Lee County Government
Division of Natural Resources
TMDL/BMAP Update
November 30, 2010
Roland Ottolini, Director
Lee County Division of Natural Resources
Lee County Government
Division of Natural Resources
• Many creeks and streams in Lee County have been designated Impaired
Waters by either the FDEP or USEPA and by law will have Total Maximum Daily
Loads (TMDLs) for each causative pollutant
•The FDEP has proceeded with adoption of TMDLs for Hendry Creek, Imperial
River and the Tidal Caloosahatchee
•A Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) is established for each to allocate
pollutant reductions to each stakeholder and to demonstrate how compliance will
be achieved
•Lee County is the major stakeholder as we hold the NPDES permit for
stormwater discharges and WWTP. This permit will be amended to require
projects and programs to fulfill these obligations, in 3 –five year cycles
•FDEP presented the initial allocations and pollutant reductions in a workshop
held on September 21 and 22, 2010
•Lee County and others have been given 60 days to review and comment
BMAP Process





Allocation to Stakeholders
Consideration of Existing Projects
Development of New Projects
Monitoring Plan
BMAP Documentation
Hendry Creek
Watershed
Hendry Creek Total Loads
Jurisdiction
Lee
Catalina
Agriculture
Roads
Total
Area
(acres)
10,161
111
98
89
10,459
TOTAL
Runoff
TN
% of
(m3/yr)
(lbs/yr)
Total
21,159,226
68,623 97.7%
106,821
248
0.4%
113,319
668
1.0%
259,245
721
1.0%
21,638,611
70,261 100.0%
Hendry Creek TMDL Requirements
 TMDL Based on Reference Site Analysis is 0.74
mg/l
 TMDL Load Results


Load at 0.74 mg/l = 35,302 lb/yr
Reduction is 34,960 lb/yr
Background Load
Jurisdiction
Lee
Catalina
Agriculture
Roads
Total
Area
(acres)
10,161
111
98
89
10,459
Runoff
TN
Background
(m3/yr)
(lbs/yr)
(lb/yr)
21,159,226
68,623
30,626
106,821
248
247
113,319
668
197
259,245
721
659
21,638,611
70,261
31,729
Background Load = Total Load from Natural Land Uses
Allocation by % of NonBackground Loading
Jurisdiction
Lee
Catalina
Agriculture
Roads
Total
Allocatible
Area
(acres)
10,161
111
98
89
10,459
3,573
TN
Background
(lbs/yr)
(lb/yr)
68,623
30,626
248
247
668
197
721
659
70,261
31,729
NonPortion of
Background % of NonNon%
(lb/yr)
Background Background Allocation Reduction
37,997
98.6%
3,523
34,149
50.2%
1
0.0%
0
247
0.6%
471
1.2%
44
241
64.0%
62
0.2%
6
665
7.8%
38,532
100.0%
3,573
35,302
49.8%
Non-Background Load at TMDL
= TMDL Load – Background Load
= 35,302 - 31,729 = 3,573 lb/yr
1st 5-yr
Load
Reduction
(lb/yr)
11,491
0
142
19
11,653
Hendry Creek
Urban Land-use
1988-2004
Imperial River
Watershed
Imperial River Total Loads
TOTAL
Jurisdiction
Lee
Bonita Springs
Agriculture
Roads
Total
Area
(acres)
26,101
7,150
11,597
96
44,945
Runoff
(m3/yr)
53,332,952
12,582,591
17,867,195
265,607
84,048,346
TN
% of
(lbs/yr)
Total
95,653 36.8%
43,265 16.7%
120,084 46.2%
739
0.3%
259,741 100.0%
TMDL Requirements
 TMDL Based on Reference Site Analysis is 0.74
mg/l
 Calculate Load from Target Concentration
 Target Load:
 Load at 0.74 mg/l = 137,492 lbs/yr
 Reduction is 122,249 lbs/yr
Background Load
Jurisdiction
Lee
Bonita Springs
Agriculture
Roads
Total
Area
(acres)
26,101
7,150
11,597
96
44,945
TN
Background
(lbs/yr)
(lb/yr)
95,653
93,195
43,265
20,212
120,084
23,426
739
659
259,741
137,492
Background Load = Total Load from Natural Land Uses
Allocation by % of NonBackground Loading
Jurisdiction
Lee
Bonita Springs
Agriculture
Roads
Total
Allocatible
Area
(acres)
26,101
7,150
11,597
96
44,945
-374
TN
Background
(lbs/yr)
(lb/yr)
95,653
93,195
43,265
20,212
120,084
23,426
739
659
259,741
137,492
Non-Background Load at TMDL
NonPortion of
1st 5-Year
Background % of NonNon%
Reduction
(lb/yr)
Background Background Allocation Reduction
(lb/yr)
2,458
2.0%
0
93,195
2.6%
819
23,053
18.9%
0
20,212
53.3%
7,684
96,658
79.1%
0
23,426
80.5%
32,219
80
0.1%
0
659
10.9%
27
122,249
100.0%
0
137,492
47.1%
40,750
= TMDL Load – Background Load
= 137,492 - 137,492 = 0
Imperial River
Urban Landuse
1988-2004
Caloosahatchee Estuary TMDL
3240A, 3240B, 3240C
 TMDL for Nutrients
 Causative Pollutant – Total Nitrogen (TN)
 Target : Seagrass light requirements in San
Carlos Bay
 TMDL= 23% Reduction in Total Nitrogen
(over the entire river basin)
Caloosahatchee BMAP
 Current Total Load at the Estuary – 11,799,762
lbs/yr
 Current Load from Tidal Portion - 2,063,723
lbs/yr
 Required Reduction – 2.71 million pounds
 Target TN load at Estuary – 9,085,817
lbs/yr
Summary of TMDL
Existing Loading
Source of Total Nitrogen
Load
Load (lb/yr)
(tons/y)
% of Total
Upstream of S-79
Lake Okeechobee at TMDL
Load to be Removed from Lake O
NPS Loading
Subtotal From S-79
6,222,155
782,224
2,731,660
9,736,039
2,822
355
1,239
4,416
52.7%
6.6%
23.2%
82.5%
Estuarine (Below S-79)
WWTP Loads
NPS Loads
Subtotal Below S-79
136,875
1,926,848
2,063,723
62
874
936
1.2%
16.3%
17.5%
11,799,762
9,085,817
2,713,945
5,352
4,121
1,231
100.0%
77.0%
23.0%
Total to Estuary
Load at TMDL
Amount Reduced
Key Stakeholders - Tidal
Caloosahatchee Basin








Lee County
Charlotte County
City of Cape Coral
City of Ft. Myers
East County Water Control District
Lucaya CDD
FDOT
FDACS
Background Load
Existing Loading
Area Name
(Within Tidal
Caloosahatchee
Watershed)
City of Cape Coral
City of Fort Myers
ECWCD
Lucaya CCD
Unincorp. Lee County
Charlotte County 1
FDOT
Agriculture
Total Load
NonNPS
% of Total
Average
Background
Total Area
Background
NonAnnual TN
Load (Total (Acres)
Loading
Background
Load (lb)
Natural Load,
(lb/yr)
Load
lb/yr)
36,621 360,239
185,333
11,802 168,805
102,000
32,984 140,145
106,667
134
871
620
64,304 556,429
306,000
72,097 205,952
195,654
2,256
28,635
11,333
39,048 324,076
209,333
259,247 1,785,153 1,116,941
174,906
66,805
33,478
251
250,429
10,298
17,302
114,742
668,212
26.2%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
37.5%
1.5%
2.6%
17.2%
100.0%
Background Load = Total Load from Natural Land Uses
Allocation by % of NonBackground Loading
Existing Loading
Area Name
(Within Tidal
Caloosahatchee
Watershed)
City of Cape Coral
City of Fort Myers
ECWCD
Lucaya CCD
Unincorp. Lee County
Charlotte County 1
FDOT
Agriculture
Total Load
Allocation by % Non-Background
NPS
Allocated
Average
Background
Total Area
Background Load by %
Annual TN
+ Allocated
(Acres)
Loading
NonLoad (lb)
Load
(lb/yr)
Background
36,621 360,239
185,333
11,802 168,805
102,000
32,984 140,145
106,667
134
871
620
64,304 556,429
306,000
72,097 205,952
195,654
2,256
28,635
11,333
39,048 324,076
209,333
259,247 1,785,153 1,116,941
Non-Background Load at TMDL
67,434
252,768
25,757
127,757
12,907
119,574
97
717
96,552
402,552
3,970
199,625
6,671
18,004
44,239
253,572
257,627 1,374,568
Load
Reduction
(lb/yr)
107,472
41,049
20,571
154
153,877
6,327
10,631
70,504
%
Reduction
29.8%
24.3%
14.7%
17.7%
27.7%
3.1%
37.1%
21.8%
23.0%
= TMDL Load – Background Load
= 1,347,568 - 1,116,941 = 257,627
!st 5-Year
Load
Reduction
(lb/yr)
35,824
13,683
6,857
51
51,292
2,109
3,544
23,501
Areas of
Urban
BMPs
Caloosahatchee Estuary NPS Loading - Urban
BMPs In Existing Loading
Area Name
(Within Tidal
Caloosahatchee
Watershed)
City of Cape Coral
City of Fort Myers
ECWCD
Lucaya CCD
Unincorp. Lee
Charlotte County
FDOT
Agriculture
Total Load 1
% of Area
Total Area
with Urban
(Acres)
BMPs
36,621
11,802
32,984
134
64,304
72,097
2,256
39,048
259,247
14.1%
19.1%
30.0%
0.0%
11.5%
0.1%
Difference in
Land Uses
BMAP Project Credits
 Eligibility Dates for BMAP Load Reduction Credits
are Based on the Data Period Preceding the
TMDL
 Pounds reduced will be subtracted from the total
allocation for those projects completed July 1,
2000 and later.
 Credit counts for treatment above and beyond
permit requirements.
 Example 1 – BMP To Mitigate Construction
 Example 2 – Regional BMP
 Example 3 – Retrofit BMP
BMAP Project Credits

Projects Must Be Operated and Properly
Maintained as Permitted.

Operation and Maintenance records may be
Requested as Part of the Project Review
Process.

Projects Not Operated as Permitted, Including
Older Projects Not Included for Specific Credit,
Could Result in Additional Reduction
Requirements by the Responsible Entity.
Potential Areas
Where Projects
May Be Best
Stakeholder Projects and
Management Activities
PROJECTS
ACTIVITIES
Structural BMPs


Quantifiable Load
Reductions
Reductions Not
Currently Quantified
Restoration and WQ
Improvement Projects
Basic Stormwater
Management Program
Implementation
Regulations, Ordinances,
and Guidelines
Special Studies and
Planning Efforts
Streetsweeping
Enhanced O&M Program
Certain Agricultural
BMPs
Public Education and
Outreach Efforts
Preliminary Projects Eligible for Credit
 Structural BMPs (Wet Detention, Baffle
Boxes, etc.)
 Source Controls (Street Sweeping,
Education)
 Special Consideration:
 Conservation Land Purchases If Land Use
Changed After Purchase
 Note – May be Exchange of Loading from Original
Owner to New Owner
Lee County Government
Division of Natural Resources
Cost of Compliance




Removing nutrients from polluted water is proving to be especially costly in
urban areas, with costs of $200-$20,000 per pound of nitrogen removed per
year. Costs to meet TMDLs in Lee County will be in the multi-millions.
Land availability is a major implementation constraint in urban settings.
Retrofitting of older urban areas can be very expensive. Most public owned
lands are road rights of way and environmental land acquisitions in the
headwaters.
Technology offered thus far yields very little nutrient reduction efficiency,
especially TN
Ten Mile Canal Filter Marsh removes an average of 4700 lbs TN/year. This
project was built on 10 acres of land already owned by Lee County at a cost of
$3m. This yields a cost of $638 per lb TN removed per year, not including
land. At this rate, compliance with the Hendry Creek TMDL will cost $22m to
meet the required 35,000 lbs/ year load reduction. For the Tidal
Caloosahatchee, $98m to remove 153.877 lbs TN!
Lee County Government
Division of Natural Resources
Questions
•Does the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) standard apply to our estuaries?
•Is Total Nitrogen (TN) the causative pollutant?
•The State has used a reference TN concentration of 0.74 mg/l for the
TMDL allocation and load reduction analysis. How can this be achieved
when the Event Mean Concentrations (EMCs) for all land uses are
above this rate, including wetlands?
Lee County Government
Division of Natural Resources
Questions
•What is the purpose of establishing a regulatory concentration that is
less than natural conditions loading?
•Are the loading projections realistic? How do they compare to actual
field data?
•What technologies are available to reduce TN practically and cost
effectively? In retrofit scenarios?
•Why should local governments and other stakeholders bear the entire
burden of cleaning up developments that have been permitted and
presumed in compliance with current water quality standards?
Lee County Government
Division of Natural Resources
Recommendations
• Realistic numbers representative of real problem
• Give us the technology necessary to succeed
• State should share the burden by taking the
•
•
allocation of permitted projects or providing in-kind
grants to implement projects to offset their impact
State should support the inclusion of new coapplicants under the County’s NPDES MS4 permit
for fair and equitable distribution of allocation
State needs to adopt SW rules that meet the criteria