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Lake Jesup Restoration Outpaces Expectations


July 31, 2014 | WMFE, Orlando - Restoration of Lake Jesup is moving along ahead of schedule. That was the message Thursday from state and municipal leaders at a meeting to update the public on the health of the lake.

The restoration plan targets nutrients, especially phosphorous. The amount of phosphorous entering the lake is down 74 percent, more than twice the goal.

Moira Rojas of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection says nutrients affect the lake's water quality.

 "You get blooms of algae. Nobody wants blooms of algae. They're toxic. ... It takes away from the biology but also the recreation."

The plan was adopted in 2010 after the lake's condition began to interfere with recreation and fish and wildlife.

Lake Jesup is one of Central Florida's largest lakes and home to one of the state's biggest alligator populations. It's part of the Saint John's River system. 

Rojas says the lake's improvement is thanks to the leaders of the municipalities around the lake. 

"The stakeholders are very active participants in what's going on around the lake. So they've all been very proactive with projects. All the projects, very many projects have been very successful with the load reductions. So you can see that with the data."  


 

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