1 100 2 https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/files/original/cc8180ca4571e8ee7c6ddaa73ffd1e2d.jpg c16c1c913ffa663199416826f9ba746e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title Friends of Lake Apopka Collection Alternative Title FOLA Collection Subject Lake Apopka (Fla.) Water quality--Florida Pollution--Florida Description The Friends of Lake Apopka (FOLA) is a citizen advocacy group with the mission of restoring Lake Apopka in Orange County and Lake County, Florida. Due to poor farming practices along its shores, Lake Apopka has become one of the largest polluted lakes in Florida. This collection features various archival items related to the restoration of the lake. Contributor <a href="http://www.fola.org/" target="_blank">Friends of Lake Apopka</a> Language eng Type Collection Coverage Lake Apopka, Florida Florida Game and Fresh Water Commission, Tallahassee, Florida Oakland, Florida Orlando, Florida Saint Johns River, Florida Winter Garden, Florida Winter Haven, Florida Zellwood, Florida Contributing Project <a href="http://www.fola.org/" target="_blank">Friends of Lake Apopka</a> Curator Cepero, Laura King, Joshua Digital Collection <a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a> Source Repository <a href="http://www.oaktownusa.com/Pages/Preserve/index" target="_blank">Oakland Nature Preserve</a> External Reference "<a href="http://www.fola.org/" target="_blank">Our Mission & Purpose</a>." Friends of Lake Apopka. http://www.fola.org/. Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title Letter from Ernest H. Cowen to Gary Sharp (December 4, 1974) Alternative Title Letter from Cowen to Sharp (Dec. 4, 1974) Subject Parks--Florida Springs--Florida Description This letter, from Ernest H. Cowen, Manager of the Orlando Area Chamber of Commerce's Civic Affairs Department, to Gary Sharp, states Cowen's belief that a park in the Gourd Neck area would help attract public support for the larger project of restoring Lake Apopka and the Oklawaha River Basin, by emphasizing the area's suitability for recreational use. Cowen states that Environmental Resources Committee of the Orlando Chamber also supports this potential project. Cowen urges that the State of Florida purchase the land using funds from the Environmental Endangered Lands Program. Gourd Neck Springs is a small spring located in the southwest portion of Lake Apopka, in a small cove called “Gourd Neck” due to its distinctive shape. This area of the lake was considered in the 1960s as a potential nursery for fish. The Lake Apopka Technical Committee explored damming the Gourd Neck, separating it from the lake and preventing polluted lake water from entering, but these plans did not materialize. Efforts were also made in the 1960s to have the Gourd Neck area purchased by the State of Florida for use as a public park. The Gourd Neck Springs Park Association was formed in 1961 to study the site’s potential for a park and lobby for support from legislators. The land bordering the area was privately-owned by various individuals. One of these, Gary Sharp, continued seeking support for a park into the 1970s. While the project received support from Florida legislators and environmentalists, the land was never purchased by the state. The Environmental Endangered Lands Program (EEL) was formed in 1972 as part of the larger Land Conservation Act of 1972. The EEL program was initially funded through the sale of state bonds. The program was designed to help the state acquire lands considered Environmental sensitive and was not designed for creating areas for recreational use. Potential sites for acquisition could be suggested by citizens, county and state governments, and non-profit organizations. After evaluation for Environmental value, potential sites would be approved by the Executive Director of the Florida Department of Natural Resources and finalized by the Governor. In 1979, the former Executive Director, Harmon Shields, was indicted on corruption charges involving the lands-acquisition process. Following this scandal, the EEL program was replaced by Conservation and Recreation Lands Program. This change replaced the program's funding with tax revenues instead of bond sales, and formed the Land Acquisition Selection Committee, made up by six executive directors of Florida Environmental agencies, to select sites for approval by the governor. The Division of State Lands was also created as a division of the Department of Natural Resources to over-see mapping and evaluation of potential sites for acquisition. Type Text Source Photocopy of original 1-page typewritten letter from Ernest H. Cowen to Gary Sharp, December 4, 1974: binder 1974, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, <a href="http://www.oaktownusa.com/Pages/Preserve/index" target="_blank">Oakland Nature Preserve</a>, Oakland, Florida. Is Part Of Binder 1974, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, <a href="http://www.oaktownusa.com/Pages/Preserve/index" target="_blank">Oakland Nature Preserve</a>, Oakland, Florida. <a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/collections/show/153" target="_blank">Friends of Lake Apopka Collection</a>, RICHES of Central Florida. Is Format Of Digital reproduction of photocopied 1-page typewritten letter from Ernest H. Cowen to Gary Sharp, December 4, 1974. Coverage Gourd Neck Springs, Florida Lake Apopka, Florida Creator Cowen, Ernest H. Date Created 1974-12-04 Format image/jpg Extent 152 KB Medium 1 typewritten letter on Orlando Area Chamber of Commerce letterhead Language eng Mediator History Teacher Provenance Originally created by Ernest H. Cowen. Rights Holder Copyright to this resource is held by the <a href="http://www.fola.org/" target="_blank">Friends of Lake Apopka</a> and is provided here by <a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a> for educational purposes only. Accrual Method Donation Contributing Project <a href="http://www.fola.org/" target="_blank">Friends of Lake Apopka</a> Curator King, Joshua Digital Collection <a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a> Source Repository <a href="http://www.oaktownusa.com/Pages/Preserve/index" target="_blank">Oakland Nature Preserve</a> External Reference "<a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19800502&id=IB5UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mI0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3814,204016&hl=en" target="_blank">Harmon Shields Indicted</a>." The Boca Raton News, May 2, 1980. Accessed June 14, 2016. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19800502&id=IB5UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mI0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3814,204016&hl=en. Farr, James A., and O. Greg Brock. "<a href="http://www.dep.state.fl.us/lands/files/Florida_LandAcquisition.pd" target="_blank">Florida's Landmark Programs for Conservation and Recreation Land Acquisition</a>." Sustain 14 (2006). Accessed June 14, 2016. http://www.dep.state.fl.us/lands/files/Florida_LandAcquisition.pdf. conservation Environmental Endangered Lands Program Ernest H. Cowen Gary Sharp Gourd Neck Springs Lake Apopka Land Conservation Act of 1972 Oklawaha River Basin Orange County Pollution Control Department Orlando Area Chamber of Commerce public parks springs https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/files/original/caaec66c1fb43d8200342bdf7ddb0305.pdf 83527a57d1761e2f3aae5c55154193d3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title Friends of Lake Apopka Collection Alternative Title FOLA Collection Subject Lake Apopka (Fla.) Water quality--Florida Pollution--Florida Description The Friends of Lake Apopka (FOLA) is a citizen advocacy group with the mission of restoring Lake Apopka in Orange County and Lake County, Florida. Due to poor farming practices along its shores, Lake Apopka has become one of the largest polluted lakes in Florida. This collection features various archival items related to the restoration of the lake. Contributor <a href="http://www.fola.org/" target="_blank">Friends of Lake Apopka</a> Language eng Type Collection Coverage Lake Apopka, Florida Florida Game and Fresh Water Commission, Tallahassee, Florida Oakland, Florida Orlando, Florida Saint Johns River, Florida Winter Garden, Florida Winter Haven, Florida Zellwood, Florida Contributing Project <a href="http://www.fola.org/" target="_blank">Friends of Lake Apopka</a> Curator Cepero, Laura King, Joshua Digital Collection <a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a> Source Repository <a href="http://www.oaktownusa.com/Pages/Preserve/index" target="_blank">Oakland Nature Preserve</a> External Reference "<a href="http://www.fola.org/" target="_blank">Our Mission & Purpose</a>." Friends of Lake Apopka. http://www.fola.org/. Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title Interim Lake Apopka Report (August 1974) Alternative Title Interim Lake Apopka Report Subject Lake Apopka (Fla.) Pollution--Florida Description A report on the potential Environmental restoration of Lake Apopka for the Lake Apopka subcommittee of the Orlando Area Chamber of Commerce Environmental Resources Committee. Allen E. Arthur, member of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, served as chairman of this subcommittee. This report summarizes the sources of pollution in Lake Apopka and gives a brief Environmental history of the area. The report identifies water quality goals for the lake, and recommends ending pollution discharge as the first step to restoring the lake. The report also discusses a possible lake drawdown as one way to help restore water quality, and notes Lake Carlton, a small lake downstream of Lake Apopka, as a possible test site for the drawdown method. The report also mentions proposals to acquire the Gourd Neck Springs area for use as a recreational park, using funds from the Environmental Endangered Lands (EEL) program, and claims that purchase of the area was turned down by the State Interagency Planning Committee on Environmental Endangered Lands. 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, supporting a large sport fishing and tourism industry. 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. 20,000 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; this 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. Restoration work on the lake began in the 1960s with attempts by various agencies to remove “trash fish” like gizzard shad from the lake via seining, which would hopefully allow the lake’s sportfish to thrive. The Lake Apopka Restoration Council, an initiative formed under Governor Claude Kirk 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 80s, 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. The Lake Apopka Restoration Council was reformed in 1985 under Governor Bob Graham; in 1987 the Surface Water and Improvement Management Act was passed; together these allowed comprehensive restoration plans to take shape, such as the Marsh Flow-way, a project by the St John’s Water Management District which 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 90s. 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. Type Text Source Original 4-page typewritten report, August 1974: binder 1974, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, <a href="http://www.oaktownusa.com/Pages/Preserve/index" target="_blank">Oakland Nature Preserve</a>, Oakland, Florida. Requires <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/reader.html" target="_blank">Adobe Acrobat Reader</a> Is Part Of Binder 1974, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, <a href="http://www.oaktownusa.com/Pages/Preserve/index" target="_blank">Oakland Nature Preserve</a>, Oakland, Florida. <a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/collections/show/153" target="_blank">Friends of Lake Apopka Collection</a>, RICHES of Central Florida. Is Format Of Digital reproduction of original 4-page typewritten document, August 1974. Coverage Gourd Neck Springs, Florida Lake Apopka, Florida Orlando, Florida Lake Carlton, Florida Apopka-Beauclair Canal, Florida Date Created ca. 1974-08 Format application/pdf Extent 797 KB Medium 4-page typewritten document Language eng Mediator History Teacher Rights Holder Copyright to this resource is held by the <a href="http://www.fola.org/" target="_blank">Friends of Lake Apopka</a> and is provided here by <a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a> for educational purposes only. Accrual Method Donation Contributing Project <a href="http://www.fola.org/" target="_blank">Friends of Lake Apopka</a> Curator King, Joshua Digital Collection <a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/map/" target="_blank">RICHES MI</a> Source Repository <a href="http://www.oaktownusa.com/Pages/Preserve/index" target="_blank">Oakland Nature Preserve</a> External Reference "<a href="http://www.lake.wateratlas.usf.edu/resource.aspx?wbodyid=8500" target="_blank">Apopka Spring</a>." Lake County Water Atlas. Accessed June 8, 2016. http://www.lake.wateratlas.usf.edu/resource.aspx?wbodyid=8500. Campbell, Ramsey. "<a href="http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1995-04-23/news/9504220188_1_lake-apopka-spring-water-bottled-water" target="_blank">Source of Surprise: Crystal Clear Water from Lake Apopka</a>." The Orlando Sentinel, April 23, 1995. Accessed June 8, 2016. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1995-04-23/news/9504220188_1_lake-apopka-spring-water-bottled-water. "<a href="http://www.sjrwmd.com/lakeapopka/history.html" target="_blank">History of Lake Apopka</a>." St John's River Water Management District. January 28, 2013. Accessed June 5, 2016. http://www.sjrwmd.com/lakeapopka/history.html. "<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/6858" target="_blank">Letter from Arthur W. Sinclair to C. W. Sheffield (December 22, 1967)</a>." RICHES of Central Florida. https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/6858. 1947 Fort Lauderdale hurricane agricultural pollution algae Allen E. Arthur ameirus catus ameirus nebulosus Apopka-Beauclair Canal boating brown bullhead catfish C. W. Sheffield citrus processing industry DDT dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane dissolved oxygen eel Environmental Endangered Lands Program Ernest H. Cowen eutrophication fertilizers fish kills fishing Florida Wildlife Magazine Fred Harden Gourd Neck Springs Hurricane of 1947 Interagency Planning Committee on Environmental Endangered Lands Jim Harrell Joe Crumpton John Bateman Lake Apopka Lake Carlton lake drawdown Matt Cross muck farms Neil Westbrook nitrogen Norman W. Hart, Jr. Oklawaha River Basin Oklawaha River Basin Restoration Council Orlando Area Chamber of Commerce pesticides phosphates sewage treatment plants Southwest Florida Water Management District Tom Sawicki U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water hyacinth water management water quality white catfish Zellwood Drainage District