Middle St. Johns - Florida Department of Environmental Protection

42 Water Quality Assessment Report: Middle St. Johns
Table 2.4 (continued)
Spring Name
Discharges to
Mean Discharge (cubic
feet per second)
Period of Discharge
Measurement
Gemini Springs Lake Monroe 7.67 10.1 1972 1966–2000
Blackwater Springs nr
Cassia
BlueberrySpring,
Seminole State Forest
1.40 1981
(1 value)
0.07 1997
(1 value)
Island Spring Wekiva River (in river bed) 6.40 1982–1997
Moccasin Springs
Seminole State Forest
Mosquito Springs Run 1.32
Shark’s Tooth Spring,
Seminole State Forest
Source A: Rosenau et al., 1977.
Source B: Osburn et al., 2003.
0.29 1 value
0.13 1997
Surface Water Quality Classifications
All surface waters, including wetlands, in the Middle St. Johns Basin
are designated as Class III in accordance with Section 62-302.400, Florida
Administrative Code (F.A.C.).
Florida’s water quality standards, the foundation of the state’s program
of water quality management, designate the “present and future most
beneficial uses” of the waters of the state (Subsection 403.061[10], Florida
Statutes [F.S.]). Water quality criteria for surface water and ground water,
expressed as numeric or narrative limits for specific parameters, describe the
water quality necessary to maintain these uses. Florida’s surface water is
classified using the following five designated use categories:
Class I
Class II
Class III
Class IV
Class V
Potable water supplies
Shellfish propagation or harvesting
Recreation, propagation, and maintenance of a healthy,
well-balanced population of fish and wildlife
Agricultural water supplies
Navigation, utility, and industrial use (there are no state
waters currently in this class)
Outstanding Florida Waters
Table 2.5 lists by county the Outstanding Florida Waters (OFW) or
portions of OFWs in the Middle St. Johns Basin. A portion of the Wekiva
River was designated as a Florida Scenic and Wild River Segment in 1982.
OFWs are designated for “special protection due to their natural
attributes” (Section 403.061, F.S.). These waters are listed in Section 62-
302.700, F.A.C. The intent of an OFW designation is to maintain ambient
water quality, even if these designations are more protective than those
required under the waterbody’s surface water classification. Most OFWs
are associated with managed areas in the state or federal park system, such
as aquatic preserves, national seashores, or wildlife refuges. Other OFWs