Storm Water and the Estuary
Clean brackish water, created by the mixing of clean fresh water and salt water, is important to the health of the estuary. Stormwater runoff however, can create problems.
What is Stormwater Runoff?
It is excess rain that flows over land, down streets and through storm drains into the estuary.
Why is it a problem?
Because water cannot soak into the ground, paved surfaces create more runoff, make runoff move faster and with greater force, and reduce infiltration to the aquifer. Stormwater runoff can carry fertilizers, animal waste, pesticides and dirt from pastures and lawns into the estuary. It can also carry petroleum and antifreeze residue from parking lots and roads. All these materials, and many others, can pollute the estuary.
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified stormwater runoff as the number one pollution source for our nation's waters.
Manatee View Center
Apollo Beach, Fl
TECO
WATERMATTERS.ORG 1-800-423-1476
Alafia River Basin Board
Hillsborough River Basin Board
Erected by Southwest Florida Water Management District.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Environment.
Location. 27° 47.557′
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Manatee Scar Identification (here, next to this marker); The Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly (here, next to this marker); What Role Do Mangroves Play In An Estuary? (here, next to this marker); Long-Legged Wading Birds Stalk the Shallows (here, next to this marker); Listen carefully to hear a manatee! (approx. 0.2 miles away); Do You See a Manatee? (approx. 0.2 miles away); A Butterfly’s Habitat (approx. ¼ mile away); Staking Their Claim (approx. 5.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Apollo Beach.
Also see . . .
1. What is an estuary?. Estuaries and their surrounding wetlands are bodies of water usually found where rivers meet the sea. Estuaries are home to unique plant and animal communities that have adapted to brackish water—a mixture of fresh water draining from the land and salty seawater. (Submitted on August 3, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
2. Urban Runoff. Urban runoff or 'storm drain pollution' is one of the leading causes of water pollution in this country. Urban areas may contain up to 90 percent hard, impervious surfaces such as rooftops, sidewalks, streets, construction sites and parking lots and pavement where water collects and quickly runs off. Any deposits of oil, grease, pesticides, herbicides, soil, pet waste, etc. in these areas are flushed by rainwater and other means down storm drains. Water flowing through storm drains is untreated and therefore carries these pollutants into rivers or the bay. (Submitted on August 3, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 18, 2020. It was originally submitted on August 3, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 189 times since then and 8 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on August 3, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
