Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Revisiting the total maximum daily load total phosphorus goal in Lake Okeechobee

  • Primary Research Paper
  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In 2000, a total maximum daily load (TMDL) total phosphorus (TP) goal of 40 µg/L was established for Lake Okeechobee, Florida. The goal was selected to reduce the “imbalance to flora and fauna” caused by excessive phosphorus loading in the lake. We recalculate the TMDL TP goal using a water quality data series of TP and chlorophyll-a concentrations from 1986 to 2018 for the original 30 in-lake stations plus an additional 29 stations. Using the cross-tabulation approach used to generate the original TMDL TP goal, we determined a new goal of 42 µg/L, nominally different from the original. We also reevaluate the goal’s ability to maintain an implicit goal of 11.5% bloom frequency. We conclude substantial changes in the frequency and scope of the water quality sampling scheme prevent a determination on the effectiveness of the TMDL TP goal. The implementation, however, appears to have failed as the median TP concentration has increased by 93 µg/L to 133 µg/L and bloom frequency, after correcting for the declining sampling frequency, has increased from 1986 to 2018. An increased sampling frequency of TP and chlorophyll-a sampling is needed, or else tracking responses of chlorophyll-a to future TP reductions will be virtually impossible.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aldridge, F. J., E. J. Phlips & C. L. Schelske, 1995. The use of nutrient enrichment bioassays to test for spatial and temporal distribution of limiting factors affecting phytoplankton dynamics in Lake Okeechobee, Florida. Archiv für Hydrobiologie, Advances in Limnology 45: 177–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aumen, N. G. & R. G. Wetzel, 1995. Ecological studies on the littoral and pelagic systems of Lake Okeechobee, Florida (USA). Archiv für Hydrobiologie Special Issues Archiv fur Hydrobiologie Beihefte: Ergebnisse der Limnologie 163: 225–239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, R. E., 1977. A trophic state index for lakes. Limnology and Oceanography 22(2): 361–369.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dillon, P. J. & F. H. Rigler, 1974. The phosphorus-chlorophyll relationship in lakes. Limnology and Oceanography 19(5): 767–773.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Engstrom, D. R., S. P. Schottler, P. R. Leavitt & K. E. Havens, 2006. A reevaluation of the cultural eutrophication of Lake Okeechobee using multiproxy sediment records. Ecological Applications 16: 1194–1206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flaig, E. G. & K. E. Havens, 1995. Historical trends in the Lake Okeechobee ecosystem. 1. Land use and nutrient loading. Archiv für Hydrobiologie Supplement 107(1): 1–24.

  • Havens, K. E., 2003. Submerged aquatic vegetation correlations with depth and light attenuating materials in a shallow subtropical lake. Hydrobiologia 493(1–3): 173–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Havens, K. E. & D. E. Gawlik, 2005. Lake Okeechobee conceptual ecological model. Wetlands 25(4): 908–925.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Havens, K. E. & W. W. Walker Jr., 2002. Development of a total phosphorus concentration goal in the TMDL process for Lake Okeechobee, Florida (USA). Lake and Reservoir Management 18(3): 227–238.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Havens, K. E., E. J. Phlips, M. F. Cichra & B. L. Li, 1998. Light availability as a possible regulator of cyanobacteria species composition in a shallow subtropical lake. Freshwater Biology 39(3): 547–556.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Havens, K. E., K. R. Jin, N. Iricanin & R. T. James, 2007. Phosphorus dynamics at multiple time scales in the pelagic zone of a large shallow lake in Florida, USA. Hydrobiologia 581(1): 25–42.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Havens, K. E., H. Paerl, E. J. Phlips, M. Zhu, J. R. Beaver & A. Srifa, 2016. Extreme weather events and climate variability provide a lens to how shallow lakes may respond to climate change. Water 8(6): 229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Havens, K. E., G. Ji, J. R. Beaver, R. S. Fulton & C. E. Teacher, 2019. Dynamics of cyanobacteria blooms are linked to the hydrology of shallow Florida lakes and provide insight into possible impacts of climate change. Hydrobiologia 829: 43–59.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heiskary, S. A. & W. W. Walker Jr., 1988. Developing phosphorus criteria for Minnesota lakes. Lake and Reservoir Management 4(1): 1–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • James, R. T. & V. J. Bierman, 1995. A preliminary modeling analysis of water quality in Lake Okeechobee, Florida: calibration results. Water Research 29(12): 2755–2766.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • James, T. R., M. J. Chimney, B. Sharfstein, D. R. Engstrom, S. P. Schottler, T. East & K. R. Jin, 2008. Hurricane effects on a shallow lake ecosystem, Lake Okeechobee, Florida (USA). Archiv für Hydrobiologie 172(4): 273–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeppesen, E., M. Sondergaard, J. P. Jensen, K. E. Havens, O. Anneville, L. Carvalho, M. F. Coveney, R. Deneke, M. T. Dokulil, B. Foy, D. Gerdeaux, S. E. Hampton, S. Hilt, K. Kangur, J. Kohler, E. H. H. R. Lammens, T. L. Lauridsen, M. Manca, M. R. Miracle, B. Moss, P. Noges, G. Persson, G. Phillips, R. Portielje, S. Romo, C. L. Schelske, D. Straile, I. Tatrai, E. Willen & M. Winder, 2005. Lake responses to reduced nutrient loading – an analysis of contemporary long-term data from 35 case studies. Freshwater Biology 50: 1747–1771.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ji, Z.-G. & K.-R. Jin, 2014. Impacts of wind waves on sediment transport in a large, shallow lake. Lakes & Reservoirs: Science, Policy and Management for Sustainable Use 19: 118–129.

  • Johnson, K. G., M. S. Allen & K. E. Havens, 2007. A review of littoral vegetation, fisheries, and wildlife responses to hydrologic variation at Lake Okeechobee. Wetlands 27(1): 110–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kramer, B. J., T. W. Davis, K. A. Meyer, B. H. Rosen, J. A. Goleski, G. J. Dick, G. Oh & C. J. Gobler, 2018. Nitrogen limitation, toxin synthesis potential, and toxicity of cyanobacterial populations in Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie River Estuary, Florida, during the 2016 state of emergency event. PLoS ONE 13: e0196278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 2016. Progress Toward Restoring the Everglades: The Sixth Biennial Review – 2016. National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Reilly, C. M., S. Sharma, D. K. Gray, S. E. Hampton, J. S. Read, R. J. Rowley, P. Schneider, J. D. Lenters, P. B. McIntyre, B. M. Kraemer, G. A. Weyhenmeyer, D. Straile, B. Dong, R. Adrian, M. G. Allan, O. Anneville, L. Arvola, J. Austin, J. L. Bailey, J. S. Baron, J. D. Brookes, E. de Eyto, M. T. Dokulil, D. P. Hamilton, K. Havens, A. L. Hetherington, S. N. Higgins, S. Hook, L. R. Izmesteva, K. D. Joehnk, K. Kangur, P. Kasprzak, M. Kumagai, E. Kuusisto, G. Leshkevich, D. M. Livingstone, S. MacIntyre, L. May, J. M. Melack, D. C. Mueller-Navarra, M. Naumenko, P. Noges, T. Noges, R. P. North, P.-D. Plisnier, A. Rigosi, A. Rimmer, M. Rogora, L. G. Rudstam, J. A. Rusak, N. Salmaso, N. R. Samal, D. E. Schindler, S. G. Schladow, M. Schmid, S. R. Schmidt, E. Silow, M. E. Soylu, K. Teubner, P. Verburg, A. Voutilainen, A. Watkinson, C. E. Williamson & G. Zhang, 2015. Rapid and highly variable warming of lake surface waters around the globe: Global Lake Surface Warming. Geophysical Research Letters 42: 10773–10781.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paerl, H. W., E. Karl, Nathan Havens, S. Hall, T. G. Otten, M. Zhu, H. Xu, G. Zhu & B. Qin, 2020. Mitigating a global expansion of toxic cyanobacterial blooms: confounding effects and challenges posed by climate change. Marine & Freshwater Research 71: 579.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Phlips, E. J., F. J. Aldridge, P. Hansen, P. V. Zimba, J. Ihnat, M. Conroy & P. Ritter, 1993. Spatial and temporal variability of trophic state parameters in a shallow subtropical lake (Lake Okeechobee, Florida, USA). Archiv für Hydrobiologie 128(4): 437–458.

    Google Scholar 

  • Qin, B., G. Zhu, G. Gao, Y. Zhang, W. Li, H. W. Paerl & W. W. Carmichael, 2010. A drinking water crisis in lake Taihu, China: Linkage to climatic variability and lake management. Environmental Management 45: 105–112.

  • R Core Team, 2019. R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria.

    Google Scholar 

  • Redfield, G. W., 2000. Ecological research for aquatic science and environmental restoration in south Florida. Ecological Applications 10(4): 990–1005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, J., C. Miller, S. C. Maberly, P. Taylor, L. Globevnik, P. Hunter, E. Jeppesen, U. Mischke, S. J. Moe, A. Pasztaleniec, M. Søndergaard & L. Carvalho, 2018. Effects of multiple stressors on cyanobacteria abundance vary with lake type. Global Change Biology 24: 5044–5055.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siders, Z., 2020. Revisiting the Total Maximum Daily Load Total Phosphorus Goal in Lake Okeechobee. OSF, http://osf.io/5kqdp.

  • [SFWMD] South Florida Water Management District, 1993. Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plan Update for Lake Okeechobee. SFWMD, West Palm Beach, FL.

  • Søndergaard, M., R. Bjerring & E. Jeppesen, 2013. Persistent internal phosphorus loading during summer in shallow eutrophic lakes. Hydrobiologia 710: 95–107.

  • Steinman, A. D., K. E. Havens, H. J. Carrick & R. VanZee, 2002. The past, present, and future hydrology and ecology of Lake Okeechobee and its watersheds. In Porter, J. W. & K. G. Porter (eds), The Everglades, Florida Bay, and Coral Reefs of the Florida Keys. CRC Press, Boca Raton (FL): 19–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • [USACE] United States Army Corps of Engineers. 2008. Central and southern Florida Project Water Control Plan for Lake Okeechobee and Everglades Agricultural Area, Section 7.07.a. USACE, Jacksonville, FL.

  • Walker, W. W. Jr., 1987. Cross-tabulation as a tool for analyzing large monitoring data bases. Monitoring, Modeling, and Mediating Water Quality. Proceedings of American Water Resources Association Conference, Syracuse (NY).

  • Walker Jr., W. W. & K. E. Havens, 1995. Relating algal bloom frequencies to phosphorus concentrations in Lake Okeechobee. Lake and Reservoir Management 11(1): 77–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zan, F., S. Huo, B. Xi, C. Zhu, H. Liao, J. Zhang & K. M. Yeager, 2012. A 100-year sedimentary record of natural and anthropogenic impacts on a shallow eutrophic lake, Lake Chaohu, China. Journal of Environmental Monitoring 14: 804.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, J., P. Burke, N. Iricanin, S. Hill, S. Gray & R. Budell, 2011. Long-term water quality trends in the Lake Okeechobee Watershed, Florida. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 41: 548–575.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This manuscript would not have been possible without the data collected by the South Florida Water Management District and disseminated by Tom James.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Karl E. Havens—Deceased.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida IFAS, 7922 NW 71st St, Gainesville, FL, 32653, USA

    Zachary A. Siders & Karl E. Havens

  2. Florida Sea Grant College Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Karl E. Havens

Authors
  1. Zachary A. Siders
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Karl E. Havens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zachary A. Siders.

Additional information

Handling editor: Alex Elliott

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 455 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Siders, Z.A., Havens, K.E. Revisiting the total maximum daily load total phosphorus goal in Lake Okeechobee. Hydrobiologia 847, 4221–4232 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-020-04406-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-020-04406-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation