Water Quality Contour Mapping

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)
Cape Coral Canal Watch May 1995 — March 2021 8,550 9,000
Shellfish Environmental Assessment Data February 1979 — June 2003 27,560 72,000
EPC Monthly Routine Water Monitoring May 1981 — February 2020 2,110 9,700
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN SARASOTA COUNTY BEACH RESULTS November 2017 — July 2020 290 2,300
EPC Water Quality Data May 1981 — May 2006 960 4,000
Water quality data collected by the City of Lakeland August 1966 — June 2021 12,560 87,600
LAKEWATCH Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring April 1990 — November 2018 8,890 72,900
LCHCD River Sampling January 2016 — June 2022 660 700
Lee County Pondwatch January 2000 — December 2022 6,760 6,800
Lower watershed program (LWP) January 2000 — September 2019 3,970 12,500
Polk County Parks & Natural Resources Division July 1984 — July 2021 56,810 144,400
Briarwood Stormwater Treatment Facility July 2020 — June 2023 290 300
Sarasota County Coastal Creeks February 1998 — January 2024 70,590 138,300
Sarasota County Environmental Services Department Sampling Data March 2004 — December 2006 360 205,200
Sarasota County Environmental Services Department Sampling Data February 1998 — January 2024 61,660 138,600
SWFWMD Hydrologic Data Section Data October 2015 — August 2024 10 0
SWFWMD Water Quality Monitoring Program Data January 2000 — April 2005 1,460 3,100
USGS National Water Information System October 1939 — March 2024 17,980 130,800
Collier County Coastal Zone Management Department July 2017 — September 2022 700 800
FDEP Central Regional Operations Center February 2014 — January 2023 500 1,600
FDEP Charlotte Harbor Aquatic/Buffer Preserves Sampling Data November 1996 — January 2024 49,480 127,700
City of Bonita Springs August 2009 — December 2021 1,770 1,800
City of Fort Myers January 2017 — June 2022 1,920 1,900
Collier County Pollution Control July 2017 — October 2022 1,090 1,400
Florida Healthy Beaches Program and Data (Bacterial Counts) July 2000 — August 2011 3,890 19,700
Lee County Environmental Laboratories January 2018 — November 2022 18,560 18,800
Flatwoods Consulting Group January 2018 — December 2022 280 300
FDEP South District Sampling Data February 1999 — January 2024 20,410 28,800
FDEP Watershed Monitoring Section October 1998 — December 2023 8,690 16,100
Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County July 2017 — May 2024 630 1,900
Florida LAKEWATCH September 2018 — September 2023 8,510 12,400
Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District April 2017 — December 2022 3,130 3,100
Manatee County Environmental Management Sampling Data December 1995 — September 2023 3,030 8,900
City of North Port September 2004 — December 2022 6,530 8,900
Polk County Natural Resources Division March 2020 — June 2024 5,800 12,900
City of Sanibel, Natural Resources Department January 2002 — June 2022 7,850 14,000
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation January 2012 — February 2023 11,160 29,500
South Florida Water Management District January 2015 — December 2022 13,240 17,200
Enviro-Audit January 2022 — January 2024 60 100
SWFWMD Water Quality Sampling Data August 1997 — December 2023 53,250 139,500
FDEP Southwest Regional Operations Center January 1998 — May 2024 3,890 11,700
FDEP Southeast Regional Operations Center April 2019 — December 2022 160 200
FDEP Watershed Assessment Section April 2013 — February 2020 310 400
FDEP, Water Quality Standards and Special Projects (Florida) March 2005 — November 2005 20 100
City of Cape Coral March 1986 — December 2022 75,100 160,000
Coastal Charlotte Harbor Monitoring Network (CCHMN) - Matlacha Pass March 2002 — December 2022 6,330 8,700
Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority (FL) August 1996 — December 2022 17,400 167,500
City of Lakeland September 2014 — November 2022 800 2,600