Once the atlas is finished, lakeside residents will be able to check out water quality, water levels, exotic plants growing in the area, the lakes' histories, rainfall measures, and much more, all on the Internet. A USF anthropology student is compiling a history for each lake, based on the interviews. Residents can get involved in preserving their lakes for future generations, Landry said. The Web page will have a comments section, and a place to respond to become a Lakewatch volunteer. Lakewatch is a statewide effort started at the University of Florida.
Citizens monitor their lake's water quality each month.
You can compare water quality over time and compare different seasons. Hillsborough County trains the volunteers and provides the testing equipment, he said. They want to educate citizens and provide data back to volunteers in a way they can understand. That site eventually will include a link to the lake atlas. Landry and his team hope to expand the atlas to include Polk and Pasco counties.