The mornings are a great time to enjoy the wildlife and get in a quick hike. The resultant decreased Dissolved Oxygen lowers biodiversity in the ecosystem. The lake is a regional recreational destination and is renowned for its largemouth bass fishing. Alligators are very scary, can be harmful when touched and they do not like paddleboarders, kayakers, or wake surfers. You might want to reconsider taking a dip in this lake. This seemed rather benign to me, and I was proud of the story and pictures we published the next day in the Pasco Times. Two different alligators were spotted in the lake. VIDEO: Alligator Swimming in Lake Tarpon - Tarpon Springs, FL - Do you ever swim in Lake Tarpon? Its watershed encompasses 52 square miles (130 km 2) including the two largest tributaries, South Creek and Brooker Creek. Published July 12, 2013 • Updated on July 12, 2013 at 10:27 pm Lake Tarpon, the "Jewel of Pinellas County" is located about 10 miles West of Tampa in Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs Florida. The swimmer didn't see any humor in that quote. And in a few minutes, he showed up — a big, menacing, profane man. I hadn't thought about this episode for years, and then my colleague Craig Pittman wrote a fascinating tale in Tuesday's paper about an 11-foot American crocodile captured last month in Lake Tarpon. Trail, pavilions, boat-launch. There are some regular riders on lake Tarpon, If you are into flat water freestyle it is probably a good place. [5][6] Another problem Lake Tarpon faces is having low dissolved oxygen. Alligator rumors in Lake Wylie have been going on since the lake the built. Despite what the media and Lake Placid would have you believe, alligators are not naturally aggressive towards humans. “Are there alligators on the lake?” Surprisingly, this question is asked frequently. My editor had sent me to write about this, and not just because swimming the channel would be quite a feat. Although Lake Tarpon is designated as a fishing and swimming lake, it fails to meet the EPA's standards, and is therefore listed as an impaired lake because it is over polluted. There were crocodiles and alligators in the past, though they didn't look the same as the ones in existence today. Then my editor's phone rang. This 2,500 acre lake provides recreation and enjoyment for thousands in the Tampa Bay area. Lake Tarpon can be visited at Anderson Park, Chesnut Park, or several other public access points. One of the old gents at the bar hollered out and wound up at the top of my story. We have NEVER encountered a rude or discourteous boater on this lake. Did President Biden Remove Military Flags From the Oval Office? I love canoeing and watching them on the banks of the Withlacoochee or on the golf course. Florida Alligators: What You Need To Know - New Port Richey, FL - With an estimated 1.3 million alligators in Florida, there are things residents and visitors need to know to stay safe. Although the largemouth bass population and size structure is excellent, fishing pressure is relatively low. He yelled and cursed and threatened. "Some nut is swimming Lake Tarpon!'' The trail is primarily gravel but there is a nice boardwalk over the water's edge and trough a cypress stand. The only time an alligator has actually been in Lake Wylie is when someone caught an alligator somewhere else and dumped it here (and quickly picked up by Wildlife officials). The logic being that liquid fertilizers are taken up by the plants while granular fertilizers are more likely to run off in rain water. [8][9], http://www.pinellas.wateratlas.usf.edu/lake/waterquality.asp?wbodyatlas=lake&wbodyid=7084#bacteria, http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/nutrients/, http://www.pinellas.wateratlas.usf.edu/graphs20/graph_it.aspx?wbodyid=7084&data=Turb_NTU&datatype=WQ&waterbodyatlas=bay&ny=2, http://www.epa.gov/owow_keep/msbasin/pdf/ghap2008_update082608.pdf, Lake Tarpon Information Center (laketarpon.org), Lake Tarpon Monster (laketarponmonster.com), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lake_Tarpon&oldid=980079424, Articles using infobox body of water without image, Articles using infobox body of water without image bathymetry, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 September 2020, at 13:44. Some have suggested using liquid fertilizer to stop this. "The possibility of Lake Tarpon becoming a fresh water lake might not be so bright if we find there is other sinkholes in Lake Tarpon," Cherry said. In recent years, Florida has experienced tremendous human population growth. Nice area to start the day or bring a picnic for later. About Lake Tarpon. This is a very important test because if there are more than one spring connecting Spring Bayou and Lake Tarpon plans will have to be changed in the horseshoe dam. Its watershed encompasses 52 square miles (130 km2) including the two largest tributaries, South Creek and Brooker Creek. There is a $6/day parking fee for your vehicle and trailer. LOL!! Pinellas County. You will find some bass lakes within reach of the city of Tampa.Lake Thonotosassa and Edward Medard Reservoir, both located near the Tampa area, offer average bass fishing. Last Sunday, according to Wolfgang, 11 alligators were sunbathing on the bank, which is part of their property. Trappers roped the 700-pound reptile and drove it 350 miles to a swamp near its original home in Dade County. Nobody had to trap them. This is a great park for hiking the edge of Tarpon Lake. There are two great places by the lake to spot alligators. In the West Central Region of Florida, there is no finer lake than Lake Tarpon. But Lake Tarpon is located a little farther away to the north side of Tampa. Biologists marked the male croc at birth in 1999 near the Turkey Point nuclear plant in Dade County and caught up to it in 2008 after it frightened residents at a golf community in Naples. Regarding alligators: Our personal experience is that we DO NOT swim from the bank and DO NOT get in the water anywhere near the grass or land. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) fisheries biologists regularly sample bass during electrofishing surveys on this lake. [4] Part of the pollution that enters Lake Tarpon is caused by fertilizers that have caused algae and unwanted weeds to grow. Bradley Weidenhamer, 10, male: June 19, 1993: He was killed while wading in the Loxahatchee River … Lake Tarpon is a freshwater lake located about 10 miles (16 km) west of Tampa in Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs, Florida. In July 2005, a man inexplicably jumped into the lake when an alligator made a beeline for him. They looked up from mugs of beer toward the dark water outside, where a middle-aged man from New Port Richey had set out to swim 7 miles, a tune-up to his announced plan to challenge the English Channel. I miss the small gators that once cruised the creek behind my house, even the one that wound up under the our swing set during the no-name storm of 1993. Same reason we don't have otters playing out back anymore, or folks showing up with fishing poles. These kind of stories always bring on phone calls from friends and relatives who worry we're living amongst vicious meat-eaters. The first is Overlook Park, which has a killer boardwalk that takes you onto Lake Jessup and puts you right near the alligators. She was killed by one or more alligators at Lake Serenity, Sumter County, Florida. But these crocodiles are an endangered species. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that these creatures are somewhat monstrous in appearance. Late in 2000, reports of alligators in Lake Norman began to surface. Alligators have inhabited Florida's marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes for many centuries, and are found in all 67 counties. You can visit Lake Tarpon at Anderson Park, Chesnut Park or … Of course. Long a favored Florida recreation area, Lake Tarpon is interesting in its underground connection to the Gulf of Mexico via Spring Bayou in Tarpon Springs. You would not believe the amount of interest (drama) created when my out-of-state buddies start asking about alligators living in Florida lakes and canals. Well maintained grounds, lots of room to roam. Everyone says they have seen one or heard of someone that have seen one. Long a favored Florida recreation area, Lake Tarpon is interesting in its underground connection to the Gulf of Mexico via Spring Bayou in Tarpon Springs. Fortunately, an even bigger photographer met him at the door. These micro-organisms are largely aerobic (require oxygen to live). Welcome to the Lake Tarpon Information Center . Later that year, video of a 5-6′ alligator in Lake Norman was released to the local news. he announced. He said that there have long been reports of alligators swimming in the waters of Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir and Lake Belton. Don't break down and you wont have a problem.... seriously, just swim it with your ski and you are fine. Alligators. Had this been one of its equally ugly cousins, an alligator, some trapper would have chopped up some steaks. I know better than to feed or harass them. Unfortunately, this is not the case at all. As you’re approaching the park and parking lot be sure to mind your speed, as you’ll be on a residential road. Lake Tarpon is the largest lake in Pinellas County with a surface area of 2,500 acres (10 km2). [1] These many pictures of Alligators In Georgia Map list may become your inspiration and informational purpose. It would be a while before my swimmer could relate his experience, so I hung out at the Tarpon … TARPON SPRINGS — Wanda Vekasi had been hearing stories about a crocodile in Lake Tarpon for almost a year. 19. But that wasn't the first thing that came to … The species was not known to exist in either Lake Norman or the Catawba River. The micro-organisms consume the oxygen in the water, thus lowering the Dissolved Oxygen. The truth is, Alligators do not live in Lake Wylie. The 2529-acre lake, often called the 'Jewel of Pinellas County' is only ten miles west of Tampa on the outskirts of Tarpon Springs. There are pros and cons for both sides of this argument, but Lake Tarpon would be best if it was in its original state. They trapped and relocated it to a nearby national estuarine reserve and then got reacquainted after it showed up near some yards along Lake Tarpon. The 2529-acre lake, often called the 'Jewel of Pinellas County' is only ten miles west of Tampa on the outskirts of Tarpon Springs. Lake Tarpon had been the scene of an alarming number of alligator attacks. She died of a broken neck caused by an alligator bite to the throat and head. However, older species of alligators have become extinct If you stick to high trafic areas during the day you won't even see a gator (Tarpon is big enough to support hundreds) My lawn is nice and green, too. But in nearly four decades in Florida, I still find them wondrous creatures. As the nutrient load in the water increases, so do bacteria and other micro-organisms that consume the excess nutrients. [2] Ask aviator320 about John Chesnut Sr. Park, Ask mpwallace1956 about John Chesnut Sr. Park, Ask R676SGellens about John Chesnut Sr. Park, Ask AllisonCW about John Chesnut Sr. Park. There are roughly 500,000 alligators in Texas, he said, although they're mostly found in the eastern part of the state and in the coastal marshes in the southern part of the state. But I'd gladly give it up to welcome back the nature that once made every day a delight. In the West Central Region of Florida, there is no finer lake than Lake Tarpon. As a young reporter, I learned a valuable lesson: Be careful who you call nuts. Lake Tarpon is a two thousand, five hundred and thirty-four acre lake, which was originally a beautiful, crystal clear, brackish water, fisherman’s paradise. Lake Tarpon is a freshwater lake located about 10 miles (16 km) west of Tampa in Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs, Florida.Lake Tarpon is the largest lake in Pinellas County with a surface area of 2,500 acres (10 km 2). You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. As you can see from the graphic above, the Central Texas area, which includes Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir and Lake Belton, is on the extreme … I share the blame. Serving the interests of Lake Tarpon for 14 years. Lake Tarpon is a 2,534-acre Fish Management Area near Tarpon Springs, in Pinellas County. The regulars lined the bar at the Tarpon Turtle marina on a hot summer morning in 1978. Now, would I call authorities if an 11-foot crocodile showed up? [3] Lake Tarpon is not in attainment because the waters exceed its Total Maximum Daily Load (or TMDL) for Nutrients and as a result of excessive nutrients, low Dissolved Oxygen. Many residents seek waterfront homes, and increasingly participate in water-related activities. They moved on when the nutrients from lawn fertilizers caused algae blooms that cut off the sunlight and killed the fish. "Lengthwise!''. The first alligators existed about 37 million years ago. Increased nutrients in the water also increase the turbidity (murkiness) that recent samples show[7]), and as a result can cause hypoxia (low oxygen) or a dead zone where life is unsustainable, as exemplified in the Gulf of Mexico. It would be a while before my swimmer could relate his experience, so I hung out at the Tarpon Turtle, back then a rustic shack with great grouper sandwiches and Newcastle on tap. We hope you enjoy and satisfied considering our best portray of Alligators In Georgia Map from our addition that posted here and with you can use it for adequate needs for personal use only. Alligator swimming in Lake Tarpon near Palm Harbor Florida - … “Not to scare people, but there are over a million of them and they are all around.” Statewide, 6,700 nuisance alligators were killed or relocated in 2017. Lake Tarpon had been the scene of an alarming number of alligator attacks. Alligator is a genus in the order Crocodilia.There are two living species: the American alligator and the smaller Chinese alligator.Together with the caimans, the gharials, and the crocodiles, they make up the order Crocodilia.. 11-Foot Crocodile Found in Lake Tarpon An 11-foot crocodile found in Lake Tarpon is being released back into the wild.