DEP announces opportunities to expand water quality restoration efforts

The Florida Department of Environmental protection announces new opportunities for all public and private parties to help expand the state's water quality restoration efforts.

Similar to the previous Request for Information (RFI) that DEP issued for innovative technologies to mitigate algal blooms, the department has released a RFI to identify additional nutrient reduction projects within the Lake Okeechobee basin. This is the first time this process has been utilized for project identification for Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs).

The RFI is open to all parties including local land owners and technology companies, which goes beyond the typical, local government focus of past BMAPs

RFIs for projects for the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie BMAP areas will also be issued in the coming days. Governor DeSantis’ executive order called for all three South Florida BMAPs to be updated within a year, and projects submitted will be considered for inclusion in the updated BMAPs. There is no specific funding for projects submitted in response to these RFIs as the RFI is for informational purposes only; however, projects listed in the updated BMAPs will be targeted for future funding.