Publications:
Fact Cards
 Charlotte
Harbor Estuary is located on Florida's west coast
on the Gulf of Mexico where three large rivers
meet to form Florida's second largest estuary.
The economy is based on recreational and commercial
fishing, agriculture, mining, tourism, the retirement
community, and construction. The coastal population
increases by more than 30 percent for several
months each year because of seasonal business
and vacationing tourists. The subtropical climate
and barrier islands that stretch along the coastline
make boating, fishing, shelling, walking, and
birdwatching particularly enjoyable activities.
Facts About the Estuary
- Tourism
expenditures exceeded $1.1 billion in Sarasota,
Charlotte and Lee counties
in 1993.
- Currently,
1.4 million people live in the watershed,
up from 500,000 in 1960. By 2020 the population
is expected to reach 1,903,000.
- Natural
resources provide $1.8 billion a year in net
value to recreation users and $3.2 billion
per year in income.
- One
in three tourists fish while visiting. One
in five residents fish, creating an economic
impact to the region of more than $1.1 billion
annually.
- More
than 250 fish, 275 shellfish, 316 birds, 44
mammals, and 55 reptile species live in the
watershed.
- Five
National Wildlife Refuges are located within
the Charlotte Harbor watershed.
Health
of the Estuary
- There
has been a 29 percent loss of seagrass coverage,
impairing critical habitat for invertebrates
and fish.
- Thirty
percent of the Florida population uses on-site
disposal systems that discharge an estimated
210 million gallons of waste daily into the
estuary.
- Seventy-seven
species of amphibians, birds, fish, invertebrates,
mammals, and reptiles are considered to be
endangered, threatened or of special concern
in the State of Florida.
- Approximately
one third of the area is approved for shellfish
harvesting.
- Flow
of the largest river, the Peace has been below
the 70-year average for all but three months
since 1998. (The year 2000 was the driest
year on record since 1915.)
- Floridians
on average use nearly twice as much water
per day as average Americans, around 150 gallons-75
of which goes to lawn irrigation.
- Sinkholes,
formed in 1999 near the Peace River, divert
more than 7 million gallons of water from
the river per day.
Accomplishments
of the Estuary Program
- Identified
how environmental problems are currently managed
and how people have influenced the condition
of the estuary.
- Defined
monitoring programs for water quality, water
flow, habitat, fish and wildlife populations,
and air quality.
- Assessed
the economic value of natural resources, both
inland and on the coast.
- Funded
45 demonstration projects to restore wetlands,
improve habitat, remove exotic species, improve
the understanding of water quality and important
seagrass habitat, coordinate conservation
initiatives with large agricultural landowners,
and enhance environmental education.
- Developed
comprehensive education and outreach programs
that included a technical symposium, public
workshops, newsletters, and a directory of
public education programs.
- Re-started
the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods program
in Charlotte County to promote more efficient
residential water use and the use of native
plants.
For
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