Letter from Andy Ireland to Harold L. Moody (June 17, 1981)
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Andy Ireland to Harold L. Moody (June 17, 1981)
Alternative Title
Letter from Ireland to Moody (June 17, 1981)
Subject
Water quality--Florida
Environmental protection--Florida
Legislation--Florida
Description
A letter from U.S. Representative Andy Ireland (b. 1930) to Harold L. Moody, fisheries biologist with the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission (GFC), dated June 17, 1981. In the letter, Rep. Ireland discusses his co-sponsorship of House Resolution 38, which would create an Ad Hoc Committee for Water Resources. Rep. Ireland states that water management programs suffer from mismanagement and lack of coordination at the state and federal levels. He also states that as of the time of writing, there were 12 panels and 29 subcommittees in the U.S. House of Representatives and 10 committees and 21 subcommittees in the U.S. Senate that each deal with water management. Rep. Ireland's proposed Ad Hoc Committee on Water Resources would work towards a coordinated policy at the national level.
Although the letter does not state so explicitly, it was likely written in reference to Lake Apopka, which 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 sportfish 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.
Although the letter does not state so explicitly, it was likely written in reference to Lake Apopka, which 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 sportfish 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.
Creator
Ireland, Andrew P.
Source
Original 1-page typewritten letter from Andy Ireland to Harold L. Moody, June 17, 1981: binder 1981, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Date Created
1981-06-17
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original 1-page typewritten letter from Andy Ireland to Harold L. Moody, June 17, 1981.
Is Part Of
Binder 1981, Friends of Lake Apopka Archives, Ginn Museum, Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland, Florida.
Friends of Lake Apopka Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Format
image/jpg
Extent
177 KB
Medium
1-page letter on Congress of the United States letterhead
Language
eng
Type
Text
Coverage
Winter Garden, Florida
Accrual Method
Donation
Mediator
History Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by Andy Ireland.
Rights Holder
This resource is not subject to copyright in the United States and there are no copyright restrictions on reproduction, derivative works, distribution, performance, or display of the work. Anyone may, without restriction under U.S. of state copyright laws:
- reproduce the work in print or digital form
- create derivative works
- perform the work publicly
- display the work
- distribute copies or digitally transfer the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending.
Contributing Project
Curator
King, Joshua
Digital Collection
Source Repository
External Reference
"History of Lake Apopka." St John's River Water Management District. January 28, 2013. Accessed June 5, 2016. http://www.sjrwmd.com/lakeapopka/history.html.
Collection
Citation
Ireland, Andrew P., “Letter from Andy Ireland to Harold L. Moody (June 17, 1981),” RICHES, accessed April 23, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/7965.