Relations between water chemistry and water quality as defined by lake users in Florida

Abstract

A lake user survey was conducted on 116 Florida lakes concurrent with citizens' water sampling activities. Results showed there were significant relations between lake users perceptions of physical condition of water and associated lake trophic state water chemistry variables. There were also significant relations between lake users perceptions of recreational and aesthetic enjoyment of water and associated lake trophic state water chemistry variables. While the relations reported in this study were significant there was also a lot of variance in actual water chemistry for any perceived water quality. Some of this variance was attributed to regional differences in perceptions of water quality. Before this type of survey is used for lake management activities in Florida, it is recommended to expand the number of individuals surveyed per lake, especially from multiple lake users to better understand the variance in water chemistry around perceived water quality. It is also recommended to add questions pertaining to additional lake uses including activities like fishing, bird watching and other wildlife related uses. © 2004 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.