Every three years Florida reviews its standards for surface water quality.

The comment period this time is open from June 27 to July 18, 2025.
https://flrules.org/Gateway/View_notice.asp?id=29715385

Florida Triennial Review –FDEP 2025-06-27 to 2025-07-18, Threatened and Endangered Species in Suwannee, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, New Rivers

This Triennal Review is being conducted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), as required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

There was a public workshop back on September 10, 2024; best to review its agenda, presentation, and Public Comment Compilation. That presentation notes there is at least one proposed rule change for springs, in RULE 62-303.354, F.A.C., NITRATE-NITRITE IN FRESHWATER SPRING VENT.

The only upcoming public meeting about this Triennial Review in FDEP’s Water Quality Standards Meeting Calendar is ERC Adoption Public Hearing for the Triennial Review of Florida’s Water Quality Standards, 9 AM, September 25, 2025, at FDEP’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas Building, Conference Room 137, 3900 Commonwealth Blvd. Tallahassee, FL 32399.

So get your comments in during the comment period.

Most of it is about the rest of Florida outside the Suwannee River Basin and Estuary, but a few rules and documents under review are specifically about those.

See especially:

• Technical Support Document for the Derivation of Dissolved Oxygen Criteria to Protect Aquatic Life in Florida’s Fresh and Marine Waters, June 2025.
  https://flrules.org/gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-18135

  
  Protection of Threatened and Endangered Species in Portions of the Suwannee, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, New, and St. Johns Rivers
  PDF

  
  Figure 1. The portion of the Suwannee, Santa Fe, New, and Withlacoochee North Rivers utilized by the Gulf Sturgeon and oval pigtoe mussel requiring alternative DO criteria.
  PDF

• Implementation of Florida’s Numeric Nutrient Standard for Streams, June 2025
  https://flrules.org/gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-18131
• Sampling and Use of the Stream Condition Index (SCI) for Assessing Flowing Waters: A Primer
  https://flrules.org/gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-01208
• SCI 1000 Stream Condition Index Methods DEP-SOP-003/11
  https://flrules.org/gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-01209
• Maps of the Florida Estuary Nutrient Regions, dated October 2014, October 2015, July 2019, June 2021, October 2021, March 2023, and June 2024
  https://flrules.org/gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-18134

  
  Estuary Nutrient Regions, October 2014, Big Bend and Apalachee Bay, Map 2 of 2
  PDF

  
  Estuary Nutrient Regions, October 2014, Suwannee, Cedar Key, Waccasassa, Withlacoochee
  PDF

• Probably other rules and documents are also relevant.

If you have concerns about specific rules, documents, or waterways, let us know.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

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