Lake Apopka, Central Florida’s original tourist attraction, has been threatened over the decades by floodplain wetland loss, excessive nutrient and organochlorine pesticide pollution, and multi-year droughts. Since the late 1980s, the St. Johns River Water Management District has been working to address each of these threats to the lake’s health, through wetland restoration, nutrient removal (marsh flow-way system, rough fish harvest, BMPs, etc.), and contaminant remediation. In response, the lake’s water quality and habitat conditions have improved substantially; nutrients decreased, water clarity increased, submerged aquatic beds began recovery, and habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife has improved. In addition, the recreational usage of the area has been on the rise with the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive offering visitors an opportunity to see a portion of the recovering wetlands and lake on the formerly farmed north shore of the lake. This talk will cover the lessons learned from past and current restoration efforts and will address planned future efforts to restore this 50,000-acre ecosystem.
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20 ноя 2019
