THETOTALMAXIMUMDAILYLOADPROGRAM- OVERVIEW1/20/03 

# Watershed Planning and Coordination Section1What is a TMDL?TotalMaximumDailyLoad•A TMDL is the maximum amount of a given pollutant that a waterbody can absorb and still maintainits designated uses (e.g., drinking, fishing,swimming, shellfish harvesting). One waterbody may have several TMDLs, one for eachpollutant that exceeds the water body’s capacity to absorbit safely.•Under Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act and the Florida Watershed Restoration Act, TMDLs must be developed for allwaters that arenot meeting their designated uses and, consequently, are defined as “impaired waters.”What do we expect to accomplish through the TMDL Program?•Cleaner Waterthrough more collaborative restoration efforts, with increased public involvement.•Better Use of Scienceto understand how human activities affect water resources in specific locations and cumulatively throughout ourwatersheds.•Better Protectionfor water bodies, as people give more attention to preventing and reducing human impacts on water resources.•Better Working Relationshipsamong 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 awatershed-based management approach(managing water resources within theirnatural boundaries) that addresses the state’s 52 major hydrologic basins in five groups.Basins by Group and DEP District OfficeDEPDistrictGroup 1BasinsGroup 2BasinsGroup 3BasinsGroup 4BasinsGroup 5BasinsNWOchlockoneeSt. MarksApalachicola-ChipolaChoctawhatchee-St.Andrews BayPensacola BayPerdido BayNESuwanneeLower St. JohnsNassau-St. MarysUpper East CoastCentralOcklawahaMiddle St. JohnsUpper St. JohnsKissimmeeIndian River LagoonSWTampa BayTampa Bay TributariesSarasota Bay-PeaceMyakkaWithlacoocheeSprings CoastSEverglades WestCoastCharlotte HarborCaloosahatcheeFisheating CreekFlorida KeysSELake OkeechobeeSt.Lucie-LoxahatcheeLake Worth LagoonPalm Beach CoastSoutheast CoastBiscayne BayEvergladesEach group will undergo a cycle of five phases on a rotating schedule(see table on following page):Phase 1: 

# Preliminary Evaluationof water qualityPhase 2: 

# Strategic Monitoring and Assessmentto verify water quality impairmentsPhase 3: 

# Development and Adoption of TMDLsfor waters verified as impairedPhase 4: 

# Development of Basin Management Action Plan(B-MAP) to achieve the TMDLPhase 5: 

# Implementationof the BMAP and monitoring of resultsTHETOTALMAXIMUMDAILYLOADPROGRAM- OVERVIEW1/20/03 

# Watershed Planning and Coordination Section2 

# Basin Rotation Schedule For TMDL Development and ImplementationYEAR*0001010202030304040505060607070808090910Group 1PHASE 1PHASE 2PHASE 3PHASE 4PHASE 5PHASE 1PHASE 2PHASE 3PHASE 4PHASE 5Group 2PHASE 1PHASE 2PHASE 3PHASE 4PHASE 5PHASE 1PHASE 2PHASE 3PHASE 4Group 3PHASE 1PHASE 2PHASE 3PHASE 4PHASE 5PHASE 1PHASE 2PHASE 3Group 4PHASE 1PHASE 2PHASE 3PHASE 4PHASE 5PHASE 1PHASE 2Group 5PHASE 1PHASE 2PHASE 3PHASE 4PHASE 5PHASE 11stFive-year Cycle – High-priority Waters2ndFive-year Cycle – Medium-Priority Waters



# *Projected years for phases 3, 4, and 5 may change due to accele rated local activities, length of plan development, legal chall enges, etc.What specific activities take place in eachphase and how are stakeholders involved?Phase 1•DEP conducts an initial water quality assessment in the basin, working with stakeholders to determine information required, accepted methods ofdata collection and analysis, and quality control/quality assurance requirements; develops basin planning list of potentially impaired waters, developsstrategic monitoring plan for further data collection. 

# Stakeholder Involvement –Close coordination with local stakeholders to conducta preliminary basin water quality assessment; inventoryexisting and proposed management activities; identify managementobjectives and issues of concern; develop a strategic monitoring plan; andproduce a preliminary Basin Status Report thatincludes a list of potentially impaired waters.Phase 2•DEP, in cooperation with local monitoring entities and WMDs, conducts strategic monitoring to meet priority information needs;conducts integratedmonitoring assessment using EPA guidance; derives revised planning list and a draft verified list of impaired waters for publiccomment; Secretaryadopts Group-specific verified list of impaired waters by rulefor submittal to EPA as 303(d) waters for which TMDLs will be established.



# Stakeholder Involvement–Cooperative efforts between the Department and local stakeholders to collect additionaldata; get data into STORET;complete water quality assessment; produce afinal Basin Assessment Report that includes a planning list and a draft verified list of impaired watersfor secretarial adoption.Phase 3•For water bodies or segments on the adopted verified listof impaired waters, DEP will develop and adopt TMDLs and 

# “reasonable and equitable load

allocations”among point and nonpoint sources, with input from stakeholders. DuringPhase 3, DEP establishes TMDLs for water bodies or watersegments verified as impaired, using computermodeling to estimate nonpoint source loadings and establish the water body’s assimilative capacity.



# Stakeholder Involvement– Coordination with stakeholders on model framework,including model requirements, parameters to be modeled,model endpoints, design run scenarios, and preliminary allocations; communication of science used in the process; input from stakeholders onallocations; public workshops for rule adoption of TMDLs and allocations. 

# During the first two phases of the cycle, stakeholders ma y submit documentation for re view by DEP, to establish reasonable assurance tha t

existing or proposed pollution control mechanisms are sufficient to attain water quality standards in a water segment without a TMDL.THETOTALMAXIMUMDAILYLOADPROGRAM- OVERVIEW1/20/03 

# Watershed Planning and Coordination Section3Phase 4•DEP will invite parties potentially affected by TMDLs to participate in discussions on allocations and implementation strategies.•DEP will work with WMDs, DACS, and other agencies to provide technical resources and assistance to stakeholder group and help identify potentialfunding mechanisms available to achieve load reductions.•Affected stakeholders will work with DEP and other affected agencies to reach consensus on loadreduction allocations and strategies, leading todevelopment of a Basin Management ActionPlan (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 allocations), incorporating itinto existing management plans where feasible;public meetings during the planning process.Phase 5•As directed by the Florida Watershed Restoration Act, DEP will takethe lead in coordinating the implementation of TMDLs, whichmay be carried outthrough 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 farmers in the basin todevelop BMPs and facilitate their implementation, including providing assistance in obtaining funding. The DACS Division of Forestry will take thelead 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 stormwaterprograms, local restoration projects, private sector partnerships, BMPs, etc., asprovided in the B-MAP. 

# Stakeholder Involvement– Emphasis on implementing the B-MAP, other voluntary stakeholder actions, and local watershed managementstructures; DEP will continue to provide technical assistance,fulfill oversight responsibilities, and administer NPDES point and nonpoint sourcepermits.Tracking, Monitoring, Evaluation•DEP will continue its efforts to strengthencoordination between federal, state, regional, local monitoring and help implementthe monitoringplan 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 (e.g., stormwater runoff,septic tanks). Government agencies, businesses, organizations,and individuals who contribute to these discharges will be asked to share theresponsibility of attaining TMDLs through load allocations (the amount of a specifiedpollutant allotted for discharge) that are based on an establishedTMDL. Those potentially affected, and the actions they may beasked to take to help achieve a TMDL, are summarized below.Potentially Affected StakeholdersActions to Achieve TMDLMunicipal stormwater/wastewater programsReduce and treat urban stormwater runoff through stormwater retrofit, septic tank replacementFarming and silviculture operationsReduce and treat runoff through best management practices (BMPs)Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities, NPDES permitted facilitiesReduce pollutant loadings from permitted dischargesCommercial developers, homebuilders, individual home ownersImprove development designand construction, enhance BMPs, replace septic tanksFederal, regional, state agencies; regional and local water quality coalitionsCarry out water body restoration projectsTHETOTALMAXIMUMDAILYLOADPROGRAM- OVERVIEW1/20/03 

# Watershed Planning and Coordination Section4What 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 useof existing and new water quality information.•Provide restoration and prevention targetsand define responsibility for management actions.•Build on and enhance existing restoration effortsof local governments, water managementdistricts, established coalitions, theDepartment, and others.•Focus funding and other resourceson priority water resource problems.•Trigger improvements in stormwater managementby local governments, industry, agriculture, private developments, businesses,and others.•Stimulate new approaches to land use design and developmentthat minimize associated water resource problems.How do I get additional information?For additional information on the Watershed Management Program and TMDLs, please contact these watershed coordinators in the Bureau of WatershedManagement, Watershed Planningand Coordination Section:For additional information on the Watershed Management Program and TMDLs, pleasecontact these watershed coordinators:! 

# Southwest Florida and Lake Okeechobee, Pat Fricano (850) 245-8559! 

# Southeast Florida and Ochl ockonee-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, contactJan Mandrup-Poulsen in the Watershed Assessment Section at (850) 245-8448.Additional information is on the Department’s web page atwww.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 AdministratorWatershed Planning and CoordinationSection Phone: (850) 245-8555 SUNCOM: 205-8555Other 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/tmdl



# The 2000 305(b) Report:http://www.dep.state.fl.us//water/305b 

# Stormwater/Nonpoint Source Pollution:http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/stormwater