What’s Happening in Your Watershed?

Lara Miller, Natural Resource Agent  
Michael Barr, Brooker Creek Preserve Intern  

The Tri-County Water School will be held at Brooker Creek Preserve on September 11-12, 2012. This program is designed to educate community leaders, natural resource managers, and decision makers about critical water issues facing Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough Counties. The goal is to encourage improved public policy decision relative to water issues in the counties and throughout Florida. Registration information can be found at www.tricountywaterschool.eventbrite.com.

Florida’s rapidly growing population and vulnerability to changes in water quality and quantity make it essential to understand and address the current issues and future concerns facing our region. Water resources affect not only the availability of clean drinking water, but also agriculture, fisheries, aquatic life, recreation, and the tourism industry. Water is a vital resource in need of protection for the health of Florida’s citizens and economy.

Many complex factors have an impact on the Florida’s water resources. One such factor is the amount of pollution in a watershed. All the land on Earth is divided into watersheds that feed into rivers, springs, lakes, wetlands, estuaries, coastal zones, and aquifers from which a vast majority of Floridians get their drinking water. Contamination occurs as rainfall and storm water runoff flows through agricultural, urbanized and other developed areas, picking up chemicals, bacteria, and other pollutants before draining into a body of water. Improved understanding of watersheds and other factors impacting water quality and quantity is necessary for resolving water resource issues and developing sustainability strategies.

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