Water Quality Contour Mapping

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Water Quality Changes Over Space and Time

In an open body of water such as a bay, water quality may vary considerably in its different regions, and its water quality will also change continually from month to month, season to season, year to year. Tidal influence, land use in the watershed, inflow from tributaries, seasonal temperature changes, and rainfall are the most important factors driving these differences. A Water Quality Contour Map (WQCM) shows the spatial distribution of water quality for a defined period in time. By creating contour maps for multiple different periods, it is possible to detect both spatial and temporal patterns in water quality, and to see trends over time. Learn more »

Click on a parameter name and select a year from the dropdown below to discover spatial and temporal variations in water quality. Clicking on a PDF thumbnail will open the full report for viewing and download. Alternatively, click the "View Image Slideshow" button to view an interactive slideshow of the generated raster images.

Available Parameters (Select One)

Contours of

Select a report to open and view/download the corresponding PDF file. Alternatively, you can open an image slideshow of the contour rasters used in these reports.

Agency Summary

Data collected by the following agencies were used in preparation of these reports.

Agency Period of Record
(Month, Year)		 Station Count
(Approximate)		 Sample Count
(Approximate)
Shellfish Environmental Assessment Data October 1991 — March 2003 300 1,300
EPC HIMP Surveys March 2000 — January 2009 10,330 78,900
Quarterly Routine Water Monitoring May 2005 — March 2020 8,650 21,700
EPC Monthly Routine Water Monitoring January 1972 — March 2020 251,100 1,168,000
EPC Tidal Streams May 2006 — September 2006 140 800
Hillsborough County Lake Assessments July 2009 — March 2015 330 700
EPC Water Quality Data January 1974 — September 2006 116,950 354,500
EPC Water Quality data gathered from reports January 1970 — April 2001 230 1,500
Hillsborough County Environmental Management Division January 2005 — December 2019 1,070 2,500
Water quality data collected by the City of Lakeland August 1966 — June 2021 6,110 47,600
LAKEWATCH Supplemental Water Quality Sampling January 1980 — September 2011 180 500
LAKEWATCH Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring September 1989 — November 2018 27,260 190,100
Lower watershed program (LWP) January 2000 — September 2019 6,650 14,700
PINELLAS Water Quality Data January 1991 — June 2017 63,320 383,800
Polk County Parks & Natural Resources Division July 1984 — July 2021 7,150 28,000
PONDWATCH Volunteer Data January 2002 — December 2013 250 600
Sarasota County Coastal Creeks September 2005 — January 2024 360 500
Sarasota County Environmental Services Department Sampling Data December 2004 — December 2004 0 1,400
Stream Waterwatch Water Quality Data, Volunteer January 1998 — March 2015 2,710 6,300
SWFWMD Hydrologic Data Section Data November 2020 — October 2021 20 33,400
SWFWMD Water Quality Sampling Data (Ken Romie) June 1994 — August 1998 410 900
SWFWMD Water Quality Monitoring Program Data January 2000 — March 2005 1,990 4,200
USGS National Water Information System October 1907 — August 2024 13,300 70,500
City of St. Petersburg March 2017 — February 2023 1,500 3,200
FDEP South District Sampling Data April 2015 — April 2015 10 0
FDEP Watershed Monitoring Section October 1998 — April 2024 3,970 10,000
Hillsborough County Environmental Services Division January 2000 — December 2023 4,350 8,500
Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County July 2017 — May 2024 97,440 185,000
Florida LAKEWATCH February 2018 — November 2023 14,820 27,300
Manatee County Environmental Management Sampling Data January 1995 — June 2024 32,620 87,900
Pasco County Stormwater Management Division January 2020 — February 2023 70 100
Pinellas County Department of Environmental Management February 2015 — February 2024 12,760 54,000
Polk County Natural Resources Division March 2020 — June 2024 890 2,400
Enviro-Audit August 2017 — January 2024 10 0
SWFWMD Water Quality Sampling Data January 2000 — December 2023 8,930 25,400
Tampa Bay Water April 2000 — January 2024 9,880 71,200
FDEP Southwest Regional Operations Center May 1997 — June 2024 8,120 20,800
FDEP Watershed Assessment Section January 2019 — December 2023 60 100
FDEP, Water Quality Standards and Special Projects (Florida) March 2005 — November 2005 10 100
City of Lakeland March 2015 — November 2022 480 1,500