Lakewatch Citizen Science Since 1986
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Florida LAKEWATCH CITIZEN SCIENCE SINCE 1986 Dedicated to Sharing Information About Water Management and the Florida LAKEWATCH Program Volume 80 (2018) Florida LAKEWATCH is Fundraising to Establish an Endowed Assistantship for Graduate Students. By Mark Hoyer, LAKEWATCH Director Florida LAKEWATCH was require graduate student re- • MS Endowment: Gifts total- started in 1986 when Lake search but the cost of support- ing $350,000 will support Santa Fe residents started ask- ing graduate students has been $14,000/year ing for science based infor- increasing and the money for • PhD Endowment: Gifts to- mation on their lake to help graduate student funding has taling $500,000 will support become better stewards and been shrinking. Currently, the $20,000/year lake managers. Many other average cost of a University lakes soon followed also ask- of Florida graduate student is ing questions about the most approximately $45,000/year. important lake in Florida “My Lake.” While LAKEWATCH To make sure graduate stu- has strong research and exten- dents are always available for sion components the third leg research, LAKEWATCH is of LAKEWATCH is teaching, fundraising to establish an en- primarily in the form of Grad- dowed assistantship. Gifts to uate Students (more than 35 support an endowed assis- students since 1986). All of tantship will be invested in these components are im- perpetuity to provide perma- portant and complement one nent annual support for other, however, many of the LAKEWATCH graduate stu- questions asked by our volun- dents. Our initial goal is to es- teers are answered with re- tablish a Master’s endowment. search conducted by LAKE- WATCH graduate students. LAKEWATCH volunteers continue to ask questions that In this issue: Florida LAKEWATCH is fundraising to Establish an Endowed Assistantship for Graduate Students……………..1 Meeting the resource needs of the private well owner community after extreme flooding events…………… 3 Volunteer Bulletin Board…………………………………………………………………………….…………..………………………………..5 Shellfish, Sportfish and Aquatic Plants, More Than Just and Energy Company..………………………………………….6 Freshwater benthic ecology and invasive species research program at the University of Florida………………..8 1 • Identify neighbors, com- • Please direct gifts to munity organizations UF/IFAS Advancement, and businesses with an PO Box 110170, interest in Florida’s wa- Gainesville, FL 32611. ter resources and a will- • Gifts can also be made ingness to support online at LAKEWATCH www.uff.ufl.edu/give/LW41 • Make a personal or busi- ness gift to support For more information, please LAKEWATCH: contact John Hooker at 352- o Cash, Stocks, 294-7868 or Real Estate [email protected] o Pledge over multiple years I thank you for helping o Estate planning, LAKEWATCH with this im- insurance policy, portant endowed fellowship trust project. Checks to support this endow- Mark Hoyer ment should be made payable The first $30,000 raised will Director Florida to the UF Foundation, Inc. be matched by the University LAKEWATCH with “LAKEWATCH assis- of Florida and once estab- tantship” in the memo line. lished, an assistantship will be augmented with tuition sup- port from the Dean of the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences through the ’41 Fellows Initiative, valued at $11,000/year. While we grow the endowment to $350,000 spendable interest may be used to provide program sup- port for LAKEWATCH. A LAKEWATCH endowment will support a graduate stu- dent addressing volunteer questions on aquatic systems, covering such topics as aquatic plants (herbicides, grass carp) exotic species (plants, fish, invertebrates), harmful algae blooms, bacte- ria, water clarity, and more. How You Can Help? • Share with others the im- pact your work has on Florida lakes, streams All pictures are of Graduate students working on some form of aquatic resource and estuaries management. Photo credit LAKEWATCH. 2 Meeting the resource needs of the private well owner community after extreme flooding events Andrea Albertin is the UF/IFAS Regional Water Resources Agent for the Northwest Extension District An estimated 2.5 million Flo- Rapid Research Response Grant their water or drink from con- ridians (approximately 12% of from the National Science Foun- taminated wells, and it is sus- the population) rely on private dation to offer free well water pected that the risk of con- wells for home consumption. testing to homeowners impacted tamination increases after While public water systems by flooding. They partnered with flooding events. are regulated by the U.S. Envi- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s ronmental Protection Agency Well Owner Network (run by Di- In response to widespread to ensure safe drinking water, ane Boellstorff and Drew Gholson) damage and flooding caused private wells are not regu- and us, at UF/IFAS Extension to by Hurricane Harvey in Texas lated. Private well users are provide this service. The effort at and Irma in Florida in August responsible for ensuring the VT was led by members of Marc and September 2017, Virginia safety of their own water. Edward’s lab in the Civil Engineer- Polytechnic Institute and State Few public data exist on how ing Department: Kelsey Pieper, many well users regularly test University (VT) received a 3 Kristine Mapili, William Although the sampling kits samples were shipped over- Rhoads, and Greg House. were available, a major chal- night and analyzed at VT, in lenge in the wake of Irma was Blacksburg. Anyone from VT made 1,200 sampling kits getting the word out as coun- nearby counties was welcome available in Texas and 500 in ties were just beginning to as- to submit samples as well. This Florida, and offered free anal- sess damage and many areas effort complemented free ysis for total coliform bacteria were without power. We co- well water sampling offered and E. coli as well as inorganic ordinated the sampling effort by multiple county health de- analytes including nitrate, out of Quincy, Florida, where I partments throughout the lead, arsenic, iron, chloride, am based, and spread the state. sodium, manganese, copper, word to extension agents in fluoride, sulfate, and hardness the rest of the state primarily In all, 179 water samples were (calcium and magnesium). through a group texting app, analyzed at VT and results of Homeowners were also asked by telephone and word of the bacterial analysis are to complete a needs assess- mouth. Extension agents in 6 shown in the table below. Of ment questionnaire regarding affected counties (Lee, Pasco, 154 valid samples, 58 (38%) their well system characteris- Sarasota, Marion, Clay and tested positive for total coli- tics, knowledge of proper Putnam) responded with a form bacteria, and 3 (2%) maintenance and testing, per- need for sample kits, and in tested positive for E. coli. Re- ceptions of the safety of their turn advertised sampling to sults of the inorganic parame- water and how to best engage their residents through press ters and the needs assessment them in future outreach and releases. Residents picked up questionnaire are still being education efforts. sampling kits and returned analyzed. water samples and surveys on Response in the aftermath of specified days and the Irma Table 1. Bacterial analysis of private wells post-Irma. County Number of Positive for Positive total Positive for Positive for samples (n) total coliform coliform (%) E. coli (n) E. coli (%) (n) Citrus 1 0 0% 0 0% Clay 13 5 38% 0 0% Hernando 2 1 50% 0 0% Hillsborough 1 1 100% 0 0% Marion 19 5 26% 1 5% Monroe 1 0 0% 0 0% Pasco 40 19 48% 1 3% Putnam 61 19 31% 0 0% Sarasota 16 8 50% 1 6% Overall 154 58 38% 3 2% 4 Of 630 samples analyzed in We at IFAS Extension are Abbey Tyrna – Sarasota County Texas over the course of 7 working on using results from and Yilin Zhuang - Marion weeks post-Harvey, 293 sam- this sampling effort and the County. ples (47% of wells) tested pos- needs assessment question- itive for total coliform bacteria naire filled out by residents to For more ionformation on bacteria and 75 samples (2%) tested develop the UF/IFAS Florida see LAKEWATCH Information Cir- positive for E. coli. Well Owner Network. Our cular 106- A Beginners Guide to Water Mangement Bacteria. goal is to provide residents (http://lak- Following Florida Department with educational materials watch.ifas.ufl.edu/pubs/circu- of Health (FDOH) guidelines, and classes to address gaps in lars/Circ106BacteriaLR.pdf) we recommended well disin- knowledge regarding well fection to residents whose maintenance, the importance samples tested positive for to- of testing and recommended tal coliform bacteria, or both treatments when pathogens total coliform and E. coli. This and other contaminants are is generally done through present. shock chlorination by either hiring a well operator or doing UF/IFAS extension agents that it yourself. The FDOH website led the sampling efforts in provides information on how their respective counties are: to shock chlorinate as well as Roy Beckford – Lee County; potential contaminants and Brad Burbaugh – Clay County; how to maintain your well to Whitney Elmore – Pasco ensure the quality of your well County; Sharon Treen – Put- Andrea Albertin is the UF/IFAS Regional Wa- water (http://www.flori- nam and Flagler Counties; ter Resources Agent for the Northwest Ex- dahealth.gov/environmental- tension District health/private-well-test- ing/index.html). A Beginner’s Guide to Water Management — Bacteria Information Circular 106 Florida LAKEWATCH Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences University of Florida Gainesville, Florida February 2003 1st Edition 5 Volunteer Bulletin Board Rodman Legend Write a description for your map. Cox Osceola Feature 1 Hog Valley Volunteer Fire Put-Rodman Riverside Island ➤ ➤ N © 2018 Googlle 2 mi © 2018 Google The water samples I am collecting this December complete 17 years of sampling Rodman's waters for me.