Middle St. Johns - Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Water Quality Assessment Report: Middle St. Johns
59
the water resources or ecology of the area” (Subsection 373.042[1], F.S.).
Lakes and aquifers have minimum levels. Minimum flows are set for rivers
and streams. MFLs were needed to protect the discharge of the headwater
springs in an effort to preserve the natural Wekiva system, including several
endemic aquatic species (Hupalo et al., 1994).
Nongovernmental Stakeholder Groups
Numerous citizen or citizen-government groups with a primary interest
in protecting or enhancing water quality are active in the basin. Most organizations
have a specific geographic focus at either the watershed or waterbody
level. These groups and their activities are as follows (Bess, 2002):
• Watershed Action Volunteers: The SJRWMD and local governments
sponsor the Watershed Action Volunteers Program to enlist
volunteers to help monitor and protect north and central Florida’s
water resources. Volunteers have assisted local governments in
the basin with water quality and stormwater monitoring and river
cleanups.
• Clean Lakes Coalition of Central Florida: The coalition’s mission
is to educate homeowners about lake ecology. There are approximately
500 members in the coalition, which has been effective
in convincing Orange County of the importance of formulating
stormwater solutions.
• Econlockhatchee River Basin Working Group: This group,
formed in late 1997 by the Department, has functioned largely as a
forum for disseminating information in a nonadversarial atmosphere.
Several environmental organizations, as well as local governments,
the SJRWMD, and the Department, are represented.
• Friends of Lake Jesup: The group was created in the early 1990s to
advance the restoration of the lake’s water quality, habitat, and navigation
values. With support from local citizens’ groups, the Friends
were formally recognized by the legislature in 1994 with the passage
of the Lake Jesup Act. The act created the Friends of Lake Jesup
Restoration and Basin Management Task Force, with a designated
membership and responsibilities, and provided funding to initiate
projects. The act also directed the SJRWMD to begin a specific set
of projects to assess and restore Lake Jesup, along with the Department,
FWC, DOT, environmental interests, local governments, and
local homeowner associations. The Lake Jesup Act expired in 1998.
Though its legislative directive has been completed, a nonlegislative
mandated advisory group continues to meet.
• Friends of Maitland’s Waterways: The group’s mission is to inform
Maitland/Winter Park citizens of the BMPs that will improve water
quality in their lakes. Its goal is to educate citizens by disseminating
educational literature.