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DEP update assigns large nitrogen targets; Alachua County told to submit plans by Jan. 14, 2026
Summary
State BMAP updates add new nitrogen allocations for Santa Fe and Silver Springs sheds and require local governments to submit implementation plans by Jan. 14, 2026; county staff warned the reductions entail expensive projects such as widespread septic upgrades and treatment wetlands.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) recent updates to Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) assign new nitrogen reduction allocations that affect large portions of Alachua County, including the Santa Fe and Silver Springs spring sheds, county staff told commissioners.
"We have to submit that by 01/14/2026, which is very soon," said Stacy Greco, DEP Water Resources Program Manager, summarizing statutory deadlines the Clean Waters Way Act introduced. The updated BMAPs also require local governments to add projects to their comprehensive plans by April 2026.
What the allocations mean: Staff described how the BMAP model apportions loads to multiple stakeholders and explained likely county-level responses: upgraded septic systems (OSTDS), targeted stormwater projects and treatment wetlands, conservation easements and behavior-change programs. Greco gave an example for a Silver Springs spring shed where upgrading roughly 2,700 septic systems to nutrient-reducing technology could address about 61% of the local allocation but carries an estimated capital cost on the order of $27 million.
Credit and constraints: The county is pursuing credit for projects it has already completed, but DEP limits certain outreach/education credits (staff said counties are capped at small "urban turf" credits and in practice may receive no more than a few hundred pounds of nitrogen credit from fertilizer-cessation outreach). Greco said some BMAPs are being legally challenged and that allocations could change if a court alters DEP's technical approach.
Next steps and local response: Alachua County has hired a consultant to review DEP backup data, is forming an internal BMAP team (including facilities, parks, public works, growth management and OMB) and plans to assemble a prioritized project list for the board this fall so the county can meet the January planning deadline. Commissioners asked staff to coordinate closely with neighboring counties, GRU and state agencies because many allocations cross jurisdictional boundaries.
