Paleolimnological assessment of six lakes on the Kissimmee Chain, with implications for restoration of the Kissimmee–Okeechobee–Everglades system, Florida, USA

Figures & data

Figure 1. Location of the 6 study lakes in the Upper Kissimmee Basin. Modified from a map prepared by Kissimmee Division, Ecosystem Restoration Department, South Florida Water Management District (2005).

Table 1. Coring locations and modern mean water quality for study lakes.

Lake	Coring location		Mean Chl-a (µg/L)	Mean TP (µg/L)
	Latitude	Longitude
Cypress	28°04’09.8”N	081°18’34.9”W	32.1*	83*
East Tohopekaliga	28°17’59.9”N	081°16’13.6”W	3.9 (2015–2017)	20.3
Jackson	27°54’53.2”N	081°09’32.8”W	29.8*	127*
Kissimmee	27°53’42.6”N	081°17’38.7”W	19.9*	64*
Marian	27°53’00.1”N	081°06’56.5”W	54.5*	155*
Tohopekaliga	28°11’39.1”N	081°24’3.4”W	21.9 (2015–2018)	39.2

Water quality averages were obtained from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for 2000–2006 (*) for Lakes Cypress, Jackson, Kissimmee, and Marian.

Water quality averages for Lakes East Tohopekaliga and Tohopekaliga were obtained from the Polk County Water Atlas (2019) for 2015–2019, unless otherwise indicated.

Chlorophyll a concentrations are uncorrected for pheophytin for data obtained from the Polk County Water Atlas.

Figure 2. Diatom profile with CONISS zonation for core 29_XII_2017_CYP_3 from Lake Cypress. Lower panels show sedimented algal and cyanobacterial pigment profiles from Lake Cypress core 18_XI_2016_CYP_40.

Figure 3. Plots of δ¹³C versus C/N ratios in sedimented organic matter for cores from Lakes Cypress, East Tohopekaliga, Jackson, and Tohopekaliga, the 4 lakes that showed prominent changes in primary producer communities over time. Specific taxa are placed in relative positions based on δ¹³C and C/N values reported for studies of other Florida lakes, and are used here to provide general indication of trends in community change.

Figure 4. Diatom profile with CONISS zonation for core 9_VIII_2017_ETOH_244 from East Lake Tohopekaliga. Lower panels show sedimented algal and cyanobacterial pigment profiles.

Figure 5. Diatom profile for core 16_III_2018_ JAC _307 from Lake Jackson. Lower panels show sedimented algal and cyanobacterial pigment profiles. CONISS was not performed because of the broad gaps in diatom presence.

Figure 6. Diatom profile with CONISS zonation for core 19_I_2017_TOH_202 from Lake Tohopekaliga. Lower panels show sedimented algal and cyanobacterial pigment profiles.

Figure 7. Diatom profile with CONISS zonation for core 27_XII_2017_KIS_2 from Lake Kissimmee. Lower panels show sedimented algal and cyanobacterial pigment profiles. Lower right panel presents diatom-based limnetic total P inferences.

Figure 8. Plots of δ¹³C versus C/N ratios in sedimented organic matter for cores from Lakes Kissimmee and Marian from the early 1800s until 2017. Both lakes lacked macrofossil evidence and were consistently dominated by algae and cyanobacteria over time. Specific taxa are placed in relative positions based on δ¹³C and C/N values reported for studies of other Florida lakes, and are used here to provide general indication of trends in community change.

Figure 9. Diatom profile with CONISS zonation for core 31_III_2018_MAR_328 from Lake Marian. Lower panels show sedimented algal and cyanobacterial pigment profiles. Lower right panel presents diatom-based limnetic chlorophyll a inferences.

South Florida Water Management District. 2005. Kissimmee Watershed Basemap. https://www.sfwmd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/kissimmee_watershed_basemap2005_25x33.pdf.

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Polk County Water Atlas. 2019. Lake Kissimmee (Osceola), Lake East Tohopekaliga (Osceola), Lake Tohopekaliga (Osceola). https://polk.wateratlas.usf.edu/.

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