TAMPA, Fla. — Record-breaking seagrass covers nearly every other part of Tampa Bay. One section is in the midst of collapse, and non-profits and environmentalists know how to fix it.
Old Tampa Bay has the lowest seagrass since record-keeping began in 1988.
For nearly a decade, ABC Action News reporter Michael Paluska has covered environmental issues about water quality in Tampa Bay, from pollution spilling into our natural springs to red tide blooms fueled by water discharges at Piney Point.
"It's upsetting because we just released the new seagrass numbers. And while we're gaining seagrasses everywhere else in Tampa Bay, Old Tampa Bay has lost another 350 acres. This is the lowest amount of seagrasswe've ever recorded in old Tampa Bay," Maya Burke, Assistant Director of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, told Paluska. "And that's really because water quality isn't where it needs to be to support those seagrass."
Burke listed the top causes of pollution coming into Old Tampa Bay.
"Nitrogen is the major source of pollution to Tampa Bay, and that's what causes algae blooms," Burke said. "The number one source of nitrogen pollution is actually from stormwater runoff. The number two source of nitrogen pollution in Old Tampa Bay are tailpipes and atmospheric deposition. And then the third most important source of nitrogen pollution is wastewater."
Old Tampa Bay covers an area as far north as Oldsmar, over to Rocky Point, and south of the Gandy Bridge. Burke said bridges like the Gandy, Howard Frankland, and Courtney Campbell Causeway also disrupt the water flow. The nitrogen gets stuck in this part of the Bay and can't flush into the Gulf. Then there is Lake Tarpon.
"Historically, Lake Tarpon didn't drain to Old Tampa Bay. That's something that we created this connection as a flood control project in the 1970s. While that provides a lot of benefits to the community, in the end, it's also created a lot of water quality and resource management challenges here in the Bay. Lake Tarpon drained through a sinkhole to the Anclote River and out to the Gulf."
Burke said they can divert water from Lake Tarpon to a reservoir.
"Could we drink this water from the Lake Tarpon outfall canal? Could we take it, divert it from the Bay, put it in a reservoir, and then make it a safe and reliable drinking water source for parts of the Tampa Bay region?
"That'd be a win?" Paluska said. "It'd be a win-win because it's a great sustainable water supply for the community, and it's helping improve water quality here in Old Tampa Bay," Burke said.
As we cruised Old Tampa Bay with Burke and Justin Tramble, Executive Director of Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, we saw birds hunting, abundant marine life, kids learning to sail, and baby horseshoe crabs. We soon realized that this part of the Bay needs help, but all hope isn't lost.
"Biggest worry for you?" Paluska asked Tramble.
"You know, there's not necessarily a big worry. I'll spin it around, Michael; I think there's hope. I think we see that there's a lot of parts of Tampa Bay that are doing really, really good, and we've identified one part of Tampa Bay that's not doing really good," Tramble said. "I look at it as hope because we've been able to do great work in Tampa Bay, and now we've got this right in front of us like we know that we're struggling somewhat, and we know how to fix it. So I think it's more of, you know, there's some hope here."
Both Tramble and Burke said people need to contact their legislators and local politicians and fight for more infrastructure projects to clean up the pollution entering Old Tampa Bay.
