When DEP released its updates to Springs BMAPs in 2024, the Florida Springs Council dug into the updated data to answer three questions:
1. Where is the nitrogen pollution coming from for this springshed?
2. What is the difference in pollution levels in this springshed since the 2018 BMAPs were adopted?
3. How is it going? That is, has this BMAP been successful so far, and where has the 2018 BMAP put this springshed on its path to restoration?
Sources of Nitrogen Pollution in Suwannee River Springs
Agriculture is by far the largest contributor of nitrogen pollution to the springs of the Suwannee River basin, contributing 87% of the total nitrogen load.
OSTDS = Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems - septic tanks
Atmo. Dep. = Atmospheric Deposition. This comes from the air or rainfall and is not a source that can be reduced.
Agricultural sources (livestock, dairies, farm fertilizers, nurseries) are in shades of green.
Development/urban sources (urban and sports fertilizers wastewater and septics) are in shades of yellow and orange.
The difference in pollution levels and required nitrogen reduction since the 2018 BMAPs were adopted
Pollution in the Suwannee has skyrocketed, increasing by 240,000 pounds of nitrogen per year at a time when DEP's BMAP should have achieved a decrease in pollution.
Pounds per year of nitrogen at the spring vents - data are based on DEP's actual measurements.
How is it going?
Rather than decreasing, nitrogen levels have increased for the springs of the Suwannee basin.
The first black dot at 2018 is based on actual data, how much pollution was measured at the spring vent when the 2018 BMAP went into effect.
The next two dots show how things are going right now.
The white dot at 2023 shows where the 2018 BMAP should have gotten us. The white line shows the pollution level goals established by the 2018 BMAP, with reductions in nitrogen levels over the next 20 years to reach water quality goals in 2038.
The second black dot shows where pollution levels actually are. For the springs of the Suwannee basin, total pounds of nitrogen measured at spring vents has increased.
DEP's goal for 2018 was to reduce nitrogen. Instead, it increased, putting us further behind in restoring the springs of the Suwannee River, with less time left to reach water quality goals by 2038 as required by law.
TMDL = Total Maximum Daily Load. That is the water water quality goal - the level of nitrogen coming from the spring vent at which the spring system will no longer experience ecological harm.
This 90 second video will walk you through the information for the springs of the Suwannee basin.
For a deeper understanding of the BMAP updates, watch Executive Director Ryan Smart explain this analysis in a one-hour "Springs BMAPs - Live Discussion" video, found at floridaspringscouncil.org/springsbmaps
Questions about these graphs and the Springs BMAP update process? Email smart@floridaspringscouncil.org