"Needed are various enhancement activities that include periodic drawdowns and muck removal, dredging, removal of rank vegetation and re-introduction of desirable aquatic plants," said Moyer.

Muck, Moyer explained, is a layer of sediment caused by decaying plants and other loose organic materials that deteriorate naturally and which can be several feet deep. Among other things, these sediments can snuff out benefits of the sun's rays.

As far back as 1971, water bodies such as Lake Tohopekaliga have been an on-going learning laboratory for fisheries biologists.

Following an early 1971 Toho drawdown, designed to improve aquatic habitat that had been negatively impacted by flood control practices and nutrient enrichment, fish food organisms rapidly increased and, within two years, largemouth populations in the lake's vegetated areas were boosted five-fold, and the economic value from sportfishing was upped by an estimated $6-million.

Other Toho drawdowns were conducted in 1979 and again in 1987, both resulting in recovered fish populations.

Neither the 1971 or 1979 Toho drawdowns included muck removal. Biologists later concluded that such measures are often vital in overall lake restoration processes.

During drawdowns, organic material is dried, consolidated and transported to upland areas or, as a last resort, to in-lake disposal sites to form wildlife islands, a relatively recent Commission initiative which has proven to be successful by reducing hauling costs while simultaneously creating added habitat for fish, birds and animals.

Since 1971, the Commission's Division of Freshwater Fisheries has undertaken more than 70 lake restoration projects and probably none have been more successful than the 1977 and 1996 Lake Kissimmee drawdowns, or those at Lake Monroe (1989 and 1994), Lake Talquin (1998) and Lake Jackson (1994 and 1997).

Due to fiscal limitations, however, many lake enhancement programs have been shelved, including such needful projects as Lake Tsala Apopka in Citrus County, Lake Panasoffkee in Sumter County, Square Lake in Palm Beach County, and Lake Trafford in Collier County to name a few.

With an annual $5.5-million budget to work with starting in 2001, the Commission will use its current $1.5-million per year funding authorization to maintain those lakes already rehabilitated.

The following 31 lakes are rostered for 2001-2020:
• Lakes Cypress and Hatchineha (10,800 acres) in Osceola County;
• DeFuniak Lake (8 acres) in Walton County;
• Deer Point Reservoir (5,000 acres) in Bay County;
• Lake Griffin (9,100 acres) in Lake County;
• Lake Hellen Blazes and Sawgrass (800 acres) in Broward County;
• Lake Istokpoga (28,000 acres) in Brevard County;
• Lake Jackson (4,400 acres) in Leon County;
• Lake Jesup (10,000 acres) in Seminole County;
• Lake Kissimmee (35,000 acres) in Osceola County;
• Lake Lochloosa (5,700 acres) in Alachua County;
• Lake Miona (400 acres) in Sumter County;
• Montgomery Lake (36 acres) in Columbia County;
• Lake Munson (255 acres) in Leon County;
• Lake Mystic (50 acres) in Madison County;
• Ocheesee Pond (2,200 acres) in Jackson County;
• Lake Panasoffkee (4,500 acres) in Sumter County;
• Lake Parker (2,300 acres) in Polk County;
• Rattlesnake Pond (8 acres) in Volusia County;
• Lake Rousseau (4,163 acres) in Levy, Citrus and Marion counties;
• Lake Sampson (2,100 acres) in Bradford County;
• Seminole Lake FMA (700 acres) in Pinellas County;
• South and Fox Lake (1,300 acres) in Brevard County;
• Square Lake (15 acres) in Palm Beach County;
• Lake Stone (107 acres) in Escambia County;
• Lake Trafford (1,500 acres) in Collier County;
• Lake Tohopekaliga (18,810 acres) in Osceola County;
• East Lake Tohopekaliga (12,000 acres) in Osceola County;
• Lake Tsala Apopka (19,000 acres) in Citrus County;
• Lake Walk-In-Water (7,500 acres) in Polk County;
• Watertown Lake FMA (45 acres) in Columbia County;
• Yates Mill Pond (4 acres) in Washington County.