Category:National Estuary Program

The EPA's National Estuary Program (NEP) is a very successful community-based program designed to restore and maintain the ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance. The NEP is a non-regulatory program established by Congress and authorized by section 320 of the Clean Water Act in 1987. It is a unique voluntary program that operates through partnerships among EPA and other Federal, State, and local organizations; industry; academia; environmental and business groups; and community residents. Currently, there are 28 NEPs located along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts and in Puerto Rico each with a director and staff, working with local stakeholders to improve the health of their estuary - it’s waters, habitats, and living resources. Each NEP has a Management Conference (MC) that consists of diverse stakeholders and uses a collaborative, consensus-building approach. The MCs develop and implement Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans (CCMP), long-term plans that contain actions to address water quality and living resource challenges and priorities. The EPA provides annual funding, national guidance and technical assistance to the local NEPs.The Indian River Lagoon was nominated as an Estuary of National Significance and joined the NEP under the management of the St. Johns River and South Florida Water Management Districts in 1990. Today, the Indian River Lagoon NEP Management Conference is the IRL Council, a special district of Florida.