VERIFIED IMPAIRED FLORIDA WATERS: RUN 53 - NOVEMBER 2017

Abstract:

This dataset contains Verified Impaired Waters in the State of Florida.  The "verified list" of impaired waters is the list of Florida's waterbodies that fail to attain any of its designated uses and/or meet the minimum criteria for surface waters established in the Surface Water Quality Standards (62-302, F.A.C.) and the Impaired Water Rule (IWR, 62-303, F.A.C.). The entire state of Florida is divided into five basin groups in which each waterbody in re-assessed on a rotating basis every five years. If a waterbody is assessed as impaired a TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) must be developed to determine the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and remain healthy.  Coverage includes all the WBIDs (Waterbody IDs - RUN 53) that have been included on the verified list for any parameter. If a WBID is impaired for multiple parameters the coverage contains overlapping polygons for each parameter.  For more information or questions regarding the verified list and assessments, please contact Kevin O'Donnell (kevin.odonnell@dep.state.fl.us or (850) 245-8469). For more information or questions regarding TMDLs please contact Erin Rasnake (Erin.Rasnake@dep.state.fl.us or (850) 245 - 8338).  This is an update to the FGDL layer IMPAIRED_WATERS_OCT14.

Purpose:

Purpose of this dataset is to spatial representation of the areas for which an
impairment in a water feature has been determined.

Coverage includes all the WBIDs (Waterbody IDs - RUN 53) that are currently 
included on the verified list for any parameter from Group 1, Cycle 1 through Group 
4, Cycle 3, excluding WBID/parameter combinations that have subsequently been 
delisted in a later cycle. If a WBID is listed for multiple parameters the coverage 
contains overlapping polygons for each parameter. PLEASE NOTE: the verified list 
is not a list of all waters that do not meet water quality standards.

Supplemental_Information:

For more information or questions regarding the verified list and assessments, please
contact Kevin O'Donnell (kevin.odonnell@dep.state.fl.us or (850) 245-8469). 

For more information or questions regarding TMDLs please contact 
Erin Rasnake (Erin.Rasnake@dep.state.fl.us or (850) 245 - 8338). 

Watershed Assessment Program
Florida's rivers, streams, lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters are spectacularly 
beautiful. More than that, they are essential natural resources, supplying the water
necessary for aquatic life, both large and microscopic; drinking water; recreation; 
industry; fishing and shellfish harvesting; and agriculture. Florida's multi-billion 
tourist industry would vanish if our water resources were irreparably degraded.

Protecting these abundant water resource, restoring them when they become 
damaged because of unmanaged growth and development, and preserving them 
for the future is your responsibility and ours.

DEP's Divisions of Water Resource Management and Environmental Assessment 
and Restoration implement a wide range of programs to protect and restore 
Florida's surface waters. Tour this website and you will find dozens of different 
strategies and activities underway to benefit water quality. At the heart of these 
efforts, particularly in identifying water quality problems and establishing clean-up 
objectives, is the Watershed Assessment program.

Total Maximum Daily Loads Program
What is a TMDL?

A scientific determination of the maximum amount of a given pollutant that a 
surface water can absorb and still meet the water quality standards that protect 
human health and aquatic life. Water bodies that do not meet water quality 
standards are identified as "impaired" for the particular pollutants of 
concern--nutrients, bacteria, mercury, etc.--and TMDLs must be developed, 
adopted and implemented for those pollutants to reduce pollutants and clean up 
the water body.

The threshold limits on pollutants in surface waters--Florida's surface water quality 
standards on which TMDLs are based--are set forth primarily in rule 62-302, Florida 
Administrative Code, and the associated table of water quality criteria.

What are the basic steps in the TMDL program? How does it work?

        Assess the quality of surface waters--are they meeting water quality standards?
        Determine which waters are impaired--that is, which ones are not meeting water 
             quality standards for a particular pollutant or pollutants.
        Establish and adopt, by rule, a TMDL for each impaired water for the pollutants of 
             concern--the ones causing the water quality problems.
        Develop, with extensive local stakeholder input, a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) that....
        Implement the strategies and actions in the BMAP.
        Measure the effectiveness of the BMAP, both continuously at the local level and 
             through a formal re-evaluation every five years.
        Adapt--change the plan and change the actions if things aren't working.
        Reassess the quality of surface waters continuously.

The Divisions are working on a more comprehensive approach to protecting Florida water 
quality involving basin-wide assessments and the application of a full range of regulatory 
and non-regulatory strategies to reduce pollution.  The Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) 
is the heart of this comprehensive approach.

Currentness_Reference:

publication date

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

GeoPlan relied on the integrity of the attribute information within
the original data.