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    Florida LAKEWATCH

    Florida LAKEWATCH

    Florida LAKEWATCH Data Hub

    Explore • Request • Interpret • Cite

    Welcome to the Florida LAKEWATCH Data Hub — your one-stop resource for accessing, exploring, and understanding water quality data collected through one of the nation’s longest-running volunteer-based monitoring programs.

    Whether you’re a LAKEWATCH volunteer, researcher, student, water resource manager, or community advocate, this page will help you get the most out of LAKEWATCH’s rich dataset and supporting tools.

    Water Quality Data Dashboard

    Explore Basic Water Quality Trends Across Florida

    Request Custom Data

    Need data for a specific project or research question? Submit a request!

    Waterbody Reports

    Understand Long-Term Trends for Florida Lakes


    • Bathymetric Maps (PDFs)
    • Bathymetric Maps (PDFs)

      Bathy Maps link here

    • Standard Procedures (SOP)
    • Standard Procedures (SOP)
      • Field SOP
      • Lab SOP
    • How to Cite LAKEWATCH
    • How to Cite LAKEWATCH

      Citation Instructions

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    • Q: How do I know if data exists for my lake?

      A: Use the Dashboard or browse the Report Archive. Still unsure? Email us at lakewatch@ufl.edu.

    • Q: Can I use LAKEWATCH data in a published paper?

      A: Yes! Just be sure to cite us properly and acknowledge the role of volunteers. See our Citation Instructions. And please send us a copy of any products using our data – our volunteers love to learn about the research they contribute to (fl-lakewatch@ufl.edu). 

       

    • Q: What if I only need one parameter, like total phosphorus?

      A: That’s fine— either use the filtering tools in the Data Dashboard, or submit a Data Request and specify the parameters you need.

    • Q: How reliable is volunteer-collected data?

      A: LAKEWATCH data has been validated through QA/QC studies and used in many peer-reviewed research efforts. Reliability of volunteer-collected data has been assessed and determined to be research-quality through a series of studies. 

      • Canfield et al 2002: Comparative study of 125 lakes sampled simultaneously by LAKEWATCH staff and volunteers in winter and summer found that total phorphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll, and Secchi depth were strongly correlated between samplers (R2 > 0.99). Additionally, samples from 12 lakes were used to determine if freezing was a valid means of preserving water samples prior to analysis. Findings showed that samples were valid for analyzing total phosphorus, total nitrogen, pH, total alkalinity, specific conductance, and chlorophyll after water was frozen for up to 150 days. For this study, all samples were analyzed by the LAKEWATCH lab. 
      • Hoyer et al. 2012: Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and LAKEWATCH volunteers collected samples on 27 lakes simultaneously. Each program followed their Standard Operating Procedures for both field and laboratory activities to determine data comparability. Results showed that LAKEWATCH data were nearly equivalent (R2 > 0.90) to FDEP’s, which were collected using stringent quality assurance (QA) protocols and analyzed in a National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference (NELAC)-certified laboratory in compliance with the state’s QA rule. This paper concluded that LAKEWATCH data is suitable for regulatory decisions; however, that the program cannot (and should not) make the changes required to become NELAC-certified as this would diminish the volunteer experience. 
      • Hoyer and Canfield 2021: .To address concerns that prior comparison studies have been of limited scope, conducted under experimental conditions, and that results may not be applicable to existing large-scale, long-term volunteer monitoring datasets, this study compared historical data collected by five Florida organizations (professionals) to volunteer-collected data from 216 lakes. Results showed that, while there were statistically significant differences for total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and Secchi depth (but not chlorophyll), these differences were small and not biologically meaningful. In this case some differences were expected because samples were not collected simultaneously. The authors concluded that volunteer-collected data were equivalent to data collected professionally and thus that the data are adequate for both research and management. 
    • Q: Is there currently a volunteer on my lake?

      A: Check the dashboard to see how up to date the data is.  If the last sample was taken more that 6 months ago reach out to the coordinator for your county here. 

    • Q: What is corrected vs uncorrected chlorophyll α

      A: Uncorrected chlorophyll α is the raw measurement of chlorophyll concentration, which may include interference from other pigments, such as pheophytin, which is a degradation product of chlorophyll.  

      While uncorrected chlorophyll α remains a valid measure, especially for comparison between waterbodies, it may overestimate the actual chlorophyll α (and thus primary productivity) in a sample. Therefore, LAKEWATCH began correcting for pheophytin and these other pigments and providing both corrected and uncorrected chlorophyll α values. 

      To provide both of these measurements our lab technicians first measure uncorrected chlorophyll α on a spectrophotometer. They then acidify the sample, which converts all of the chlorophyll α to pheophytin, and measure again on the spectrophotometer. The difference between the two measurements is corrected chlorophyll α. 

    • Q: Is my data on WaterAtlas?

      A: If you sample within certain counties (i.e., Hillsborough, Lake, Manatee, Orange, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole) your data may be found on Wateratlas.org. All other data can be access through our new LAKEWATCH dahsboard!

    • Q: Who has access to my waterbody data/report?

      A: Florida LAKEWATCH is publicly funded by the state and thus our data and reports are publicly available to all. You can also feel free to share this information with your neighbors, local administrators, and anyone else who is interested! 

    • Q: How often is the Data Dashboard updated?

      A: At least quarterly! Sometimes sooner. Keep in mind data from a sample can take up to 6 month to be reflected in our data, so please be patient. If you think there is data missing, please reach out or submit a data request form. 

    • Q: Are there criteria for stormwater lakes?

      A:

      There are currently no statewide criteria for stormwater ponds in Florida, but there are some best management practices and certain municipalities have criteria. Contact your local officials for more information.  

      It’s also important to note that the primary purpose of stormwater ponds is flood prevention and reduction of nutrients flowing into natural waterbodies. That means that many stormwater ponds were designed to capture nutrients and may therefore have higher nutrients (and biological productivity) than nearby natural waterbodies.  

      Here are some additional resources if you are interested in learning more about stormwater pond best management practices: 

      • Florida Friendly Landscaping Program: https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/ 
      • Florida-Friendly Plants for Stormwater Pond Shorelines: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP476 
      • Stormwater Pond Management: What You Need to Know about Aeration: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/SS695 
      • SWFMD’s Best Management Practices for South Florida Urban Stormwater Management Systems: https://www.sfwmd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/bmp_manual.pdf 
      • EPA’s Stormwater Pond Best Management Practices: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-11/bmp-wet-ponds.pdf 
    • Q: What happens if my lake is impaired?

      A: Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is the regulatory agency tasked with identifying and restoring impaired waterbodies. More information on FDEP’s process can be found on their Impaired Waters Listing Process site.  

      Data from Florida LAKEWATCH may be used by DEP as screening information, but our data are not used for determining impairment. Additonally, an important distinction between our calculations and FDEP’s is that we look at the entire time series of data, while DEP looks exclusively at the past three years of data.  

       

    • Q: Why does the dashboard graph look different from the graphs in my report?

      A: Great observation! In your report, we have taken the geometric mean of the three sites on your lake for the entire year and show you the average as well as the variation in the data with error bars. In the dashboard, we are displaying all of the raw data for all sites and all months. Feel free to download your data from the dashboard and look at the trends using your own methods too! 

    • Q: How are the 3 sites for each lake chosen? Can I request more sites on my waterbody?

      A: Most waterbodies in the LAKEWATCH program have 3 open water sites, situated in the largest open water areas of the waterbody, that are sampled monthly. These three sites are chosen when the waterbody first enters the program and then are maintained for continuity in trend analysis – we want to know if observed changes are because of actual changes within the system, not because sampling is happening at different locations. 

      Choosing sites in open water, rather than near the shoreline, allows us to get the most accurate representation of the waterbody as whole. Choosing three sites allows us to measure some of the variability within a waterbody and also to get an average value each month.  

      Three sites is plenty for most waterbodies in the program, though some larger or more complex systems have added sites over time (while always maintaining the original three as well). Additional sites can be considered on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the director before being collected and analyzed. The cost of analysis is an important part of our consideration, and funding may be required to add additional sites on your waterbody. 

    • Q: How do I determine the trophic state of my lake based on this data?

      A: To determine the trophic state of your lake, refer to our Trophic State Pamphlet. On page 3 of the pamphlet you will find the criteria for each trophic state based on total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyl α, and Secchi depth. Your values may fall into several different trophic states, making it more difficult to classify. At LAKEWATCH we typically refer to the chlorophyll α values for classification in these cases. 

    • Q: How do I read and interpret the graphs on my report?

      A: If you have five or more years of data on your waterbody then you will have graphs at the end of your report on total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), chlorophyll α, and Secchi depth. They can all be read and interpreted as outlined below: 

      • Year on the x-axis: with the full range of data available. If there were gaps in sampling, you will see corresponding gaps in the data. 
      • Parameter on the y-axis: Each of the four parameters is displayed on its own graph, labeled and with units (e.g. Total Phosphorus (ug/L)). 
      • Points represent annual geometric means from all stations and all months. 
      • Vertical lines (error bars) represent the annual variation, i.e. the high and low for that year. 
      • Trendline is the linear model representing the full time series. We test whether the slope of the line significantly differs from zero. A slope of zero indicates no trend – in this case the line will be dashed. A slope that does significantly differ from zero is indicated by a solid line – it can either be increasing (positive slope) or decreasing (negative slope). 
      • Model Error: The grey band around the trendline shows how confident we are in the model’s predictions. Wider bands mean more uncertainty; narrower bands mean the model fits the data more reliably. 
      • Statistics: These are the results from the statistical testing of the trendline.  
      • p-value: This is the probability that there is no trend in the data – smaller values indicate greater probability that there truly is a trend over time. Scientists often use a cutoff value of p ≤ 0.05 to indicate a statistically significant trend. 
      • R2: This is a measure of how well the trendline represents the data. Values close to 1 mean the trendline fits the data very well, while values close to 0 mean it doesn’t. 
      • Trend: Here we tell you if the parameter is increasing, decreasing, or has no trend over time. This is based on whether the p-value indicates statistical significance (p ≤ 0.05) and, if it does, whether the slope of the line is positive or negative.

    • Q: What are the main causes of annual fluctuations in my data?

      A:  This is hard to answer without looking at each lake on a case-by-case basis. Thus, we encourage you to reach out to regional coordinator to discuss.  

      In general, many things can cause changes in water quality. For example,  seasonality, which is largely tied to rainfall with a wet season in the summer months and a dry season in the winter months, can alter the chemistry of our lake and rivers. More specifically, during the wet season more nutrients can be washed into the lake, raising total phosphorus and nitrogen levels. Conversely, in the dry season, your lake may  have deeper Secchi readings due to lower nutrients. Rainfall can also affect annual fluctuations, with wet years having higher nutrients and dry years having lower nutrients.  

    Still need help?

     

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