Photo Credit: P. Owen
How the IRLNEP Works as a National Estuary Program (NEP)
As part of the NEP, the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRLNEP) is nonregulatory, science-based, consensus-building and community-driven. We communicate, collaborate and coordinate with local, state, federal and community partners.
We use science to guide our work. Local partners help set priorities and build shared agreement on the actions that move lagoon restoration forward through different projects across the Lagoon.
One Lagoon is the community identity for the IRLNEP, managed by the IRL Council. Together, we protect and restore the lagoon, working toward One Lagoon, One Community, One Voice.
What Is the National Estuary Program (NEP)?
Congress established the National Estuary Program (NEP) in 1987 as part of the Clean Water Act. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers the NEP as a place-based, voluntary program.
It relies on sound scientific understanding to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance. Currently, 28 estuaries are designated estuaries of national significance.
This national framework empowers local communities to protect and restore the health of significant coastal ecosystems.
How the NEP Model Works
We use a collaborative governance model to set measurable goals and implement long-term lagoon restoration plans:
- Establish a governance structure that involves community stakeholders who come together as equal partners.
- Collaborate to identify problems and work toward solutions for the local watershed.
- Engage the public throughout the decision-making process.
- Set measurable goals and objectives based on sound science; monitor the effectiveness of actions and adjust procedures as necessary to achieve progress.
- Develop and implement a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP).
NEPs function under a unique governance structure, a Management Conference, that gives local partners a voice in the decision-making process. NEPs involve and coordinate among stakeholders at all levels: federal, state, county, city and citizen.
This approach ensures all stakeholders come to the table to manage local issues and find consensus-driven solutions based on sound science.
The Management Conference helps develop a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) for each watershed. CCMPs are long-term plans that contain actions to address water quality and living resource challenges and priorities.
Photo Credit: G. Cohen
Graphic: IRLNEP/Ayres
IRLNEP History and Governance
The IRL earned its nomination as an estuary of national significance in 1990. In 1991, the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRLNEP) was established under the sponsorship of the St. Johns River Water Management District.
The program developed its first CCMP in 1995 and updated it in 2008.
In 2015, an interlocal agreement restructured the IRLNEP as an independent special district under the IRL Council’s sponsorship. The Council acts as the program’s financial agent and its policy board.
The IRL Council comprises local community leaders from the five counties bordering the lagoon. It also includes representation from Florida agencies with lagoon-related regulatory responsibilities. These include the Department of Environmental Protection and the St. Johns and South Florida Management Districts.
Management Conference and Community Governance
Each IRL Council member contributes funding to the program. The U.S. EPA also participates in an advisory capacity, providing funding and technical expertise.
To help guide program activities and provide advice to the Council, IRL Council members established a Management Conference. It consists of a Management Board, Financial Subcommittee, STEM Advisory Committee and Citizens Advisory Committee.
IRL Council members appoint committee members, who operate under Florida’s Sunshine Laws to advise the Council and steer IRLNEP priorities. The current Management Conference has more than 100 resource managers, scientists and citizens. They help drive IRLNEP activities and programs and work toward solutions to the many issues challenging lagoon health.
Today, the IRLNEP is the leading organization that connects local, state, federal and community partners with a common goal to restore the IRL.
Indian River Lagoon Watershed and Regional Impact
Program staff work throughout the IRL watershed, which spans 40% of Florida’s east coast. This area includes seven counties and 38 incorporated cities. It includes over 3.5 million people and a regional economy valued at over $28.3 billion annually.
IRLNEP Strategic Focus: Restoration, Habitat, Stewardship
The IRLNEP coordinates lagoon-focused research and management. We collaborate with local, regional, state, federal, scientific and private partners. Much of our work focuses on these actions:
- Funding programs and projects that restore water quality.
- Protecting and restoring critical habitats.
- Engaging citizens in stewardship activities.
- Supporting program partners by providing technical assistance and capacity-building.
- Ensuring the lagoon remains the backbone of a thriving coastal economy.
Long-Term Goals for a Healthy Lagoon
The IRLNEP pursues the following goals to ensure the lagoon’s health and recovery:
- To attain and maintain water and sediment of sufficient quality to support a healthy estuarine lagoon ecosystem.
- To attain and maintain a functioning, healthy ecosystem that supports endangered and threatened species, fisheries, commerce and recreation.
- To achieve heightened public awareness and coordinated interagency management of the IRL ecosystem.
- To identify and develop long-term funding sources for prioritized projects and programs to preserve, protect, restore and enhance the IRL.
Donate now to support our mission. Your contribution helps fund vital restoration projects and science-based solutions for the Indian River Lagoon.
Photo Credit: J. Reynolds
Photo Credit: M. Hamblin