MANASOTA & PEACE RIVER BBDs Meeting Notebook 10-21-09.docx

W527
Peace River Water Quality Monitoring
Project Type SWIM
AOR(s)
Water Quality
Basin(s) Peace River
Cooperator(s)
Project Manager KAUFMAN, KRIS
Task Manager(s)
Status Ongoing
WOLDEN, CATHERINE
Description
This project is an ongoing SWIM Initiative to monitor water quality in the Peace River. The District participated in a
multi-agency cooperative effort to monitor the river from 1997 to 1998. It was determined a long term effort was
needed to characterize water quality conditions and pollutant loadings in the river system. The current project began in
2000 and funding will be used to continue the monthly water quality monitoring program at ten United States
Geological Service (USGS) stream stations along the Peace River. The data provided from this project will be used in
conjunction with streamflow measurements provided by an existing USGS program to estimate monthly pollutant
loading at the ten gauge sites (See W554 & W547).
Benefits
This data will be used to develop future water quality improvement projects as needed. The project's data is regularly
used to create publications such as, "Water Quality Conditions and Pollutant Loads and Yields in the Peace and
Myakka River Basins" (See W554). Ongoing projects in the watershed such as the Lake Hancock Outfall Treatment
Project have analyzed the data in order to understand current conditions as well as justify recommendations for action.
Costs
The FY2010 funds for this project are funded from the Peace River Basin. The funds are for the District's Water
Quality Monitoring Program (WQMP) staff to collect samples and the District Laboratory to analyze the samples.
District funds shown in the table include staff salaries.
Additional Information
The Peace River discharges into Charlotte Harbor, a SWIM priority waterbody and is designated as an "estuary of
national significance." Charlotte Harbor is generally viewed as one of the most productive estuarine systems in
Southwest Florida. Although it is appropriately considered a healthy system, problems exist in the areas of hydrologic
alterations, water quality degradation, and habitat loss. The SWIM Plan for Charlotte Harbor focus on management
strategies for the Peace and Myakka Rivers, in addition to Charlotte Harbor proper, to reduce point and non-point
source pollution and to preserve and restore habitat. The objectives of this project are consistent with these strategies.
The District began water quality monitoring projects along the Peace and Myakka Rivers in 2000 (See W528). Since
2001, the District has also supported sampling in the tidal portions of the Peace and Myakka Rivers by the Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) (See W521).
Prior
FY 2009 FY2010
Funding Funding Funding
District Budgeted - Ad Valorem Based
Revenue
020 Peace River Basin 142,435 20,481 38,933
0 201,849
District Budgeted - Outside Revenue
State Trust Funds (SWIM) 81,941 20,480
0
0 102,421
State Trust Funds (SWIM) - Prior 2006 90,738 0
0
0 90,738
WMLTF (SWIM) - Prior Year Funds 0 0 38,932
0 38,932
Total:
Future
Funding
Total
Funding
$433,940
Critical Project Milestones Projected Amended Actual
020 - Peace River Basin 51