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^ sters and Lake Apopha,
,ttg f tbfutary of
,P lip rad a different look 100 years ago.
iSft. he stretch, from the Silver River
S It meets the St. uJohns River,
flawed through a dense cypress
0yste 10m wbottomland forest. The upper
pru pdres north from Lake Griln.
The Problems
Iypad urbanization, intensive fanning and the
destruction of deams and canals have greatly
dinIrlshed water quality in this lake and river
system. Large wetlands were once connected to
the Ocklawahn chain of lakes. As maany of these
wetlands were dikedad and d*a=ed(or forming,
ie broeadtmoarhes weereplacbyasterrays
^ji dia eiii Sbtnoarty, the ahdMaweiych|H9 was
.aJil r ate two conlasiisitha ttiif rtafinPS~t
^ aea avetefate-4citulnthe rich soei.
,.anwe1.~ .... n...w1 .
i 'l i i rf- ir *
^^^aBB~lKBiBEBBlro~i^Hro^^8^f'~ro~l IF -liuiE^T ~
dd)
The District's restoration
ofpolluted Lake Apopka
represents the first step In
canning the Okkmawaha
chain of lakes
Lake Apopka, headway t
h i the upperOcklawea '
awver basin, is targeted
for clean up ander the
District's SWIM program.
The SWIM Plan
The centerpiece of the upper Ocklawaha River
basin SWIM program is the marsh and flood-
plain restoration. The District is purchasing
several muck forms along the river and lakes
to restore the former wetlands.
Besides restoring wildlife habitat, these
wetlands will provide a natural nursery
for fish. Water quality will be improved as
wetlands filter out excessive nutrients from
the lakes and river and when the discharge of
nutrient laden farm waters is ended.
.. -'; -. .
These Infrared photos llustrme
bwr Ithe Ockloawaa RvRhrchamet, A.-
i uIwts amr hes.ba have
A d in thr early 1900t, tfdw -r
ua. Muffkoct and damwemetwi s
pthe sarpnt rir rwas. .e- i
i alt to canals whi chf k IM*i *
tin& to Moss saff and -ltooma6e -
alt almost to the MSivr aIw
*^amling and controMhi
maweve k in Oh river WmaWspO rivation^
a ouhwed thousands orfdetkfrdiodnulain at
r mt Farmnsw (Afr le aBrglPi m Ernsf (center),
te*Elak Mhrsfh OWhbe~jO dmfed
-eplacedwith crops. w driver chamfnnm
partiaEy vftSe after a rf i mIyeVri,
iinedar part of SunyAlif Wi's and
4fkinuaha Farn's ddIraige sysem.
SBenefits
s rwe flur 0p4awiori s to retrunmig
the ppea Ocklanthiv;er to a natural
*, restoaei of waleiM hateat
fmf nanilage Wat Isuia water passing
**IHEW.04". wo *i
SWIM: Restoring
the Ocklawaha
SWIM stands for Surfsac Waif lwaproement
and Management. It te Ofa&P oraum to
clean up, restore amd pro t i It6s, rivers,
bays and estuaries.
In posing the SWMbl tin 1987,
noted t Pergillmtion has
Omm feapicad~i the
h eafif mrfaaany of
the states's impaOta water
"ddwaha ,ver-. Through
*he SWM Act, t.e Logislature
isfeted the sote's ive water
Jbadiflaent !disticts to list
u and rankpoButed water
The upper Ck*lweahe River
basin SWIM progqa is one of
four projects the St. oblns River
Water Mauage outastrict
has initiated wah great
But state funding-cuttbacks -
and chiangestaiba SWRM
Stefunded h easeP b ay
pcr'oaje tir.o. -hi
Ivwwf,- ptoe r
willo
I"
You are an important partdpont
in restoring aBnd peddi n
this important rwer system.
By working together, we cam restore
the wetland habitat wgatinoal values
and the:blOtyof ttig~hisCment
upper Ocflawaha river basin.
Fror ao0e IamnratwWff e
upper Odtwawlha StJhblj|
or to arrrani remmadshelist i e sites,
.. ,+_. / ,.\ . ... ._ .
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