Lake Munson: Past and Present

1
Lake Munson Past and Present

• Octavia Beasley
• Andreas Jackson
• Wendasha Jenkins
• Jamil Jude
• Whitney Maxey

2
HISTORY OF LAKE MUNSON

• Lake Munson is a flow through system. The water
  in Lake Munson comes from many urbanized areas of
  Tallahassee.
• The water flowing into Lake Munson is very poor
  quality urban storm water.
• The Lake receives stormwater runoff from 57 of
  Tallahassees urban areas.
• The Florida Department of Environmental
  Protection (FDEP) found that the urban stormwater
  runoff carried a pollutant load of 35,762 lbs/day
  total suspended particles, 1,558 lbs/day
  Biochemical Oxygen Demand, 274 lbs/day Nitrogen,
  156 lbs/day Phosphorus, 7.8 lbs/day Lead, and 2
  lbs/day Copper.
• As early as 1705 it was indicated that Lake
  Munson may have once flowed into the Wakulla
  River.

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• Maps from 1840 suggest a cypress mill was located
  on the lake, making it the first historical
  reference to an impoundment. However, an oral
  tradition states that beaver dams have
  historically maintained the Lake as a natural
  impoundment.
• 1950 - A permanent dam was built at the outfall
  of Lake Munson.
• 1954 - Lake Munson was said to have excellent
  waterfowl hunting and good fishing.
• At the same time some locals decided not to eat
  the fish because the lake had been receiving
  effluent from the Tallahassee Sewage Treatment
  Plant.
• From 1934-1984 it was the receiving water body
  for Tallahassees municipal wastewater
  discharges.
• 1982 - FDEP classified Lake Munson as
  hypereutrophic, and ranked it as the seventh most
  degraded lake in Florida.
• 1984 - A spray field was constructed for
  Tallahassees municipal wastewater and
  substantially improved Lake Munsons water
  quality.

4

• Eight Mile Pond and Ames Sink are the two
  sinkholes south of the lake, and they consume the
  overflow from Lake Munsons outflow under normal
  conditions.
• Because eutrophication is high, there is a lot of
  aquatic algae that contributes to large diurnal
  fluctuations of dissolved oxygen, and the high
  values in which the dissolved oxygen is
  supersaturated is a sign that the vegetation is
  out of balance.

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Present Day Lake Munson
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What thrives and lives in Lake Munson?

• The Lake has a history of frequent fish kills and
  infestation with invasive exotics, like Hydrilla
  verticillata.
• It has always been a good place to hunt
  waterfowl.
• Lake Munson still produces trophy bass, but not
  at as high a rate as it used to, along with other
  types of fish.
• Willow trees can be found throughout the center
  of the lake.
• An excess amount of aquatic algae and
  phytoplankton
• Invasive exotic macrophytes such as invasive
  exotic snails, Pomacea canaliculata, that help
  suppress the phytoplankton and the already high
  values of chlorophyll in the lake.
• High levels of nitrate, phosphate, and high
  concentration of ammonia
• Its completely encircled by Pond Cypress trees,
  just as it has always been

7
Restoration Project

• From 1934 to 1984, Lake Munson was the receiving
  water body for Tallahassee's municipal wastewater
  discharges. Recent tests show that Lake Munson
  still receives 57 of Tallahassee's urban areas
  storm water runoff.
• The basic goal of the Lake Munson restoration
  project is to remove material from the lake
  bottom to improve the water quality, remove storm
  water runoff impacts on the tributary system and
  receiving waters, restore nearby habitats,
  provide recreation opportunities, and provide
  flood storage. The building of ditches leading to
  Lake Munson, the removal of a delta, and building
  a retention pond to divert the water in the
  ditches are the major components of the Lake
  Restoration Project.

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Restoration

• According to EPA, the restoration plan was
  comprised of many components.
• Restoration Plan
• 1. Construct sediment disposal site facilities
• 2. Excavate the 15-acre delta at the inflow of
  the lake
• 3. Restore Lake Henrietta and include stormwater
  best management practices (BMPs) to improve the
  "treatment train" going to Lake Munson and the
  Floridan Aquifer
• 4. Hydraulically dredge the bottom sediments from
  the main body of the lake
• 5. Take additional steps to improve fishery
  habitats, lake access, environmental education
  opportunities and recreation to enhance the
  facilities for the community
• 6. Monitor the actual efficiency of pollutant
  removal by the BMPs implemented in the project.

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• The engineering firm of Camp Dresser and McKee
  designed the improvement project which consisted
  of six phases. 1. Sediment disposal site which is
  located at the Eisenhower clay pits. 2. Lake
  Henrietta restoration which was to provide peak
  flow attenuation and water quality treatment. 3.
  Munson Slough Stabilization which goal was to
  provide erosion control between Springhill Rd.
  and Lake Munson. 4. Excavation of the Delta in
  Lake Munson which would restore the channel
  inflow to a more natural state while removing
  trash and debris from the lake. 5. Hydraulic
  Dredging of Lake Munson/Fishery Enhancements and
  improve the recreational value of Lake Munson. 6.
  Monitoring of the slough hydro period as required
  by the USACOE.
• So far about 13.3 million has been invested in
  the restoration project with an estimated 6
  million needed to complete it.

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Humans tsk, tsk

• The use of our water resources was long taken for
  granted as the United States and Florida
  developed. The pollution that resulted from using
  surface waters as dumping grounds for human and
  industrial waste become evident by the 1950s and
  1960s and led to many new federal and state laws.
• Concerns about both water resource vulnerability
  and the long-term sustainability of our water
  resources have rapidly increased across the
  United States over the past few decades. Water
  resource vulnerability refers to the overall
  vulnerability of surface water and ground water.
  Vulnerability includes water quality issues, such
  as pollution, as well as water supply issues,
  such as aquifer recharge or overuse. The causes,
  which can vary greatly, may stem from human
  populations or natural systems.
• Long-term sustainability means that enough water
  is available to support natural systems and human
  populations over time, and that the supply of
  water is naturally replenished. Sustainability
  can be affected in many ways. For example, once a
  water supply is contaminated, the contamination
  may be difficult or impossible to fix.

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• If the natural flow of water is disrupted (for
  example, if stormwater is channeled directly to
  rivers and lakes in a series of pipes or ditches
  rather than being allowed to flow freely over the
  surface of the land and replenish underground
  aquifers or fill wetlands), its potential
  benefits are lost
• The Lake Munson drainage basin in the St. Marks
  Basin is an example of a human-induced short
  circuit. A network of drainage ditches carries
  two-thirds of Tallahassees highly polluted
  stormwater to Lake Munson. The lake then drains
  via Munson Slough and flows underground at Munson
  (Ames) Sink, ten miles north and upgradient of
  Wakulla Springs.
• Other short circuits include interactions between
  surface water and ground water, ground water and
  surface water, surface water to surface water,
  and ground water to ground water. These
  interactions can be natural (for example,
  sinkholes), or human induced (for example,
  drainage canals).
• Over half of Floridas aquifers are vulnerable to
  ground water contamination. In addition, because
  90 percent of the states drinking water comes
  from aquifers, the effects of any contamination
  are potentially serious.

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• In Florida, these vulnerabilities are often
  closely linked for example, underground aquifers
  and surface waters are connected in many areas,
  allowing polluted agricultural and urban
  stormwater to flow directly into drinking water
  supplies. 
• Local and regional residents can influence
  groundwater vulnerability. The area closest to
  the withdrawal point is most vulnerable, while
  the area farthest away is the least vulnerable.
• High phosphorus levels dropped to a fraction of
  their previous levels once sewage effluent was
  diverted from the lake in 1985.

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Lake Munson

• From a Political View

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General Information

• Lake Munson is located in the Southside of
  Tallahassee
• Has been a topic of interest for the past 10
  years
• Both County and City officials take interest in
  the lake

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City Commissioners

• Alfred Lawson
• Richard Mitchell
• Loranne Ausley

• These people are on the restoration project for
  Lake Munson.

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Description of Project

• Removal and disposal and approximately 1,000,000
  cubic yards of accumulated nutrient rich bottom
  sediments from Lake Munson coupled with ancillary
  habitat restoration.
• This will bring about improved surface quality
  Increased groundwater protection Fisheries
  enhancement Increased recreation and fishing
  access.

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Cost of Project

• Total cost 16,500,000
• This is a local fund so the cash amount is
  11,200,00
• State requested 6,000,000

• Will not be funded by the state
• Was not in an Agencys Budget request.
• Was not included in the Governors Recommended
  Budget

18
Public Awareness

• This project was presented to a public body by
  the Leon County Board of Commissioners on
  12/12/00.

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The County Officials

• Bob Rackleff
• Serving second term
• First elected in 1998
• Chair of the Local Transportation Disadvantaged
  Board for 4 years

• Dan Winchester
• Serving second term
• First elected in 1998
• Primary focus is District 3

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My Letter to the Officials

• Hello.  My name is Jamil Jude.  I am a senior
  student at James S. Rickards High school.  I am a
  member of the IB program at Rickards.  My purpose
  for writing this email to you is to ask your
  specific stance on an important issue.  As a
  member of the IB program, I must complete a Group
  4 project in my laboratory science class.  This
  year, our class has decided to use Lake Munson as
  our target site for our project 

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My Letter (Contd.)

• I chose to focus not on the specific
  environmental factors about the lake as far as
  pollution and the animals that live in the area,
  but more on the politics the concern the area.  I
  know that Lake Munson has been a "hot topic" in
  the last few years over how we deal with the
  lake, especially before the restoration process
  took place.  I've contacted you to ask for help
  in trying to understand the politics concerning
  the lake a little bit more.  I would greatly
  appreciate your help. 

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My Letter (Contd.)

• If email isn't the most effective way of
  communication, I can be reached at either my cell
  (850-443-6039), my house (850-422-9659) or at
  school (850-488-1783).  Again, thank you for your
  help. Jamil Jude Class of 2005

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Commissioner Rackleff

• Dear Jamil, I'm flattered and pleased that you
  asked for my thoughts about Lake Munson, since
  that lake has been a special concern of mine ever
  since my first boat trip on it five years ago.  I
  was last on it by kayak about a year ago (when my
  wife got up close and personal with a gator!),
  and still find it one four most outstanding water
  bodies. beneficiary of that project. 

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Rackleff

• However, I don't think of it as a "hot topic"
  because both city and county commissioners
  strongly agree that we have to improve the lake's
  water quality.  Our commitment to the Capital
  Cascades Greenway project of over100 million in
  Blueprint 2000 funds speaks clearly to that
  agreement.  Lake Munson will be the greatest The
  numerous storm water ponds and other improvements
  in the greenway will help filter out most of the
  pollutants coming from the city. 

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Rackleff

• Once those upstream improvements are underway,
  the county also plans to dredge much of the
  accumulated silt and noxious water weeds from
  Lake Munson to help it sustain a healthy
  ecosystem. The county has also purchased much of
  Lake Munson's shoreline (we already built a small
  county park at its southeast end) to prevent
  damaging development, to create trails around it,
  and to preserve the magnificent cypress trees
  that ring the lake. 

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Rackleff

• We can all look forward to this future.  Lake
  Munson has every opportunity to become a
  beautiful, urban lake accessible to the public,
  already teeming with water fowl, and later with
  fish.  I encourage you to visit it and imagine as
  I do a bright future for this unique lake. Please
  feel free to call me at 222-9789 if you have any
  questions. 
• Best wishes, Bob Rackleff Leon County
  Commissioner

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Commissioner Winchester

• Dear Jamil,
• After reviewing your questions and getting the
  feedback from our expert in our Public Works
  Engineering Department, I give you the following
• 1.  Question  What is your stance on the
  specific projects being done on the lake?  
•     Answer   The projects that have been done,
  are being done, and will be done in the future
  are all very worthy and have my full support.

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Winchester

• They are all important to restore Lake Munson to
  a healthy state. The specific projects are 
  construction of storm water treatment at Lake
  Henrietta, removal of the sediment and trash
  delta that has accumulated in the entrance to
  Lake Munson.  The City has also diverted its
  domestic wastewater from dumping into Munson
  Slough and then into Lake Munson. This wastewater
  has been diverted to the Tram Road spray field
  since the 1980s. 

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Winchester

• Several other projects that are proceeding
  upstream from Lake Munson will further improve
  the lake's condition, but are less visible to the
  public eye. These include the stabilization of
  the stream banks and the enforcement of sediment
  and erosion control measures for new construction
  projects. 
• 2.  Question    What can be done to improve the
  lake?  

30
Winchester

• Answer Lake Munson has accumulated great amounts
  of nutrient-rich sediment over the course of
  Tallahassee's history.  This sediment must be
  removed for several reasonsa.  improve the
  water column depth to buffer storm flows and
  weather conditionsb.  remove nutrients recycling
  in the water column reducing available oxygen for
  aquatic life

31
Winchester

• c.  remove the seedbed for many invasive and
  exotic plantsd.  expose surface materials for
  fish nurseries
• 3.  Question  Why did it take so long for things
  to be done on the lake? 
•      Answer    Unfortunately, the high nutrient
  levels and the organic content of the sediments
  make it technically challenging to remove them
  from the lake bed and find a suitable disposal
  location to contain them. 

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Winchester

• 4.  Question   Does the location of the lake
  affect how the clean up is being handled?
•  Answer      The lake's location does affect its
  condition, given that Lake Munson has received
  the runoff from development since the 1800's. 
  (Runoff to Munson flows from as far away as north
  of Tharpe Street.)  Ironically, Lake Munson was a
  summer retreat in that era. 

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Winchester

• A second consideration is that the Apalachicola
  National Forest lies west of the lake, limiting
  the private ownership (which tends to spur
  restoration and protection efforts.)
•   5.  Question     Anything else you can add for
  my report? 
•  Answer      Lake Munson is small but receives
  very high storm flows.  This greatly hinders the
  ability to work within the lake bottom. 

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Winchester

• We are also looking at the impacts of the storm
  water discharged to the Floridian Aquifer at Ames
  Sink, the receiving sinkhole south of Oak Ridge
  Road.  The researchers studying Wakulla Springs
  have linked Ames Sink to the Springs, raising the
  stakes on resolving this long-standing community
  issue.
•   Thank you for your interest in local
  environmental issues.

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Winchester

• If you need more information on this issue,
  please give Ms. Theresa Heiker a call at 488-8003
  or email her at theresah_at_leoncountyfl.gov.  She
  is the source of most of this information and has
  taken the lead on restoring the lake as long as
  she has been with Leon County.

36
Winchester

• Best of luck in your education.  You seem to have
  a good start on it!
• Sincerely,
• Dan
• Build a Future, Be a Mentor 
• Dan Winchester Leon County Board of County
  Commissioners850/487-1157

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Conclusion

• Lake Munson is a very important issue in
  politics. Most officials believe that the
  restoration and improvement of not only this
  lake, but all lakes are very important. The
  Commission is making a considerable attempt to
  try to improve conditions. In time, we will
  reach a level where our environmental protection
  will be at a suitable level.