Alternative Text Description for FDEP NPDES Stormwater Permits

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays locations across Florida and portions of neighboring states where FDEP NPDES Stormwater Permits are issued. These permits regulate Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s), which are conveyance systems designed for collecting and discharging stormwater to waters of the state. The map shows the geographic distribution of permitted stormwater systems operated by municipalities, counties, special districts, and other public entities throughout the region.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the entire state of Florida, extending from the Georgia and Alabama borders in the north to the Florida Keys in the south. Major cities labeled on the map include Jacksonville in the northeast, Orlando in central Florida, Tampa and St. Petersburg on the west coast, Miami in the southeast, and Cape Coral on the southwest coast. Additional cities shown include Gainesville, Palm Coast, Lakeland, Palm Bay, Port St. Lucie, West Palm Beach, and Coral Springs. The map also shows portions of southern Georgia including Savannah, Albany, Dothan, Valdosta, and Tallahassee. The Florida panhandle is visible extending westward to Pensacola. Coastal areas along both the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Gulf of America to the west are displayed, along with the Straits of Florida to the south.

KEY INSIGHTS

FDEP NPDES Stormwater Permits are concentrated primarily along Florida's coastlines and in major metropolitan areas. The densest concentration of permitted areas appears along the Atlantic coast from Jacksonville southward through the Miami metropolitan area, and along the Gulf coast around the Tampa Bay region. Central Florida, including the Orlando area, also shows notable permit coverage. The interior portions of north-central and south-central Florida display more scattered permit coverage. Coastal urban corridors demonstrate substantially greater stormwater permit coverage compared to rural inland areas, reflecting the concentration of municipal infrastructure and population centers along Florida's coasts.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

FDEP NPDES Stormwater Permits

This layer represents areas where permits have been issued for municipal separate storm sewer systems that discharge stormwater to state waters.

Permitted Stormwater Areas (tan/beige polygons)

Appearance: Solid tan or beige colored polygons of varying sizes overlaying the base map

Distribution: Concentrated along Florida's Atlantic and Gulf coasts, with notable presence in major metropolitan areas throughout the state and scattered coverage in interior regions

Notable locations:

Spatial patterns: Permitted areas tend to cluster along coastlines and around major urban centers. The coverage follows transportation corridors and municipal boundaries in developed areas. Larger contiguous permitted areas appear in densely urbanized coastal counties, while interior regions show smaller, more isolated permitted zones corresponding to incorporated municipalities and smaller communities.

Overlapping Patterns

No overlapping thematic layers are present in this map. The stormwater permit boundaries are displayed against a base map showing county boundaries, city locations, and water bodies.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map shows the spatial extent of permitted stormwater management areas rather than individual permit locations. MS4 permits regulate systems owned or operated by public entities including states, cities, towns, counties, special districts, and associations that have jurisdiction over stormwater management and discharge. The mapped areas represent jurisdictions where conveyance systems such as roads with stormwater systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, constructed channels, or storm drains are permitted under the NPDES program. These systems are distinct from combined sewers and Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW). The coverage pattern reflects both the location of developed municipal infrastructure and the regulatory framework governing stormwater discharge to state waters.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source: Florida Department of Environmental Protection NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Stormwater Permits program. The data represents jurisdictional areas where MS4 stormwater permits have been issued under state and federal regulatory authority. Data source layer name: NPDES_STORMWATER_NOV21.

Definition Query: No definition query or filter criteria was provided for this view.

Scale Information: The map is displayed at a statewide extent showing all of Florida and portions of neighboring states. This scale is appropriate for understanding the overall distribution pattern of permitted stormwater systems across the state.

Coordinate System: NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content: November 2021, as indicated by the data source layer name.

Limitations: The map shows permitted jurisdictional areas rather than the precise location of individual stormwater infrastructure components. Changes to permit status, new permits issued, or permits modified after November 2021 would not be reflected in this dataset. The visual extent of permitted areas may represent administrative boundaries rather than the physical footprint of stormwater conveyance systems.

Map Coverage: The map covers the entire state of Florida from approximately 24.5°N to 31°N latitude and from 80°W to 87.5°W longitude. Portions of southern Georgia and southeastern Alabama are included in the northern extent for geographic context.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.