Winter Haven lakes report shows progress being made
City of Winter Haven Natural Resources Division staff and Lakes Advisory Committee volunteers published the Lakes Advisory Committee 2018 Annual Report July 9.
The 140-page report about water quality in 35 lakes around the city is available on the City of Winter Haven’s website.
In 2018, Winter Haven received three more inches of rain compared to the city average, per the National Weather Service. Accordingly, the report states that surface levels in city lakes went up in 2018.
“This likely contributed to the decisively-improved water quality conditions observed in many of the lakes during 2018,” City of Winter Haven Environmental Scientist Devon Moore said.
The report suggests that above average rainfall was not the only contributor to the city’s improved water quality, though. City leadership has been committed to water quality in the Chain of Lakes for decades. According to the latest report, two-thirds of the city lakes have demonstrated “significant recovery from 2000 to 2018.”