Hot off the Press

The first revised edition of the Boating and Angling Guide to Tampa Bay in eight years has finally arrived!

Produced by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Florida Wildlife Research Institute, the new guide is available to area boaters and anglers free of charge.

Like the original boater’s guide, the new version includes a colorfully detailed fold-out map. However, in addition to public boat ramps and artificial reefs, the revised edition features local fishing piers, tide stations, environmentally friendly marinas, bridge clearances, marine towing companies, anchorages and fishing hot spots. It also showcases the diverse marine life that inhabits Tampa Bay — both above and below the water’s surface — from manatees to sea turtles to wading and shorebirds. Seagrasses, mangroves and salt marshes are identified, as well as local boating speed zones and no-entry areas.

A resource list is provided that features important phone numbers for marine law enforcement, marine towing companies and seabird rescue facilities, among others.

Printed on water-resistant paper, the guides are designed so boaters can carry them aboard their vessels for handy reference. Don’t leave the dock without it!

To obtain your free edition of the Boater’s Guide to Tampa Bay, contact the Tampa Bay Estuary Program at (727) 893-2765 or e-mail nanette@tbep.org.

Mall Developer Commits to Low-Impact Design

The Jacobs Group, developer of the massive Cypress Creek Town Center planned for State Road 54 in south Pasco County, has committed to using lowimpact development techniques.

Writing to Pasco Wildlife, Thomas Schmitz, Jacob's vice president of design and construction, promised to:

• Use best management practices (BMPs) in the parking lots, including techniques such as landscaped swales that receive surface drainage and pervious surfaces in some areas.
• Design a stormwater system that retains and treats runoff onsite, using herbaceous plants in wet detention areas to create habitat
• Develop an operations plan that minimizes the use of herbicides, pesticides and fertilizer, plus regular sweeping of the parking lot.
• Design a bridge across Cypress Creek that works for wildlife as well as automobiles.

"We've been working with this developer for more than a year to influence the design so it is as environmentally sensitive as possible," said Jennifer Seney, president of Pasco Wildlife. "We need to work together to protect these critical wetlands habitats and Cypress Creek, which is classified as an Outstanding Florida Water."

Piney Point Escapes Storms' Wrath

While Piney Point came through the worst hurricane season in memory with flying colors, phosphate plants across the region did not fare as well. Millions of gallons of highly acidic wastewater escaped from a Cargill plant near the mouth of the Alafia River during Hurricane Frances, and officials approved emergency releases at five plants in Polk County.

The only impact at Piney Point, however, has been a slight delay in closing one of the site's five compartments. Storage capacity on Sept. 27 - just after Hurricane Ivan roared through Hillsborough and Pasco counties - was 580 million gallons, enough to handle more than 50 inches of rain.

Managers also report that nitrogen loadings to Bishop Harbor have plummeted from about 300 pounds a day in February to less than six pounds per day in September.

Scallop Search Yields a Dozen

About 100 snorkelers combed lush seagrass beds near Ft. DeSoto Park in August in search of the elusive bay scallop, Argopecten irradians, which all but vanished from Tampa Bay in the 1960s as a result of pollution and dredging. While only a few lucky treasure hunters actually spotted live scallops - 12 were counted - dolphins, rays, manatees and blue crabs were among the bay residents greeting participants of the Great Bay Scallop Search.

Sponsored by Tampa Bay Watch and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, the popular event, last held in 2001, is an opportunity for citizens to assist in monitoring the bay's health. Water quality in Tampa Bay has improved dramatically over the past four decades as wastewater and stormwater discharges have declined. While scallop searchers came up empty-handed in 2001, previous events have yielded as many as 79 live scallops.

Rainfall, water clarity and numerous other factors can influence counts, and even with an army of eager snorkelers, spotting the elusive bivalve is like probing for a needle in a sea-green haystack. Data from the scallop search will help scientists evaluate stocking efforts by the University of South Florida and the Florida Wildlife Research Institute as they rear and release lab-raised scallops.

"Executive Restroom" Spreads Conservation Message

As everyone who spent days without electricity this summer already knows, we don't really appreciate the basic things in life unless we have to live without them. That's true year-round at outdoor events across the region where thousands of people are forced to use portable toilets.

Providing clean, odorless and waterconserving "facilities" for event-goers helps ensure that the Southwest Florida Water Management District's water-conserving message hits home, says Melissa Roe, spokesperson. "People who've seen the restroom before say they remember it and most say they understand more about the importance of conserving water."

Along with visual messages, including posters and banners, an audio loop replays water-conservation tips, Roe notes.

The restroom is available for major events - defined as having at least 7,000 participants - in most Tampa Bay locations.

For more information on the executive restroom, call the district's communications office at 800-423-1476.

Tampa Bay is getting better
You can help

Buy a Tampa Bay Estuary tag and help keep Tampa Bay on the road to recovery. They're available year-round in your local tax collector's office or request a Tampa Bay Estuary tag with your annual renewal.

The cost is $27 for the first year and $17 after that - with $15 going directly to projects that benefit the estuary, including the publication of Bay Soundings.