South Florida Farmers Set Standard For Water Quality
July 30, 2012 For the 17th consecutive year, water flowing from farmlands in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) achieved phosphorus reductions that exceeded those required by law. Implementation of best management practices (BMPs) produced a 71% phosphorus reduction in the 470,000-acre EAA farming region south of Lake Okeechobee for the 2012 monitoring period. An approved model is used to compute the reductions and makes adjustments to account for the influences of rainfall.
Just west of the EAA, the C-139 Basin also met its goal of reducing phosphorus discharges to historic levels. The 170,000-acre C-139 farming region consists primarily of pasture land, row crops, citrus and sugarcane. Results show 15 metric tons flowed from the basin during the 2012 monitoring period, less than half the target load of 32 metric tons.
“Year after year, science-based best management practices deliver reductions in nutrients that are greater than required by state law, helping to significantly improve Everglades water quality,” said Joe Collins, chairman of the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board. “Together with treatment wetlands, BMPs provide a solid foundation for our collective efforts to achieve the ultra-low water quality standards in the River of Grass.”
In the EAA, the most commonly used BMPs are more precise fertilizer application methods, refined stormwater pumping practices, and erosion controls to reduce the amount of phosphorus transported in stormwater runoff to the Everglades and connected water bodies. In the C-139 Basin, the District recently worked with landowners to develop more comprehensive and stringent BMP plans for each farm that better address the unique nutrient challenges in this basin. These plans are anticipated to result in greater phosphorus reduction results.
