Implementation of Florida's Numeric Nutrient Standards

This document describes how numeric nutrient standards in Chapters 62-302 (Water Quality Standards) and 62-303 (Identification of Impaired Surface Waters), Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), are implemented by the Department of Environmental Protection (Department). The major topics include the hierarchical approach used to interpret the narrative nutrient criterion (NNC) on a site-specific basis; a summary of the criteria for lakes, spring vents, streams and estuaries; floral measures and the weight of evidence approach in streams; example scenarios for how the criteria will be implemented in the 303(d) assessment process; and a description of how the Water Quality Based Effluent Limitation (WQBEL) process is used to implement the nutrient standards in wastewater permitting. Finally, because of the complexity associated with assessing nutrient enrichment effects in streams, a summary of the weight-of-evidence evaluation involving flora, fauna, and Nutrient Thresholds is provided.

Publisher - Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)

Subjects - Numeric Nutrient Criteria

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Citation: DEP. 2013. Implementation of Florida's Numeric Nutrient Standards. Tallahassee (FL): Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2013/03/NNC_Implementation_3-11-13.pdf