Lake Okeechobee Protection Program

March 2004
Pat Miller - Okeechobee County Extension, Dairy & Water Quality Agent

The Lake Okeechobee Protection Program (Chapter00-130, Laws of Florida) was passed by the 2000 Florida Legislature. This Act committed the State of Florida to restore and protect Lake Okeechobee. It specified that the program be implemented through a cooperative effort by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Other agencies that were invited to cooperate in the protection of Lake Okeechobee include:

  • The University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS)
  • US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA, NRCS)
  • US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
  • Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
  • Okeechobee Soil and Water Conservation District (OSWCD)

As one of these partners in this effort, IFAS has no fewer than 30 researchers and Extension people initiating several research/demonstration projects and educational programs to assist. Some of these projects are basic science to gather the detailed information used in later work to develop practical solutions. Some, on the other hand, are on the ground, practical projects which will be used to educate producers and evaluate the effectiveness of practices.

Some examples of IFAS efforts include:

Demonstration of Water Quality Best Management Practices for Beef Cattle Ranching in the Lake Okeechobee Basin

The goal of this project is to implement on-ranch demonstrations of the Cow-Calf BMPs that appear most promising for ranches in the basin, and to evaluate the change in P load to surface waters and groundwater resulting from implementing these practices. After installation, each site will be monitored for water quality for a year before and changes are made to determine a base level. Monitoring then will not begin until March '05. This demonstration includes such things as: fencing, alternative water sources, nutrient and water management, and soil amendments.

Optimization of Low-Cost Phosphorus Removal from Agricultural Wastewater Using Co-Treatments with Constructed Wetlands

This project is experimenting with the use of drinking water system residuals in combination with constructed wetlands to determine their efficacy in reducing P in runoff. The preliminary data suggests the potential for the successful application of these systems, with some design elements modified to match particular wastewaters. The use of co-treatments containing inexpensive, non-toxic, and reusable by-products, such as these drinking water treatment residuals, has potential for increasing the sustainability of P removal by constructed wetland for animal waste treatment.

Phosphorus Retention and Storage by Isolated and Constructed Wetlands in the Okeechobee Drainage Basin

With about 18% of the landscape in the basin consisting of isolated wetlands, understanding their role in P storage is critical to long-term effort to reduce P loading into the Lake. This project's objectives are to: Demonstrate and determine the efficacy of isolated wetlands on phosphorus assimilation and storage, to design and optimize on farm or edge-of-farm field treatment wetlands to maximize P removal performance, and to use this data to perfect and make more accurate, computer models used to predict how well a proposed system will function, and to communicate the findings to dairy and beef producers offering help in reducing their P runoff.

Implementation and Grower Evaluation of a Web-based Nutrient Management Plan Support System for Florida Crops

This effort is primarily aimed at assisting the crop producer (specifically citrus initially). Historically, research and therefore nutrient recommendations have been focused on maximizing yield and/or net profit. Today, a more precise crop nutrient recommendation based on specific production practices, environmental constraints, and specific production conditions is needed. The goal of this project is to develop a web-based programming shell and user interface that will encompass the following components: an overview of pertinent BMP guidelines, an in-season irrigation and fertilizer management tool with site and crop-specific information on optimal management strategies for specific climatic conditions and a grove management tool that can facilitate the planning of cultural practices and allocation of equipment and labor.

Development of a Reflectance Spectroscopic P-Sensor for Terrestrial Ecosystem in the Lake Okeechobee Drainage Basin

Currently, the concentration of P in soil and water is determined through very time consuming, costly and labor intensive lab analysis. The objective of the study is to develop a technique for cost-effective P detection using reflectance providing real-time sensing ability for identifying problem areas (hot spots) and better assess the effectiveness of BMPs.

Training Program on Nutrient Management Planning

This program provides training for certification of Technical Service Providers in Nutrient Management and Land Treatment Practices. It is an educational program dealing with the rationale, concepts, and particulars of nutrient management targeted to farmer, ranchers, agency officials, decision makers, which enables them to make informed decisions about nutrient budgeting and management. To date, 103 individuals have been certified.

Wetland Enhancement Decision Making Tools

This is also an educational effort to assist landowner in understanding all of the cost-shared incentive programs that include wetland enhancement, it will also help landowners determine which program fits or complements their BMP program. In the next three years, the program will develop: A wetland enhancement matrix-formatted chart, listing attributes of each cost share program, a wetland enhancement presentation, a printed booklet Dichotomous Key, a pocket record book and BMP guide, newsletters, news articles and other forms of educational information, a wetland enhancement computerized interactive decision program and a wetland enhancement website for searching further information.

Crop Phytoremediation of Phosphorus-Enriched Soils in the Lake Okeechobee Region

The purpose of this project is to determine the capacity of Limpo, Star and Bahia grass to mine soil-P and quantify potential P accumulation rates by these crops as affected by N rate and crop management practices. It is hoped this will lead to guidelines as to which crops and/or management practices are most effective in removing P from high P soils. In other words, how much P can these grasses remove from site when managed to maximize the P removal.

Quantitating the Phosphorus Reduction From Typical South Florida Pastures Through Export of Sod

Removing sod from bahia grass pastures for landscape purposes has been a long standing source of alternative income for south Florida cattle producers. As this sod is typically transported outside Lake Okeechobee basin, determining the content of P of typical sod can ultimately assist the producer in his effort to achieve nutrient balance. Early results have indicated this will be a significant contribution to P export.

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