Lake Tarpon

Lake Tarpon, the "Jewel of Pinellas County" is 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 km2). Its watershed encompasses 52 square miles (130 km2) including the two largest tributaries, South Creek and Brooker Creek. Lake Tarpon can be visited at Anderson Park, Chesnut Park, or several other public access points. The lake is a regional recreational destination and is renowned for its largemouth bass fishing.

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. Lake Tarpon is not in attainment because the waters exceed its Total Maximum Daily Load (or TMDL) for Nutrients, Dissolved Oxygen. Part of the pollution that enters Lake Tarpon is caused by fertilizers that have caused algae and unwanted weeds to grow. Some have suggested using liquid fertilizer to stop this. Another problem Lake Tarpon faces is having dissolved oxygen. This may be caused by the amount of nutrients in the water which increases the turbidity, an increased murkiness, that recent samples show ), and as a result can cause hypoxia or a dead zone where life is unsustainable, as exemplified in the Gulf of Mexico.