Capital Project Planning, Impact Fees, and Program Management » Coastal Zone Management Section

Water Quality Program

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The Coastal Zone Management Division is charged with protecting the County’s estuarine ecosystems. Recently, the CZM Division started a water quality program in partnership with the Estuary Conservation Association (ECA), for the Cocohatchee Estuary. The purpose of this program is to be able to assess any positive or negative trends in the health of the Cocohatchee Estuarine system. The information obtained will be used as baseline water quality data for this estuary.

Methods and Parameters

The CZM Staff, with help from the ECA Guardian Program will conduct monthly sampling events on an outgoing tide. All samplers have been certified through the Department of Environmental Protection. A list of the collected parameters is below:

Dissolved Oxygen                    Temperature
pH                                              Water Depth
Salinity                                     Surface conditions (waves)     
Tide stage Secchi
Wind Speed/direction              Aluminum*
Specific Conductivity               Arsenic*
Color                                       Chromium*
Total Suspended Solids           Copper*
Enterococcus                           Lead*
Coliform Fecal                        Cadmium*
Total Phosphorous                  Iron*
Ammonia                                 Orthophosphate
Sulfate                                     Nitrite
Nitrate                                     BOD
Total Kjeldahl                          Turbidity
Total Organic Nitrogen          Chlorophyll-A
TOC                                        Pheophytin-a

 

* Will be tested on a quarterly basis.

Water Quality testing for the Cocohatchee Estuary began on October 30th, 2008.

Learn more about the Water Quality and ECA Program.