Francis (Highlands County)

Florida LAKEWATCH Water Chemistry Summary

Location: Latitude 27°20'33", Longitude 81°24'33"

Period of record: 76 sampling dates; May 29, 1991 to November 20, 1999

Surface area (LAKEWATCH): 590 acres / 239 hectacres     Bathymetric Map

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

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Supplemental, unpublished water chemistry data, University of Florida.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
6.3
 Sulfate (mg/L)
24.0
Total alkalinity (mg/L as CaCO3)
1.9
 Calcium (mg/L)
4.8
Conductance (µS/cm @ 25 °C)
151
 Magnesium (mg/L)
5.5
Color (Pt-Co units)
5
 Sodium (mg/L)
8.5
Chloride (mg/L)
21.8
 Potassium (mg/L)
6.0
Silicon (mg/L)
0.8
    

Long-term Florida LAKEWATCH Data

Numbers reported below are the minimum, average, and maximum value for the 76 months sampled:

 
Minimum
Average
Maximum
Long-term total phosphorus concentrations (µg/L)
7
14
22
Long-term total nitrogen concentrations (µg/L)
260
500
780
Long-term total chlorophyll concentrations (µg/L)
3.7
10.2
24.0
Long-term Secchi depth (ft)
3.3
7.1
12.0

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-16-99
12
670
5.3
9.5
Feb-21-99
18
710
15.7
6.3
Apr-18-99
22
580
9.0
6.3
Jun-19-99
17
600
9.7
6.0
Jul-20-99
16
440
8.3
6.0
Aug-13-99
12
530
10.0
5.3
Oct-18-99
19
650
16.7
5.0
Nov-20-99
19
710
16.0
5.0
         
1999 Average
17
610
11.3
6.2

Francis (Highlands County)

Florida LAKEWATCH Aquatic Plant Summary

Aquatic plant data collected on July 9, 1996

Percent area covered with aquatic vegetation (PAC, %)
16
Percent of lake's volume filled with vegetation (PVI, %)
3
Average emergent plant biomass (kg wet wt/m2)
3.7
Average floating-leaved plant biomass (kg wet wt/m2)
1.5
Average submersed plant biomass (kg wet wt/m2)
2.0
Average width of emergent and floating-leaved zone (ft.)
108
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
90
banana-lily Nymphoides aquatica
90
maidencane Panicum hemitomon
90
torpedograss Panicum repens
90
spatterdock Nuphar luteum
80
respuinata bladderwort Utricularia resupinata
70
pickerelweed Pontederia cordata
60
buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
60
wax myrtle Myrica cerifera
50
water primrose Ludwigia octovalvis
50
water-pennywort Hydrocotyle umbellata
40
rush fuirena Fuirena scirpoidea
40
common salvinia Salvinia rotundifolia
30
cat-tail Typha spp.
30
dwarf arrowhead Sagittaria subulata
30
sedge spp. Cyperus spp.
30
southern water-grass Hydrochloa caroliniensis
20
. Eleocharis spp.
20
water-shield Brasenia schreberi
10
red ludwigia Ludwigia repens
10
bacopa Bacopa monnieri
10
variable-leaf milfoil Myriophyllum heterophyllum
10
purple bladderwort Utricularia purpurea
10
sago pondweed Potamogeton pectinatus
10
elephant-ear Colocasia esculenta
10
salt-bush Baccharis spp.
10
melaleuca Melaleuca quinquenervia
10
willow Salix spp.
10
Guinea grass Panicum maximum
10
para grass Brachiaria mutica
10
musk-grass Chara spp.
10
red root Lachnanthes caroliniana
10
giant spikerush Eleocharis interstincta
10
sun dew Drosera intermedra
10

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