Long Branch Basin Management Action Plan

The Long Branch Basin Management Action Plan was adopted in May 2008 for the implementation of fecal coliform and dissolved oxygen (DO) TMDLs in the watershed. The BMAP includes management strategies or projects to be implemented by the responsible stakeholders to address potential pollutant contributions from septic tanks and domestic animals and to identify the relative magnitude of natural pollutant sources (e.g. wildlife and wetland contributions of coliforms).

Quick Facts:

 Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP)  adopted: May 2008

Total Daily Maximum Load (TMDL) Restoration Targets adopted: 

•  Dissolved Oxygen   TMDL  2006
•  Fecal Coliform and Total Coliform TMDLs  2006

BMAP Restoration Area: 4,511 acres

Water Quality Impairment (at the time of BMAP adoption):Dissolved Oxygen and Fecal Coliform

Sources of Nutrients and Bacteria:

• Municipal separate storm sewer systems
• Point source facilities (like domestic and industrial wastewater facilities)
• Stormwater sources (like cities, towns, and water control districts)
• Fecal coliforms are variable in the environment, and sources are frequently difficult to identify. For Long Branch, BMAP development involved fecal coliform source identification efforts. However, the coliform sources remain primarily unknown.

The Long Branch watershed is located within the Middle St. Johns Basin.  Long Branch is a tributary to the Big Econlockhatchee River and is located in east central Orange County.  The watershed is generally bounded on the west by the Big Econlockhatchee River, to the south by the Wedgefield Subdivision, and to the east and north by State Road 50.  The area of the WBID is entirely within unincorporated Orange County and comprises approximately 4,511 acres, including a small portion of the unincorporated Town of Bithlo.  Long Branch is located within the jurisdiction of the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD), DEP Central District, and Department of Transportation (DOT) District 5.

Long Branch consists of a northern tributary that drains the southeastern portion of Bithlo, a southern tributary that drains conservation area, and the mainstem, flanked primarily by wetlands.  Streamflow in this system is intermittent, and there is typically only flow immediately after a storm event.  Times of no flow or stagnant water in Long Branch are common.

Land use in the study area is dominated by agriculture, forest, open land, and wetlands.  Combined, these account for more than 78 percent of the watershed.  There are a number of publicly owned lands within the study area.  Both the County and the SJRWMD own a number of parcels within the study area that are part of Long Branch Park, Hal Scott Preserve, regulatory easements and conservation easements.  With a total area of approximately 1,520 acres, 34 percent of the watershed is in public ownership or management.  Beyond the dominance of conservation land, the other significant feature in the watershed is the Orlando Speedworld facility.

Monitoring

Water quality monitoring is required by all BMAPs. The purpose of the monitoring network is to support the evaluation of progress made toward achieving the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) targets for dissolved oxygen (DO) and fecal coliform. Monitoring locations are geographically dispersed and located in different areas of the basin.

The monitoring plan is designed to determine if positive trends in water quality conditions are being observed; improve ability to evaluate water quality conditions by enhancing flow measurements; continue to improve source identification efforts; and provide sufficient data to support the development of future management actions.  

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection Central Office Water Quality Assessment Program Regional Operation Center (ROC) collects five water quality samples during the calendar year, they perform two Stream Condition Index (SCI) biological assessments and conduct continuous monitoring for Dissolved Oxygen (DO) one week per year.    

DEP continuously monitors the effectiveness of the monitoring network to fulfill the objectives stated in the BMAP and will continue to coordinate within and across jurisdictions to achieve water quality targets.  

Water Quality

The Protecting Florida Together water quality map delivers statewide water quality information. On this site, you can explore the Florida regions that are of interest to you. Individual waterbodies are color-coded based on the assessment status of nutrients and whether they are meeting standards.

The water quality map has information on impairments under the “Water Impairment” tab based on the DEP watershed assessment process, in accordance with the Impaired Waters Rule. When sufficient data is available, you can click the button called “View Waterbody Trends” to see a graph of annual geometric mean concentrations (AGMs) for each parameter over the last 10 years. Additionally, the “Get More Data” button below the graphs allows users to search for additional monitoring data from the statewide database,   Watershed Information Network  . 

The Protecting Florida Together water quality maps and graphs can be accessed at the following link. 

   Water Quality Status Dashboard | Water Quality Dashboard (protectingfloridatogether.gov)