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Page 2 BCC Agenda Item for lune 16, 2020 Update 1— Research Review Phase of IRL Plan a conveyance for pollutants and nutrients to find their way to the Lagoon through stormwater run-off. 2. Best Management Practices (BMPs) Best Management Practices (BMPs) are practices deemed to be an effective and practicable means of preventing or reducing water pollution generated from various activities, industries and agriculture. Stormwater and Utilities departments within the County both utilize BMPs for their water treatment systems, which act as regional scale BMPs. The County's regional scale BMPs are documented and account for certain nitrogen and phosphorus reductions in the Central Indian River Lagoon Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) reported to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Not all BMPs maintain the level of documentation that the County's projects do, so their overall effectiveness are not completely known, and with self -reporting and presumed compliance, regulatory oversight in this,area needs to be further researched. 3. Biosolids Biosolids are solid, semi-solid, or liquid materials resulting from the treatment of domestic sewage sludge from wastewater treatment facilities. Biosolids are subject to differing processing levels by wastewater utilities, and as such, different classifications of biosolids are handled differently. The 2 major classifications of biosolids for discussion are Class B biosolids and Class AA biosolids. Biosolids in general contain varying amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and other compounds that may impact the surface waters and ground waters that may lead to the Lagoon. The County's moratorium at placement of Class B biosolids on properties within the County does stop permitted application, but the full extent of the allowed application of Biosolids (Class B and AA) is an area where current scientific investigations is being focused, with regulatory efforts beginning to address this process. 4. Ecosystem Functions and Habitat Use (Part 1) The Environmental Protection Agency classifies the Lagoon as one of 28 estuaries in the nation designated as an "Estuary of National Significance," which sets the foundation to create a place -based program to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of that estuary. Studies have shown that the Lagoon is used at some point throughout their life cycles by approximately 4,000 unique organisms, making it a biologically diverse ecosystem. Some utilize the Lagoon for their entire life while others for only a portion; both of which are equally important to our estuary. Anthropogenic influences on the Lagoon have had numerous impacts on the habitats within the Lagoon, such as with seagrass habitats. Seagrasses are used as an indicator of the overall health of the Lagoon, and trends on seagrass retreat correlate with increases in turbidity levels within the Lagoon. The reduction in seagrass habitat has triggered the creation of Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reductions that are anticipated to be implemented by the FDEP before the end of this year. 89