Lake Apopka Part I

Part of a continuing series on Florida's lakes. 

I'd like to learn and write about Florida's 10 largest lakes and the best way for me to learn about a lake is to research and write about it. Of special interest is their history and current condition. I've written a couple of pieces on Lake Okeechobee, one lake temperature and a couple of old posts on Facebook (lake levels and history). Also here's a post on Florida Bay that is being harmed by the issues at Lake Okeechobee. I'm still reading and learning about Lake Okeechobee and will return to it eventually.

But today is about Lake Apopka. Located just northwest of Orlando spanning Orange and Lake counties, Lake Apopka is occasionally seen on lists of the most polluted in the state. Lake Apopka has a long and interesting history in Central Florida.  I'll talk about the history through 1999 today and more recent developments in a future article.

Lake Apopka

At 30,862 acres Lake Apopka is the fourth largest lake in Florida. It was once larger. The opening of the Apopka-Beauclair Canal in the 1890's dropped the lake level by about 5 feet. Lake Apopka was once either the 2nd or 3rd largest lake in Florida depending on the source but fell to 4th when the canal opened.

From the opening of the canal until about 1945 was the golden age of Lake Apopka. Farm produce, especially citrus came on pole barges to railroad depots in Apopka and Winter Garden. The lake was a relatively clear lake with the bottom covered in Illinois pondweed and eelgrass, 2 plants that grow in clear water and gives great cover to small fish and invertebrates. There were at least 20 fishing lodges on the lake with lots of bass being caught.

Fishing flourished in Lake Apopka

But things were already changing. Growth in the communities around the lake meant an increase in raw sewage being discharged into the lake. In the early 1940's land north of the lake was given to farms to raise produce for the war effort. Fertilizer runoff increased considerably.

Then disaster. Hurricanes hit Lake Apopka in both 1945 and 1947. The water was mostly blown from the lake and the pondweed and eelgrass were scoured from the bottom of the lake. As it refilled the visibility went to near zero. With the vegetation in place Lake Apopka was able to keep the algae at bay. But with no vegetation the algae blooms came with regularity. An algae / mud sludge mixture coated the bottom for several inches where it remains today. Fish kills became common until the 1980's. The bass were replaced by non game fish like catfish, gar and shad. Tilapia would later become a large part of the fish population.

An attempt at recovery started in the 1980's. Communities were forced to install wastewater treatment plants. The Lake Apopka Restoration Act of 1985 allowed the St John's River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to begin projects around the lake. In 1998 all of the farms on the North Shore were purchased by the SJRWMD.

Former Lake Apopka Resident

Right after the purchase another disaster hit, this one self inflicted. The SJRWMD plowed land on the north shore to get rid of some invasive plants. They didn't realize that the plowing dredged up lots of old, buried pesticides. They then flooded the land just in time for the migratory birds to arrive. A massive bird kill followed that made national news. At least 175 species were affected with white pelicans being most impacted -- 441 found dead. Lake Apopka's reputation as a horribly polluted lake was cemented.

So we'll leave Lake Apopka at about 1999. In many people's mind the bird kills were when Lake Apopka hit bottom. But there's much more to tell in this saga. 

The story of Lake Apopka continues in Lake Apopka Part 2 and Lake Apopka Part 3.