Suwanee River Water Management District
Grant funded by Florida Department of Environmental Protection
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) identified gaps in groundwater data needed to support Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) for the Suwannee River and Wacissa Springs Basins. To address these gaps, FDEP installed 19 monitoring wells in the Suwannee River Basin and eight monitoring wells in the Wacissa Springs Basin, targeting the Upper Floridan Aquifer. The monitoring network was established to provide additional information on groundwater quality and nitrogen conditions within the two basins.
The Suwannee River and Wacissa Springs are impaired by nitrogen, making continued groundwater monitoring important for evaluating pollutant loading and tracking changes in nitrogen concentrations. Water quality data collected through the newly installed monitoring network are being used to evaluate progress in BMAP implementation and assess water quality improvements as management strategies are implemented across the watersheds.
Water & Air Research, Inc. (Water & Air), teaming with our laboratory partners, provided groundwater sampling and laboratory analysis services to support FDEP’s monitoring efforts. Project services included collecting groundwater samples from monitoring wells in the Suwannee River and Wacissa Springs Basins and coordinating laboratory analysis of the samples. The monitoring program included sampling for up to 18 wells in the Suwannee River Basin and up to eight wells in the Wacissa Springs Basin each quarter.
The resulting groundwater quality data provide FDEP and SRWMD with information to evaluate pollutant loading, track nitrogen concentrations over time, and assess the effectiveness of existing and new management strategies. The data support FDEP’s and SRWMD’s ongoing evaluation of BMAP implementation progress and help inform future management strategies intended to improve water quality within the Suwannee River and Wacissa Springs springsheds
Annual reports are produced by Water & Air to track and analyze changes throughout the new monitoring network.