Nason Yeager shareholder Susan Roeder Martin examines the evolution of environmental banking and what new Water Quality Enhancement Areas mean for Florida projects
Florida’s environmental banking framework is expanding beyond traditional wetland mitigation banking to address another critical issue: water quality. In her latest article published in The Florida Bar Journal, Nason Yeager shareholder Susan Roeder Martin examines the development of Water Quality Enhancement Areas (WQEAs) and their role in addressing water quality impacts from stormwater discharges.
WQEAs provide a market-based approach to water quality treatment through the creation and sale of enhancement credits. These areas allow for offsite, regional treatment of pollutants and can provide developers and other project stakeholders with an additional tool for addressing water quality impacts and meeting regulatory requirements.
Susan’s analysis explores the need for WQEAs as Florida implements more stringent stormwater nutrient reduction standards, as well as the permitting requirements, service areas, credit calculations and long-term monitoring and maintenance obligations associated with these facilities.
The article also examines recent 2026 legislation that provides a pathway for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to issue provisional WQEA permits while related rulemaking remains pending. The legislation provides additional clarity for applicants and developers considering the use of WQEAs and enhancement credits.
For developers, environmental professionals and land use practitioners, understanding this emerging framework will be increasingly important as Florida continues to strengthen its approach to water quality and stormwater management.
Read Susan Roeder Martin’s full analysis in The Florida Bar Journal.