located within the following watersheds: Middle Tampa Bay Watershed, Hillsborough Bay Watershed
Explore general as well as scientific information about the movement, chemistry and biology of area surface water environments.
Click the links below for more details:
| GOOD | MODERATE | POOR* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterococcus Results Description | 0-35 Enterococcus sp per 100 ml of marine water 0-35 CFU/100 mL Enterococcus sp Geometric Mean |
36-104 Enterococcus sp per 100 ml of marine water | 105 or greater Enterococcus sp per 100 ml of marine water
36 and Over CFU/100 mL Enterococcus sp Geometric Mean |
| Fecal Coliform Results Description | 0-199 fecal coliform organisms per 100 ml of marine water | 200-399 fecal coliform organisms per 100 ml of marine water | 400 or greater fecal coliform organisms per 100 ml of marine water |
| * A Poor rating may result in a resampling event to confirm poor conditions, otherwise a Health Advisory or Warning will be issued immediately. These indicate that contact with the water at this site may pose increased risk of infectious disease, particularly for susceptible individuals. A reading of NR means "No Result." This could indicate that no sample was taken at this point because of weather or other factors, or that an analysis result was not obtained from the laboratory. | |||
"Trophic" means "relating to nutrition." The Trophic State Index (TSI) takes into account chlorophyll, nitrogen, and phosphorus, which are nutrients required by plant life. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) uses this information to determine a rating for the waterbody. Learn more about the Trophic State Index »
| Latest Value | Limiting Nutrient | Historic Range |
Additional
Information |
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38 (Good)
Source: EPC Monthly Routine Water Monitoring |
NITROGEN |  |
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Legend:
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Although present in all surface waters, nutrients are among the leading causes of degradation of Florida water resources. Learn more about nutrient chemistry »
| Parameter | Latest Value | Historic Range | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Nitrogen (TN) |
327.0 ug/l
Source: EPC Monthly Routine Water Monitoring |
34.0 - 33,865.0 ug/L
9,904 samples |
|
| Total Phosphorus (TP) |
146.0 ug/L
Source: EPC Monthly Routine Water Monitoring |
24.5 - 11,700.0 ug/L
12,850 samples |
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Chlorophyll a, uncorrected for pheophytin 
|
5.7 ug/L
Source: EPC Monthly Routine Water Monitoring |
0.0 - 231,600.0 ug/L
12,957 samples |
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Chlorophyll a, corrected for pheophytin
|
5.0 ug/L
Source: EPC Monthly Routine Water Monitoring |
0.9 - 53.9 ug/L
309 samples |
Water clarity or turbidity measures the degree to which light is blocked because the water is cloudy or contains suspended particles, such as algae. Water clarity is one indicator of a waterbody's ability to sustain plants and wildlife. Learn more about water clarity »
| Parameter | Latest Value | Historic Range | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secchi Depth |
5.6 ft
Source: EPC Monthly Routine Water Monitoring |
0.1 - 20.0 ft
13,486 samples |
|
| Turbidity |
1.5 NTU
Source: FDEP Southwest District Sampling Data |
0.1 NTU - 110.0 NTU
6,061 samples |
|
| Light Attenuation |
0.31 Alpha/M
Source: Mote Marine Historic Data from Legacy STORET |
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The currently used bacterial indicators for recreational waters include total coliform, fecal coliform and enterococcus. Indicator organisms themselves are not necessarily pathogenic but their presence "indicates" or suggests recent contamination by human sewage or other waste which may result in human illness. Sources of contamination include storm water runoff, sewage overflows and feces from wild and domestic animals. Learn more about marine indicator bacteria »
| Parameter | Latest Value | Historic Range | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fecal Coliform |
280 CFU/100ml
Source: EPC Monthly Routine Water Monitoring |
1 - 730,000 CFU/100ml
8,964 samples |
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| Total Coliform |
88 CFU/100ml
Source: FDEP Southwest District Sampling Data |
0 - 70,000,000 CFU/100ml
4,672 samples |
|
| Enterococcus |
70 CFU/100ml Source: EPC Monthly Routine Water Monitoring |
2 - 20,000 CFU/100ml
3,335 samples |
Dissolved Oxygen (DO) is one of the most important indicators of water quality. It is essential for the survival of fish and other aquatic organisms. Learn more about dissolved oxygen »
| Parameter | Latest Value | Historic Range | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dissolved Oxygen |
9.7 mg/l
Source: EPC Monthly Routine Water Monitoring |
0.0 - 29.8 mg/l
424,684 samples |
These are the latest available contour maps of the bay's bottom. These maps can be used to determine where "holes" (deep spots) exist on the bay bottom. Such areas are often productive for fishing. Learn more about bathymetric maps »
| View Map | Details | Method | River Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
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Contour mapping is one of the best ways to visualize spatial differences in coastal water quality, but the software and technical expertise needed to create them is unavailable to the general public and is out of reach even to many environmental resource managers and scientists. With original funding from an Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County's Pollution Recovery Fund grant, the Water Atlas Program developed online tools to allow rapid map creation and comparison. Using these tools, anyone can view, download and print predefined maps that are automatically generated from selected data on a periodic basis. Optionally, users can create their own custom contour maps to display any data that is stored on the Water Atlas, by choosing a water quality parameter and date range that interests them.
Access the Water Quality Contour Mapping System to generate your own custom water quality contour maps.
Monthly generated contour maps for all the parameters below are available.
The Impaired Waters Data is the most recent available data from FDEP, but it may not reflect the current FDEP impaired list. These data are updated when and as soon as they are made available from FDEP.
This waterbody is impaired according to the State of Florida's Impaired Waters Rule (IWR) Chapter 62-303 F.A.C. that governs the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) Program or according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Identification of Impaired Surface Waters (IWR) is a new scientific approach for guiding Florida Department of Environmental Protection process for identifying and prioritizing impaired surface waters in Florida. The rule evaluates whether waters meet their designated uses for a particular analyte, which include aquatic life use support, primary contact and recreation use support, fish and shellfish consumption use support, and drinking water use support. All water resources in this county are designated as Class III waters. Class III waters are considered recreational use waters, which means that the water should be fishable and swimmable. Class II waters are for shellfish propagation and harvesting. Class I waters are considered potable (drinkable) water supplies. As part of the terms of a court order related to the 1998 303(d) list of impaired waters, some waters are listed as impaired by EPA but not listed by the State of Florida. Learn more about impaired waters »
This waterbody has been associated with the following WBIDs deemed impaired by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection:
| WBID | Basin | Impairment(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1558D | HILLSBOROUGH BAY (LOWER) | MERCURY (IN FISH TISSUE) |
| 1558E | HILLSBOROUGH BAY (UPPER) | DISSOLVED OXYGEN, MERCURY (IN FISH TISSUE) |
| 1584B | MCKAY BAY | DISSOLVED OXYGEN, MERCURY (IN FISH TISSUE), NUTRIENTS (CHLOROPHYLL-A), NUTRIENTS (HISTORIC CHLOROPHYLL-A) |
| 1584C | EAST BAY | DISSOLVED OXYGEN, MERCURY (IN FISH TISSUE) |
Source(s): Florida Department of Environmental Protection
This waterbody has been associated with the following WBIDs deemed impaired by the Environmental Protection Agency's 303(d) list:
| WBID | Basin | Impairment(s) | EPA Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1558D | HILLSBOROUGH BAY (LOWER) | CHLOROPHYLL-A, DISSOLVED OXYGEN, MERCURY IN FISH TISSUE | View additional EPA information » |
| 1558E | HILLSBOROUGH BAY (UPPER) | DISSOLVED OXYGEN, MERCURY IN FISH TISSUE | View additional EPA information » |
| 1584B | MCKAY BAY | CHLOROPHYLL-A, DISSOLVED OXYGEN, MERCURY IN FISH TISSUE | View additional EPA information » |
| 1584C | EAST BAY | DISSOLVED OXYGEN, MERCURY IN FISH TISSUE | View additional EPA information » |
Source(s): US Environmental Protection Agency
Data Download and Advanced Graphing Tool
Download and/or graph water quality, hydrology, and rainfall trends using the data presented on the Atlas for use in your own analyses and reports.