Middle St. Johns - Florida Department of Environmental Protection

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Water Quality Assessment Report: Middle St. Johns
programs are expected to result in the attainment of water quality standards
or consistently improve water quality over time. Chapter 4 and
Appendix D contain additional information on the requirements for
reasonable assurance.
For this planning unit, no management plans or projects complying
with the Department’s guidance for reasonable assurance have been
provided for the 2002 list of impaired waters.
• Lake Kerr Planning Unit
General Description
Located in portions of Lake, Marion, and Putnam Counties, the total
area of the Lake Kerr planning unit is about 120,498 acres (188 square
miles). Major waterbodies include Lake Kerr and Juniper Creek. Lake
Kerr is an OFW. Predominantly undeveloped, the planning unit is within
the Ocala National Forest.
Water Quality Summary
Figure 3.8, a composite map of the planning unit, shows waters on the
1998 303(d) list, the Planning List and Verified List, and potential pollution
sources. Water quality data from thirteen sampling stations were used
for assessment (Appendix F).
Table 3.10 summarizes the water quality assessment status of all waterbody
segments in the planning unit.
Of the 13 waterbody segments in the Lake Kerr planning unit, 10 have
at least some type of data in the planning and/or verification periods, but
in many cases the data are insufficient for assessment segments under the
IWR. Six segments have sufficient data for assessment, and of these, 1 is
verified impaired for at least 1 parameter assessed, 3 remain on the Planning
List as only potentially impaired, and 2 meet standards for all parameters
assessed.
Listed below is the verified impaired segment in the planning unit,
with the parameter for which it is impaired.
Wildcat Lake
Mercury in fish
Other potential parameters of concern for the planning unit are cadmium,
copper, DO and lead for Hopkins Prairie; cadmium, copper, lead,
selenium, and silver for Lake Kerr. Little Lake Kerr also has a limited fish
consumption advisory (for elevated levels of mercury) for largemouth bass,
bowfin, and gar. The DOH has issued a health advisory recommending
limited consumption of warmouth sunfish from Wildcat Lake because of
elevated levels of mercury.
Permitted Discharges and Land Uses
Point Sources. The planning unit has three permitted point source
dischargers. All are domestic wastewater discharges, and none is NPDESpermitted.
The largest discharge is 0.0850 mgd from the Salt Springs
wastewater treatment plant, which discharges into percolation ponds. The
smallest discharge is 0.0028 mgd, from the Fountain Center wastewater