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The Southwest Florida Water Management
District is working with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program to determine
the potential environmental impact of mucky sediments in the Safety
Harbor area of Old Tampa Bay.
The Safety Harbor watershed, located
within Pinellas County, has changed significantly over the past 100
years. The watershed has gone from being primarily rural to
primarily urban. In addition, the construction of the Lake Tarpon
Outfall Canal increased the size of the watershed draining into
Safety Harbor.
These changes have led to an increase in
the accumulation of sediment and muck. Other national estuaries,
including Charlotte Harbor and Chesapeake Bay, have also
experienced a similar build-up. The accompanying watersheds have
also transitioned from rural to urban watersheds.
This study will help determine the source
of the muck build-up in Safety Harbor and whether the muck is
impacting organisms that live and feed in the sediments. After the
study is completed, the partners will evaluate the information and
determine the next course of action, which may include selecting
projects to reduce sedimentation in Safety Harbor or remove the
muck.
The study is being conducted by the
University of South Florida's College of Marine Science, Eckerd
College and the United States Geological Survey.
The total budget for the project is
$149,494. The District's share of $94,494 will be divided between
the District's Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board and Surface
Water Improvement and Management Program. Pinellas County and the
cities of Oldsmar and Safety Harbor have also budgeted funds for
the project.
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