29715385, 62-302.200 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

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Notice: 29715385

Notice of Proposed Rule

Department:

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Chapter:

SURFACE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS

Overview

RULE:

62-302.200	Definitions
62-302.300	Findings, Intent, and Antidegradation Policy for Surface Water Quality
62-302.400	Classification of Surface Waters, Usage, Reclassification, Classified Waters
62-302.530	Table: Surface Water Quality Criteria
62-302.531	Numeric Interpretations of Narrative Nutrient Criteria
62-302.532	Estuary-Specific Numeric Interpretations of the Narrative Nutrient Criterion
62-302.533	Dissolved Oxygen Criteria for Class I, Class II, Class III, and Class III-Limited Waters
62-302.700	Special Protection, Outstanding Florida Waters, Outstanding National Resource Waters
62-302.800	Site Specific Alternative Criteria

PURPOSE:

The Department is revising a variety of rule provisions in Chapter 62-302, F.A.C., as part of the federally required “Triennial Review” of Florida’s water quality standards.  Proposed changes, which are described below, will serve to update Florida’s water quality standards to better protect Florida’s surface water resources by updating water quality criteria and clarifying existing rule language.

SUMMARY:

The Department is amending Chapter 62-302, F.A.C., to: 1) add text to the definition of natural background to account for other scientifically valid approaches to establish natural background for altered waterbodies, 2) revise the definition for “stream” to clarify the process to demonstrate a waterbody is non-perennial, 3) update rule references, 4) add cross-references to biological standard operating procedures  and Primers that are  incorporated by reference into Chapter 62-160, F.A.C., to reflect the most recently adopted versions, 5) add language incorporating compliance schedule authorization provisions, 6) revise the Numeric Nutrient Criteria Implementation document to focus the document to those sections determined to be Florida water quality standards by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and focus on clarifying the implementation of Florida’s numeric nutrient standard for streams, 7) add text to paragraph 62-302.400(17), F.A.C., to notify readers that waters listed as Class I-Treated have not been submitted to or approved by EPA and will remain Class III until the classification and reclassification are approved by EPA, 8) clarify rule language describing the spatial extent of Class II waters (shellfish propagation or harvesting) and incorporate maps by reference of Class II waters in Bay, Charlotte, Collier, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Gulf, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Palm Beach, Pinellas, St. Johns, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, and Wakulla Counties, 9) add language to clarify the range of temperature values used to calculate the applicable Total Ammonia Nitrogen criterion, 10) revise the fecal coliform bacteria criterion applicable to Class II waters, 11) add minimum sample collection requirements for the monthly geometric mean E.coli and Enterococci criteria, 12) clarify the implementation of the ten percentile threshold value (TPTV) E. coli criterion applicable to Class III freshwaters to address small sample sizes, 13) clarify the implementation of the TPTV Enterococci criterion applicable to Class III marine waters to address small sample sizes, 14) revise the Estuary Nutrient Region (ENR) maps for Blackwater Bay, Lower Halifax River Estuary River, St. Marks River Estuary, Clam Bay, Lower St. Johns River and Tributaries, and Upper South Fork St. Lucie River, 15) revise the Florida Coastal Segment map, 16) add time-of-day adjustments for ambient dissolved oxygen data to mirror the text in the Impaired Water Rule (Chapter 62-303, F.A.C.), 17) add the Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve, which was designated an Outstanding Florida Water (OFW) by the Florida legislature effective July 1, 2020, to the table of OFWs, 18) revise references to definitions of “canals” and “channels” in the descriptions of Special Waters OFWs to reference statutory definitions, 19) add requirements for entities to provide information about the occurrence of threatened and endangered species and critical habitat within the waters proposed for Type II site specific alternative criteria (SSACs), and 20) add FPL Martin County Total Ammonia Nitrogen (TAN) Type II SSAC.

Other Rules Incorporating This Rule: Chapter 62-302, F.A.C., is referenced by the following rules:  
18-2.021, 62-4.160, 62-4.241, 62-4.242, 62-4.244, 62-4.246, 62-25.001, 62-25.025, 62-25.080, 62-40.120, 62-40.210, 62-45.070, 62-45.170, 62-110.106, 62-113.200, 62-301.100, 62-302.200, 62-302.300, 62-302.400, 62-302.500, 62-302.520, 62-302.530, 62-302.531, 62-302.532, 62-302.540, 62-302.700, 62-302.800, 62-303.100, 62-303.200, 62-303.320, 62-303.330, 62-303.351, 62-303.352, 62-303.353, 62-303.354, 62-303.370, 62-303.390, 62-303.400, 62-303.430, 62-303.450, 62-303.720, 62-304.310, 62-304.335, 62-312.400, 62-330.100, 62-330.200, 62-330.405, 62-330.410, 62-330.412, 62-330.630, 62-340.700, 62-346.050, 62-346.051, 62-346.301, 62-348.200, 62-520.200, 62-520.520, 62-528.610, 62-528.630, 62-600.120, 62-600.200, 62-600.300, 62-600.400, 62-600.430, 62-600.440, 62-600.500, 62-600.520, 62-610.200, 62-610.300, 62-610.310, 62-610.554, 62-610.555, 62-610.650, 62-610.670, 62-610.810, 62-610.820, 62-610.830, 62-610.850, 62-610.860, 62-611.110, 62-611.200, 62-611.450, 62-611.500, 62-611.600, 62-611.650, 62-611.700, 62-620.320, 62-620.620, 62-621.303, 62-624.800, 62-625.400, 62-640.400, 62-650.300, 62-660.300, 62-673.340, 62-673.610, 62-701.200, 62-709.500, 62-711.540, 62-761.200, 62-762.201, 62-770.200, 62-771.100, 62-777.150, 62-777.170, 62-780.200, 62-782.200, 62-785.200, 62B-49.008, 62B-49.012, 62C-16.0051, F.A.C.
Summary of Effects on Other Rules Incorporating by this Rule by Reference:
The other rules that cross-reference these rules do not require any corrections or amendments by the Department as a result of the proposed revisions.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY:

403.061, 403.062, 403.087, 403.088, 403.504, 403.704, 403.804, 403.805 FS.

LAW:

373.414, 403.021, 403.021(11), 403.031, 403.061, 403.062, 403.067, 403.085, 403.086, 403.087, 403.088, 403.101, 403.141, 403.161, 403.182, 403.502, 403.504, 403.702, 403.708, 403.802 FS.

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

6/27/2025 Vol. 51/125

COMMENTS:

From 6/27/2025 To 7/18/2025 (21 Days)
The public comment period for this notice has already expired.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

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