Statewide Strategic Total Maximum Daily Load Monitoring

Client: Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Location: Statewide, Florida

Summary: Cardno ENTRIX, Inc. conducted Strategic Monitoring for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) during 2006 ? 2008 as a part of the statewide Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program. Surface water quality samples were collected at hundreds of stations throughout the State to assist FDEP in determining the impairment status of water bodies. Once a water body is verified as impaired, a TMDL is set triggering a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) to remedy the impaired status and improve water quality. Samples were collected for a variety of parameters including nutrient, bacteria, metals, and field parameters.

Monitoring for the TMDL program is conducted up to twenty times per sampling year within a given water body identification unit (WBID), spread throughout the four calendar quarters, and following Standard Operating Protocols (SOP) set forth in Florida?s Impaired Waters Rule (IWR). Sampling stations are spread throughout Florida, ranging from southeast Florida near Miami to the Florida panhandle.

Cardno ENTRIX, Inc. oversaw virtually all management, data compilation, and quality assurance/quality control activities associated with this complex projects. Strict protocols were implemented and followed by the Cardno ENTRIX team to assure the FDEP of high quality data. All data collection, field work, and laboratory activities were conducted according to FDEP protocols and SOPs. Cardno ENTRIX field staff have trained and passed FDEP audits for all field activities, including Stream Condition Index (SCI) audits necessary for benthic macroinvertebrate sampling. Cardno ENTRIX was also responsible for compiling and formatting all lab and field data for upload to the state water quality database, FDEP STORET.