KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – OCTOBER 1, 2021 6:40:05 PM EDT- Indian River Lagoon Roundtable has been working to establish an environmental discourse with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Kennedy Space Center (KSC).
In July of 2021, the IRL Roundtable sent letters of introduction to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and KSC Director Janet Petro, and, in response, received word of an upcoming NASA KSC IRL Health Initiative Plan.
KSC’s Environmental Public Affairs Office confirmed that the KSC Environmental Management Branch had been working on an Indian River Lagoon (IRL) water quality health initiative plan since the fall of 2020, and that the plan would be presented to the public at the IRL National Estuary Program’s Management Board meeting in November.
On October 1st, 2021 the IRL Roundtable received an initial release of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan. (Download: KSC Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan initial release (PDF 22pp 1MB))
Update: The KSC IRL Health Initiative Plan Presentation was given to the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Management Board on November 18, 2021 by KSC Environmental Biologist Jeffrey Collins.
IRL Roundtable applauds Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro and the entire KSC Environmental Management Branch for their efforts to improve water quality and restore habitat within the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary.
Kennedy Space Center Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan Purpose
“The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Medical and Environmental Services Division, which includes both the Environmental Management Branch (EMB) and Environmental Assurance Branch (EAB), identified lagoon health as a high priority for the mission. This document provides NASA KSC and its partners a plan which considers the unique relationship between the approximately 140,000-acre Federal property and the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) estuary on and adjacent to KSC, and proposes projects and restoration actions that will ensure NASA KSC’s continued role as a responsible steward promoting IRL health and biodiversity. Additionally, this document provides NASA KSC a reference document to enable informed decisions regarding future IRL health projects.”
KSC Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan Introduction
“Over the last several decades, continued human development within the IRL watershed has resulted in numerous negative impacts to the estuary including excessive stormwater and wastewater inputs, loss of wetlands, dredging, invasive species, and overfishing.
While these impacts have been countered with a variety of regulations targeted to improve conditions, the health of the IRL continues to decline. The last decade has seen dramatic seagrass loss due to repeated algal blooms consistent with eutrophication (excessive nutrients) of the system, the effects of which are apparent in segments of the IRL proper, Banana River Lagoon (BRL), and Mosquito Lagoon that lie within the jurisdictional boundaries of Kennedy Space Center.
Central to the goal of improving lagoon health is reducing loading of substances known to cause impairment of water quality. All three basins of the lagoon, north IRL, BRL, and Mosquito Lagoon, are impaired by nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients, as well as the heavy metal mercury.
In order to reduce loading of these impairments, identification of the types of sources, their size, location, and pathways to the lagoon is required to inform management and devise effective remediation strategies regarding load reduction. Additionally, greater clarity on the impacts of nutrient loading to the lagoon aquatic ecosystem is needed to best support NASA’s stewardship of federal property in the IRL watershed.”
KSC IRL Health Initiative Plan Approach
“The Kennedy Space Center IRL Health Initiative Plan was created by the NASA Environmental and Medical Contract (NEMCON) subject matter experts based on guidance of regulatory and management needs identified by NASA KSC EMB and EAB, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR), Canaveral National Seashore (CNS), and other stakeholders.
The focus of this plan is to improve the understanding of water quality, habitat quality, living resources issues, and restoration needs of the IRL in order to meet NASA KSC’s objective of responsible stewardship, while being responsive to regional IRL metrics, and regulatory and management needs, identified by NASA and other stakeholders.
Each of the proposed projects in this plan is linked to a vital sign in the IRL National Estuary Program’s (IRLNEP’s) Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The IRLNEP CCMP was defined by IRLNEP committee members from the Management Committee and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Modeling Advisory Committee, of which NASA KSC, MINWR, and CNS are active members.
These vital signs, approved by the IRLNEP Board of Directors, define current and potential issues, and propose future goals and actions that will contribute to stewardship, restoration, and health of the IRL.”
“The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Indian River Lagoon (IRL) Health Initiative plan presents a compilation of prospective projects that address different aspects of lagoon health including water quality, habitat quality, living resources, and restoration. It has been designed as a tool to be used by NASA EMB, NASA EAB, MINWR, CNS, and stakeholders to select projects that will support management objectives of responsible stewardship and improved IRL health. These proposed projects are not currently funded and will be pursued as funding permits.
The prospective projects are organized into the following categories:
- Monitoring Actions (Proposed)
- Restoration Actions (Proposed)
- Collaboration with Partners/Stakeholders (Proposed)
- Monitoring Actions (Ongoing)
The KSC Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan includes an overview of project options (options matrix), ongoing monitoring actions, and project abstracts. Detailed implementation plans will be developed for supported initiatives at a subsequent date.”
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