Water Quality

• Developed the first Water Quality Protection Program for a national marine sanctuary including a comprehensive Action Plan and Implementation plan at a cost of about $1.3 million.
• Established a high level Water Quality Steering Committee and a technical Advisory Committee.
• Fully implemented 22 of 44 high priority activities and 29 of 95 total activities in the Water Quality Action Plan.
• Completed six years of the comprehensive monitoring program for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, including water quality, seagrass, and coral reef/hard bottom communities for a total cost of about $7 million.
• Developed and implemented a Data Management Program for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary for a cumulative cost of $510,00.
• Completed 15 special studies/research projects designed to identify cause-effect relationships between pollutants and ecological impacts for a total cost of about $1.1 million.
• Assisted Monroe County with the development of comprehensive wastewater and stormwater master plans.
• Assisted Monroe County with the development of a Wastewater Facilities Plan for the Marathon service area.
• Awarded the Florida Keys Aquaduct Authority a Title II Construction Grant in the amount of $4,326,00 for the construction of an advanced wastewater treatment facility and collection system for the Little Venice area of Marathon.
• The Water Quality Protection Program cooperates with and has provided over $190,000 to innovative and alternative onsite wastewater systems in the Florida Keys to reduce nutrient loading to groundwater and surface waters.
• Worked with the City of Key West on the recent designation of the waters surrounding the City as a no discharge zone (NDZ).
• Provided $400,000 via a grant to the Florida Audubon Society/Florida Keys Environmental Restoration Trust Fund for four separate restoration projects.
• Prepared and widely distributed the 1996 Report to Congress on the Water Quality Protection Program, a "white paper" entitled "Water Quality Concerns in the Florida Keys: Sources, Effects, and Solutions", and several annual; "Progress Reports on Implementation" that describe the status of implementation of the Water Quality Protection Program.