St. Johns County Water Quality Program Update March 15,

2 Topics Background Program Update Next Steps

TMDL: Establishes maximum amount of pollutant (Point and Non-point) that a water body can assimilate Florida Watershed Restoration Act – Required to establish and implement the Federal TMDL – Priotorize a Schedule Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) – Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Management strategy to achieve TMDL State and Federal Mandate Background Total Maximum Daily Loads Meet Mandated Water Quality Standards List Impaired Waters Prioritize the List Develop TMDL Develop BMAP Monitor BMAP Effectiveness TMDL Development Cycle

Background TMDLs in St. Johns County Approximately 43 Impaired Water Bodies (nutrients, dissolved oxygen and fecal) by FDEP First BMAP is the Lower St. Johns River Basin (LSJR) TMDL reduction requirement over 20,000 Lbs./Year October 2017 Deadline Future TMDLs/BMAPs

Minimize County’s costs Sustainable Cost-effective Grant eligible Establish partnerships – agency and stakeholder Funding source No dedicated funding sources Funded via TTF/grants Background Water Quality Program Water Quality Program Options

Background Program Summary Projects/Programs 2015 LSJR BMAP Annual Report Nutrient Reductions (lbs/yr) Non-Structural/Other10,540 Masters Tract4,500 (Projected) Yarborough4,500 Baffle boxes577 Program Contingency (10%)2,350 Sub-Total22,467 BMAP Requirements20,350 Surplus/(Deficit)(2,117)

Hold implementation of Elkton Canal Water Quality Task Force – Further Investigate cost-effective water quality projects via Agricultural Partnerships – Commitment by FDEP Program Status Update BCC Direction

Sustainable Agricultural Partnerships that can cost- effectively meet TMDL requirements Regulatory agencies buy-in Revisit regulatory requirements for Public-Private Partnerships Better understand TMDL Credit allocation Ledger Program Status Update Water Quality Task Force

Stormwater Harvesting – Alternative water source Crop Structural BMPs – Long-term contracts for structural BMPs (overhead irrigation, drip tape, tile drainage, etc.) Crop Alternatives – Short-term contracts for less intensive management (perennial peanut) Crop Alterations – Long-term contracts for less intensive management (silviculture) Program Status Update Agricultural Partnerships

Sustainability and reliability of projects / TMDL credits Project Completion Regulatory Agency Consensus County procurement requirements Keep it Simple! Program Status Update Project Selection

Sources of Pollution – Point – Non-Point Identify Pollutants Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) establishes maximum amount of pollutant that water body can assimilate Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) - FDEP Management strategy to achieve TMDL FDEP establishes the “Equitable allocation” of pollution loads to stakeholders that including point and nonpoint sources Crop Alternatives Silviculture partnerships between a landowner and the County County benefits –Improved water quality –TMDL credits (2, /lbs/yr) –Water conservation –Environmental Benefits Wildlife Habitat Creation Green Space Creation Landowner benefits – Funding for site prep and planting – Compensation for TMDL credits Program Status Update Crop Alteration Program

Sources of Pollution – Point – Non-Point Identify Pollutants Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) establishes maximum amount of pollutant that water body can assimilate Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) - FDEP Management strategy to achieve TMDL FDEP establishes the “Equitable allocation” of pollution loads to stakeholders that including point and nonpoint sources Crop Alternatives Project Parameters – 20 year contract with Land Owners – Total program cost ~$1.8 million NPV – ~$30/lb/yr of nutrient reduction Funding – Short Term – SJRWMD and County cost-share for site prep, planting & construction Funding – Long Term – County funds annual compensation for TMDL credits ($25/lb/yr, max $75,000/yr) Net Project Costs less than Elkton Canal Project life limited to Harvest ~ 20 years AgencyCost (NPV)Items County$348,000Planning, Construction & Administration SJRWMD$348,000Construction & Administration County$1,100,000Nutrient Credit Compensation to land owner max. $75,000) Total$1,796, Year NPV Program Status Update Crop Alteration Program

Nitrogen loads – Row Crop 4-8 lb/ac/yr – Forestry 1-2 lb/ac/yr Nitrogen Credit 6.0 lb/ac/yr (avg row crop) -1.5 lb/ac/yr (avg silviculture) ~4.5 lb/ac/yr Reduction Phosphorous Credit ~ 2 lb/ac/yr Reduction Program Status Update Credit Determination

Sources of Pollution – Point – Non-Point Identify Pollutants Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) establishes maximum amount of pollutant that water body can assimilate Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) - FDEP Management strategy to achieve TMDL FDEP establishes the “Equitable allocation” of pollution loads to stakeholders that including point and nonpoint sources Crop Alternatives Finalize credit determination approach w/ FDEP County to develop contract template Execute SJRWMD Cost-Share Agreement County to solicit landowners through procurement process 20-yr contract between County and landowner Program Status Update

Complete implementation of projects to meet LSJR BMAP Annual reports and monitoring Proactively plan for future water quality needs Continue to mitigate costs via partnerships and grants Interdepartmental coordination Identify dedicated source of funding Next Steps

Discussion

18 Projects/ Programs Estimated Annual Load Reductions (Lbs/Yr) County Net Costs EstimatedA nnual Maint. Costs Non-Structural9,700-$20,000 Master Tract – Phase 1 3, ,500$2,500,000$40,000 Master Tract – Phase 2 & ,200$1,100,000$50,000 Baffle Boxes $450,000$10,000 Yarborough Tract2, ,900$800,000$30,000 Sub-Total16,350 – 18,700$4,850,000$150,000 Monitoring$200,000 BMAP Requirement20,350 Current Deficit1,650 – 4,000 Program Implementation Project Summary Load Reductions Deficit

Collects stormwater from ~3,800 acres of agricultural and silvicultural land Canal flows to Colson Branch before discharging to the St. Johns River Canal flows range from 5 – 700 cubic feet per second (cfs) Qualifies for water quality and water conservation Aligns with SJRWMD goal to support water resource development SJRWMD-County completed a alternative analysis study in 2014 Cost effective removal of nutrients Potential stormwater harvesting 19 Parker Canal

20 Program Implementation Parker Canal Project

Parker Canal is an impaired waterbody that will require its own TMDL Potentially qualifies for higher match for grant funding Most likely to receive future grants for construction Provides opportunity for stormwater harvesting and water supply Nutrient load reduction costs are less than other project options 21 Why Parker Canal RST? Load Reductions Remaining * All cost figures are based on a Net Present Value (NPV) of initial capital cost and 20 years of estimated annual maintenance costs

TMDL Status  Federal and/or State Draft or Adopted TMDLs  Lower St. Johns River Mainstem (FDEP & EPA Adopted – BMAP (2008))  Cracker Branch (EPA Adopted)  Deep Creek (EPA Adopted)  Durbin Creek – (FDEP and EPA Adopted)  Guana River – (EPA Adopted)  Lake Vedra (FDEP Draft)  Mill Creek (FDEP and EPA Adopted)  Moccasin Branch (EPA Adopted)  Pellicer Creek – (FDEP and EPA Adopted)  Sixmile Creek (EPA Adopted)  Sixteen Mile Creek (FDEP Draft)  West Run Interceptor – (EPA Adopted)

6 Source Estimated Load Reduction* (lb/yr) Agriculture275,000 City of Jacksonville362,824 Clay County13,842 Commercial and Utilities401,805 JEA1,692,880 Other Counties and Small Cities 501,831 St. Johns County20,346 * As stated in the Lower St. Johns River BMAP adopted by FDEP in These figures may have changed TMDLs in St. Johns County City of Jacksonville Commercial and Utilities

8 Program Implementation Annualized Nutrient Reduction Costs

12 Program Implementation Yarborough Tract Project

14 Program Implementation Masters Tract Project – Phase I & II

16 Program Implementation Masters Tract Project – Phase 3