Standard of living April 21, 20143

4. Impaired Waters Sampling coordination Existing data to develop planning list Additional data collection and assessment Verified List Categorized as Impaired (5) = needs TMDL 5 year cycle April 21, 20144

5. TMDL and BMAP Process Phase 1 Preliminary Basin Evaluation Phase 2 Targeted Monitoring Phase 3 TMDL Development Phase 4 BMAP Development Phase 5 TMDL Implementation April 21, 20145

6. What Does TMDL stand for? Total Maximum Daily Load Establishes the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can assimilate and still meet water quality standards Essentially a “restoration target” April 21, 20146

7. Imperial River Impairments Imperial River (Marine Segment)  Impaired for:  Fecal Coliform  Iron  DO (Natural Conditions) Imperial River  TMDL (low DO)  Total Nitrogen reduction 24.87%  TN = 0.74 mg/L 7

8. Basin Management Action Plan The Department’s method for restoring water quality of an impaired water body.  Implementing the restoration target (TMDL) BMAPs are adopted by FDEP through a Secretarial Order Includes a plan with a set of strategies BMAPs are enforceable 15 year process April 21, 20148

9. BMAP Process Developed collaboratively with local stakeholders Open meetings with public involvement Joint decision making with local partners Counties, Cities, ag interests, environmental interests, community interests and others April 21, 20149

10. Key BMAP Components Identify TMDL(s) being addressed Defines area addressed Details efforts to implement TMDL Timeline, commitment, and benefit Includes process to assess progress toward achieving the TMDL Monitoring, reporting, follow-up meetings April 21, 201410

11. Everglades West Coast BMAP Adopted December 2012 (TMDL-2008) Includes Hendry Creek and Imperial River Addresses total nitrogen from freshwater Imperial River watershed First Phase – 5 years Stakeholders identify projects that will reduce TN loading DEP collecting additional data regarding nutrient sources 11April 21, 2014

12. Multi-agency Effort Agriculture City of Bonita Springs Lee County FDOT District 1 FDACS SFWMD FDEP April 21, 201412

13. City of Bonita Springs BMAP projects April 21, 201413

14. Annual Progress Report First annual report now available Activities and projects that occurred Dec 2012 – Nov 2013 Water quality monitoring: Lee County-14 stations City of Bonita Springs-7 stations April 21, 201414

15. Questions April 21, 201415 City of Bonita Springs Julie Neurohr Julie.Neurohr@dep.state.fl.us Julie.Neurohr@dep.state.fl.us Jennifer Carpenter Jennifer.Carpenter@dep.state.fl.us

16. New Dissolved Oxygen Criteria Previous criteria based on concentration – Freshwater: never < 5.0 mg/L – Marine Water: avg >5.0 mg/L and never < 4.0 mg/L New Criteria based on saturation – Freshwater No more than 10% of the daily avg percent DO saturation shall be below 38% in the Peninsula or Everglades bioregions – Marine Waters No more than 10% of the daily avg percent DO saturation shall be below 42%

17. EWC BMAP: Imperial River 23.1 mi 2 watershed Major tributary to Estero Bay Urban land uses are within City of Bonita Springs

18. 18

19. 19