Summary


The TMDLs address the nutrient impairment in Lakes Cannon, Howard, Idylwild, Jessie, Lulu, May, Mirror, and Shipp, all of which are in the Winter Haven Southern Chain of Lakes, and the fecal coliform impairment in the Wahneta Farms Drainage Canal, the Peace River Above Bowlegs Creek, and the Peace Creek Drainage Canal. All of the subject waters were verified as impaired using the methodology established in Chapter 62-303, Identification of Impaired Surface Waters, Florida Administrative Code, and adopted by Secretarial Order on June 17, 2005. The TMDLs for the Winter Haven Southern Chain of Lakes were based on Pollutant Load Reduction Goals (PLRGs) developed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District using the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), the MODFLOW model (a ground water model developed by the U.S. Geological Survey), and the Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) model to determine the Total Phosphorus loading that would meet the narrative water quality criteria for nutrients in each lake. The TMDL for Wahneta Farms Drainage Canal was developed using the “percent reduction” method, and the TMDLs for the Peace River Above Bowlegs Creek and the Peace Creek Drainage Canal were developed using the “load duration curve” method. The TMDLs provide the percent reduction in in-stream fecal coliform concentrations needed for the each waterbody to meet applicable water quality criteria for fecal coliform.