Nutrient Effects on Springs Biota

1. Nutrient Effects on Springs Biota Synthesis: Springs Management and Research Needs Mark Brown & Richard Hamann

2. Nutrient Effects on Springs Biota • Introduction and Background: • Nutrient Sources • Fertilizer Use • Livestock • Domestic and Industrial Wastewater Discharges • Septic Tanks • Atmospheric Deposition

3. Nutrient Effects on Springs Biota • Transport and Delivery: • Direct discharge to surface waters • Generation of stormwater runoff that flows to surface waters • Generation of stormwater that percolates to groundwater • Infiltration to groundwater (e.g., the leaching fertilizer, cattle • Thus…potentials of management rainwater to a groundwater aquifer).

4. Nutrient Effects on Springs Biota • Complex System of Controls: • Federal– Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act • State– Florida Air and Water Pollution Control Act • Florida Water Resources Act • Septic Tank Regulations • Growth Management Acts • Local- Comprehensive Plans and Land Development Regulations • Other Local Environmental Regulations

5. Nutrient Effects on Springs Biota • Potentials for management… 1: • Permitting of Wastewater Discharges • Discharges to surface waters • Discharges to ground waters • Water Quality Standards (surface and ground water) • “use” oriented • Both numeric and narrative standards • “… in no case shall nutrient concentrations of a body of water be altered so as to cause an imbalance in natural populations of aquatic flora or fauna”

6. Nutrient Effects on Springs Biota • Potentials for management… 2: • Agricultural Discharges • Confined feeding operations • Agricultural BMPs (fertilizer & waste management) • Stormwater Management (WMD) • New construction 7 redevelopment only • Land Use Planning & Regulation • Primarily local government (Local Comp Planning) • Total Maximum Daily Load • Applicable to springs? …based on impairment • Basin-wide assessments & Action Plans?

7. Nutrient Effects on Springs Biota • Potentials for management… 3: • Components of Basin-management Action Plans (B-MAPS) • Allocations among stakeholders • • Listing of specific activities to achieve reductions • • Project initiation and completion timeliness • • Identification of funding opportunities • • Agreements • • Local ordinances • • Local water quality standards and permits • • Follow-up monitoring

8. Nutrient Effects on Springs Biota • Uncertainties that affect management: • Definition of the springsheds • Relative importance of loadings near springs versus loadings far from springs • The data used to calculate loadings from land uses (EMCs) • Actual quality of recharge to the Floridian Aquifer • The delay between present day actions and future impacts (legacy loading)

9. Nutrient Effects on Springs Biota • Research Needs: • Sources and Sinks • Role of temporal and spatial variability • Role of in-system sinks and potentials for saturation • Spring Biota • Understanding nutrient limitations • Native, non-native and invasive interactions • Ecosystem Functions • Interactive effects of multiple stressors • Top down/bottom up control effected by nutrients • Impacts of “plant management”

10. Nutrient Effects on Springs Biota Thank You…Questions?