Water Quality

Water quality issues continue to be critical for resource management and are addressed extensively in the 2011 Condition Report. Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary has a significant Water Quality Protection Program (WQPP) with a Steering Committee that has met regularly for over 20 years to identify and implement corrective actions, coordinate research and science activities and direct the scientific monitoring programs. Water quality issues that were raised during the scoping period by members of the public and organizations were grouped into 15 categories and presented to the WQPP steering committee. The WQPP addressed each of these issues in more detail and created a summary document outlining current actions taken to improve and restore water quality and future actions that are planned. The information was presented to the advisory council at the February 19 and August 20, 2013 meetings. For most of the 15 water quality issues, no regulatory recommendations were identified. However, the advisory council did discuss a recommendation related to oceanic/marine vessel discharge (issue 7) which was passed as a motion at the October 21, 2015 meeting.

For advisory council meeting archives visit: Current Year or Previous Year Archives.

Presentations on Water Quality

February 19, 2013 Presentation: Water Quality Protection Program Overview (652 kb)

August 20, 2013 Presentation: Water Quality: Response to Issues, Accomplishments and Future Action (1, 074 kb)

October 21, 2014 Presentation: SAC 2012 Work-Plan Items: Actions for Review and Recommendation (210 kb)

October 21, 2014 Pre-Meeting Packet: Sanctuary Advisory Council Regulatory and Zoning Alternatives Development Work-Plan Actions for Review and Recommendation (4,464 kb) discusses Water Quality in Section 1.4 (pp 24-5) and in Appendix II.

Motion

The following Motion was passed at the October 21, 2014 meeting: Resolution of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council Addressing Water Quality for Analysis in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (pdf, 103 kb)