Public meetings Winter Garden/Oakland/Ocoee Apopka Lake County Tuesday, January 10th Guest speaker: Dr Erich Marzolf (SJRWMD) Apopka Wednesday, January 11th Guest speaker: Mayor Joe Kilsheimer Lake County TBD

Current Board Members Jim Thomas - President Deborah Green Joe Dunn – Vice President Jim Hawley Rachel Comstock -  Secretary Dennis Jones Ed Aduss – Treasurer Mona Phipps Tim Bachmeyer Dennis Renfro Glenn Burns Drew Shatzer Taressa George Science Adviser – Jim Peterson Phoebe Gonsalves Theo Graham

Lake Apopka 4th largest lake in Florida: 30,000 acres Orange & Lake counties Average water depth 5 feet Former largemouth bass fishing capital of US

FOLA Mission FOLA is a citizen advocacy group focused on restoring Florida's 30,000-acre lake to its once pristine condition

Friends of Lake Apopka Enormous progress in past 20 years We need to finish the restoration You can make a difference !

Key Milestones 1941 21,000 acres of muck farm created 1991 FOLA founded 1998 $100M purchase of muck farms 1999 Oakland Nature Preserve established 2003 Marsh flow-way begins operation 2015 Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive opens

20 Years of Progress North Shore acquisition Marsh flow-way Gizzard shad removal Planting native aquatic plants Stocking largemouth bass

North Shore Acquisition Single largest factor in nutrient reduction Recreation area and wetlands habitat restoration

Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive 360+ species of birds 13.5 mile Wildlife Drive Open Fri/Sat/Sun (& Federal holidays) 33,000 cars 2016 83,000 visitors 18 mile Apopka Loop trail LAWD Facebook page

20 Years of Progress North Shore acquisition Marsh flow-way Gizzard shad removal Planting native aquatic plants Stocking largemouth bass

Marsh Flow-way 5+ volumes of the lake processed since 2003 Nearly 100% removal of solids and chlorophyll 30% reduction in total phosphorous

20 Years of Progress North Shore acquisition Marsh flow-way Gizzard shad removal Planting native aquatic plants Stocking largemouth bass

Gizzard Shad Removal 1 million pounds of gizzard shad/year for 23 years Directly removes phosphorus source Prevents nutrient recycling

20 Years of Progress North Shore acquisition Marsh flow-way Gizzard shad removal Planting native aquatic plants Stocking largemouth bass

Improvements in Aquatic Vegetation Enhancement Increase in spatterdock and bulrush via planting Natural increase in native submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) Current data indicates 57 acres total of eelgrass

20 Years of Progress North Shore acquisition Marsh flow-way Gizzard shad removal Planting native aquatic plants Stocking largemouth bass

Sport Fish in Lake Apopka Stocked approximately 7 million sunshine bass since 1980 Stocked “out-of-season” spawned largemouth bass Department of Health 2016 report: bass, black crappie, and bluegill are safe to eat

Resulting Improvements Phosphorous (parts per billion) Reduction from a high of 250+ppb to currently approaching target of 55 ppb Secchi transparency Currently at 12 inches from a low of 8 inches in past (fluctuates with lake level) Chlorophyll-a (micrograms per liter) Reduction from a high of 100+ to current level of 50

Eco-tourism Eco-tourism is distinguished by its emphasis on conservation, education, traveler responsibility and active community participation, The Nature Conservancy. Providing environmental education and awareness that encourages behaviors that contribute to the sustainability of Florida's natural ecosystems and resources, Florida Society for Ethical Ecotourism

Birdapalooza Lake Apopka Wildlife Festival and Birdapalooza Birding Festival (January 20-22) Participants from all over the U.S. and Canada.

FOLA Eco-tourism Concerns Impact on the lake Impact on the wildlife Impact on LAWD/Loop Trail

Future of Eco-tourism Lake Apopka Restoration Center Mayor Joe Kilsheimer jkilsheimer@apopka.net Magnolia Park improvements Commissioner Bryan Nelson bnelsonins@aol.com Seaplane Base Orange County Jason.Sorensen@ocfl.net

Current Restoration Initiatives Innovative Dredging Projects Eco-tourism oversight Audubon Nature Center Bike trail around Lake Apopka North Shore restoration Expand Oakland Nature Preserve (Hull Island)

Friends of Lake Apopka Enormous progress in past 20 years We need to finish the restoration You can make a difference !

Finish the job ! Save Lake Apopka Join FOLA: annual dues $25 ($40 family) Raise our collective voices Get involved: volunteer

FOLA Volunteer Opportunities North Shore restoration FOLA booth at civic events Birdapalooza, Town Festivals, etc Committees Citizen Science Shoreline trash cleanup

Friends of Lake Apopka Social Media www.fola.org www.facebook.com/FriendsOfLakeApopka

Questions