Letter from Harold L. Moody to Lawrence E. Jerome (March 13, 1972)
Lake Apopka (Fla.)
Zellwood (Fla.)
Winter Garden (Fla.)
Pollution--Florida
A letter from Harold L. Moody, fisheries biologist for the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, to Lawrence E. Jerome. The letter gives a detailed analysis of the history of pollution in Lake Apopka, the development of the Zellwood Drainage District muck farms, and the management of Lake Apopka's water level.<br /><br />Lake Apopka is one of Florida’s largest lakes and was once considered to be one of the world’s best lakes for bass fishing. The lake’s sport fish population began to decline in the 1960s, with major die-offs occurring almost yearly. The lake’s problems are generally considered to be the result of over-nutrification from various sources. Twenty thousand acres of wetlands bordering the lake’s north shore were drained in the 1940s and used for highly fertile “muck farms.” These farms were routinely flooded to protect the fragile soil, and the fertilizer and pesticide-laden water was then discharged back into the lake prior to each growing season. Other sources of pollution include discharge from citrus processing operations, as well as treated wastewater from sewage plants. The nutrient-rich discharge promoted algae growth in the lake, turning the water to a green color, and blocked sunlight from reaching aquatic vegetation, which provided food and habit to the lake’s fish population. The lake’s bottom soil became increasingly “mucky,” also disrupting aquatic vegetation from taking root. <br /><br />Restoration work on the lake began in the 1960s with attempts by various agencies to remove “trash fish,” such as gizzard shad, from the lake via seining, which would hopefully allow the lake’s sport fish to thrive. The Lake Apopka Restoration Council, an initiative formed under Governor Claude Kirk (1926-2011) in 1967, launched several studies to find methods to improve the lake, though no serious action was taken. Various methods were debated to restore the lake through the 1970s and 1980s, including “drawdown,” which entailed completely draining the lake to allow the mucky bottom to consolidate. Restoration attempts were stalled for lack of funding and research.<br /><br />The Lake Apopka Restoration Council was reformed in 1985 under Governor Bob Graham (b. 1936), and, in 1987, the Surface Water and Improvement Management Act was passed. Together, these actions allowed comprehensive restoration plans to take shape, such as the Marsh Flow-way, a project by the St John’s Water Management District that uses natural methods to remove nutrients from the lake. The Friends of Lake Apopka, a citizen environmental advocacy group, began to push for further restoration efforts in the 1990s. The lake’s north shore muck farms were eventually purchased by the State of Florida, helping to reduce the amount of nutrient entering the lake.
Moody, Harold L.
Photocopy of 5-page typewritten letter from Harold L. Moody to Lawrence E. Jerome, March 13, 1972: binder 1972, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, <a href="http://www.oaktownusa.com/Pages/Preserve/index" target="_blank">Oakland Nature Preserve</a>, Oakland, Florida.
application/pdf
eng
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Fisheries Research Laboratory, Florida Game and Fresh Water Commission, Eustis, Florida
Home of Lawrence E. Jerome, Santa Clara, California
Lake Apopka, Florida
Winter Garden, Florida
Zellwood, Florida
Letter from Doyle C. Golden to A. D. Aldrich (August 26, 1963)
Lake Apopka (Fla.)
Water quality--Florida
Water conservation
Pesticides--United States
Fishing--Florida
Insecticides--United States
Pollution--Florida
A letter of correspondence from Doyle C. Golden, the Administrative Assistant for the Division of Chemistry of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to A. D. Aldrich, the Director of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. The report gives data from the analysis of fish samples collected from Lake Apopka, Florida, by Chester Burke and L. E. Cromwell on June 24-25, 1963. DDT and DDT metabolites were found to be present in all samples examined.
Golden, Doyle C.
Photocopy of original 3-page typewritten letter from Doyle C. Golden to A. D. Aldrich, August 26, 1963: binder 1963, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, <a href="http://www.oaktownusa.com/Pages/Preserve/index" target="_blank">Oakland Nature Preserve</a>, Oakland, Florida.
application/pdf
eng
Text
Lake Apopka, Florida
Florida Game and Fresh Water Commission, Tallahassee, Florida
Apopka Beauclair Canal, Florida
Hog Island, Florida
Crown Point, Florida
Pine Island Point, Florida
Letter from John R. Thoman to A. D. Aldrich (July 25, 1963)
Lake Apopka (Fla.)
Water quality--Florida
Pesticides--United States
Fishing--Florida
DDT (Insecticide)
Insecticides--United States
Pollution--Florida
A letter of correspondence from John R. Thoman, the Regional Director of the Water Supply and Pollution Control Division of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, to A. D. Aldrich, the Director of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. The letter discusses the analysis of the samples taken by Eugene W. Surber during his visit to Lake Apopka, Florida, in June 1963. Analysis of fish samples performed by chemists with the Department of Health found large concentrations of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were in the bass fish samples. According to the letter, Thoman does not believe these concentrations necessarily indicate DDT poisoning as the cause of death.
Thoman, John R.
Photocopy of original 2-page typewritten letter from John R. Thoman to A. D. Aldrich, July 25, 1963: binder 1963, drawer 1938-1987, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, <a href="http://www.oaktownusa.com/Pages/Preserve/index" target="_blank">Oakland Nature Preserve</a>, Oakland, Florida.
application/pdf
eng
Text
Cincinnati, Ohio
Lake Apopka, Florida
Public Health Service, Atlanta, Georgia
Florida Game and Fresh Water Commission, Tallahassee, Florida