Assessment Lists

The department uses water quality data from a wide variety of sources, including its own monitoring programs, to regularly assess Florida’s rivers, streams, lakes, springs and estuaries to determine whether they meet publicly adopted water quality standards. These standards are established to protect public health, preserve aquatic habitat and wildlife, and ensure safe and healthy fishing and recreational uses. Surface waters that do not meet the standards set for them are determined to be “impaired” and in need of restoration.

Because funds are limited and Florida’s surface water resources are so expansive and diverse, the department has sorted those resources into 29 major watersheds, or basins, and further organized them into five basin groups for assessment purposes. The department's watershed management approach has historically followed a cycle that rotates through the 29 basins throughout the state over a five-year period (all WBIDs were assessed once every five years), however beginning in 2020 the department changed its approach for assessing waters under the Impaired Waters Rule (Chapter 62-303, Florida Administrative Code). Under the new process, called in the "Biennial Assessment", all of the basins in Florida are assessed simultaneously every two years rather than over the former five-year basin cycle. 

Below are links to the statewide comprehensive Verified List, Delist List, Study List and Study List Removals as well as Lists adopted by Secretarial Order. These lists are up to date with the most recent data, including assessments updated with 2020-2022 Biennial Assessment, adopted on July 11, 2022. As water quality improves and assessments are refined, these lists will be updated through a formal public process. Using the data from these assessments, the department has verified many waterbodies, or segments of those waterbodies, as impaired (not meeting water quality standards). Others have been “delisted” because a previously identified impairment cannot be verified or a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) has been adopted.

Statewide Comprehensive Verified List of Impaired Waters

This list contains waterbody-parameter combinations that have been verified as impaired based on criteria and assessment methodologies in Chapters 62-302 and 62-303, F.A.C., respectively. Waterbodies verified as impaired and that have not subsequently been delisted (see below) remain on the Verified List. Thus, the list provides the comprehensive compilation of waters currently considered impaired and are awaiting a TMDL, and identifies the county that at least a portion of the waterbody intersects.

• Comprehensive Verified List (MSExcel).

Statewide Comprehensive Delist List

This list contains waterbody-parameter combinations that have been removed from the Verified List based on delisting methodologies in Chapter 62-303, F.A.C. There are several reasons why a waterbody parameter may be delisted, including but not limited to: a subsequent assessment determining that a waterbody-parameter is no longer impaired based on current water quality standards, if there has been a Total Maximum Daily Load completed that addresses the verified impaired parameter, or if a flaw in a previous assessment has been determined. This list provides the comprehensive compilation of waters that have met the requirements of rule 62-303.720, F.A.C., and that have been approved by order of the Secretary as no longer required to be on the Verified List.

• Comprehensive Delist List (MSExcel).

Statewide Comprehensive Study List

This list contains waterbody-parameter combinations that meet the listing requirements for the Study List, as identified in rule 62-303.390, F.A.C. The Study List is the list of surface waters or segments where additional information is needed to confirm attainment of water quality standards. This list provides the comprehensive compilation of waters that meet the requirements for the Study List and identifies the county that at least a portion of the waterbody intersects.

Waters and associated parameters identified in the Study List are considered to be not attaining water quality standards and are submitted to EPA as water quality limited segments and additions to the State 303(d) list; however, they are not included on the State of Florida Verified List of Impaired Waters and prioritized for TMDL development.

• Comprehensive Study List (MSExcel).

Comprehensive Study List Removals

This list contains waterbody-parameter combinations that no longer meet the listing requirements for the Study List, as identified in rule 62-303.390, F.A.C. The department submits these to EPA and requests they remove these waterbodies from the 303(d) List. There are several reasons for requesting removal from the 303(d) List including, but not limited to, more recent or accurate data, flaws in the original analysis, site specific data or information to support natural conditions, and changes in water quality conditions.

Lists Adopted by Secretarial Order

The adopted lists below are the first step in the process of restoring impaired waters. Once these waters have been accepted by EPA, department staff will begin developing TMDLs for these waters. A TMDL represents the maximum amount of pollutant loading that can be discharged to a waterbody and have its designated uses be met. The final step in this process is the implementation of the TMDL. This could be done through the development of a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) by watershed stakeholders or the department. Some impairments are addressed through other measures such as TMDL limits, reasonable assurance plans, permitting, statewide programs and source identification efforts.