Plant Management in Florida Waters : An Integrated Approach

There are fourteen generic herbicide active ingredients and dozens of trade names registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) for use in aquatic sites in Florida (i.e., for application directly to water). FDACS is the state agency designated to regulate pesticides used in Florida, and the Florida Pesticide Law (Chapter 487, Florida Statutes) is used for this purpose. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is responsible for implementing EPA NPDES regulations for pesticides applied to waters within Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is the lead agency for aquatic plant management in Florida. FWC issues permits and contracts for the control of aquatic plants, much of which is achieved using EPA and FDACS-registered herbicides. FWC authorizes the use of registered herbicides by state contractors on work plans for each public waterbody.

The following Table contains a list of herbicides applied by FWC contractors to control aquatic plants in Florida public waters. This list is maintained to comply with NPDES reporting requirements under the DEP Pesticide Generic Permit.