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St. Lucie County reducing nitrogen, phosphorus levels in local water bodies
Excess nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen enter the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon via agricultural runoff, industrial discharges, as well as runoff from residential areas around the county. Left unchecked, they can lead to algae and blue-green algae blooms within those systems.
The Water Quality Division utilizes a variety of strategies to help reduce the volume of nutrient ending up in the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon estuaries. Native vegetation and green infrastructure (left), stormwater improvement areas like the Ancient Oak Preserve wet pond (center) and the installation of underground baffle boxes (right) are a few ways St. Lucie County is working to treat stormwater runoff and supporting safe, healthy waterways for the community.
As the population has grown around Florida, so has the level of nutrient impairing local bodies of water.
Excess nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen enter the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon via agricultural runoff, industrial discharges, as well as runoff from residential areas around the county. Left unchecked, they can lead to algae and blue-green algae blooms within those systems.
Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) are restoration plans, adopted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to reduce these nutrients in impaired bodies of water. Water quality projects aim to meet Florida’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) goals for nutrients and reduce how these chemicals impact our natural environment.
The County's share of the St. Lucie River and Estuary BMAP is a reduction of total nitrogen of 67,679 pounds per year (by 2028), and a reduction in total phosphorus of 21,398 pounds per year (by 2028). For the Central Indian River Lagoon BMAP, the County is looking to reduce total nitrogen in the system by 49,780 pounds per year (by 2035), and total phosphorus by 11,964 pounds per year (by 2035).
Excessive amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen can promote algae and blue-green algae blooms within the Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie River systems. St. Lucie County is doing its part to reduce the volume of these nutrients that end up in our estuaries.
The County has made the following impacts towards its share of the FDEP BMAP goals:
As of 2024, the total nitrogen in the St. Lucie River and Estuary has been reduced by 19,813 pounds. As of 2023, the total phosphorus has been reduced by 5,055 pounds.
As of 2023, the total nitrogen and phosphorus in the Central Indian River Lagoon have been reduced by 8,539 pounds and 1,591 pounds, respectively.
These figures represent the County’s impact and do not account for the nutrient reduction achieved by other agencies.
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) has helped support these goals by funding multiple water quality projects around the county, including construction of a new wet pond in Ancient Oaks Preserve, the installation of eight stormwater baffle boxes across the River Park subdivision, The Melville Rd Stormwater Improvement Project, and the development of the Indrio Savannahs wetland, among others. The 2018-voter-approved Half-Cent Infrastructure Sales Tax also provides funding to help improve water quality around the county.
Future stormwater treatment areas and wet pond projects, septic-to-sewer conversions, as well as muck removal from Ten Mile Creek will continue to support the BMAP initiative. As projects are developed, engineers calculate how much nitrogen and phosphorus will be removed as a result. Water Quality staff then enter that data into the Statewide Annual Report. Once FDEP verifies it, the County earns credits for successfully removing excess pollution. These credits help focus tax dollars on larger-scale projects that clean more water more efficiently.
The County Water Quality Division manages stormwater systems to prevent flooding and property damage and to protect water quality for the safety and enjoyment of the citizens, as well as for the preservation of the environment and enhancement of wildlife habitat.
Learn more about the Water Quality Division here.