The District is evaluating the established strategy needed to recover minimum flows adopted for the Lower Hillsborough River. Minimum flows are established to help protect the system from significant harm caused by ground and surface water withdrawals.
Overview
Minimum flows are limits established by the District’s Governing Board for surface watercourses that are intended to prevent significant harm to the water resources or ecology of an area that may be caused by further water withdrawals. Florida Statutes require the development of a recovery strategy if the existing flow in a water body is below the applicable minimum flow.
In 2007, revised minimum flows were adopted and a recovery strategy was developed for the Lower Hillsborough River. A joint funding agreement with the City of Tampa to implement recovery projects was also incorporated into the rule. The recovery strategy requires that in 2013, and for each five-year period through 2023, the District shall evaluate the strategy and implementation. The first five-year evaluation was published in 2015. The second five-year evaluation was provided to the District’s Governing Board in May 2020.
Outreach Activities
The last stakeholder meeting was held in the summer of 2024. The analysis for the third five-year assessment is ongoing.
Tentative Schedule
Stakeholder Meeting 1: September 3, 2020
Stakeholder Meeting 2: November 19, 2020
Stakeholder Meeting 3: April 12, 2022
Stakeholder Meeting 4: January 25, 2023
Stakeholder Meeting 5: July 24, 2024
Files
Data files that will support the Third Five-Year Assessment are available for download below.
This file contains the consolidated daily average minimum flow implementation data from the USGS, City of Tampa, and the Southwest Florida Water Management District for the Lower Hillsborough River. The period of record for this data is 1/1/1996-12/31/2023.
This file contains the consolidated and standardized water quality data collected by USGS, City of Tampa, Southwest Florida Water Management District, Tampa Bay Water, Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in the Lower Hillsborough River and Morris Bridge Sink between 1/1/1996 – 12/31/2023.
This file contains the consolidated and standardized Nekton data collected by Tampa Bay Water and the Southwest Florida Water Management District in the Lower Hillsborough River between 1/1/1996 - 12/31/2023.
This file contains the consolidated and standardized zooplankton data collected by Tampa Bay Water, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in the Lower Hillsborough River between 1/1/1996 - 12/31/2023
This file contains the consolidated and standardized benthic macroinvertebrate data collected by Tampa Bay Water and the Southwest Florida Water Management District in the Lower Hillsborough River between 1/1/1996 - 12/31/2023.