The Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program Working toward One Lagoon, One Community, One Voice
Photo Credit: L. Ludlum
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the National Estuary Program (NEP) as a core water program authorized by Section 320 of the Clean Water Act. The NEP’s mission is to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of the 28 estuaries designated by the U.S. Congress as “Estuaries of National Significance.”
The Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRLNEP), is the leading organization that connects local, state, federal and community partners with a common goal to restore the IRL.
Photo Credit: M. LaMartina
There is a Plan
National Estuary Programs are tasked with developing Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans (CCMPs) for their watersheds. The IRLNEP CCMP is a 10-year, lagoon-wide management plan adopted in 2019. The Vital Signs wheel contains 32 Action Plans that guide improvements to lagoon health.
Explore the Indian River Lagoon
Discover the nature and heritage tourism destinations of the Indian River Lagoon with our interactive map.
Help Keep the IRL Clean
Latest Updates from the IRLNEP
Episode 32: Invisible Infrastructure: How Baffle Boxes Filter Stormwater Before It Reaches the Lagoon
Every time it rains, stormwater carries trash, sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus into the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). But underground sits a growing network of concrete boxes that most Floridians will never notice. Those boxes are...
Episode 31: What Fish Populations Are Telling Us About the IRL’s Health
Every fishing regulation in Florida (every bag limit, every closed season) traces back to data. Biologists at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have been collecting it in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL)...
Episode 30: Seeds of Recovery: A Hidden Seed Bank Bringing Seagrass Back to the Indian River Lagoon
For over a decade, persistent algal blooms clouded the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), blocking the sunlight seagrass needs to survive. Since 2011, that loss has rippled through the food web: fewer fish, fewer manatees, a...
