FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 13, 2015
~Goals will act as the foundation for
long-term restoration plan ~
HAVANA
– The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection held a public meeting last night to further the development
of water quality restoration goals for Lake Tallavana. The restoration goals
will address an excess amount of nutrients, termed nutrient pollution, in the
lake.
“Lake Tallavana is an important natural resource for the
community,” said Tom Frick, director of the Division of Environmental
Assessment and Restoration. “These meetings provide an opportunity to coordinate
with stakeholders and the public to identify appropriate goals.”
The restoration goals under development are known as a TMDL, or
total maximum daily load. A TMDL defines the maximum amount of a pollutant
that may be present in the waterbody for the waterbody to remain healthy and
functional. At this meeting, DEP representatives discussed the general
approach used to develop the restoration goals, sources of pollution under
consideration, and the methodology to quantify those sources.
Nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous naturally exist in the
water and are necessary for the growth of aquatic plant and animal life. When
too much nitrogen and phosphorous are present, this nutrient pollution can lead
to rapid algal growth and algal mats. This can lead to other water quality
complications, including habitat smothering or oxygen depletion in the water.
Lake Tallavana is a 160-acre lake located west of Havana in
Gadsden County that drains to Lake Talquin through Hurricane Creek and the
Little River.
More information on the restoration goals can be found here.
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