Lake

• What is that green stuff floating on my lake?

  Algae are very simple plants and by nature are able to reproduce and grow very quickly. This is why blooms can seemingly show up overnight. Algae requiring treatment will typically be bright or vivid green in color, and float high on the water. Already treated algae will be dull brown or tan, similar in color to cardboard or a paper bag. Treated algae will also sit lower in the water and portions of the mat may even be sinking.

• What is causing algae on my lake?

  There are various reasons for the growth of algae on South Florida Lakes. Over fertilizing your lawn may make for greener grass but have you noticed how your property slopes downward toward the lake? The excess fertilizer washes down into the water fueling algae growth, particularly during heavy rains or if you are watering a lot. Another source of algae is the lawn itself. Those thick, green blades of grass are like storage containers of nutrients. Grass clippings that end up in the lake rapidly break down and release the nutrients stored inside, triggering an explosion of growth. Many homeowners enjoy feeding the ducks that have taken up residence on their lakes. The enriched bread and food meant for people goes rapidly through their digestive system and creates an abundance of “natural fertilizer” that ends up in the lake the same way as the turf fertilizer. This particular source also carries with it bacteria from the bird’s system, which can negatively affect the water quality. Unlike other aspects of property care, lake management deals with a constantly changing and flowing environment that is affected by everyone in the community. Many homeowners would be surprised how seemingly unrelated actions can contribute to lake problems and instability.

• What are those floating weeds in my lake?

  Aquatic weeds are a fact of life for us here in South Florida. Many of the plant species that plague our waterways are not originally from this country. Most are brought here for the aquarium or water garden markets and are inadvertently released into our lakes and canals by residents. Long warm summers, high nutrient levels and an abundance of sunshine make our waterways an ideal breeding ground. The problem is compounded because these foreign invaders left their natural enemies behind in their native regions. Florida lacks the environmental conditions, diseases, insects, fish, and birds that kept these plants in check back in their home countries. Community lakes are not closed systems and are shared by many residents. Problem plants can find their way into lakes from dumped fish tanks, being flushed in with storm water, or even from boats and fishing gear used in other lakes. Wading birds and migratory animals can carry weeds from site to site depositing them in lakes as they go.

• Common Lake Problems:

  Murky Colored Water: During the summer, lake water may turn murky and have an unpleasant odor. The scum looks like blue-green paint and often drifts to the windward shore. This may be an algae bloom. Algae are microscopic plants that are natural components of lakes. Algal blooms are often the result of excess phosphorus (often from lawn fertilizers or other sources) entering a waterbody.

  Dark Oily Cloud: The dark oily cloud may be insect cases left behind from a hatch of aquatic insects. The wind can concentrate the cases along the shore, and as they decompose, an oily sheen forms.

  Dead Fish: An occasional dead fish is not cause for alarm. If you notice numerous dead fish, especially of more than one species, please contact your local government or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission(FWCC) or a Lake Management Company.
  FWC:  http://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/recreation/pond-management/fish-kills/

• Are these naturally formed lakes?

  In short the answer is NO.  South Florida does not have naturally formed lakes, they are man made for Stormwater rention. Wet detention systems (ponds) are the most recognizable stormwater systems. They are designed to allow material to settle and be absorbed. After a storm, water drains from a pond through a pipe in the “out flow” structure. Part of the pond—known as the permanent pool—is always below the level of the drain structure. Sometimes aquatic vegetation is planted around the pond’s perimeter to help filter sediment in stormwater runoff.

Mitigation

• What are these weeds behind my house?

  Mitigation is a large, but virtually unheard of part of South Florida wetlands management.  As part of the permitting process, in order for many residential communities to be built, it is necessary for the developer to re-vegetate the shallow lake edges, known as littoral shelves, with beneficial, native wetland plants.

  The long range objective of the mitigation project is for the planted areas to become a self-sustaining sanctuary for Florida fish and wildlife, which replaces what was originally taken when the site was developed.  A minimum of eighty percent coverage by desirable wetland plants after a two (2) year period, and demonstration of persistence for three (3) additional years is usually required by the County Department of Environmental resource Management and the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Maintenance to minimize exotic vegetation and to keep undesirable, rapidly spreading native plants from becoming dominant is required by the jurisdictional agencies.

  When the area is first planted (called Time-Zero), a “Time-Zero” Monitoring Report is written and goes into detail concerning permit requirements and other original pertinent permit information.  We can make it available for Association review.

  We hope that this information will be helpful in your understanding of the environmental enhancement that the littoral shelves and transitional zones provide in your community.

Fish

• Can I eat the fish I catch in my lake?

  The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is the body responsible for testing fish from public waters. “We test fish directly from the waters annually,” says John Cimbaro, a biological scientist with the Freshwater Fisheries Division of the FWC. “The public perception is generally, ‘I would never eat a fish out of that canal.’ But people can generally eat more fish from these waters than they think they can. The important thing is to check the current health advisories and be aware of the guidelines and the relatively few restrictions. There are more restrictions for a child or a woman who is pregnant [or of childbearing age], who may pass something on to a child.” For more information on fish consumption advisories in Florida, visit: www.doh.state.fl.us/floridafishadvice.

• What kind of fish are good to stock in my lake?

  Florida has both natural (more so in Northern Florida) and man-made ponds which range in surface area from less than 1/10 acre to greater than ten acres. Largemouth bass, bluegill (commonly called sunfish or bream), and channel catfish are the most commonly stocked species in Florida ponds. When properly managed, these species can provide excellent fishing. Stocking a pond in mid-summer should be avoided. High water temperatures and low dissolved oxygen may weaken fish being transported. Sudden temperature changes can cause fish to go into shock and die. When stocking fish, transport water and pond water temperatures should be equalized by slowly adding pond water into the transport container. The fish can then be added to the pond when the water temperature in the container is about the same as that of the pond.

Erosion

• Why is my shoreline deteriorating?

  Florida contains more than 30,000 lakes that cover a little more than 3 million acres of land.” These bodies of water are everywhere, including many South Florida neighborhoods. Many communities in South Florida feature these beautiful lakes to enhance the appearance of the neighborhood and offer recreational opportunities for the residents. However, the erosion of these lakes and their shoreline is a recurring problem and is inevitable.

  There are many factors that cause lake bank erosion, including:
  1. Continuous change in water elevation due to the change of seasons
  2. Strong winds that cause waves that damage the shoreline
  3. Stormwater runoff that causes damage due to improper draining practices
  4. Fish, such as the armored catfish, that burrow into the lake banks, causing them to collapse

Stormwater

• Where does the water go after it goes into the street drain?

  Storm systems are designed to recycle water.  That is, they are designed to put clean rain water back through the water cycle– in other words, into the waterways.  Unfortunately, this means that any debris in the stormwater gets swept along through the drain system and also ends up in our waterways. So, unmonitored and unstopped, this debris will end up in the same water where we boat and fish, where marine mammals live, where shore birds nest, and that tourists view. The good news is that it can be stopped.

  Stormwater pollution poses a health risk, harms marine life, closes beaches, contaminates the ocean, impacts the economy, harms the environment, affects neighborhoods and property values, clogs gutters and catch basins, attracts rodents, creates unpleasant odors, and adds to the Homeowner’s Association operating expenses.

• What is involved in Stormwater certification and renewal?
  
  Broward County will issue a notice to the property owner that gives them step by step instructions. The first step is to have the stormwater system inspected. Our inspector will visually inspect each drainage structure.  A full inspection will include measuring the amount sediment in each storm drain, checking the asphalt around the tops of the catch basins, checking for root intrusion and cracking of storm drain walls, headwall erosion or cracking in the headwall cap.

  A full report will be supplied along with a maintenance proposal, if required.  Our maintenance proposal will include a credit for the inspection, based on the number of drains we need to clean.  The maintenance proposal will also include the services of an engineer to do the final inspection and certification.

  Allstate Resource Management will then put together the package for Broward County, which you will submit along with the Broward County renewal fee (usually $750.00).