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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01152014 MinutesMY OF ST HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND SEBASTIAN CITY COUNCIL MINUTES WORKSHOP — INDIAN RIVER LAGOON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2014 - 6:00 P.M. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1225 MAIN STREET, SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA Mayor McPartlan called the Workshop to order at 6:00 pm. 2. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 3. ROLL CALL City Council Present: Mayor Bob McPartlan Vice Mayor Jim Hill Council Member Jerome Adams Council Member Andrea Coy Council Member Richard Gillmor City Staff Present: Interim City Manager, Joe Griffin City Attorney, Robert Ginsburg City Clerk, Sally Maio 4. WORKSHOP ITEM — Indian River Lagoon — Discuss Methods to Determine Cause of Decline Mayor McPartlan said this workshop has been called to discuss various methods to determine causes of the decline of the lagoon. Mr. Gillmor said we all know there is a problem, and during the last season the main point of interest was the lagoon, and he was concerned it would be forgotten in the dry season. He said he spoke to former Vice Mayor Wright who directed him to Dr. Brian LaPointe, and we are honored to have him here at this workshop. He said this is a first step for Sebastian, to find out what is going on in the lagoon, what the causes are and how to fix it. He said he hoped we are able to find clarity and get everyone to take ownership of what goes into the lagoon, and gain understanding that everything that goes into swales and ditches near our residences flows into quarter round and eventually finds its way into a body of water, to the St. Sebastian River and ultimately into the Indian River Lagoon. Mr. Hill said he was looking forward to information on methodology, on what exactly is taking place and causing the lagoon decline, so we can tackle it. He said Sebastian has been at the forefront in treating our waters and spent tens of millions of dollars over the last several decades cleaning up the waters leaving Sebastian, and have been good stewards of the lagoon and this is another step in that process. City Council Workshop Indian River Lagoon January 15, 2014 Page Two Ms. Coy thanked everyone who took the time to be here and said her biggest wish is that she hears something from each and every one of those in attendance, that this is their chance to tell the Council what they want, and said she is ready to do some action planning. Mr. Adams said he is looking forward to the discussion and finding out the science behind it, how we can actually figure out what the problem is, and how go about fixing the problem and how we get the money to fix the problem. Dr. Brian LaPointe, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University, Marine Ecosystem Health Program, thanked Mr. Gillmor for inviting him tonight to present and City Council for their interest in this issue. He presented a PowerPoint presentation entitled "Nutrients and Water Quality in the Indian River Lagoon" (see attached to minutes). He said the 156 mile long Indian River Lagoon is in crisis, and presented work he has been involved in with over the past three years, through his work at Harbor Point, funded by the Save Our Seas license plate and Guy Harvey artwork. He said we know the critical issues mostly this year and back in 2005 are the excessive freshwater inflows from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie River, but there was a lot of stormwater runoff from record excessive rains up and down the lagoon, carrying contaminants and nutrients from wastewater, fertilizer, and other sources. He said those nutrients, when they get in the water, create toxic algal blooms and smother seagrasses. He said there are declining fisheries and mortalities in sealife, including protected species. He cited the record 813 manatee deaths in Florida last year, many from algal blooms and red tides. The common thread is nutrient pollution, citing his book "Clean Coastal Waters — Understanding and Reducing the Effects of Nutrient Pollution", and US Coalition on Ocean Policy report "An Ocean Blueprint for the 21St Century". He said nutrient runoff into the lagoon has caused eutrophication, citing a 2007 study showing moderate to high eutrophication (the process by which a body of water becomes enriched in dissolved nutrients (as phosphates) that stimulate the growth of aquatic plant life usually resulting in the depletion of dissolved oxygen). He cited graphs indicated a worsening problem starting in 2009-2010 with light depletion from phytoplankton blooms that killed off seagrasses. He said as they got into the research it was clear that septic tanks was more of a problem, that the 1.7 people live along the Lagoon watershed, with 380,000 septic tank at 2.5 people per septic tank. He said the low elevation and low organic matter in sandy soils along the lagoon watershed matter sets up a situation that takes nitrogen from septic tanks to the lagoon, cited a study by Horsley and Whitten which concluded that 90% of nitrogen in groundwater in watershed in IRL are from septic tanks and less than 10% from fertilizer and other sources, and that nine pounds of nitrogen per person per year goes into the watershed. He then provided scientific study evidence from the 1994-1995 Jupiter Creek (slides 8-13); the 2005-2006 St. Lucie Estuary Study (slide 14); and IR Lagoon Wide Study 2011-2012 (slides 15-32) from Jupiter Inlet to Ponce Inlet, which he said implicate nutrients from septic systems. In reference to the IR Lagoon wide study, with twenty testing sites, the central Indian River Lagoon locations being CIRL Station 1 at the mouth of the St. Sebastian River, and CIRL Station 2 at the Main Relief Canal in Vero and CIRL Station 3 at the South Canal in south Indian River County. Dr. Lapointe provided graphs depicting: Salinity - in dry season 2011, wet season 2011 and 2012 which shows lowest salinity in the CIRL region due to freshwater intrusion, levels of chlorophyll a the same period of time, showing higher levels in the northern areas of the lagoon and not in the CIRL. 2 City Council Workshop Indian River Lagoon January 15, 2014 Page Three DIN (Ammonium + Nitrate + Nitrite) - showing a high concentration of nutrients in the CIRL with the St. Sebastian River being a major source of freshwater runoff in the wet seasons In response to Mr. Hill, Dr. Lapointe said the dredging of the St. Sebastian River during that period of time could be a factor in those numbers. SRP Phosphorous — higher in CIRL region TDN Total Dissolved Nitrogen TDP Total Dissolved Phosphorous TDN:TDP Ratio of Nitrogen to Phosphorous Dr. Lapointe said phosphorous does come from septic tanks and is a major constituent of sewage, noting in slide 24 shows a much higher ratio in the north lagoon than in the CIRL area. He then showed the Land/Ocean Biogeochemical Observatories (LOBOs) used to conduct the studies and gave a website address http://fau-hboi.loboviz.com , an interactive site to view real- time data directly from the LOBOS. He described a result showing a drop in salinity during July 2013, the wettest July on record, and decrease in dissolved oxygen. He said these are the types of data they need to quantify and model the relationships between environmental factors and biological processes in the lagoon. He said he would love to have one in the St. Sebastian River and perhaps some year they will be able to do that. He said another method they use is collection of macroalgae or seaweed samples, which he said are becoming part of the problem because they proliferate and take oxygen out of the bottom, and they are collected and tested to determine ratios and sources of nutrients they take up. In slide 31, Dr. Lapointe showed stable nitrogen isotope data from microalgae at the twenty stations lagoon -wide, and levels above three indicate waste water nitrogen and below three indicate fertilizer nitrogen, which is standard in urbanized areas, and it is likely that wastewater nitrogen is fueling algal blooms up and down the IR Lagoon. He showed comparisons of other sewage impacted areas of the country going through similar issues with the Indian River Lagoon, noting the CIRL levels of stable nitrogen isotope data from microalgae are much higher than other areas and the overall IRL. He cited the Grizzle-Figg Act in Tampa Bay that mandated nitrogen removal. He said as seagrasses have disappeared manatees have turned to other food sources such as seaweeds, they have worked with NOAA scientists to look for toxins in the seaweeds, and they have very blistering toxicity and high nitrogen and phosphorous ratios, and hope to look into this more and it may explain severe intestinal problems that Manatees are developing. He said they are looking in more detail at the septic tank issue in IR County as well as in the St. Sebastian River, which is being conducted by one of his Masters students through FAU, noting a map in slide 35 that shows the location of septic tanks in IR County, and will have more information in the next six months or so. He then described the studies conducted on Tampa Bay in the late 70's and 80's, again citing the Grizzle-Figg Act passed in the late 70's, which required removal of nutrients from wastewater, and said Tampa Bay has been turned around, 8,000 acres has been reestablished, and 10,000 acres more will return it to 1950s levels. He said some other areas in the country with similar situations are using aquaculture with Gracilaria to remove nitrogen from the impacted waters. His presentation slide 41 summarized findings for the IR Lagoon, septic tanks, leaking sewage systems, and re -use systems. He said another thing they can do is to pass a stronger fertilizer ordinance, showing slide 42 which shows local governments which have passed and are considering them, and urged them to take every step they can to control this. He completed his presentation at 7:00 p.m. 3 City Council Workshop Indian River Lagoon January 15, 2014 Page Four Mr. Hill said they have a fertilizer ordinance, and Ms. Coy responded a weak one. Mr. Gillmor said if nitrogen and phosphorous are coming from the St. Sebastian River where there is much more construction and older homes on the north side of the river, positioning a sensor in the mouth of the river won't tell where it is coming from. He asked if there was a way for the City to do grab samples from its outfalls, specifically on the east side of Indian River Drive, using volunteers to tell us what is in the water. Dr. Lapointe said a volunteer network to grab samples during storm events could work and said his Masters student would probably be glad to come up and work with a group of volunteers to show them the methods they are using to institute a grab sampling program, which is in line with her thesis. Ms. Coy asked how much the LOBOs cost, and Dr. Lapointe responded they were about $100K and is the Cadillac of real time monitoring, they are being used around the country, but there can be a scaled down version of the LOBO, such as a Seabird which measures some of the nutrients and is $26K. He said the LOBOs are primarily made in the US by a Colorado manufacturer, said there are two in the Indian River Lagoon, both currently at Harbor Branch because they are trying to develop an ammonium sensor. Mr. Hill said the bulk of the study is geared toward septic, and asked where the nitrogen from septic shows itself, whether stormwater, retention ponds, canals, all leaching into the river through groundwater and make it to IR Lagoon. Dr. Lapointe said all of the above. He said during a rain event imagine the water table coming up where you get ponding, you get vertical mixing at that point of sewage nitrogen coming up into the puddles. He said during storm events you can get not only nitrogen from fertilizer, but nitrogen from wastewater running off. Mr. Hill said there are not many retention ponds except in new neighborhoods that have sewer, but it may be a good idea to test those in addition to some of the other ones to be a good gauge to compare them to determine where the nitrogen is coming from. He asked if you were trying to get to the core of the problem, would you sample many water sources throughout the area. Dr. Lapointe agreed, canals, tidal creeks, detention ponds. Ms. Coy asked if there is anything that jumps off the page that makes Sebastian any different than any other place studied, and if we know that nitrogen and phosphorous are the biggest problems, how important is it to know how much comes from septic tanks or other sources, and how much more studying do we have to do. Dr. Lapointe said source reduction is the most important thing, to clean the lagoon up and get it in a recovery mode, and it is an imperfect science, noting we were trying to clean up the lagoon, the fertilizer, the sediments, and then got blindsided in 2011 by the algal bloom and no one expected that result and that points out the need for science and monitoring, because if you are not achieving the results you want to achieve you need the monitoring to tell you where you need to turn. Ms. Coy said it is her contention we can study for another year while we are sitting doing nothing, but rather shouldn't we be putting monitoring systems out there and taking action and and see if it make a difference while we are testing. Dr. Lapointe said if you have a good quality system and not all are the same, and some are garbage and urged them not to skimp when it comes to your monitoring. 0 City Council Workshop Indian River Lagoon January 15, 2014 Page Five Ms. Coy said monitors might suggest that some or the majority are coming from septic, but its not going to tell you what percentage is from stormwater runoff or fertilizer but rather there are multiple non -point sources. He agreed and said the NEP Program got rid of most of the point sources, the Indian River Lagoon Act of 1990 got most of it out of the lagoon, but then look what happened in 2011. He said that is why you need the monitoring to find out what those other sources are, that we have a non -point source of nitrogen. Mr. Gillmor asked with the exception of sewer which would be billions of dollars what can be done, and Dr. Lapointe answered composting toilets which he has in his home in the Bahamas. Mayor McPartlan asked about installing oyster reefs, and Dr. Lapointe that is another tool as is seaweed aquaculture to bio -extract nutrients, and you could do both, and when you harvest you would know what you are removing from the water. Ms. Coy said that is reactive rather than pro- active. Dr. Lapointe said there may come a time when we get points for nitrogen removal. Mr. Adams asked if LOBOS were the same as Kilroys and Dr. Lapointe said they are totally different, that Kilroys do not measure salinity and that is critical, and has not looked carefully looked at their data and urged you to look into that data if they are going to consider Kilroys. ?? — did not get name or beginning of question regarding CR 54. Dr. Lapointe said canals can act as incubators for algal blooms. Mitchell A. Roffer, Ph.D. Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service, Inc., Florida Institute of Technology, asked if Dr. Lapointe had studied nitrogen and phosphorous coming out of sewer treatment plants. Dr. Lapointe said this comes back to the Grizzle-Figg Act, because treated sewage does have high concentrates of ammonia and nitrate depending on the aeration applied at the plant, but is also true of secondary treatment of sewage. He said the Act took it a step further and mandated advanced waste treatment. He said there are high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous coming out of sewage treatment plants, and how that is treated is part of the overall reduction strategy. He said we will probably have to move toward a Grizzle - Fig Act in the Indian River Lagoon. Discussion continued on what happens to the County sewage. Sal Neglia said we have natural phosphorous in the soil and asked if that would hamper the removal process, and Dr. Lapointe said he thought there is a substantial amount of phosphorous absorbed to the soils, and it was getting a little bit of treatment as it moved through the soils, but at some point the plumes can overcome the capacity for the soil to absorb, and that may be happening with the older septic tanks, some built in the 60s and within 25 feet of the lagoon which are not removing the phosphorous. Dr. Eric Spokas asked if monitoring acidity is routinely done with LOBOs and Dr. Lapointe said that is not a part at this time. Dr. Spokas asked if there is a predictable change during extensive flooding in PH and Dr. Lapointe agreed it would move down and be more acidic, but where there is a superbloom it would drive the PH up. Dr. Spokas asked in regard to the success in Tampa Bay how long did recovery take place, and Dr. Lapointe said decades, though there will be immediate improvements. John Powell, Sebastian, cited a1997 paper that states on average that there is only 50% reduction in effluent release from septic tanks, and cited available cost effective fixes for existing septic systems. He said there are 35,000 septic tanks in Indian River County and in Brevard City Council Workshop Indian River Lagoon January 15, 2014 Page Six there are 100,000 and it is not just our problem. Dr. Lapointe said there are 380,000 along the Indian River Lagoon, and said it comes down to the homeowner level to modify the septic tank or sign up to sewer, and people can look at denitrifying systems, and that Vero Beach is looking at options. Mr. Hill said lots of cities put that re -use water into surface lakes. John Orcutt asked about the Big Pine Key results, and Dr. Lapointe said it is still on-going down into the lower keys, and there will be a meeting in Key West January 30th. He said Key Largo was ahead of the curve in eliminating septic tanks and there was not a lot of monitoring to track results but people say there was an immediate approval but coral replacement will take centuries. Mr. Orcutt said he hears "crisis in lagoon", and the word "study" but if we are in a crisis, how do we take action if it costs us $20K per household. He said if he were King of the municipality the quickest action for a realistic improvement would be to look at ordinances I have regarding turf, septic tanks, setbacks, fertilizer or whatever, they could look at all regulations to find ways to stop pollution at its source. Dr. Lapointe said they can have a smorgasbord of actions to stop it at its source. Mr. Orcutt asked if an individual local government can pass septic ordinances and Dr. Lapointe said they can, because the State sets minimum standards. Mr. Orcutt noted those localities that have passed strong fertilizer ordinances and if we got all of them along the lagoon, it would allow them to adopt an education program much the same as has been done on the west coast. He said the program is www.befloridian.com Robin Graves, NRB Chair, asked if seaweed will grow here, what types would we introduce, would wildlife thrive on it, and is it feasible for our river. Dr. Lapointe said the seaweeds are all native and are already growing here, commonly referred to as red drift algae, and manatees are eating it, they are replacing seagrasses and are very thick, double their biomass in a few days, which makes them such great contenders for bioextraction on nutrients, and makes sense in communities with fishermen with clam leases, and is something you could consider. Ms. Coy asked if Gracilaria was killing manatees, and Dr. Lapointe said in the upper lagoon, and would probably not be toxic in this area but would need to be tested. Arjuna Weragoda, IRC Utilities Department, said there are three treatment plants in the County and the effluent is reuse and monitored and regulated by DEP, said there is a new sewer feasibility study that includes the Sebastian Area Feasibility Study, and will go before the Board of Commissioners and hopefully evolve into a project. He said people think their septic tanks are working fine until it backs up into their home, he understands there is going to be a cost for sewer. Ms. Coy said she hoped they got Sebastian involved in the project, saying she knows nothing about it. Mr. Weragoda said Indian River County funded $60K for the study, and we need data to come to Council to give them the options. Dr. Lapointe said he just paid $4500 to hook up his system to a central collection system in Big Pine Key with advanced waste treatment and deep well injection. Mr. Hill said if we are hooking up to sewer and they reuse the water, isn't it still going into the groundwater. 0 City Council Workshop Indian River Lagoon January 15, 2014 Page Seven Mr. Weragoda said the AWT number is 3mg per liter in the County. ??? ELC, Naturalist, Environmental Learning Center, said they are big on behavioral change, asked what things people can do to monitor their own septic system. Dr. Lapointe said you can go to Home Depot and purchase W PVC and build your own piezometer and suggested people google for instructions. He said a HACH kit can be used to test the water, and all can be purchased for less than $100 for a homeowner. Mr. Gillmor asked if less water use in toilets would be good to lower nutrients and Dr. Lapointe said it would be worse in terms of transport because there would be higher concentrations of nutrients because they are coming from us and not the water. Kristen Beck, Outdoor Adventures, Sebastian, asked if studies have looked at the economic impact since this issue arose, have had cancellations, fishermen's businesses are down, and urged the governments to act. Dr. Lapointe said an NEP study done years ago came up with a $3.7M number that ecological services provide to our communities and are being diminished by this crisis. Peter O'Bryan, Chairman, Indian River County Board of County Commissioners, said the House and Senate put $2M in last year's State budget for LOBOs and the Governor vetoed the funds, that Senator Negron has that $2M back in this year as a recommendation, and urged Council to work the halls of Tallahassee, or send a resolution or letter of support because this funding is critical to the Lagoon and we need a unified voice. He described successful efforts and funding to create vertical oyster reefs on concrete rubble, explained the formation of the Indian River County Collaborative with one County Commissioner each from Martin County, St. Lucie County, Indian River County, Brevard County and Volusia County to discuss the lagoon on a lagoon wide basis, and said he would get Mr. Gillmor on their email list. Commissioner O'Bryan described the function of the County re -use system which is a gravity feed system, goes to off-site storage then used by Golf Courses for irrigation, and can be stored on County ponds. He said a Monroe County Commissioner he talked to at a meeting said their conversion from septic to sewer was more than $950M. He discussed Indian River County's plan to do a sewer program study in the north county, as an economic development opportunity east of US 1 to the river for commercial businesses. Ms. Coy said the City had approved an agreement with the County for funding for expansion of the sewer system (Davis Street sewer project), and it came to an abrupt halt and asked for the reason. Commissioner O'Bryan cited it was Davis Street, and the holdup was there was one property where right-of-way was needed and the cost was out of the ballpark. Mr. Griffin added it was because the County wanted to start the north county study and Masteller Moler was conducting the study, noting the study is basically from US 1 to the lagoon. Mr. Weragoda said what happens is that they put in the infrastructure and then get only 40% of the people who hook up, so we end up with dry lines which are a costly to the County. Ms. Coy said the City has $100K waiting for the dry line to come through to help businesses and residents to hook up, and urged them to get it going. 7 City Council Workshop Indian River Lagoon January 15, 2014 Page Eight Dr. Lapointe reported on an Everglades Coalition meeting attended by Representative Patrick Murphy who said that he and other representatives are looking at getting federal dollars for septic tank conversions along the Indian River Lagoon, and urged the County Collaborative to work with that delegation. Dr. Robert Weaver, Florida Institute of Technology, said you are not operating in a vacuum, there are research capabilities right here at FIT and Brevard County and people there are taking the problem very seriously, it is a lagoon -wide program and urged them to make use of local resources. Karen Schuster, Sebastian, said people are confused, studies have been going on for thirteen years, and she is tired of hearing of studies and money spent, and Council can't even pass a strong fertilizer ordinance. Mayor McPartlan thank Dr. Lapointe for his presentation. Mayor McPartlan called recess from 8:08 pm to 8:22 pm. Mr. Gillmor thanked Council and staff for putting the workshop together, he heard a lot and there are things we can do but it will be a long process, but there are resources we can tap into, such as using grad students to help with testing. He said he had met with Mr. Griffin and staff and had found that the City has nine outfalls into the lagoon, two will be filtered but the others are not. He said we have done some good things, citing the Stormwater Park is great, but if we could test those outfalls and other places that would be great. Mr. Hill said no matter how we treat rainwater and what comes into the lagoon from the surface, and that will have no effect on septic, and clearly from their studies septic is a big problem, and it would be a good idea to direct staff to come back to us with a couple of different plans to test various water sources throughout Sebastian so we can see what types and how much nitrogen we find, and work from there. He said we have to work closely with IRC to put in the sewer line and if septic is an issue, it will be biggest nearest the water. He said we are doing a good job with grant funding to help businesses to connect, and if it is effective, we may want to bump up that funding. He said he was pleased with tonight's presentation and questions from the audience, and with this information we can move forward, noting it took Tampa Bay decades. He suggested we move forward and do those pinpoint studies. Ms. Coy said for the most part she agrees, that we need to move forward and monitor, and have different systems of monitoring and decide which is better, but said she will branch off and be more aggressive, to say there are things we can do, and finds it shameful that we are the only municipality in Indian River County that does not have a stronger fertilizer ordinance. She said it is a no brainer and doesn't cost any money, and why let another rainy season go by and do nothing. She said let's monitor and filter outfalls, and we can show progress. She said she would like to readdress that issue and agrees with the woman who said they are done with studying, and we know the problem is nitrogen and phosphorous, is it septic tanks or fertizer, we know it is all of that, and multifaceted. She read a letter from Commissioner Jacqui Thurlow- Lippisch from Sewall's Point (see attached). She asked whether she could bring the fertilizer item back. City Council Workshop Indian River Lagoon January 15, 2014 Page Nine The City Attorney said the City does not have a provision in its Code that says once an item is dealt with it cannot come back for a certain time, and it can be brought back with instruction to staff. She said she has received a lot of calls and we need to readdress it. She said she knows she and Mr. Hill are at odds on this. Mayor McPartlan said we can debate the fertilizer issue, but we have discussed it many times and have had experts on both sides of the issue, but right now he would like to address what we are talking about at this meeting and how to move forward. Ms. Coy said fertilizer and septic tanks are common sense, it's getting in the river and we have to stop it, and we need to be alert to all available grants and be sure IRC knows what we are doing, like our available sewer hookup grants, and lean on State and Federal money. She said we do need to monitor, then get the data and make changes to see our progress, but not do nothing for another year and wait for someone else to decide, it is fertilizer first, septic second, stay on top of legislatures at the State and Federal level to get the funding. She said we are the ones to make the decisions, we can't expect residents to do it, so let's do what we can afford. Mr. Adams said we cannot do this in a vacuum, and there are other cities and entities who are doing studies and we need to pool our resources and come together as one unit. He said we need to work with the County to get money to get projects in place, to do the monitoring, use volunteers or students, work with Harbor Branch and get samples analyzed. He said we need to approach this in a united front. Mayor McPartlan said there are several things we can do that don't cost any money, suggested a letter to the Governor for funding for LOBOS, and if it doesn't come through, get with Harbor Branch and partner with the County to get one up here, Harbor Branch and FIT can work together, liked the idea of the oyster reefs and perhaps grasses that were discussed, and take samples before and after they are planted to see the impact. He said we passed the first fertilizer ordinance, we can use the Natural Resources Board to go forward, go into the schools, citing a recent study done by students on the lagoon. He said if we do the oyster reefs, there are a lot of students who need IB hours, and we can get participation for the National Day of Service in April. He said we can find out the cost of that and maybe the County can match that funding. He said he got an education tonight from the presentation that we did not get during the fertilizer meetings, and Dr. Lapointe broke it down into layman's terms. He asked that we have a resolution at the next meeting to Governor Scott. Mr. Gillmor read from a Harbor Branch website, "How to Love Your Lagoon" (see attached), cited the need for public education and noted the Environmental Learning Center as a great education center. He again discussed the education he got from his meeting with City staff this past week about the City outfalls. He said there are a lot of tests we can do, citing the Hach test kit for nitrates, which are inexpensive. He said we need to educate the people of Sebastian and make sure they know how to do the right thing, don't dump things in their ditches or quarter round, make sure there are more doggy bags available especially on the riverfront, put information on the website and Channel 25, and educate people in taking responsibility, and agreed with Ms. Coy that we need to take responsibility to do whatever we can do to get this going. 0 City Council Workshop Indian River Lagoon January 15, 2014 Page Ten Ms. Coy said she agreed to a point that we need consensus and not do things counter- productive to the others, and we are almost on overload of conferences and everyone is coming to different conclusions. She asked why would we not want to relook at fertilizer when everyone around us has already adopted that. She said you are the ones who want consensus and we are sitting out on our own and we didn't take action. Mayor McPartlan said we were the first ones who came to the party when there was no one else. Mr. Hill said that we were the first to come forward and pass a fertilizer ordinance that science has shown will help reduce the amount of pollution in runoff and a responsible way of using fertilizer, and did not want to debate the fertilizer, because it has been a wonderful discussion tonight, but if anyone was watching the same presentation he was, there were a lot of things that would indicate that a blackout period would be of little effect, noting their readings showed higher amounts of dissolvable nitrogen in the dry season than in the rainy season. He suggested we have a group of people here who want to move forward on this issue, and not get caught up in an issue and debate it over and over again. He said Dr. Lapointe's presentation shows that 90% of all nitrogen he feels in the lagoon is coming from sewage and all other nitrogen sources make up 10%. He said we already have a best management practices fertilizer ordinance in place to apply nitrogen and phosphorous. Ms. Coy said he did not change her opinion and they will hear it from her over and over because it is common sense and she will continue to raise that flag. Mr. Hill said he had complete and utter respect for her but said in 1491 it was common sense that the earth was flat. Mayor McPartlan said we can have a team building exercise when Mr. Griffin gets the information back and go out and build an oyster reef together, and we know we will reduce nitrogen. Ms. Coy said Mr. Hill can dump a bag of fertilizer in there and we'll monitor that. 5. Being no further business, Mayor McPartlan adjourned the Workshop at 8:50 p.m. Approved the Janu�014 gular Council Meeting. By: Bob McPartlan, Mayor Attest: Sally A. Maio, MMC, City Clerk 10 Brian E. Lapointe Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University Marine Ecosystem Health Program Sebastian City Council Indian River Lagoon Workshop January 15, 2014 Critical Issues Facing the IRL • Excessive freshwater releases • Nutrient and contaminant pollution • Harmful algal blooms • Loss of seagrass habitat • Decline of fisheries • Emerging diseases and mortalities in wildlife (manatees, dolphins, sea turtles, pelicans, fish) 'ad - Nutrient Pollution "The fundamental driving force is the accumulation of nitrogen and phosphorus in fresh water on its way to the sea." Clean Coastal Waters: Understanding and Reducing the Effects of Nutrient Pollution. (NRC, 2000) AN OCEAN T FOR THE 21st CENTURY Nutrient Pollution "The most pervasive and troubling pollution problem currently facing U.S. coastal waters." (U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century. Final Report. Washington, D.C., 2004. ISBN #0-9759462-0-X.) Human Development, Land -Use and Eutrophication in the IRL • Land -Use urban 39% agriculture 24% forest 4.5% wetland 12.1% range 20.8% • Eutrophic Condition Moderate to high nitrogen input High susceptibility (low flushing) Substantial expression of eutrophy Algal blooms likely to worsen From: Bricker et al. 2007 National Estuarine Eutrophication Assessment, NOAH, Silver Springs, MD _ OVA," �Mb,: c re d' 1prNutrients and Ecological Changes in IRL _# LQN -L. .................. w� X. e`� 4 • Yi� INCREAS NG NUTRIENT -5 4 ;? 50,000 A 40,000 u� Ch 30,000 m u 20,000 10,000 1943 1986 1999 1992 1994 1996 1999 2003 2005 2005 2007 2009 2011 2012 (Hisiark caverap) Mapping Year 1PIF Septic Tanks and Coastal Pollution Pullu# npt�c tanks that are old, malfunctioning or placed in poor soil can send coastal 9 bacteria from human wash and other pollutants to nearby waterways. NlasE�e v�ater is graters pushe1 out a1 the septic tank, dla in gl into a drainage tielid. Qra�neg� .........._..... sepllo tank_A A�+ VL 0' all Zane of polluted ground water lithe water moves too quickly through the underlying soil, wastewater can seep into the groundwater. Even when filtered sivAtlyi the waste wa i contains nitrogen and phosphorous, whO are nutrients that can dt stroy marine Ide, Groundwater can cavy the contarninents, including bacteria, into coastal waters. CDOStail waters • 320,000 OSTDS • N 50% of total sewage treatment on IRL • 9 lbs/N/person/year • Assuming 2.5 people/ OSTDS and 60% removal of N, ^' 1 million kg/N/yr in NIRL, BR, ML • Total non -point source; 832,645 kg/N/yr Sigua and Tweedale 2003 c Septic Tank Study: 1994-1995 • Loxahatchee River District • Monitored wells and surface waters • Continuous discharges of STE into Jupiter Creek • Wells violated State Standards for groundwaters (fecal coliform) • Nutrient and fecal coliform contamination > 1 00'from septic tank • High615N in groundwaters and surface waters and coprostenol in sediments confirmed human sewage Monitor Wells: Total N and Total P 1600 1400 Total N Monitor Wells: Ammonium vs. Nitrate 1400 lf()0 I U[)O MOO s isil(7 400 100 Ammonium 0 -L � — _ — MW 1 MW 2 MW 8 MW 4 MW 5 MW 6 1600 1400 1200 1000 804 600 100 200 0 Titrate ■ Ammonium Wet ■ Ammonium Dry MW1 MW2 MW3 MW4 MW5 MW6 M Wel Season M Dry Season Jupiter Creek: Total N and Total P ■ Wet Season ■ Dry Season Center St. S.W. Fork ■ Wet Season ■ Dry Season Center St. S.W. Fork Jupiter Creek: Ammonium and Nitrate 14 12 10 a 6 4 2 0 12 10 S 5 4 2 0 Ammonium S. Fork Eskuchen E. Fork Center St. S.W. Fork Nitrate S. Fork Eskuchen E. Fork Center St. S.W. Fork ■ Wet Season ■ Dry Season ■ Wet Season ■ Dry Season Aqueous Stable Nitrogen Isotopes 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 -S 45 10 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Monitor Well 815N, 0100 m W 3 MW4 Jupiter Creek -i15N, 0100 South Fork Eskuchon East Fork Center St. ig L SW Fork St. Lucie Estuary Study: 2005-2006 . nv� r.z.. e� r wr Y+b I ��- r • Sampled in June & November 2005, March 2006 • Freshwater discharges caused low salinity and DO, high nutrients, turbidity, coliforms • Highest turbidity, nitrate, and TN in South Fork from C-44; highest ammonium and phosphate in North Fork (C-23, C-24) • High nutrients and coliforms near dense residential areas (septic tanks) • Toxic blue-green algae blooms ide Study 2011- 2012 20 IRL Sites + 4 Reference Sites 1. Use multiple lines of evidence (dissolved nutrients, C:N:P and 515N in macroalgae) to assess spatial/temporal patterns in nutrients, N- vs. P - limitation of algal growth, and N sources fueling eutrophication in the IRL. 2. Improve water quality in the IRL by providing high- quality, user-friendly data to resource managers and policy -makers. J _ Ponce .�a � Poncelnlel i I.r=_F. MosquitoL Do Voluaa lar� �l�diei _ - W2 Annan -Dw8n t —41 Ll� e�n i "NIRL'5 MO naUQ}I*Yz\ ++ BR, Irl r N IRL,% B R2 cif � 1 Purl Canaveral J � 'Banana Fever l!� .13193 S.'� NARO NIR W ,V ®leWad #. CtI;;I,i Sebastian Inlet . Rl `'' `jCentralliaL� CIRLZ Indian River R2 -IF C-25 Fort Pherce Inkt, SC. Lmie 7 r,_2'4 SORLZ st, LiAdc Inlet I3 Sample Sings Martin SIriL3 Svudhe?rn IRL R.elerence Silex. • _ 51Ri4J. aR11 'SIR1,5 .MNpller Inlet Lake �keechnb�e NaaticalMims I_i�,. Pjarm 1803th 4,_ - Indian River County Sites CIRL 1 = St. Sebastian River Mouth CIRL 2 = Main Relief Canal CIRL 3 = South Canal Reference Site 1= Ambersand Wormrock Reef I L 1 Sebastian Inlet C-54 R1 GIRL* Indian River III 2. Remove epibionts from algae, rinse, dry, grind, and analyze for natural abundances of stable N & C isotopes and C:N:P contents 3. Filter water and analyze for dissolved nutrients Salinity (ppt) IRC Average 40 35 30 5 CL a. u i 10 5 0 ML BIS N I FAL CIRL SIRL REF W 120, 90 0 0 Chlorophyll a (Vg/1) IRC Average ML BR NIRL CARL SIRL REF DIN (Ammonium + Nitrate + Nitrite) PF IRC Average 1 z 4 _. 0 Dry 11 Wet 11 Wet 1 T -I T ISL Bid NIRL GIRL IRL FIEF .0 CL 0. )M AC SRP (Soluble Reactive Phosphorus) IRC Average 3.46 SSRM 1.65 MRC 1.60 SC ML B R NIIL CIRL SIRL FIEF IrTDN (Total Dissolved Nitrogen) 100 0 50 40 0 IRC Average Dry 11 Wet 11 Wet 1 ---------------- M mmIOW J I L BR MRL GIRL SIRL REF .0 1.5 1.0 0.0 TDP (Total Dissolved Phosphorus) IRC Average M L B R NIRL CIRL SIRL FIEF 120 wo z60 w X "'4.- TDN:TDP IRC Average Dry 11 let 11 Wet 1 > 30 P -limited ML BR NIf L P -limited IFL SIRL REF N -limited and/Ocean Biogeochemical Observatories (LOBOs) "P I I _ y Satlantic SUNA r WETlabs WQMX 41 �' \ '' Nortek Aquadopp WETlabs Cycle-PO4 14 12 http://fau-hboi.loboviz.com 97 40:00 09:00 co int jim01 jun 13jun 29 1013 7n13 2013 14 14 L 1t a 4 }Il 19 7013 4000 W.W WQQ 0400 00:010 00:0(- j1127 Aug 10 X029 SEP.02 Sep 21 Oct 115 20132013 2013 2013 7873 M13 glace [E57! 34 3. 30 21 24 70 0000 Oa�110 40.0¢ 00.013 MW 41304 00.401 1ar00 407M 04 Mon 01. )1n 15 )M' 7% M-13 M 27 dWj14 MMA 54P•07 Son 71 OrA 43 7413 7.013 71933 2013 30U 7013 2013 3413 7013 2013 OMP RFTI • Available to all through a dedicated interactive website • Continuous real-time, high - accuracy and high- resolution data • Data needed to quantify and model relationships between environmental factors and biological processes in the IRL Macroalgae as Bio -Observatories in the IRL Hypnea musciformis Coulerpo mexicana Xf r- Acetabularia schenckii x p Hypnea spinello Laurencia filiformis Acanthophora spicifera kd 0 0 10 0 Macroalgae CA (Carbon: Nitrogen) IRC Average IFIL BIS NIRL GIRL SIRL REF Ir Macroalgae C:P (Carbon: Phosphorus) IRC Average 4500 4000 3500 3000 CL 2500 2000 1500 1 000 Soo 0 P -limited (High APA) > 250 P -limited Dry 11 L BR NIRL CTRL Wet 11 Wet 1 EYE SIDE REF 200 150 100 0 Macroalgae N:P (Nitrogen: Phosphorus) P -limited IRC Average N -limited ML BR NIRL CTRL SIRL REF 1pr 6151V (o/oo) in Macroalgae IRC Average mmm LO T- L I ■Dry 11 MWet 11 Wet 1 ML BR NIRL GIRL SIRL REF mparison of 61 -IN in Macroalgae From Sewage -Impacted F Coastal Waters in Florida and Massachusetts 9 8 7 r� T, 11 0 4 2 1 0 7.05 ± 0.33 2011 Dry Season 9.04 ± 0.11 2011 Wet Season 8.11 + 0.17 2012 Wet Season Roberts Boston IRL, + uashnet Big Fine Sarasota Bay, Harbor, Florida River, Key, Bay, Florida MA MA Florida Florida Western Florida Bay, Florida anatee Mortalities: Toxins Induced by High N? • Gracilaria extracts from May and July assayed for bioactivity (N2A, mouse neuronal cells; MCF -7, mammary gland epithelia tissue; Collaboration with N OAA) • Methanol extracts and HPLC showed three bands of activity; two bands glycosidic • NMR confirmed toxic glycosides • Also looking at Gracilaria epiphytes and phytoplankton as potential toxin sources 1 oxicity in IRL Macroalgae Samples: Shorty's Pocket "'b X aCe�a ANT- Alhz 1 Z W `1 5 z Gracilaria tikvahiae Gracilaria tikvahiae Gracilaria tikvahiae Mixture, including Gracilaria tikvahiae, Hypnea spp. Acanthophora spicifera Mixture, including Gracilaria tikvahiae, Hypnea spp. Acanthophora spicifera Mixture, including Gracilaria tikvahiae, Hypnea spp. Acanthophora spicifera = cell death, active purple = no death, inactive 28.300028° 28.300028° 28.300028° 28.300028° -80.613132° -80.613132° -80.613132° -80.613132° 28.300028° -80.613132° 28.300028° -80.6r3132° uplings Between Septic Tanks/IRL: Indian River County ri • St. Sebastian River, 3 canals in IRF r • Wet season vs. dry season sampling • Dissolved N and P in surface water and groundwater r • Sediment coprostanol (fecal sterol) • Stable C and N isotopes in macroalgae 5 • Aqueous 15N in surface waters and r groundwaters i • Optical brighteners l*sme 4 *% llr UrAm D � .5 5 14� MW $ftph KM 111:► 1'1H"M n We Save the IRL ? A Case Study in Tampa Bay • Watershed became urbanized between 1950s and 1980s • Eutrophication caused algal blooms and seagrass loss • Odor problems from decomposing macroalgae resulted in decision to remove N from sewage in 1979 line, Seagrasses Expand • Grizzle -Fig Act required AWT from sewage, decreased nutrients by 90% • Improved urban, industrial and agricultural stormwater management • 8,000 acres of seagrass recovery already achieved, 10,000 more acres will reach 1950s areal extent P & Partners Integrate Science & Management Step 1. Set specific, quantitative seagrass acreage goal of 381000 acres (95% of what existed in the 1950s) Step 2. Determine the light requirements of the target seagrass species (ThWassia testudinum) in Tampa Bay Step 3. Determine the water clarity levels necessary to provide adequate light to meet the seagrass acreage goals Step 4. Determine maximum chlorophyll a concentrations that allow water clarity to be maintained at appropriate levels Step 5. Determine maximum nutrient loadings that allow chlorophyll a targets to be achieved Step 6. Implement the nitrogen (N) management strategy and assess its effectiveness trient Bioextraction With Gracilaria Aquaculture • Gracilaria aquaculture in the Bronx River estuary in summer removes 2 kg N/ha/day (C. Yarish, pers. comm.) • In the I RL, Gracilaria could potentially remove 4 kg N/ha/day (based on yield of 20 g dry Wt/M2/day and 2 %N of dry weight; Lapointe & Ryther 1978) • To remove 1 million kg N year with Gracilaria aquaculture, need 694 hectare farm (1,700 acres) • IMTA utilizing oyster/Gracilaria farms for nutrient bioextraction ? IRL Summary N and SRP were at or above the threshold concentrations for LI IC� formation and maintenance of macroalgal blooms in the IRL • N:P in seawater and algal tissue indicated strong P -limitation in the NIRL, BR and ML; N -limitation in CIRL and SIRL • High (> 50 µM) TDN concentrations and N:P ratios in NIRL, BR and ML support brown tides, cyanobacteria blooms, toxins • Enriched 515 values (> + 6 0/00) in IRL macroalgae reflect high wastewater N loading to IRL (septic tanks, leaking sewage systems, re -use) • IRL-wide program needed to address N reduction strategies, specifically focusing on wastewater sources (e.g. RNME) ponsible Nutrient Management Entity (RNME) ]ME is a collaborative/utility around which nutrient management and services can be holistically addressed • Mechanism by which stakeholders in a watershed with a completed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) can address complex pollution reduction actions necessary to improve water quality • Make specific watershed science -based decisions on use of non- central wastewater treatment such as septic tanks, cluster systems, advanced wastewater treatment plants to limit and reduce nutrient/pollutant impacts • One-stop management entity for watershed -based responsible nutrient management which overtime uses a host of means to manage the inventoried populations of septic systems and nutrient contributors in a basin toward nutrient reduction(s). Municipalities in Florida have passed strong fertilizer ordinances Indian River County City of Vero Beach St Lucie County Martin County Sewall's Point City of Rockledge Satellite Beach Melbourne Village Orchid Island Indian River Shores Brevard County Titusville Cocoa Beach Cape Canaveral Grant/Valkaria Dr. Peter Moeller (NOAA) Acknowledgments Ian McLeod (HBOI Summer Intern) David Debortoli (Research Assistant) Lisa Vlaming (FAU grad student) Jimmy Nelson (HBOI Boating Safety Officer) Dr. Dennis Hanisak (HBOI) Jeff Beal (FWC) i Gabrielle Barbarite (FAU Ph.D. candidate) Karen Holloway -Adkins and Doug Scheidt (NASA) Christopher Robinson (HBOI) Richard Mulroy (HBOI grad student) C LIFE Lauren Hall, Joel Steward, Lori Morris, Bob Chamberlain (SJRWMD) James Lyon and Mike Legare, USFWS HBOI Foundation — "Save Our Seas" SLP Fund ho Thank You ! Wildlife Mortalities in IRL hbn&Ue & PeOcagn Cgrceu LacaUgm; Is January to 31 AM 2011 VoLtxm mw moos cafem" Tors + wan kmp"I Tod* *.Imtmgq of POIKarm 6, 1-2 —+ + rr + dp came 4 + • 04 + pto" whrEct Ajwou_ 149-fi� 40 g� YARD + + [ ROM -"I% Altered Hydrology in South FL Sally Maio From: Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch Uthurlowlippisch@comcast.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2014 11:12 AM To: Sally Maio Cc: Richard Gillmor Subject: Statement for Sebastian IRL Workshop Dear Sebastian Clerk, Sally Maio, Please ask the mayor or Comm. Gillmor to read the following statement at tonight's meeting as unfortunately I am unable to attend and feel so strongly about what you are doing. Recently, I spoke to Dr Dennis Hanisak of Harbor Branch who is a specialist in IRL seagrasses and he stated "the seagrasses in the Sebastian Inlet area did decline quite markedly in 2011 and 2012; this happened despite being near an inlet. Although there has been some recovery it is important we do all we can do to protect this resource." Research or no research it is clear many factors affect the health of the lagoon. May we all limit personal pollution like fertilizers and pesticides; may we fix our septic leeching; may we all start substituting grass with Florida Friendly and native plantings; may we all inspire our youth to admire how we handled ourselves when we had the privilege and responsibility of public office. Thank you. Please do all you can for the lagoon today. Fondly, Jacqui JACQUI THURLOW-LIPPISCH Commissioner, Town of Sewall's Point 772-486-3818 jthurlowlippisch@comcast.net Sent remotely 1 MM 1 • o =IN FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY' Ocean Science for a Better World' Educate Yourself Support organizations and participate in activities throughout the community that focus on lagoon health. Go to public lectures, classes and interpretive centers that are offered at many locations along the lagoon. Educate Others Support programs to educate our families, schoolchildren, neighbors, businesses, state and tourists about the importance of the lagoon to our economy, our environment and our quality of life, the unique nature of this biodiverse estuary and the interconnectedness of the lagoon to our human activities. Take Responsibilit • Use the least amount of fertilizer necessary on your lawn • Ensure that your septic system is operating properly and does not leak • Avoid seagrass beds with your boat • Make sure none of your monofilament or other fishing/boating supplies fall into the lagoon • Do not feed or interact with marine mammals and other wildlife in the lagoon Support Research Support the organizations that do basic research to understand the lagoon, its organisms and our relationship to the health of both. To learn more about donating to Harbor Branch research, visit www.fau.edu/hboi. Support Leadershi p Ask your elected officials to share this "Love Your Lagoon" philosophy and pledge to work with other officials in their districts and in state and federal government to ensure that our lagoon can continue to be an economic resource and source of pleasure for all of us. Enjoy Your Lagoon Get out and experience your lagoon! Take your children and grandchildren for a walk along the shore, get onto a boat or a paddleboard and enjoy one of the most biodiverse estuaries in North America! 11/2013 Indian River Lagoon —Facts and Figures The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is an "Estuary of National Significance," one of 28 in the nation. PHYSICAL FEATURES • The Indian River Lagoon is a 156 -mile long estuary located on Florida's East Coast. • The IRL system is comprised of three distinct water bodies, Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River, and the Indian River. • The IRL is an estuary, not a river. Unlike true rivers, water flow in the IRL is not driven by gravity. Rather, it is the wind that primarily drives the circulation patterns within the lagoon. • Six coastal Florida counties occur within the natural IRL watershed (Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, and northern Palm Beach County). • Like all estuaries, the IRL is a semi -confined water body characterized by mixing of saline oceanic water and freshwater from upland sources. Water is exchanged between the IRL and the Atlantic through five ocean inlets—cuts in the barrier island chain. Although natural in origin, the inlets have been artificially stabilized and are maintained through human manipulation. BIODIVERSITY • The IRL has been cited as among the most biologically diverse estuaries in North America. • The IRL straddles a warm -temperate climate to the north and a subtropical climate to the south. The influence of these two distinct biogeographical provinces is one of the factors underlying the spectacular biodiversity found within the Lagoon. • High biodiversity is also fostered by the presence of a number of distinct habitats that serve as home to the plants and animals of the IRL. Seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, and saltmarshes are foremost among IRL habitats whose continued health is essential for a healthy lagoon. The IRL watershed is home to more than 2,100 different species of plants and more than 2,200 animal species, including some 700 fish species and 310 bird species. • Approximately 50 threatened or endangered species can be found in the IRL region, including 12 plants and 36 animals. TH R EATS • The most serious threats to the health of the IRL include reduced water quality due to manmade hydrologic changes, non -point source pollution, loss and fragmentation of habitats, overuse/ overharvest of resources, and the threat of invasive exotic species.