Technical Assessment of Lake Okeechobee Basin Dairies

SWET conducted a technical assessment of eight dairy sites that were found to be significantly over the Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) discharge standard of 1.2 mg/l P.  SWET met on several occasions with the dairyman at each dairy and conducted tests to determine the source of the high phosphorus and then developed recommendations for mitigating the problem and to bring dairies into compliance.  Comprehensive reports with suggested BMPs were developed for each problem or “hot spot” dairy location.  The Florida Department of Environmental Protection later adapted these recommendations as part of dairies’ permit requirements when they came up from renewal.  SWET continued to work with two of the dairymen after the completion of the District contract.