WASHINGTON, D.C.--The United States is using less water than during the peak years of 1975 and 1980, according to water use estimates for 2005. Despite a 30 percent population increase during the past 25 years, overall water use has remained fairly stable according to a new U.S. Geological Survey report. Assistant Secretary of the Interior Anne Castle announced the report, Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2005, as part of her keynote speech today at the Atlantic Water Summit in the National Press Club. The report shows that in 2005 Americans used 410 billion gallons per day, slightly less than in 2000. The declines are attributed to the increased use of more efficient irrigation systems and alternative technologies at power plants. Water withdrawals for public supply have increased steadily since 1950--when USGS began the series of five-year trend reports--along with the population that depends on these supplies.

http://www.hrwa-fl.org

The boat ramps on Lakes Sears, Livingston, Buffum, Crystal and Deeson will be closed due to low water levels and the ramps being out of the water. They will be closed until such time as the lake levels come back up. Polk County's Leisure Services Division can be contacted about these ramps at 863-499-2613.

For more information:

http://www.polk-county.net/subpage.aspx?menu_id=252&nav=svc&id=8554

This EPA notice announces the availability of an EPA decision identifying water quality limited waterbodies and associated pollutants in Florida to be listed pursuant to the Clean Water Act. Public comment is requested not later than October 23, 2009. A copy of the notice with contact information along with the list of water bodies to be added or removed from the impaired waters list can be found at the link below.

http://www.epa.gov/region4/water/tmdl/florida/index.html

The EPA announced that the Landia Chemical Company Superfund site in Lakeland, Florida will be cleaned up by five companies and two individuals named in an $8.5 million settlement. The settlement will help fund the cleanup of 5 acres of contaminated soil and groundwater exposed to the manufacture of pesticides and other agents by Landia and several other companies involved in the operations at the site between 1940 and 1987.

Follow the web link below for the complete article.

http://www.ecofactory.com/news/85-million-epa-superfund-settlement-landia-pesticide-pollution-lakeland-florida

The pace and scale of climate change may now be outstripping even the most sobering predictions of the last report of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC). An analysis of the very latest, peer-reviewed science indicates that many predictions at the upper end of the IPCC's forecasts are becoming ever more likely. Meanwhile, the newly emerging science points to some events thought likely to occur in longer-term time horizons, as already happening or set to happen far sooner than had previously been thought.

Follow the link below to access the Climate Change & Florida Component. The report is the last in the list of links.

http://www.sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/education/#ClimateChange

Lakes

Blue
Buckeye
Cannon
Conine
Daisy
Deer
Eagle
Little Eagle
Elbert
Little Elbert
Eloise
Fannie
Grassy
Haines
Hartridge
Henry
Howard
Idylwild
Jessie
Link
Lulu
Mariam
Martha
Maude
May
McLeod
Mirror
Ned
Otis
Pansy
Rochelle
Roy
Sears
Shipp
Silver
Smart
Spring
Summit
Thomas
Winterset


Streams / Creeks

Alafia River
Poley Creek

A big thank you to all our Atlas partner's who made this year's meeting a great success. We hope you all enjoyed the multi-media presentation. If you didn't get enough Carnac, follow the link below for the complete presentation.

Thank you, the Florida Center

http://www.hillsborough.wateratlas.usf.edu/upload/documents/WaterAtlas_Advisory_Meeting_9-11-09.pptx

Have you ever been researching historic water quality data or historic water levels and needed more information than what is graphed on the web page? The data exists in Data Download, but it can be difficult to navigate to. The Atlas Programming Team has added a tool to the Water Quality and Water Levels components that, when selected, will PRE-LOAD your query for you! This pre-load will take you directly to the station selection where you can refine or continue the data request.



Awesome Work Programmers!

Sports fishermen take heed: A government test of fish pulled from nearly 300 streams in the USA found every one of them contaminated with some level of mercury. The U.S. Geological Survey's research marks its most comprehensive examination of mercury contamination in stream fish. The study found that 27% of the fish had mercury levels high enough to exceed what the Environmental Protection Agency considers safe for the average fish eater, those who eat fish twice a week.

Please follow the link below for the complete article.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2009-08-19-fish-mercury_N.htm

World Water Monitoring Day is an international education and outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies. Signing up for World Water Monitoring Day is easy. Visit the web site linked below and click 'Participate' to learn how.

http://www.WorldWaterMonitoringDay.org