ENVIRONMENT. Tallahassee-Leon County Florida

Transcription

1 Tallahassee-Leon County Florida

2 Indicator 1: Lake Water Quality Updated 6/11/04 Average index of water quality for lakes in Leon County, as measured by the Trophic State Index. Leon County is located in one of three regions in the world with a natural system of interconnected lakes, rivers, springs and sinkholes, many of which have existed since the days of the last Ice Age when the Mastodon roamed North Florida. Stormwater run-off, carrying pollutants into lakes and rivers, is the greatest threat to this system. Twenty-six lakes in Leon County are monitored for water quality by either the city or the county. Generally, Leon County has good surface water quality. Lakes and ponds with declining water quality include A.J. Henry Park, Hilaman, Killarney and Kanturk. Lake Hall and Lake Bradford have improved since the last measurement in 2002 (TSI=38 and 43 respectively) while Lake Carr has declined (2002 TSI=39, see next page). McGlynn Laboratories, Inc. Average Trophic State Index Lake Water Quality Leon County lakes and ponds: : Good 60-69: Fair : Poor Average Trophic State Index (TSI), Moore Piney Z AJ Henry Park Campbell Pond Hall Hilaman Killarney Kanturk Cascade Hiawatha Bradford Overstreet T. Brown Pk

3 Indicator 1: Lake Water Quality (continued) Updated 6/11/04 Average index of water quality for lakes in Leon County, as measured by the Trophic State Index. See previous page. Average Trophic State Index Lake Water Quality (cont'd) Leon County lakes and ponds: : Good 60-69: Fair : Poor McGlynn Laboratories, Inc. Average Trophic State Index (TSI), Goose Pond Eagle Hawk Pond Carr Iamonia Jackson Upper Lafayette Lower Lafayette McBride Miccosukee Munson Talquin Weeks

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5 Indicator 2: Conservation of Natural Areas Updated 6/2/04 Acres of land in Leon County with high conservation value that are being conserved under public or private ownership. In 2003, Leon County had 131,751 acres of land considered to have high conservation value because they were in the best condition to sustain rare and disappearing plant and animal species. Of these acres, 44% were on conservation lands under private or public (federal, state, local) ownership a significant increase compared to Percent on conservation lands 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Conservation of Natural Areas Leon County Year Florida Natural Areas Inventory Website: Land with high conservation Value in Leon County Total acres* 136, ,751 Percent on conservation lands 28% 44% * Not shown on graph

6 Indicator 3: Water Consumption Gallons of water consumed per day per resident served by public suppliers, such as city and county water departments. 200 Water Consumption per Capita Per capita water consumption in Leon County has increased since 1995 and in the Year 2000 exceeded the state average. Also, total freshwater use in Leon County grew 18% from 1995 to 2000 while the population grew 10%. Groundwater is the county s primary water source. Public supply to residences, schools and businesses is the primary use. Agriculture, industry, power generation and recreation comprise a relatively small percentage of total water use in Leon County. U.S. Geological Survey Website: Gallons per day Year Leon Florida Public Supplied water consumption Leon County - per capita - gallons per day Florida - per capita - gallons per day Total groundwater used for public supply, agriculture, recreation, and other purposes Leon County - millions of gallons per day* * Not shown on graph

7 Indicator 4: Electricity Consumption Updated 4/15/04 Number of kilowatt hours of electricity consumed per household served by the City of Tallahassee Electricity Consumption per account served by the City of Tallahassee Total consumption of electricity has increased from 1996 to 2003, but the stable consumption per account suggests that the rate of increase has kept pace with population growth. As of 2003, commercial customers consumed the majority (59%) of electricity provided by the City of Tallahassee. Residential households consumed the remaining 41%. Kilowatt hours per account Year Residential Commercial City of Tallahassee Electrical Operations Website: Tallahassee Residential Per residential account 1, , ,016 1,016 1,025 1,054 Tot. residential consumption* 75.5m 69.2m 79.0m 76.4m 80.0m 81.3m 83.4m 87.4m Commercial Per commercial account 7,327 7,144 7,379 7,410 7,399 7,243 7,287 7,331 Total commercial consumption* 110.3m 110.2m 115.9m m 122.4m 126.1m 127.5m * Not shown on graph. Total consumption is reported in millions of kilowatt hours.

8 Indicator 5: Recycling Updated 4/14/04 Percent of municipal solid waste collected that was recycled. In 2001, 40% of solid waste collected in Leon County was recycled a much higher percentage than in the state as a whole. However, the remaining 60% strained the local landfill capacity. The significant increase in recycling in 2001 will help relieve that strain, particularly if the trend continues into future years. Percent recycled 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Recycling of Municipal Solid Waste Leon Florida Year Florida Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Solid and Hazardous Waste Website: Leon not comparable 29% 28% 40% Florida not comparable 24% 26% 27% * The method for counting recycled waste changed in 1999.

9 Indicator 6: Air Quality New 6/8/04 Number of days with ozone and particle pollution at levels (1) unhealthy for sensitive populations (orange), (2) unhealthy (red), (3) very unhealthy (purple). Leon County has very clean air, compared to many other counties in Florida and the nation. In 2004, it was one of two counties in Florida (among 31 with reported data) that had zero days indicating hazardous air quality for the population, including sensitive populations (people with asthma, emphysema, cardiovascular disease or similar conditions that make them especially vulnerable to air pollution). American Lung Association, using data obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency s Air Quality System Website: Leon County State of the Air LEON COUNTY Ozone Orange days 2 0 Red days 0 0 Purple days 0 0 Grade B A Particle pollution Orange days Not available 0 Red days Not available 0 Purple days Not available 0 Grade Not available A Letter grades (A through F) are based on levels of ozone and particle pollutants and the number of days in each category (orange, red, purple). Particle pollution consists of very small particles in the air, which in the long- or short-term can cause asthma, wheezing, coughing, and respiratory irritation in anyone with sensitive airways as well as heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, and premature death. These fine particles are often produced by burning fossil fuels in motor vehicles, factories, power plants, and steel mills and by burning wood in residential fireplaces and wood stoves and agricultural burning. Ozone is the primary ingredient of smog air pollution. It can damage lung tissue as well as crops, trees and other matter. The ozone layer in the upper atmosphere shields us from much of the sun s ultraviolet radiation, but ozone at ground level (where we breathe) causes serious health problems. Ozone is produced when various compounds produced by motor vehicles, power plants and other sources of high-heat combustion come into contact with heat and light. Source:

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