subject: Lake Apopka Where Did The Birds Go? [print this page] Lake Apopka is the fourth largest lake in Florida and it is located 15 miles northwest of Orlando. It is within the boundaries of Orange County, although the western part of the lake is in Lake County. The lake gets it water from a natural spring, rainfall and Storm water runoff and the water from the lake flows through to the Apopka-Beauclair Canal and into Lakes Beauclair and Dora.
But there has been a phenomenon that people are still unsure about how it happened and that is the mystery of bird deaths in Lake Apopka. In 1996 after the purchase of the muck farms was completed. The farm equipment and the restoration area were fully under the management of ST. John River Water Management District. A decision was made that the remaining sections of the Muck Farms would be flooded. The time of the flooding was a time when many water fowl migrated to the south for winter and during what was normally a growing season in the farms. But the floods attracted thousands of birds, as the flooded area made a newly undiscovered wetland and they began feeding.
The amount of birds that turned up was a record number, there were so much that the Bird watching in the area was organised by the local Audabon. In the fall of 1998, birds began dying in the restoration area. The of the deaths were not officially determined but many thought that it was due to Pesticides finding its way through their food chain, which leads to birds feeding on contaminated fish.
In February a report came out stating that "Chemicals commonly found in pesticides are killing birds and fish near Lake Apopka, and people should avoid the area and its wildlife, federal officials said Wednesday...Fish and Wildlife officials said Wednesday that they believe the birds are dying after they eat fish contaminated with the chemicals. Wildlife experts believe at least another 50 birds have died after leaving the site. Officials are asking pilots to avoid flying low over Lake Apopka, which could cause birds to scatter into the danger zone."A notice was published stating that information is being compiled concerning the pesticide levels in the muck farms in others the whole of the region.
In March 16 1999 there was an update which went as follows The cause of recent bird mortalities at Lake Apopka is officially not known. There are a lot of agencies that are/were in involved such as the St. Johns River Water Management District, the Florida Audubon Society, the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and a dozen more from other states as well, that are concerned over the deaths. Analysis ODF Pesticides, metals in tissues of birds and a few other tests came up with them being negative in the cause of death. A lot of tests came inconclusive until one result found that the initial findings were correct but many of those pesticides were outlawed many years ago
This lead to the halting of the restoration of the much farms and efforts were redirected to those who were responsible. With the cause found the SJRWMD drained the fields which meant that the habitat for the birds was no more. Files were charged against the SJRWMD by the federal government and the restoration was put on hold whilst the SJRWMD launched their own investigation of the cause.
But their study showed that if encapsulated. These contaminants will not find their way into the food chain. They have a contract to till the entire restoration area to a depth of 3. By doing this they hope to flood the area again to begin the natural process of Marsh restoration
Today the lake shore is being looked at by residential developers and the municipalities were proposing plans to use the lake water for residential landscape watering use as surface water sources were being looked at to offset the stress growth was placing on the aquifer. So who knows Lake Apopka may be home to some new Orlando vacation rentals.
