Middle St. Johns - Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Water Quality Assessment Report: Middle St. Johns
57
An important complementary activity to this SWIM Plan is the
acquisition of environmentally sensitive land through either existing land
purchasing programs or the development of a program targeted to meeting
stormwater retrofit needs. The middle basin is a rapidly urbanizing area.
Land acquisition provides a mechanism to meet SWIM goals and implement
the four SWIM initiatives. In particular, land acquisition is a necessary
component of stormwater retrofit and watershed master planning.
Numerous stormwater retrofit activities have been initiated and
funded by special legislative appropriations over the past few years.
Additionally, local governments have proposed a 5-year plan for over $150
million in capital improvements that will aid in stormwater management.
Appendix C lists water quality improvement projects in the basin.
Master Stormwater Management Plans
Phase 1 of the federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) stormwater program required municipalities with populations
over 100,000 to obtain an NPDES stormwater permit, called a
municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permit. A requirement of the
MS4 permit is the development of a Master Stormwater Management Plan.
Key elements that must be addressed by a stormwater management plan
are as follows: using structural, nonstructural, or source controls to reduce
pollutants in runoff; identifying and removing illicit connections; monitoring
and controlling pollutants in stormwater discharges from municipal
industrial activities; and implementing and maintaining best management
practices (BMPs) to reduce pollutant loads from construction sites.
Currently, Seminole and Orange Counties and the city of Orlando
have been issued MS4 permits in the basin. Copermittees included under
the Orange County MS4 issued in April 1996 are the Florida Department
of Transportation (DOT), Valencia Water Control District, and the cities
of Apopka, Winter Park, Winter Garden, Ocoee, Maitland, Edgewood,
Eatonville, and Belle Isle. The city of Orlando’s MS4 permit was issued on
August 1, 1997. Copermittees included under the Seminole County MS4
permit are the cities of Winter Springs, Sanford, Oviedo, Lake Mary, Longwood,
and Altamonte Springs, and the DOT, District 5.
Many of the water quality improvement and restoration projects proposed
for this basin are expected to address stormwater management issues
as identified in the respective Master Stormwater Management Plans.
Local Government Capital Improvement Plans
Capital Improvement Plans provide a means by which local governments
can plan projects to meet expected service needs and budget
resources to meet those needs. Usually, capital projects are relatively largescale
projects that may require multi-year funding. Plans are typically
developed to reflect funding needs over the next five years. A portion of the
local government’s capital improvement budget is directed to activities that
will have a water quality benefit such as stormwater retrofits, drainage easements,
catch basins, and sedimentation controls. A list of capital improvement
projects is contained in Appendix C.