In recognition of the need to place additional emphasis on the restoration, protection, and management of the surface water resources of the state, the Florida Legislature, through the Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Act of 1987, directed the state’s water management districts to “design and implement plans and programs for the improvement and management of surface water” (Section 373.451, Florida Statutes [FS]). The SWIM legislation requires the water management districts to protect the ecological, aesthetic, recreational, and economic value of the state’s surface water bodies, keeping in mind that water quality degradation is frequently caused by point and nonpoint source pollution and that degraded water quality can cause both direct and indirect losses of aquatic habitats.
The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) initiated the Northern Coastal Basin (NCB) project in 1995 in response to general water quality concerns and the closure of historic shellfish harvesting areas. Potential negative impacts from current and anticipated growth on coastal resources, particularly shellfish harvesting, highlighted the need for a dedicated program to address surface water quality and estuary issues. In addition, a number of water bodies in the NCB are listed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (303d list) as not having sufficient water quality to meet their designated uses. The purpose of the NCB SWIM Plan is to set forth a proactive course of action, identifying the projects that address both estuarine water quality and habitat protection, and the
effort needed to accomplish them, consistent with the levels and trends of available funding. (99pp.
