Phosphorus trends and hot spots—a spatio-temporal data analysis of phosphorus derived from Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) farms (Florida, USA)

• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-025-13794-0
• Publication Date: 2025-03-13T01:54:52Z
• Authors: Anteneh Z. Abiy; Gareth L. Lagerwall; Paul Julian; Natalie M. Aguirre; Stephen E. Davis

The Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) in South Florida (USA) is a recognized source of total phosphorus (TP) that has impacted downstream oligotrophic marshes. Treatment wetlands, called stormwater treatment areas (STAs), were constructed and subsequently expanded to remediate EAA-derived TP, ideally yielding long-term outflow concentrations the Protection (EvPA) 13 µg/L TP or less. To date, TP-remediation been insufficient relative loads discharged from some EAA basins. We assessed 20 years basin-level farm-level concentration data with goal understanding trends over time identifying hot spots. Using monitoring water year (WY) 2000 through WY 2019, farms averaged 74.68 ± 38.87 was as high 269.38 µg/L. identified spatial temporal variations concentration, farm outflow, load, flow-weighted mean farms. basins showed presence decreasing trend between 2012 increasing for more recent period 2010 2019. nine-parameter Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), we observed 31% posed above-average pollution risk, including 22 S-5A 17 S-6 These spot are primary candidate sites targeted interventions aimed at reducing runoff, alleviating burden on STAs, offsetting trend.