THE TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOAD PROGRAM - OVERVIEW

1/20/03

Watershed Planning and Coordination Section

What is a TMDL?Total Maximum Daily Load• A TMDL is the maximum amount of a given pollutant that a water body can absorb and still maintain its designated uses (

swimming, shellfish harvesting). One water body may have several TMDLs, one for each pollutant that exceeds the wate

it safely.

• Under Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act and the Florida Watershed Restoration Act, TMDLs must be develope

not meeting their designated uses and, consequently, are defined as “impaired waters.”

What do we expect to accomplish through the TMDL Program?• Cleaner Water through more collaborative restoration efforts, with increased public involvement.• Better Use of Science to understand how human activities affect water resources in specific locations and cumulatively 

watersheds.

• Better Protection for water bodies, as people give more attention to preventing and reducing human impacts on water • Better Working Relationships among people and organizations at all levels in the public and private sectors.How will TMDLs be developed and implemented?TMDLs will be developed, allocated, and implemented through a watershed-based management approach (managing wanatural boundaries) that addresses the state’s 52 major hydrologic basins in five groups.

Basins by Group and DEP District Office 

DEP

District

Group 1

Basins

Group 2

Basins

Group 3

Basins

Group 4

Basins

NW

OchlockoneeSt. Marks Apalachicola-Chipola Choctawhatchee-St. Andrews Bay Pensacola Bay 

NE Suwannee Lower St. Johns Nassau-St. Marys 

Central Ocklawaha Middle St. Johns Upper St. Johns Kissimmee 

SW Tampa Bay Tampa Bay Tributaries

Sarasota Bay-PeaceMyakka Withlacoochee 

S

Everglades West

Coast Charlotte Harbor Caloosahatchee Fisheating Creek 

SE Lake Okeechobee St.Lucie-Loxahatchee

Lake Worth LagoonPalm Beach Coast Southeast Coast Biscayne Bay 

Each group will undergo a cycle of five phases on a rotating schedule (see table on following page):Phase 1: Preliminary Evaluation of water qualityPhase 2: Strategic Monitoring and Assessment to verify water quality impairmentsPhase 3: Development and Adoption of TMDLs for waters verified as impairedPhase 4: Development of Basin Management Action Plan (B-MAP) to achieve the TMDLPhase 5: Implementation of the BMAP and monitoring of results
THE TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOAD PROGRAM - OVERVIEW

1/20/03

Watershed Planning and Coordination Section

Basin Rotation Schedule For TMDL Development and Implementation

YEAR* 00 01 01 02 02 03 03 04 04 05 05 06 06 07 07 08 

Group 1 PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4 PHASE 5 PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 Group 2 PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4 PHASE 5 PHASE 1 PHASE 2 Group 3 PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4 PHASE 5 PHASE 1 Group 4 PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4 PHASE 5 Group 5 PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4 

1st Five-year Cycle – High-priority Waters 2nd Five-year Cycle – Medium-

*Projected years for phases 3, 4, and 5 may change due to accelerated local activities, length of plan development, legal challenges, etc.What specific activities take place in each phase and how are stakeholders involved?Phase 1• DEP conducts an initial water quality assessment in the basin, working with stakeholders to determine information require

data collection and analysis, and quality control/quality assurance requirements; develops basin planning list of potentially strategic monitoring plan for further data collection.

Stakeholder Involvement – Close coordination with local stakeholders to conduct a preliminary basin water quality ass

existing and proposed management activities; identify management objectives and issues of concern; develop a strategic 

produce a preliminary Basin Status Report that includes a list of potentially impaired waters.

Phase 2• DEP, in cooperation with local monitoring entities and WMDs, conducts strategic monitoring to meet priority information n

monitoring assessment using EPA guidance; derives revised planning list and a draft verified list of impaired waters for puadopts Group-specific verified list of impaired waters by rule for submittal to EPA as 303(d) waters for which TMDLs will b

Stakeholder Involvement – Cooperative efforts between the Department and local stakeholders to collect additional da

complete water quality assessment; produce a final Basin Assessment Report that includes a planning list and a draft veriffor secretarial adoption. 

Phase 3• For water bodies or segments on the adopted verified list of impaired waters, DEP will develop and adopt TMDLs and “rea

allocations” among point and nonpoint sources, with input from stakeholders. During Phase 3, DEP establishes TMDLs fo

segments verified as impaired, using computer modeling to estimate nonpoint source loadings and establish the water bo

Stakeholder Involvement – Coordination with stakeholders on model framework, including model requirements, param

model endpoints, design run scenarios, and preliminary allocations; communication of science used in the process; input f

allocations; public workshops for rule adoption of TMDLs and allocations.

During the first two phases of the cycle, stakeholders may submit documentation for review by DEP, to establish reaso

existing or proposed pollution control mechanisms are sufficient to attain water quality standards in a water segmen
THE TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOAD PROGRAM - OVERVIEW

1/20/03

Watershed Planning and Coordination Section

Phase 4• DEP will invite parties potentially affected by TMDLs to participate in discussions on allocations and implementation strate• DEP will work with WMDs, DACS, and other agencies to provide technical resources and assistance to stakeholder group a

funding mechanisms available to achieve load reductions.

• Affected stakeholders will work with DEP and other affected agencies to reach consensus on load reduction allocations an

development of a Basin Management Action Plan (B-MAP) to achieve established TMDLs.

• DEP will make the B-MAP available for public review and comment.

Stakeholder Involvement – Broad stakeholder participation in developing a Basin Management Action Plan (including a

into existing management plans where feasible; public meetings during the planning process.

Phase 5• As directed by the Florida Watershed Restoration Act, DEP will take the lead in coordinating the implementation of TMDLs

through non-regulatory and existing regulatory water quality protection programs.

• DACS has agreed to take the lead in ensuring that allocations to agricultural nonpoint sources are met, and will work with 

develop BMPs and facilitate their implementation, including providing assistance in obtaining funding. The DACS Division 

lead in ensuring that the allocation to silviculture is met.

• Other regional and state agencies will assist in implementation as provided in the B-MAP.• Local entities will implement local government NPDES stormwater programs, local restoration projects, private sector part

provided in the B-MAP.Stakeholder Involvement – Emphasis on implementing the B-MAP, other voluntary stakeholder actions, and local wate

structures; DEP will continue to provide technical assistance, fulfill oversight responsibilities, and administer NPDES point 

permits.

Tracking, Monitoring, Evaluation

• DEP will continue its efforts to strengthen coordination between federal, state, regional, local monitoring and help imp

plan developed as part of the B-MAP.

Who will be affected by TMDLs and how?Pollutants can enter a water body through point source discharges (generally from a specific facility) or nonpoint discharges (eseptic tanks). Government agencies, businesses, organizations, and individuals who contribute to these discharges will be askresponsibility of attaining TMDLs through load allocations (the amount of a specified pollutant allotted for discharge) that are 

TMDL. Those potentially affected, and the actions they may be asked to take to help achieve a TMDL, are summarized below

Potentially Affected Stakeholders Actions to Achieve TMDL

Municipal stormwater/wastewater programs Reduce and treat urban stormwater runoff through stormwater retrofitFarming and silviculture operations Reduce and treat runoff through best management practices (BMPs)Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities, NPDES permitted facilities Reduce pollutant loadings from permitted dischargesCommercial developers, homebuilders, individual home owners Improve development design and construction, enhance BMPs, replace Federal, regional, state agencies; regional and local water quality coalitions Carry out water body restoration projects
THE TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOAD PROGRAM - OVERVIEW

1/20/03

Watershed Planning and Coordination Section

What are some of the benefits of the TMDL program?As part of a watershed-based management approach, the TMDL program will:• Produce better monitoring and more effective use of existing and new water quality information.• Provide restoration and prevention targets and define responsibility for management actions.• Build on and enhance existing restoration efforts of local governments, water management districts, established co

Department, and others.

• Focus funding and other resources on priority water resource problems.• Trigger improvements in stormwater management by local governments, industry, agriculture, private developmen

and others.

• Stimulate new approaches to land use design and development that minimize associated water resource problemHow do I get additional information?For additional information on the Watershed Management Program and TMDLs, please contact these watershed coordinators Management, Watershed Planning and Coordination Section:For additional information on the Watershed Management Program and TMDLs, please contact these watershed coordinators:! Southwest Florida and Lake Okeechobee, Pat Fricano (850) 245-8559! Southeast Florida and Ochlockonee-St. Marks Basins, Rick Hicks (850) 245-8558! Northwest and Central Florida, Mary Paulic, (850) 245-8560! Northeast Florida and Suwannee Basin, John Abendroth (850) 245-8557! West Central Florida and Tampa Bay Region, Tom Singleton (850) 245-8561For information on establishing and implementing TMDLs, contact Jan Mandrup-Poulsen in the Watershed Assessment Section 

Additional information is on the Department’s web page at www.dep.state.fl.us/water/watersheds/index.htm.

Other key contacts in the Bureau of Watershed Management: ! Eric H. Livingston, Bureau Chief Phone: (850) 245-8430 SUNCOM: 205-8430! Daryll Joyner, TMDL Program Administrator Phone: (850) 245-8431 SUNCOM: 205-8431! Fred Calder, Section Administrator

Watershed Planning and Coordination Section Phone: (850) 245-8555 SUNCOM: 205-8555

Other TMDL-related DEP and EPA Websites:! US Environmental Protection Agency

Total Maximum Daily Load Program: http://www.epa.gov/owow/TMDL

! Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Total Maximum Daily Load Program: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/tmdlThe 2000 305(b) Report: http://www.dep.state.fl.us//water/305bStormwater/Nonpoint Source Pollution: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/stormwater