Understanding Numeric Nutrient Criteria

On November 15, 2010, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced the adoption of new numeric standards to be used to assess pollution levels in Florida's inland rivers and lakes. In February, 2012, these new rules will replace the qualitative assessment tools and standards now being used by federal and state regulators.

The Water Atlas, with its repository of sampling data and explanatory information about water quality, is one of your best tools to understand these new rules and how water resources in your community measure up. To better understand the reasons behind the new rules, the process by which they were adopted, and the likely implications of their implementation, check out this link, which lists the most helpful documents: