Charlotte (Highlands County)

Florida LAKEWATCH Water Chemistry Summary

Location: Latitude 27°25'58", Longitude 81°27'2"

Period of record: 61 sampling dates; January 4, 1995 to December 12, 1999

Surface area (LAKEWATCH): 314 acres / 127 hectacres

Lake Region (Griffith et al. 1997): Lake Wales Ridge Transition

Geologic formation (Brooks 1981):

The geology is dominated by deeply weathered beach and dune sand with some clay lenses of the preglacial Pleistocene.

Physiographic region (Brooks 1981):

The water body lies in the Eastern Complex of the Central Ridge subdivision of the Lake Wales Ridge division of the Central Lake District.

Supplemental, unpublished water chemistry data, University of Florida.

Numbers reported below are the average for 1 month sampled:

pH

5.2

Sulfate (mg/L)

9.6

Total alkalinity (mg/L as CaCO3)

0.0

Calcium (mg/L)

3.3

Conductance (µS/cm @ 25 °C)

73

Magnesium (mg/L)

1.2

Color (Pt-Co units)

43

Sodium (mg/L)

6.6

Chloride (mg/L)

14.7

Potassium (mg/L)

1.1

Silicon (mg/L)

0.1

 

 

Long-term Florida LAKEWATCH Data

Numbers reported below are the minimum, average, and maximum value for the 61 months sampled:

 

Minimum

Average

Maximum

Long-term total phosphorus concentrations (µg/L)

59

104

142

Long-term total nitrogen concentrations (µg/L)

300

520

900

Long-term total chlorophyll concentrations (µg/L)

2.0

11.2

41.7

Long-term Secchi depth (ft)

1.5

3.9

7.7

1999 Florida LAKEWATCH Data

Numbers reported below are monthly averages calculated from 3 stations for total phosphorus (TP, µg/L), total nitrogen (TN, µg/L), chlorophyll (CHL, µg/L) and Secchi depth (SECCHI, ft) during 1999:

Date

TP (µg/L)

TN (µg/L)

CHL (µg/L)

SECCHI (ft

Jan-17-99

135

550

6.3

3.5

Feb-19-99

126

470

11.0

3.0

Mar-21-99

111

490

5.0

3.0

Apr-18-99

117

460

7.0

4.0

May-23-99

114

570

10.3

3.5

Jun-19-99

104

460

14.0

4.5

Jul-11-99

93

500

9.3

4.0

Aug-18-99

80

600

17.0

3.0

Sep-17-99

113

620

41.7

3.0

Oct-17-99

119

580

14.0

3.5

Nov-21-99

125

600

11.0

3.5

Dec-12-99

123

680

17.7

3.3

 

 

 

 

 

1999 Average

113

550

13.7

3.5

Charlotte (Highlands County)

Florida LAKEWATCH Aquatic Plant Summary

Aquatic plant data collected on July 10, 1996

Percent area covered with aquatic vegetation (PAC, %)

26

Percent of lake's volume filled with vegetation (PVI, %)

4

Average emergent plant biomass (kg wet wt/m2)

0.9

Average floating-leaved plant biomass (kg wet wt/m2)

0.7

Average submersed plant biomass (kg wet wt/m2)

0.2

Average width of emergent and floating-leaved zone (ft.)

90

Average lake depth (m)

4

Frequency that plant species occur in 10 evenly spaced transects around the lake.

Common Name

Plant Species

Frequency (%)

slender spikerush

Eleocharis baldwinii

100

spatterdock

Nuphar luteum

100

pickerelweed

Pontederia cordata

100

maidencane

Panicum hemitomon

90

wax myrtle

Myrica cerifera

80

torpedograss

Panicum repens

70

water-pennywort

Hydrocotyle umbellata

60

azolla

Azolla caroliniana

50

para grass

Brachiaria mutica

50

common salvinia

Salvinia rotundifolia

40

melaleuca

Melaleuca quinquenervia

40

water primrose

Ludwigia octovalvis

40

southern water-grass

Hydrochloa caroliniensis

40

red root

Lachnanthes caroliniana

30

beak rush

Rhynchospora mixta

30

water-moss

Fontinalis spp.

20

rush fuirena

Fuirena scirpoidea

20

red ludwigia

Ludwigia repens

10

cat-tail

Typha spp.

10

cone-spur bladderwort

Utricularia gibba

10

buttonbush

Cephalanthus occidentalis

10

flat-sedge

Cyperus odoratus

10

giant bulrush

Scirpus californicus

10

pipewort

Eriocaulon spp.

10

Back to c lakes page