Lower St. Johns River
Technical Advisory Committee
Lower St. Johns River Documents
Numeric Nutrient Criteria (NNC)
A more complete listing of NNC documents is on the TAC NNC page:
Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Documents
EPA – Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida Lakes and Flowing Waters; Final Rule (12/6/10)
EPA – Draft Technical Assistance for Developing Nutrient Site-Specific Alternative Criteria (SSAC) in Florida (2/10/2011)
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Documents
A link to the Florida Department of Environmental Protections website on Numeric Nutrient Criteria for Florida's Waters follows:
https://floridadep.gov/dear/water-quality-standards/content/numeric-nutrient-criteria-development
Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plans
The SWIM Act was enacted in 1987 and designated the Lower St. Johns River Basin as a SWIM waterbody based on its water quality. The SWIM Plan for the basin was initially developed in 1989 was updated in 1993. The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD), in conjunction with basin stakeholders, updated the plan in 2008, which describes the management issues related to water quality, biological health, toxic contaminants, public education, and intergovernmental coordination and a 5-year list of projects to address these management issues. The updated plan also includes the Lake George basin and designates this basin as a SWIM waterbody.
https://www.sjrwmd.com/static/plans/2008_LSJRB_SWIM_Plan_Update.pdf
Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) Documents
BMAPs outline projects, programs, and management actions to address the nutrient Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). Once adopted by the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, the reduction requirements outlined in the document are binding and may be linked to related national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) permits.
These BMAP documents are available on the FDEP website at:
https://floridadep.gov/dear/water-quality-restoration/content/basin-management-action-plans-bmaps
Information on progress in the Lower St. Johns River Main Stem BMAP can be found by clicking on this link to the latest Statewide Annual Report.
The Lower St. Johns River Main Stem Nutrients BMAP (2008)
This BMAP is the implementation plan for nutrient TMDLs for both the marine and freshwater sections of the main stem of the river. The BMAP was developed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD), and basin stakeholders. Follow the link to view the final version of the Lower St Johns River BMAP on the FDEP website:
https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/adopted-lsjr-bmap.pdf
Tributaries BMAP #1-Lower St. Johns River Fecal Coliform (December 2009)
The Lower St. Johns Tributaries BMAP #1 was adopted by DEP Secretarial Order in December 2009. It covers the following 10 tributaries of the LSJR:
Newcastle Creek
Terrapin Creek
Miller creek
Goodbys Creek
Miramar Creek
Open Creek
Big Fishweir Creek
Hogan Creek
Deer Creek
Butcher Pen Creek
The final version of the document is available at:
https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/lsjr-tribs-fecal-bmap.pdf
The most recent annual progress report for the Lower St. Johns River Tributaries BMAP #1 can be found by clicking here.
Tributaries BMAP #2-Lower St. Johns River Fecal Coliform BMAP (2010)
The Lower St. Johns Tributaries BMAP #2 was adopted by DEP Secretarial Order in August 2010, and includes the following 15 Tributaries of the LSJR:
Craig Creek
Moncrief Creek
Sherman Creek
McCoy Creek
Blockhouse Creek
Greenfield Creek
Williamson Creek
Hopkins Creek
Pottsburg Creek
Fishing Creek
Cormorant Branch
Upper Trout River
Deep Bottom Creek
Wills Branch
Lower Trout River
The final version of the BMAP document is available on the FDEP website:
https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/bmap-lsjt2.pdf
Lower St. Johns River FDEP Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Documents & Basin Status Report
The final (June 2008) TMDL Report for the Lower St. Johns River can be viewed at:
https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/lower-stjohns-nutrients.pdf
Links to information on the TMDL program as well as additional TMDL Reports (final and draft) can be found at:
https://floridadep.gov/dear/water-quality-evaluation-tmdl/content/final-tmdl-reports
Tribuary Fecal Coliform Technical Reports
Verified Lists of Impaired Waters
Please follow this DEP website link for information on watershed assessment and links to assessment updates to the verified lists of impaired waters:
https://floridadep.gov/DEAR/Watershed-Assessment-Section
Lower St. Johns River Initiative Documents
The Lower St Johns River Initiative is a funding effort led by St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to obtain state funding to implement projects to improve water quality and protect surface water resources. These projects include reuse, wastewater facility upgrades, stormwater management, and agricultural best management practices (BMPs). A list of the initiative documents can be found on the TAC Legislative Initiatives page:
Legislative Initiatives
The State of the River Report
The State of the River Report was put together by a team of academic researchers from Jacksonville University and the University of North Florida and funded by the City of Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board (EPB). The purpose of the State of the River Report was to pull together data and literature pertaining to the conditions in the river that had been previously collected and present it in an easily assessable format. Data from several different sources were examined, including data from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, St. Johns River Water Management District, Fish and Wildlife Commission, City of Jacksonville, individual researchers, and others.
Click HERE to go to the Home Page for the State of the River page.
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The 2022 Lower St. Johns River Reports
2022 Lower St. Johns River Reports link
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The 2021 Lower St. Johns River Reports
Lower St. Johns River Reports link
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The 2020 Lower St. Johns River Report
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The 2019 Lower St. Johns River Report
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The 2018 Lower St. Johns River Report
St. Johns River Water Supply Impact Study - FINAL REPORT
The St. Johns River Water Supply Impact Study, the most comprehensive and scientifically rigorous analysis of the St. Johns River ever conducted, was completed and presented to the St. Johns River Water Management District's Governing Board on Feb. 14, 2012.
The four-year study resulted in the development of tools that will help guide future decision-making on the potential environmental effects of proposed water withdrawals from the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers on the St. Johns River system. The state-of-the-art models and methodologies that resulted from the study will be used in consumptive use permitting, minimum flows and levels development, regional water projects and water supply planning.
Follow this link for more information, and to access the Water Supply Impact Study (WSIS) documents electronically:
https://www.sjrwmd.com/water-supply/st-johns-river/
Low Impact Development (LID)
US EPA Green Infrastructures - January 2015
This document (EPA 842-R-15-002) demonstrates ways in which localities can incorporate Green Infrastructure into work they are doing in public spaces, and includes a number of useful studies.
Click here for the link to the US EPA document: Green Infrastructure Opportunities that Arise During Municipal Operations.
Visit the EPA's Green Infrastructure website here:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission/Florida Marine Research Institute - Annual Fisheries Reports
Please click on the link below to be directed to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 2020 Annual report.
https://myfwc.com/research/about/resources/annual-report/
Links to the Annual Reports for 2015-2017 are below:
Jacksonville Harbor Deepening Study
The District conducted a study to increase the depth of the existing federal channel along the St. Johns River from its current project depth of 40-feet to a maximum depth of 47-feet. The extent of this deepening would occur from the mouth of the St. Johns River to approximately River Mile 13. Please see the Jacksonville Port Authority website for additional information on the status of the harbor deepening project:
https://www.jaxport.com/cargo/port-improvements/harbor-deepening/