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Dedicated to Sharing Information About Water Management and the Florida LAKEWATCH Program Volume 54 (2011)

Why are nutrients so important? -Total Phosphorus

In our last two issues of the FloridaLAKEWATCH newsletter we haveintroduced you the EPA’s newnutrient criteria and some recentactions that the Florida DEP hastaken with LAKEWATCH to addressthese criteria. If you will remember,the criteria were set for totalphosphorus, total nitrogen andchlorophyl l a l l of whichLAKEWATCH volunteers sampleon a regular basis. In the next three

volumes we would like to give you alittle information on each of these“parameters” to show you why thework of LAKEWATCH volunteers isso valuable. For this volume we willstart with total phosphorussometimes abbreviated as TP. Inorder to understand the importanceof TP we will first look at all of theforms of phosphorus in yourwaterbody.

About PhosphorusPhosphorus is an element that, in itsdifferent forms, stimulates thegrowth of algae in waterbodies.Phosphorus compounds are alsofound naturally in many types ofrocks and soils. In fact, phosphorus ismined in Florida and other parts

FloridaLAKEWATCH

Lake Grasshopper in Lake County, FL.

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of the world for a variety ofagricultural and industrial uses. Inmost freshwater lakes in Florida, thelimiting nutrient is believed to bephosphorus rather than nitrogen.

A limiting nutrient is a chemicalnecessary for plant growth — but isavailable in smaller quantities thanneeded for algae to increase theirabundance. Once the limitingnutrient in a waterbody is exhausted,the population of algae stopsexpanding. If more of the limitingnutrient is added, larger algalpopulations will result until theirgrowth is again limited by nutrientsor by other limiting environmentalfactors.

In waterbodies, phosphorus occurs indissolved and particulate forms.Dissolved phosphorus is definedbased on its size, as that which issmall enough to pass through a 0.45micron filter. It includes phosphorusforms like soluble reactivephosphorus and soluble organiccompounds that contain phosphorus.

I t s c o u n t e r p a r t particulatep h o s p h o r u s , is too big to passthrough a 0.45-micron filter. It isformed when phosphorus becomesincorporated into particles of soil,algae, and small animals that aresuspended in the water. Bothdissolved and particulate phosphoruscan change from one form to anothervery quickly (called cycling) in awater body and there is ongoingscientific inquiry about when, where,and how often these specific forms ofphosphorus are found in waterbodies.

This is important because algalcells and plants can only usephosphorus in certain forms.

Understanding the relationshipbetween algae and phosphorus isfurther complicated by the factthat an algal cell’s ability to usespecific forms of phosphorus isstrongly influenced by severalfactors including pH, waterhardness (caused by the presenceof calcium and/or magnesium),the amount of dissolved oxygenin the water, and thermalstratification (layers of waterhaving different temperatures).

This process of phosphoruscycling makes it difficult tomeasure dissolved or particulatephosphorus in a waterbody at agiven time. However, t o t a lphosphorus concen t ra t ions(abbreviated TP), which includeboth dissolved and particulateforms, can be used to gain anestimate of the amount ofphosphorus in a system. Thereason that TP is so important andwhy Florida LAKEWATCHmeasures it is because it providesa snapshot of the total phosphorusconcentrations in a lake at a giventime.

A limiting nutrient is a chemical necessary for plant growth — but is available in smallerquantities than needed for the plant or algae to increase their abundance.

Florida LAKEWATCH measures TP because it provides a snapshot of the totalphosphorus in a lake at a given time.

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There are many ways in whichphosphorus compounds findtheir way into waterbodies.Some of the more commonpathways are described asfollows:_ Some areas of Florida and otherparts of the world have extensivephosphate deposits in the soils. Inthese areas, rivers and waterseeping or flowing undergroundcan become phosphorus enrichedand may carry significantamounts of phosphorus intowaterbodies._ Sometimes phosphorus is addedintentionally to waterbodies as amanagement strategy to increasefish production by fertilizingaquatic plant and algal growth._ Phosphorus can enterwaterbodies inadvertently as aresult of human activities likelandscape fertilization, cropfertilization, wastewater disposal,and stormwater run-off fromresidential developments, roads,and commercial areas.

Total Phosphorus andBiological ProductivityOne major task that lake expertsare faced with in water qualitymanagement is assessing thebiological productivity of awaterbody — and determiningwhether it’s changing over time.However, overall biologicalproductivity is difficult tomeasure in a waterbody because itinvolves measuring manydifferent parameters over a periodof time. Such an approach wouldbe prohibitively expensive andtime consuming. Because of this,many aquatic scientists use totalphosphorus measurements, oftenalone, as an indirect way ofassess ing the b io logica lproductivity of a waterbody.

Why? Because phosphorus is oneof the main nutrients that canlimit the biological productivity

of a waterbody. However, this isnot always the most accurate wayto assess the biologicalproductivity of a waterbody.Other factors may also limitbiological productivity, such asavailability of light.

Phosphorus As ALimiting NutrientBecause phosphorus is frequentlythe limiting nutrient in the growthof free-floating algae in lakes, it isstrongly believed in the scientificcommunity that waterbodies withhigher phosphorus levels willhave higher levels of algae andwater- bodies with l o wphosphorus concentrations willhave lower levels of algae. Thisbelief is based in part on surveysof lakes, both in Florida andthroughout the world, and onresul ts of whole- lakeexperiments.

Consequently, aquatic scientistsalmost always recommend themanipulation of phosphorus,

called phosphorus control, as aprimary management strategy forcontrolling algal biomass.The high priority placed onphosphorus control by regulatoryand professional managementagencies in Florida is evidencedby its use in the multi-milliondollar lake management programsat Lake Apopka and LakeO k e e c h o b e e . H o w e v e r ,phosphorus is not always thelimiting nutrient and phosphorusremoval may not be the bestmanagement approach tocontrolling algal biomass.

So you can see why phosphorus isso important in managingFlorida’s waterbodies and howimportant it is to know how muchphosphorus is in each lake. Thisis why the work of all of theLAKEWATCH volunteers is soimportant not only for their ownlakes but for understanding andmanaging all of Florida’swaterbodies.

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Biological productivity is difficult to measure in a waterbody because it involvesmeasuring many different parameters over a period of time.

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Living With Gulf SturgeonBy The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

It's an ugly fish with a face onlyanother sturgeon could love. It'sthe prehistoric-looking, sucker-mouthed, scute-covered Gulfsturgeon and it's creating quite astir on the rivers in North Florida.

Although the sturgeon residing inthe Suwannee River havereceived the bulk of the mediaattention during the last severalyears, the fish are present in quitea few rivers in the northernportion of the Sunshine State.

The sturgeon can trace their rootsback 200 million years. And eventhough they're just doing whatthey've been doing for eons, it'scausing a problem for someboaters. The Gulf sturgeon makesits presence known by jumpingout of the water. With adult fishreaching up to eight feet in lengthand weighing up to 200 pounds,they can make quite a splash.

The problem

Boaters have been injured whiletraveling on the Suwannee Riverand other rivers in the FloridaPanhandle when they are struckby the jumping fish. There's noapparent warning … the sturgeonjust jump. If a boater is in thewrong place at the wrong time,there's a chance of injury.

In 2006, nine people were injuredby direct strikes with sturgeon.Two people were seriouslyinjured when they swerved theirboat to avoid a jumping sturgeonand hit a bridge piling. In 2007,nine people were also injured by

a jumping sturgeon. A mandrowned when he was thrownfrom a boat when the operatorswerved to avoid a jumpingsturgeon. During 2008, there werethree incidences of sturgeonjumping into boats. Three peoplewere injured during theseencounters.

The biology

Scientists believe there areapproximately 10,000-14,000Gulf sturgeons that make theSuwannee their summer home,with far fewer numbers in the sixother major U.S. rivers whereGulf sturgeon are known tospawn. The Suwannee River,which flows from the OkefenokeeSwamp in southeastern Georgiadown through northern Florida, isone of the most pristine rivers inthe country - with no dams forreturning sturgeons to contendwith.

The Suwannee is considered oneof the last “wild” rivers in

Florida.

The fish use almost the entirelength of the river to completetheir complicated life history. Thesturgeon spawning grounds on theSuwannee are 140 miles (220kilometers) upstream from themouth. Unlike salmon, which dieafter spawning in freshwater,sturgeons - which can live to be25-plus years old – spend summerin the river, then swim back downthe river to winter in the Gulf.

Sturgeon return to the easternGulf of Mexico during the winter,where they feed heartily. Theytypically do not eat while they arein the river - losing somewherearound 20 percent of their bodymass. Because of this extendedfast, biologists wonder why thefish would use energy jumpingout of the water.

When they do eat, Gulf sturgeonsare bottom feeders. They havebarbles, catfish-like whiskers, thathelp them search sediments for

A large sturgeon is seen jumping out of the Suwannee River in June 26, 2007

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FWC

prey, which they vacuum up withtheir sucker mouths.

Despite their long history, Gulfsturgeons were listed asthreatened under the EndangeredSpecies Act in 1991. The sturgeonis listed as a species of specialconcern in the state of Florida.

Why are these fish listed? Thereare many reasons. Their Gulf-wide habitat has been destroyedor greatly altered. Dams haveprevented the sturgeon frommigrating to old spawning areas.Dredging and other navigationmaintenance may have eliminatedthe deep holes where sturgeoncongregate. They were overfishedto the point where Florida tookthe unprecedented action in 1984of banning harvesting, capture, or“take” to prevent their extinction,just as we did for Bald Eagles. Tomake things even tougher for thesturgeon, it takes many years forthe fish to reach breeding age,slowing population recovery.

What FWC has done

When the reported strikes beganincreasing in 2006, FWCmounted an intensepublic awareness campaign to letpeople know these fish werepresent and could injure thoseboaters enjoying the Suwannee.The agency message of “Go slowon the Suwannee” for betterreaction time if a sturgeon didleap out of the water was stressed.

Signs were posted at allSuwannee River boat ramps and“Go Slow” decals were handedout to remind boaters to go slowwhile traveling on the river.

FWC personnel coordinated with

elected officials from the fivecounties in north Florida affectedby this issue.

A news release was put out in thespring, alerting boaters that thefish are migrating back into theSuwannee from the Gulf ofMexico.

What boaters can do

Go slow: The best course ofaction is to go slow. This givesmore time to react and if you arehit, the force ofthe blow is much less at 10 mphthan it is at 35 mph.

Wear your life jacket: Someboaters don't like wearing a lifejacket due to its bulkiness or fit.However, there's been arevolution in life jacket design,and there are lighter, morecompact and less restrictivemodels on the market. Theyinclude lightweight over-the-shoulder and belt-type inflatables,in addition to vest-type lifejackets. If you're hurt andunconscious, a life jacket willhelp keep you afloat.

Be alert: Pay attention to yoursurroundings. If you're in an areawhere you see sturgeon jumping,slow down and get closer to theshoreline. The fish tend to stay inthe deeper sections of the river.

Designate an operator: Don'tboat and drink. If you're impaired,you have slower reaction times. Ifalcohol is consumed on a vessel,there should be a sober designatedoperator.

Boat safe: Keep passengers offthe bow of the boat.

The Suwannee River is abeautiful part of Florida andshould be enjoyed. The FWCwants boaters to know thatthese fish are out there and theydo jump. Just be prepared, goslow and have fun.

FWC LE Officer Bret Gill holds a Gulf Sturgeon mount.

FWC

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Clean Water Act UpdateWritten by Steve Colvin, North American Lake Management Society Government Affairs Committee

The Clean Water CooperativeFederalism Act of 2011 (H.R.2018) was introduced in theHouse of Representatives byRep. John Mica (FL) and 39co-sponsors on May 26, 2011.It passed the House on July 13,2011 and was read in theSenate on July 18, 2011. Atpresent, it has not beenassigned to a Senatec o m m i t t e e . C u r r e n tinformation on the bill can bef o u n d a t :http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:h.r.02018:

This Bill amends the FederalWater Pollution Control Act,better known as the CleanWater Act. Section 2 is a keypart of the Bill, and it prohibitsEPA from: (1) promulgating arevised or new water qualitystandard for a pollutant whenthe Administrator hasapproved a state water qualitystandard for such pollutantunless the state concurs witht h e A d m i n i s t r a t o r ' sdetermination; (2) takingaction to supersede a state'sdetermination that a dischargewill comply with effluentlimitations, water qualitystandards, controls on thedischarge of pollutants, andtoxic and pretreatment effluentstandards under such Act; (3)withdrawing approval of adelegated state NPDESprogram, limiting federalfinancial assistance for a state

NPDES program, or objectingto the issuance of a stateNPDES permit on the basisthat the Administratordisagrees with the stateregarding the implementationof an approved water qualitystandard or the implementationof any federal guidance thatdirects the interpretation ofsuch standard. A Fourthprovision of this sectionprevents EPA from prohibitingthe specification of anydefined area as a disposal sitefor the discharge of dredged orfill material into navigablewaters and denying orrestricting the use of such areaas a disposal site in a permit ifthe state where the dischargeoriginates does not concur witht h e A d m i n i s t r a t o r ' sdetermination that thedischarge will result in anunacceptable adverse effect onmunicipal water supplies,shellfish beds, and fisheryareas.

Section 4 of the Act shortensthe deadline for United StatesFish and Wildlife Servicecomments on a general dredgeand fill permit application. Itrequires EPA and otheragencies to submit commentson an application for a generalpermit or a permit to dischargeinto navigable waters within30 days (or 60 days ifadditional time is requested)after the date of receipt of such

application.

Other portions of the Act thatmay be of interest are Section6, which requires EPA toreport on any increase orreduction in waterbornepathogenic microorganisms,toxic chemicals, or toxicmetals in waters regulated by astate under this Act; Section 7,which prohibits this Act frombeing construed to limit EPA’sauthority to regulate a pipelinethat crosses a streambed; andSection 8, which requires EPAto analyze the impact,disaggregated by state, onemployment levels andeconomic activity beforeissuing a regulation, policystatement, guidance, responseto a petition, or otherrequirement or implementing anew or substantially alteredprogram under the CleanWater Act.

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Current information on the bill can be foundat: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:h.r.02018:.

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New Collection Centers

Lee CountyLover’s Key State Park

8700 Estro Blvd.Fort Myers, FL 33931

Contact: Gloria Beauchamp239-463-4588

Sumter CountySumter County IFAS Extension Village Annex

8033 East County Road 466Lady Lake, FL 32159

Contact: Lloyd Singleton352-689-4668

Volunteer Bulletin Board

Monthly Sampling Is Back!LAKEWATCHer’s, we are requesting that all samplers who sample fresh waterlakes, springs, rivers, etc. begin to sample your water body on a monthly basisagain. Because LAKEWATCH’s water lab is now in position to handle morefreshwater samples we are able to process freshwater samples on a monthly basisonce again. Sorry all of you salt-water LAKEWATCHer’s, due to the extra timeand personnel involved with salt-water analysis, we are not able to resumemonthly sampling for you at this time so you should continue to sample everyother month.

Lab Reminder!Please remember to pour out excess water down toshoulder of your sample bottle. This will allow for

expansion of your water sample upon freezing and thebottle will not be stressed.

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DEP SECRETARY APPOINTS GREGORY M. MUNSONAS DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR WATER POLICY AND

ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION~Secretary Vinyard also appoints Dr. Ann B. Shortelle as Water Policy Director~

TALLAHASSEE — FloridaDepartment of EnvironmentalProtection (DEP) SecretaryHerschel T. Vinyard Jr. todayannounced the appointmentsof Gregory M. Munson asDeputy Secretary for WaterPolicy and EcosystemRestoration and Dr. Ann B.Shortelle as Water PolicyDirector. Deputy SecretaryMunson and Dr. Shortelle willcoordinate state water policyd e v e l o p m e n t a n dimplementation, specificallyas it relates to the WaterManagement Dis t r ic ts .Deputy Secretary Munsonwill start at DEP on August 22and Dr. Shortelle will start atDEP on August 30.

“One of my top priorities isgetting Florida’s water right,and DEP is committed tohelping Florida’s WaterManagement Districts focuson their core missionrespons ib i l i t i e s , ” sa idSecretary Vinyard. “Thismeans that DEP will take amore active role in WaterManagement District watersupply program development,protection of water resourcesand regulatory policies.”

On April 12, 2011, GovernorRick Scott directed DEP toexercise statutory obligationto supervise activities of thes t a t e ’ s f i v e W a t e rManagement Dis t r ic ts ,

including their water supplyand regulatory activities, toensure statewide consistencyis achieved. Further, DEP isdirected to ensure that the coreresponsibilities of the Districtsare consistent with Chapter373, FS for managing thestate’s water resources.

“It is my intention tocollaborate with the WaterManagement Districts onthese types of discussions anddecisions as they are beingmade,” said Deputy SecretaryMunson. “I fully anticipatesitting down with each districtand discussing priorities andbudget options, so that there isa common understanding ofwhat the focus is goingforward.”

The Deputy Secretary forWater Policy and EcosystemRestoration is a new titlewithin DEP. Previously, DEPhad a Deputy Secretary forPolicy and Planning. Thoseduties have been divided upbetween the Deputy Secretaryfor Water Policy andEcosystem Restoration andthe Chief of Staff. Themodification of this positionconfirms Governor Scott’sdesire to focus on water andecosystem priorities. Inaddition to working with theWater Management Districts,the Deputy Secretary forWater Policy and Ecosystem

Restoration will also overseethe DEP’s Office ofEcosystem Projects, whichcoordinates and assists withthe policy development andimplementation of a variety ofrestoration projects, includingEverglades restoration.

“I look forward to workingwith the Water ManagementDistricts to develop clear andconsistent policies toeffectively manage our waterresources across districtlines,” said Dr. Shortelle. “Byopening a regular, two-waydialogue with the WaterManagement Districts, I knowwe can work together toaddress flood protection,water supply and quality, andresource protection in afiscally responsible manner.”

The Water Policy Director is anew position that will workdirectly with SecretaryVinyard and Deputy SecretaryMunson on overseeing WaterM a n a g e m e n t D i s t r i c tactivities, including watersupply, water q u a l i t y ,management and resourcer e g u l a t i o n , g u i d i n grulemaking activities andevaluating land acquisitionprograms.

The Water Policy Directorwill also promote statewidew a t e r m a n a g e m e n tconsistency taking intoaccount the differing, regional

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characteristics of Florida’swater resources.

About Gregory M. MunsonDeputy Secretary Munsonbegan his career in the U.S.Air Force after graduatingfrom the United States AirForce Academy in 1989. Heearned several Aer ia lAchievement Medals as aMission Director on the RC-135 intelligence-gatheringaircraft, and resigned from theAir Force as a Captain in 1995.He attended VanderbiltUniversity Law School. In1998, Mr. Munson clerked forthe Honorable J.L. Edmondsonon the United States Court ofAppeals for the EleventhCircuit.

Mr. Munson moved to Floridain 1999 to become an AssistantGeneral Counsel to GovernorJeb Bush, where he serveduntil 2002. In 2002, Mr.Munson became an assistantUnited States Attorney for theUnited States Department ofJustice in Miami, Florida. Mr.Munson became GeneralCounsel for the FloridaDepartment of EnvironmentalProtection (DEP) in 2004. Asthe state's chief environmentallawyer, he was involved inlitigation and negotiationssur round ing Amer ica ' sEverglades, Total MaximumDaily Load program, and thetri-state water dispute betweenGeorgia, Alabama, andFlorida. He personallyparticipated in the defense ofFlorida's rules to reduceemissions from utility plants,and the defense of Florida'sbeach restoration program,ultimately resolved in favor of

FDEP by the U.S. SupremeCourt in 2010, in Stop theBeach Renourishment Inc. v.Florida Department ofEnvironmental Protection.

He became General Counselfor WRS Infrastructure &Environment, Inc., nowWRScompass, in February,2007. WRScompass is a full-s e rv i ce env i ronmen ta lremediation firm that performslarge scale environmentalremediat ion and c ivi lc o n s t r u c t i o n p r o j e c t s ,including restoration work inthe Florida Everglades,cleaning up Superfund sites onbehalf of the United StatesEnvironmental ProtectionAgency, expanding levees inLouisiana in the aftermath ofHurricane Katrina, andperforming technologicallycomplex remediation forseveral Fortune 500 clients.

About Dr. Ann ShortelleDr. Shortelle has over 25 yearsof professional experience inlake, riverine, and reservoirmanagement for water quantityand qua l i t y , su r f acewater/wetlands restorationenhancing water quality andsource water protection,surface water modeling,permitting and environmentalassessments. Since receivingher Ph.D., Dr. Shortelle hasworked in the private sector asa consultant, serving recentlyas MACTEC Engineering andConsulting, Inc.’s (now AMECE&I, Inc) Chief Scientist inFlorida, and Water PracticeLeader. She joined MACTECin 1988 and has served as achief scientist, senior principaland senior project manager.

She has managed numerousprojects related to restoration,siting/licensing, mitigationplanning, source waterevaluation, and naturalresource damage assessment.She has served as a technicalexpert and reviewer, and hasserved as an expert witness. S h e h a s c o n d u c t e d ,participated in, managed,directed, and providedtechnical oversight forhundreds of projects in theState of Florida, the UnitedStates, and Puerto Rico. Shehas conducted trainings andworkshops related to waterqual i ty , quant i ty , andsustainability, and givenn u m e r o u s p a p e r s a tprofessional conferences.Shortelle has authored/ co-authored more than 40publications and presentationson environmental andecological topics.

Dr. Shortelle is a member ofthe North American LakeManagement Society, theAmerican Water ResourcesAssociation, and otherprofessional organizations. Sheis currently serving on theNorth American LakeManagement Society’s Boardof Directors, and was a formertwo term member of theFlorida Lake ManagementSociety Board of Directors andserved on the policy advisorycommittee to DEP ford e s i g n a t e d u s e a n dclassification refinement forsurface waters. She holds aPh.D. in limnology from theUniversity of Notre Dame anda B.S. in biology from MercerUniversity.

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As we return to monthly samplingthe lab staff would like to reviewsome techniques for new folksand a reminder for dedicatedsamplers regarding water samplecollection and data sheets.

The lab makes every effort toinspect water bottles that are sentout to collection centers forvolunteers. We remove discoloredand frail bottles weakened byreuse and multiple washings, butchances are a few make it out toour volunteers. When writingyour information on the bottlesCounty/Lake /Date/Station—justlook the bottle over quickly as asimple routine. If any appearsuspect to you then use one fromanother Ziploc pack.We would like your help in

making sure your samples arrivesafe and sound. To this end, wewant to emphasize the standardLAKEWATCH protocol forwater sampling.

Please remember to fill samplebottles completely. Then shake orpour out excess down to shoulderof bottle. This will allow forexpansion of your water sampleupon freezing and the bottle willnot be stressed. Bottles becomestressed from having too muchwater in them. Over-filled bottleslook swollen and often fall overwhen set upright. These bottlestend to rupture in transport,especially if there are a lot ofbottles picked up during acollection run.

The samples in these crackedbottles can become contaminatedfrom partial thawing andrefreezing in transport. Once theyare in the lab we try to recoversamples, but results from crackedbottles are often suspect and someare simply lost.

To insure your sampling effortsyield quality results, please takethe time to note the level of watercollected in your water samplebottle prior to freezing. If it lookslike it is filled to the brim, gentlypour off a little of the excess andrecap before freezing. The waterlevel should be as shown in thediagram to the right.

On a final note, don’t forget totake your Secchi transparencyreadings every month. Sometimeswe receive water samples with no

information as to the date ofsampling. Extra blank data sheetscan be found at all our collectioncenters, and if necessary we canmail you some. The importanceof your data sheets cannot be overemphasized. These snapshots intime provide our data managers away to evaluate lake conditions.Variability in Secchi visibility isthe most observable way to detectunderlying changes in lakeconditions. These observationshelp make sense of the waterchemistry samples collected onthe same date as well as potentialchanges in observed waterchemistry over the next fewmonths. Thanks to all ourvolunteers for their continuedsampling and support.

Remember the Old Salt’sProverb…

"Time Spent on theWater is not Deductedfrom One's Lifespan!"

LAB NOTESFrom Florida LAKEWATCH Chemist

Claude Brown

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Jim out on St. Andrew Bay.

James (Jim) Barkuloo hashad a full life from hisbeginnings in Georgia tillhis retirement years inPanama City. Jim wasborn in Tifton, Georgia in1929. He a t tendedA b r a h a m B a l d w i nAgricultural College inTifton from 1946-47before his schooling wasinterrupted for a four yearstay with the U.S. ArmyAirborne Paratroopers.When Jim left the Army hereturned to his schooling atAbraham Baldwin movingon to Auburn University(1951-1953) and thenFlorida State Universitywhere he received his B.S.,in biological Sciences in1955.

After receiving his B.S.Jim went to work for theFlorida Game and FreshWater Fish Commission (nowcalled Florida Fish and WildlifeConservation Commission) wherehe spent ten years as a FisheriesBiologist from 1957 -1967.During the last four years he alsofound time to return to school andearned a MS in Zoology fromStetson University in 1967.

After receiving his MS Jim leftthe Game Commission andFlorida and went to WashingtonDC to work for the USFWSfollowed by a brief stint as theAssistant Coop leader at theAlabama Cooperative FisheriesUnit in a return to AuburnUniversity from1969-1970.

It was in 1970 that Jim returnedto Florida and began his work onthe coastal systems of the Gulf ofMexico. From 1970 until 1990Jim worked protecting, preservingand understanding the coastalecosystem of the Gulf coast.When he retired in 1990 Jim wasthe Supervisor of the U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service, where herepresented the USFWS on theDepartment of Interior’s OuterContinental Shelf Oil and GasAdvisory Board for the Gulf ofMexico.

Jim’s retirement was short livedas soon a new opportunity cameknocking. In January 1990, Dr.

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Outstanding LAKEWATCH Volunteer

Jack Taylor designed andinitiated Baywatch, acitizen volunteer waterq u a l i t y m o n i t o r i n gprogram.

The impetus to create thewater quality samplingprogram came from the St.Andrew Bay ResourceManagement Association(RMA). This non-profitorganization conducts themonitoring program, and isresponsible for samplingstation selections, watercollections and analyses,data management anddistribution, and programcoordination with othera g e n c i e s a n denvironmental groups. Itis designed as a long-termproject to periodically andsystematically test andevaluate aquatic conditionsthroughout the St. Andrew

Bay estuarine system and LakePowell.

Dr. Taylor began the RMAprogram in conjunction with theUniversity of Florida as a“LAKEWATCH” program, andUF is still the major partner in thewater quality sampling effort.

Jim joined Baywatch back in1990 and began his relationshipwith Florida LAKEWATCHsampling West Bay” SinceFebruary of 1990, West Bay hasbeen sampled for 169 monthsalmost exclusively by Jim. Forover 20 years Jim has faithfullywatched over the St. Andrew Baysystem and the BaywatchCoordinator since the mid 1990’s.

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This newsletter is generated by the FloridaLAKEWATCH program, within UF/IFAS. Supportfor the LAKEWATCH program is provided by theFlorida Legislature, grants and donations. For moreinformation about LAKEWATCH, to inquire aboutvolunteer training sessions, or to submit materials forinclusion in this publication, write to:

Florida LAKEWATCHFisheries and Aquatic Sciences

School of Forest Resources and Conservation7922 NW 71st StreetGainesville, FL 32653

or call1-800-LAKEWATCH (800-525-3928)

(352) 392-4817E-mail: fl-lakewatch@ufl.eduhttp://lakewatch.ifas.ufl.edu/

All unsolicited articles, photographs, artwork or other

written material must include contributor’s name,

address and phone number. Opinions expressed are

solely those of the individual contributor and do not

necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of the Florida

LAKEWATCH program.

Florida LAKEWATCHFisheries and Aquatic SciencesSchool of Forest Resources and Conservation7922 NW 71st StreetGainesville, FL 32653

FloridaLAKEWATCH

We rarely come across volunteerslike Jim whose dedication andservice to St. Andrew Bay goesbeyond anything we expectedfrom a volunteer when theprogram was created. Wecommend him for the time andenergy and for his continued

service to LAKEWATCH,Baywatch and St. AndrewsBay.

LAKEWATCH SAYSTHANK YOU!

Jim taking a Secchi disc measurement on West Bay in St. Andrew Bay, Panama City,Florida.

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Visit www.sabrma.org to learn moreabout RMA's Baywatch Program.