The City of Lakeland Parks Division will be on Lake Morton at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, for the 44th Annual Swan Roundup. Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts employees will be carefully gathering the swans by boat to get them ready for their annual veterinary check-up. The swans will be confined in large holding pens on the south side of the lake for their annual wellness examinations with My Pet’s Animal Hospital that will start the morning of October 9, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. The Annual Swan Round-Up allows the City’s Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts Department to closely monitor the health and vitality of Lakeland’s swan population.

The original swans on Lake Morton were donated by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 1957. As Lakeland’s swan flock grew, it became paramount to give the regal birds an annual health check, so the Swan Roundup began in 1980 and has continued every year since then. The swans were first cared for by veterinarian (emeritus) and original Swanvet W.G. Gardner. Dr. Patricia Mattson oversaw the birds for several years and now My Pet’s Animal Hospital contributes their expertise in caring for Lakeland’s swan flock. It is important to know that My Pet’s Animal Hospital gives back to the community by donating their veterinary services year-round as today’s official Swanvet for the City of Lakeland.

August 23, 2024

AUBURNDALE – The Florida Department of Health in Polk County (DOH-Polk) has issued a health alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algae toxins in Lake Van - end of Lake Van Road.

The alert is in response to a water sample taken on August 20, 2024.

The public should exercise caution in and around Lake Van - end of Lake Van Road.

August 5, 2024

AUBURNDALE – The Florida Department of Health in Polk County (DOH-Polk) has issued a health alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algae toxins in Lake Van - end of Lake Van Road. The alert is in response to a water sample taken on July 30, 2024. The public should exercise caution in and around Lake Van - end of Lake Van Road.

DOH-Polk advises residents and visitors to take the following precautions:

• Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercrafts, or come into contact with waters where there is a visible bloom.
• Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have any contact with algae, or discolored or water that smells unpleasant.
• Keep pets and livestock away from the area to avoid any contact with water. Waters where algae blooms are present are not safe for animals. Pets and livestock should use an alternative source of water when algae blooms are present.
• Do not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms. Boiling the water will not eliminate toxins.
• Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe. Rinse fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts, and cook fish thoroughly.
• Do not eat shellfish from waters with algae blooms.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and partners collect algae samples (link opens in new window) from reported bloom locations. After samples are analyzed at their laboratory, the toxin results can be viewed on Protecting Florida Together (link opens in new window) or on DEP’s Algal Bloom Dashboard (link opens in new window).

District to Hold Virtual Public Workshop on Ranking Water Bodies

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is seeking public input to determine the priority of minimum flows and levels (MFLs) establishment for lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams and aquifers in the District as well as the establishment of water reservations. Legislation requires the District to review and, if necessary, revise this schedule each year.

The District will hold a virtual public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29. Members of the public can join the meeting via Microsoft Teams. To join the meeting, please click on this link to register https://bit.ly/MFLPriority. Use of the Chrome browser is recommended for best compatibility with Teams.

To join the meeting by telephone only, dial (786) 749-6127 and when prompted enter the conference ID: 121-548-175#.

A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources or environment. A water reservation defines a quantity of water set aside from the water use permitting process for the protection of fish and wildlife or public health and safety. The District’s Governing Board establishes MFLs and reservations as part of achieving the balance between meeting water needs and sustaining Florida’s natural systems.

The adopted minimum flows and levels priority list and schedule for 2023 is available on the District’s website here. The draft 2024 list will be published on the site following the Governing Board’s Aug. 27 meeting and will be considered for approval at the Board’s Oct. 22 meeting.

Written comments on the draft priority list and schedule may be submitted to Gabe Herrick, Lead Environmental Scientist, at gabe.herrick@watermatters.org or to 2379 Broad Street, Brooksville, FL, 34604, no later than Sept. 7.