| ST5F |
STA-5 Mercury and Other Toxicants Fish Monitoring |
Holly Andreotta |
WQM |
nniemeye |
14-OCT-1999 |
05-NOV-2019 |
Stormwater Treatment Area Five (STA5) was constructed to fulfill the goals of the 1994 Everglades Forever Act to improve water quality in the Everglades. The project is monitored in accordance with NPDES and EFA permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). The main conditions these permits are for monitoring water quality at the inflow and discharges of the project. STA-5 began flow through operation on July 7, 2000, and has an approximate treatment area of 4,118 acres, which was previously agricultural cropland. STA-5 receives untreated runoff from the C-139 Basin via the L3 canal, and discharges treated water to the Miami Canal. Phosphorus is naturally removed in aquatic systems by means of deposition and/or is being taken up by aquatic plants.
The water quality data obtained under this program will be used to:
1. Evaluate water quality status and trends;
2. Assess compliance with federal and state water quality statutes, the Everglades Forever Act; and the Everglades Settlement Agreement;
3. Aid in the translation of narratives to numerical water quality criteria to quantify the tons of nutrient removed by the STA annually.
4. Guide mid and long term resource management decision making to augment the nutrient removal capability of the STA to assist restoration of the ecological function of the Everglades.
The four inflow sites G342A-D and the four discharge sites, G344A-D, have water quality samples collected weekly.
The sampling of inflows and outflows are also done under the project names ST5M for mercury in water, ST5F for mercury in fish, ST5G for pesticides, and ST5D for mercury in sediments.
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