Minimum flows to be established for rivers flowing into Tampa Bay should ensure that the bay receives an adequate amount of freshwater to support healthy fish and wildlife populations, participants in a 2-day Water Budget Workshop sponsored by TBEP concluded.

Although participants decided a separate “minimum flow” for the bay was not necessary at this time, they recommended that the issue be revisited once all river flows have been set. If analysis then indicates that the bay is being short-changed of freshwater, the idea of a minimum flow for the bay can be re-examined.

The Water Budget Workshop, held in December 2001, examined issues affecting sources of freshwater to Tampa Bay. Participants were asked to assess freshwater inflows and outflows to and from Tampa Bay, and explore the effects of potential changes in freshwater flows on the bay’s health.

Presentations by area scientists covered a wide range of topics, such as weather and climate change; circulation and exchange with the Gulf of Mexico; and proposed water supply projects that may affect the bay’s freshwater regime. The second day of the workshop involved all 75 participants in a facilitated discussion of the potential need for establishing a minimum flow for the bay.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is required by state law to establish minimum flows for key waterways. The flows limit the amount of fresh water that can be withdrawn to protect the water resources or ecology of the area. Minimum flows will be set in coming years for the bay’s four major tributaries - the Hillsborough, Alafia, Little Manatee and Manatee rivers.

A mix of fresh and salt water is what makes Tampa Bay and other estuaries incredibly rich marine nurseries. Preserving adequate freshwater flows to Tampa Bay - in the seasons and places where specific fish and other creatures need the water - is a key goal of TBEP’s management plan for the bay.

Because many of the scientists attending the workshop indicated that rivers are more sensitive than the bay to changes in freshwater flow, the overall conclusion was that restrictions on when, where and how much water can be taken from the rivers should also adequately protect the bay’s resources. However, participants noted that the cumulative effects on the bay should be evaluated and revised after the river flows have been established, if analysis indicates the bay is not receiving enough freshwater.

Workshop participants also identified 40 information or data gaps in our understanding of freshwater issues affecting Tampa Bay. Among the needs:

• Quantifying ungaged streamflow and groundwater flow to Tampa Bay, and developing estimates of surface and groundwater fluctuations.
• Developing a better understanding of regional climate and microclimate.
• Collecting data on flows for smaller tributaries in Tampa Bay.
• Reviewing existing data to better understand effects of freshwater inflow on fisheries and other biological resources.

For more information on the Water Budget Workshop, contact TBEP Senior Scientist Holly Greening at (727) 893-2765 or e-mail hgreening@tbep.org

It was so much fun last year, we’re doing it again!

“Give A Day For The Bay” returns for an encore on May 11, offering citizens an opportunity to participate in hand-on bay improvement or restoration projects.

This year, one major event is planned for each of the three Bay Area counties: Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas. Each event will last a half-day, from approximately 8:30 a.m.-noon. All volunteers will receive a free lunch, t-shirt and other goodies, plus the satisfaction of knowing they have helped to restore the bay.

The events are:

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

Oyster Reef Installation
Volunteers at Green Key, an important bird nesting island in eastern Tampa Bay, will install an oyster reef. The oyster reef will help reduce erosion on the island, improve water quality, and provide habitat for fish and shellfish. Landlubbers are needed to help fill buckets with clean oyster shell which forms the base of the reef, and boaters are needed to ferry the buckets to the reef site. This project is a partnership of the Estuary Program and Tampa BayWatch, and interested volunteers may call BayWatch at (727) 896-5320 to sign up.

MANATEE COUNTY

Upland Habitat Restoration
Volunteers will plant slash pines, oaks and palms on old farm field that is being restored to native upland habitat within the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve. The trees will replace exotic Brazilian pepper, which was removed from the site earlier this year and mulched to make way for the native trees. This project is a partnership of the Estuary Program and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Aquatic and Buffer Preserves Program. To sign up, call Nanette Holland at (727) 893-2765 or e-mail nanette@tbep.org .

PINELLAS COUNTY

Dune Stabililization
Volunteers are needed to plant sea oats to stabilize natural sand dunes at Fort DeSoto Park, between the Bay Pier and North Beach. Volunteers will meet at the park headquarters and then carpool to the work area. Lunch will be served at one of the parks’ picnic shelters. This project is co-sponsored by the Pinellas County Park Department and the Friends of Fort DeSoto. To sign up, contact Nanette Holland at (727) 893-2765 or e-mail nanette@tbep.org

Responses to a public opinion poll developed by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program’s Community Advisory Committee (CAC) indicate that citizens have a good grasp of key issues affecting the health of Tampa Bay.

The poll was created by CAC members to assess perceptions and attitudes about the bay, how residents use the bay, and what major challenges they foresee to continued restoration and protection. The Bay Opinion Poll has been available on TBEP’s website (www.tbep.org) for about a year.

More than 164 responses were received between February 2001 and January 2002. Among the results:

• 50 percent of respondents have seen “some improvement” in the bay in the time they have lived in the region (with the vast majority reporting residency of 10 years or more). About 23 percent believe there has been “substantial improvement,” while 23 percent report “no improvement.”
• 46 percent consider the overall environmental condition of the bay “fair,” while 42 percent classify it as “good,” 7 percent as “fair” and 2 percent as “excellent.”
• the number one bay recreational activity for respondents is wildlife and nature viewing, followed closely by boating and fishing.
• 38 percent are “somewhat optimistic” that the region can continue to grow economically while protecting its environment, while only 18 percent are “very optimistic” about achieving that balance and 41 percent are “not optimistic” at all.
• 29 percent believe purchasing and restoring wetlands and other important habitats for preservation is the most important thing their local government can do to achieve a cleaner bay, followed by promoting redevelopment of urban areas to reduce urban sprawl (27 percent); improving stormwater treatment (25 percent); and reusing wastewater instead of discharging it to the bay (18 percent).
• Nearly one-third of respondents say loss of habitat will be the most important environmental issue facing Tampa Bay in the next 25 years, followed by public water supply conflicts (27 percent) , desalination plant discharge (16 percent), air pollution (10 percent) and stormwater runoff (10 percent).

Although not scientifically designed, the poll is a valuable tool for assessing the effectiveness of existing outreach efforts, and refining those tools to address gaps in general knowledge about the bay or to address issues of paramount concern to the community.

The Estuary Program is a sponsor or major partner in four significant grants that will contribute to overall understanding of bay processes and needs.

Grants have been awarded to:

• Assess the Potential for Using Dredge Material to Restore In-Bay Habitat

  This $150,000Wetlands Development grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will examine the potential impacts to fisheries and water quality of filling in existing dredge holes in the bay with material from maintenance dredging activities.

  Of particular interest are submerged dredged holes which could provide important shallow water habitat if filled. However, these holes may also provide critical fish habitat, including refuges during cold weather. This project will allow assessment of each of the major holes, with the objective of developing specific implementation plans for each of the assessed holes. The recreational fishing community in Tampa Bay will be critical partners in development of restoration plans.

  Partners include TBEP; the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the Florida Marine Research Institute; and the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

• Create a Community Profile of the Ecology of Seagrass Meadows of the Florida West Coast

  TBEP has received an $18,000 grant from the Gulf of Mexico Program to produce a single document summarizing scientific knowledge of seagrasses on Florida’s west coast. The final products for this synthesis document will be produced in hard copy format, with extensive graphics, databases and photos included on an accompanying CD. A web-based version may also be possible.

  Partners on this project include TBEP; the Gulf of Mexico Program; FWC’s Florida Marine Research Institute; and the U.S. Geological Survey.

• Examine Nutrient Flux from Sediments in Tampa Bay

  Grants from the Gulf of Mexico Program and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will fund this initiative to examine nutrient exchange between bay sediments and the water column. This project will provide a “missing element” of Tampa Bay’s Nitrogen Management Strategy, by refining nitrogen budgets for the Bay and helping to define more accurate nutrient loading targets. Rates of nutrient flux between sediments and water column in Tampa Bay will be measured on a quarterly basis for one year, using replicate diver-collected cores incubated in the laboratory.

  Partners in this $73,000 project are TBEP; the Gulf of Mexico Program: Florida DEP; FWC’s Florida Marine Research Institute; and the U.S. Geological Survey.

• Evaluate the Sources of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) in Bay Sediments

  This $120,000 EPA grant will assess the concentration of potentially toxic PAHs that are being reaching the bay through air pollution - specifically, from automobile emissions. PAHs may pose a significant ecological and health risk, but little is known presently about airborne sources of these toxics. This research project will assess the volume and nature of emissions in Tampa Bay, pinpointing sources and “hot spots” that will contribute to an accurate assessment of risks to human and environmental health.

  This project is being solely funded by EPA’s Office of Air and Water.

ST. PETERSBURG -- Revenues from the Tampa Bay Estuary specialty license plate will help to finance nearly $62,000 in community-driven bay improvement projects over the coming year.

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program’s Bay Mini-Grant program awards small grants to non-profit organizations, schools, civic associations and other community groups for environmental restoration and education projects.

This year, 12 projects were awarded Bay Mini-Grants. The applications were evaluated by a selection panel composed of members of the Estuary Program’s Community Advisory Committee. Grants were awarded in Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas counties.

More than $46,000 in revenues from the first full year of sales of the Tampa Bay Estuary license plate - which features an illustration of a tarpon - were directed to the community program. The Estuary Program’s Policy Board also allocated $15,000 from local government partner contributions to finance additional worthy projects.

In past years, the maximum grant awarded was $5,000. Utilizing license tag revenues provides more money for the program, allowing the cap to be raised to $7,500 this year.

Recipients of 2001-2002 Bay Mini-Grants are:

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - More than your taxes are due on April 15! Now you have until then to submit your application for the 2002 Gulf Guardian Awards.

The awards program, sponsored annually by the Gulf of Mexico Program, honors businesses, community groups, individuals, and agencies that are taking positive steps to keep the Gulf healthy, beautiful and productive. The first two years of the Gulf Guardian awards resulted in 90 entries from all five states bordering the Gulf of Mexico --Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Each year, a first, second, and third place winners are awarded in each of six categories: business, government, civic/nonprofit organizations, youth/education, partnerships, and individual.

Florida and the Tampa Bay area have fared well in Gulf Guardian competition. Last year, Tampa BayWatch won 1st place in the Youth and Education category for its innovative High School Wetland Nursery Program, in which students construct and maintain salt marsh nurseries at the school. The Pier Aquarium in St. Petersburg earned honors for its “Tampa Bay Walks The Talk” interactive education program, partially funded by TBEP. And the Florida Department of Environmental Protection won a 1st place award for its Clean Marina Program, which recognizes marinas and boatyards that meet high standards for environmental protection.

"The success of the Gulf Guardian Awards is so encouraging," said Jim Giattina, Gulf of Mexico Program Director. "The Gulf is not only a regional resource but a national resource and it's great to see the Gulf community uniting as one to protect and enhance this treasure we are fortunate enough to live, work, and play around."

Applications for the Gulf Guardian Award are available on line at http://www.gmpo.gov/gulfguard.html.

For those without access to the Internet, you can request a hard copy of the application by telephone at (228) 688-1159, by FAX at (228) 688-2709, by e-mail at hines-smith.terry@epa.gov, or by regular mail at: Gulf of Mexico Program, Attn: Gulf Guardian Award Application, Bldg. 1103, Room 202, Stennis Space Center MS 39529-6000.

As part of its “Eyes On The Bay” project, TBEP has prepared a slide show on invasive species that is now available to interested community groups.

The program was developed with assistance from TBEP’s Invasive Species Steering Committee. The show explains why invasive species are a threat to Tampa Bay; discusses common plant and animal invaders; and tells citizens how they can help prevent future introductions of harmful non-native inhabitants.

The program is designed for all audiences, including civic associations, garden clubs, and boating and fishing groups.

“Eyes On The Bay” seeks to raise awareness of the economic and environmental damage that can be caused by non-native plants and animals. As part of this project, TBEP is financing a field survey of invasive species in the bay, now underway by a team from the University of Florida and the U.S. Geological Survey.

TBEP, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and the Gulf of Mexico Program also are helping to sponsor an exhibit on invasive species at The Florida Aquarium. The exhibit, scheduled to open in May of this year, is the first of its kind by a major aquarium in the United States. (see related story)

Residents can help halt the march of invaders in a variety of ways. For example, boaters should always wash their boats before launching them in a new waterway to minimize the chance of a plant, mollusk or other organism “hitchhiking” on a boat hull or propeller to another location. Home aquarium owners can help by returning unwanted fish or amphibians to a pet shop, or by donating them to a classroom, instead of releasing them into a nearby river, stream or pond.

Look for the TBEP exhibit once again at this year’s Marine Quest in St. Petersburg on Saturday, April 20.

The annual Open House at the Florida Marine Research Institute features a fun-filled day of marine exploration for kids of all ages. Touch tanks allow you to get up close to hermit crabs, sea urchins, sea squirts, starfish and other cool creatures. Explore the wonders of seagrass, get face to face with a shark, or adopt a redfish. Create a fishy work of art, or pick up free stickers and posters. Talk with a marine biologist about his or her work, tour the laboratories, or attend a brief lecture on sharks, manatees or sea turtles. Special guests, including well-known fishing guides, appear on the stage throughout the day. And best of all, it’s FREE!!!!