South Florida Farmers Feted For Water Quality Standards
August 20, 2015 For two decades running, water flowing from farmland in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) achieved phosphorus reductions that significantly exceed those required by law.
Implementation of best management practices (BMPs) produced a 79% phosphorus reduction in the 470,000-acre EAA farming region south of Lake Okeechobee for the Water Year 2015 monitoring period (May 1, 2014 to April 30, 2015).
The requirement is a 25% phosphorus reduction. Over the program’s 20-year compliance history, the overall average annual reduction from the implementation of BMPs is 56%.
“Two decades of successfully meeting and exceeding phosphorus reductions to improve Everglades water quality is a great accomplishment,” said Daniel O’Keefe, chairman of the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board. “South Florida’s agricultural communities are clearly demonstrating a long-term commitment to restoration efforts.”
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