Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> The Winter Garden Times from Percy D. Blunt, who served as the Mayor of Winter Garden, Florida, from 1963 to 1965. In the letter, Blunt comments on a previous editorial which called for rejuvenation of tourism and water sports on Lake Apopka. Blunt believes that for this to be possible, citizen advocacy groups must form to combat the special interests groups who benefit from the pollution of the lake. Blunt mentions several state legislators that he appealed to for help in restoring the lake, without success. He also mentions the polluted state of Lulu Creek, which flows through Winter Garden and carried citrus processing discharge into Lake Apopka.]]> The Winter Garden Times, April 1966: binder 1966, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> The Winter Garden Times]]> The Winter Garden Times, April 1966.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Friends of Lake Apopka Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> The Winter Garden Times.]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> The Winter Garden Times describing petitions being circulated by Orange County sports fishermen and fishing camp owners. The petition calls for action in restoring Lake Apopka, and finding some compromise to make the farming on the shores of the lake compatible with sports fishing interests. The article also gives a brief description of the history of the pollution of the lake and its former status as a well-known sports fishing destination.]]> The Winter Garden Times, April 28, 1966: binder 1966, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> The Winter Garden Times]]> The Winter Garden Times, April 28, 1966.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Friends of Lake Apopka Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> The Winter Garden Times.]]> The Winter Garden Times and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Friends of Lake Apopka Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Friends of Lake Apopka Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Friends of Lake Apopka Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Friends of Lake Apopka Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Friends of Lake Apopka Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
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.

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.

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.]]>
Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.]]> Friends of Lake Apopka Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> Friends of Lake Apopka and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>