(1) The following water quality standards of
Chapter 62-302, F.A.C., shall not apply in the treatment or receiving wetland:
paragraph
62-302.500(2)(f),
subsections
62-302.530(7),
62-302.530(11)
and
62-302.530(31),
F.A.C., the total coliform bacteria standard in paragraph and subsections
62-302.530(48)(a),
62-302.530(62),
62-302.530(68)
and
62-302.530(70),
F.A.C. However, Outstanding Florida Water ambient water quality may not be
lowered, as required in subsection
62-4.242(2),
F.A.C.
(2) Levels of dissolved
oxygen including daily and seasonal fluctuations shall be maintained to prevent
violations of the biological quality standards contained in Rule
62-611.500, F.A.C.
(3) Wetland Biological Quality:
(a) The flora and fauna of the wetland shall
not be changed to the extent that the ability of the wetland to function in the
propagation and maintenance of healthy, well-balanced populations of fish and
wildlife is impaired.
(b) Benthic
Macroinvertebrates.
1. The Shannon-Weaver
diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates shall not be reduced to less than 50%
of background levels as measured using organisms retained by a U.S. Standard
No. 30 sieve and collected and composited from either Hester-Dendy type
artificial substrate samplers of 0.10 to 0.15 square meters each, incubated for
a period of four weeks; or measured using organisms retained by a U.S. Standard
No. 30 sieve and collected and composited from natural substrate samplers, such
as benthic grabs or coring devices. If grabs or cores are to be taken,
ponar-type samplers with minimum sampling areas of 225 square centimeters or
coring devices with minimum sampling areas of 45 square centimeters shall be
used. Any of these types of samplers can be used at each sampling station, but
once a type of sampler is used at a station it must always be used at that
station. The minimum number of samples necessary at a given station shall be
that number needed to be 90% certain of being within 15% of the mean diversity
of the population.
2. Once a
determination of the needed number of samples is made for a station, that
number of samples shall continue to be used at the station.
3. The Shannon-Weaver diversity index shall
be as defined in Rule
62-302.200,
F.A.C.
(c) Fish.
In a wetland with fish populations, an analysis of covariance
shall be conducted annually, by species, using water depth as a covariant and
biomass as a dependent variable. Where significant (0.15) changes from baseline
data in biomass occur the permittee shall determine the cause of this change.
Where significant changes occur that cannot be statistically attributed to
factors other than the discharge, it shall constitute a violation of this
section if the biomass of sport and commercial or of forage fish decreases by
at least 10%. Where significant changes occur that cannot be statistically
attributed to factors other than the discharge, it shall also constitute a
violation of this section if the biomass of rough fish increases by at least
25% unless the ratio of sport and commercial fish to rough fish is maintained.
All data shall be collected at times when standing water is present in the
wetland. If sampling at any station yields no fish for four consecutive
quarters when water is present, the fish sampling at that station can be
eliminated. Standardized samples shall be collected using an electroshocking
device along a series of evenly spaced transects in the wetland, or using a
Wegener Ring, with a minimum sampling area of 0.8
m2, thrown at 30 meter intervals along a series of
evenly spaced transects in the wetland; or any other similar method approved by
the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission and the Department. Any fish
kills observed during any monitoring shall be reported to the Department
immediately.
(d) Vegetation.
1. The importance value of each plant species
occupying the canopy and subcanopy strata, as defined in subsection
62-301.400(1),
F.A.C., shall be determined at each station and averaged over the entire
wetland. The importance value of any of the most common species in the canopy
and subcanopy at any station shall not be reduced by more than 50% excluding
the following species:
(1)
Casuarina
spp. (Australian pine),
(2)
Melaleuca quinquenervia
(punk tree),
(3)
Sapium
sebiferum (popcorn tree), and
(4)
Schinus terebinthifolius
(Brazilian pepper). In addition, the average importance value for all stations
of any of the most common plant species occupying the canopy or subcanopy
stratum, excluding those species listed in this paragraph, shall not be reduced
by more than 25%. The most common plant species shall be defined as those
species present during the baseline monitoring program within the canopy and
subcanopy that have a relative importance value of at least
15%.
2. The minimum
number of quadrats shall be that number needed to provide 90% certainty of
being within 15% of the mean number of species of the population. Once the
minimum number of quadrats is determined, the quadrats shall be permanently
located for continued use at the station. The minimum quadrat size shall be 100
m2 for canopy vegetation and 50
m2 for subcanopy vegetation.
3. Reductions in the importance value or
average importance value of a plant species resulting from management
operations authorized by the Department or events such as fire or a hurricane
shall not constitute a violation.
(4) Substances in concentrations which are
chronically toxic to humans, animals, or plants, or provide adverse
physiological or behavioral response in humans or animals, shall not be
present.
(5) The standards set
forth in the following rule shall not apply in a hydrologically altered
wetland: subsection
62-611.500(2),
and paragraphs (3)(b) through (d), F.A.C. A hydrologically altered wetland
shall be monitored as specified in Rule
62-611.700, F.A.C., in
accordance with methodologies approved by the Department. The applicant must
demonstrate that the discharge of reclaimed water to the hydrologically altered
wetland will maintain or increase the dominance of plant species listed in Rule
62-301.400, F.A.C., and the
wetland biological quality. Whether the discharge will maintain or increase the
wetland biological quality will be evaluated in accordance with monitoring
requirements set forth in subsection
62-611.500(3),
F.A.C.
