Lagoon-Friendly for Local Governments

1. Reduce Freshwater Discharges and Nutrient Pollution

We strongly encourage entities discharging stormwater and wastewater to the lagoon to do the following:

• Reduce high-volume freshwater discharges to the lagoon. Implement wastewater and stormwater practices that increase and improve detention, retention, storage and treatment of wastewater and stormwater.
• Reduce nutrient pollution and muck deposits in the lagoon. For example, retrofit existing wastewater and stormwater infrastructure to better remove nutrients and further reduce sediment loading to the lagoon.

2. Remove Legacy Muck Deposits

An estimated 5.7 million cubic yards of nutrient-rich muck cover the lagoon bottom in many areas. This “legacy load” has been accumulating since the postwar era and continues to pollute each time it’s resuspended:

• Remove muck accumulations from the lagoon bottom and prevent new muck deposits from forming by better controlling sediments and organics in stormwater runoff.
• Treat stormwater and wastewater to a higher standard so that when they discharge, the water entering the lagoon is cleaner.

3. Restore Water Quality and Habitats

The health of the lagoon depends primarily on restoring water quality:

• Restore water quality by repairing or replacing aging or failed infrastructure.
• Restore degraded or lost habitats.
• Involve your community in supporting shoreline, oysters and clam restorations. These improve ecosystem resiliency, provide water filtration, prevent erosion and buffer the impacts of winds and waves.

4. Respond to New Research and Technology

As new research, technologies and lagoon conditions emerge, local governments play a key role in putting that information to work:

• Respond to new information, technological advances, changing conditions and research results. Take actions needed to bring new information to bear on the ongoing work to improve lagoon conditions.
• Work with technology companies to test new approaches, potential solutions and technologies that could improve the lagoon’s health.
• Incorporate new methods and technologies into the work being done.

5. Rebuild Aging Water Infrastructure

Much of the region’s wastewater and stormwater infrastructure needs modernization to keep pace with lagoon health goals:

• Rebuild outdated and failing wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.
• Upgrade water treatment facilities to perform advanced wastewater treatment.
• Convert properties adjacent to the lagoon from septic systems to sewer systems.
• Examine local codes and ordinances and update as needed to address sustainability, growth management, infrastructure needs and environmental health issues.
• Plan wisely to accommodate future growth without harming the lagoon.

6. Research Lagoon Ecology and Nutrient Solutions

The IRL National Estuary Program (IRLNEP) encourages agencies, local governments and municipalities to research and pilot test promising new methodologies and technologies. These are some priority research areas:

• Study the lagoon’s hydrology, nutrient budget and nutrient cycling.
• Identify areas where seagrass, mangrove and filter feeder restorations are likely to succeed, based on historic presence, water quality improvements or other factors.
• Develop cutting-edge, cost-effective methods for removing nutrients from stormwater and wastewater.

7. Report Conditions and Water Quality Trends

We urge more robust and timely reporting to the lagoon community on the following matters:

• Report current conditions in the lagoon.
• Report locations of major algal blooms and fish kills, including whether toxins are present.
• Share water quality trends, new discoveries and timely updates on progress made.

8. Resolve To Fix Infrastructure and Land-Use Practices

The problems in the lagoon are undoubtedly large, expensive and hard to fix.

Correcting the ills of the past and finally implementing solutions to our water quality issues will take strong commitment and resolve from policymakers and agency leadership:

• Address wastewater and stormwater infrastructure repairs and upgrades.
• Reexamine our unconstrained use of traditional septic systems for wastewater treatment.
• Refine our land-use practices and building codes to guide future development toward more sustainable practices.

9. Resilience: Build Climate Resilience and Storm Protection

As coastal communities, anticipating and planning around the expected effects from sea-level rise are key actions. Florida-wide, coastal communities have begun taking steps to protect their infrastructure and crucial services from the effects of climate change.

At the IRLNEP, we encourage lagoon communities to do the following:

• Harden existing infrastructure to make it more resilient to storm damage.
• Conduct vulnerability assessments to identify potential problems and begin identifying adaptations and solutions.
• Develop action plans to protect vital services and infrastructure, and plan for where we could relocate services and infrastructure if compromised.

10. Responsibility: Take Responsibility for Lagoon Health

The region’s regulatory agencies, local governments and municipalities are each working toward the goal of a healthy Indian River Lagoon. We encourage these entities to continue taking responsibility for lagoon health issues within their areas of responsibility.

These are valuable steps toward accountability and responsibility:

• Continue and accelerate funding for wastewater and stormwater infrastructure improvements.
• Implement projects that both meet and exceed the region’s Basin Management Action Plan or Reasonable Assurance Plan goals.
• Direct additional and recurring funding toward projects and programs that address lagoon health challenges.

Donate to One Lagoon through the IRLNEP to help fund the infrastructure and restoration work local governments can’t do alone.