Local Organizations and Links of Interest:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Aquatic Plant Management
Suwannee River Field Office – 3377 East US Highway 90, Lake City, FL 32055 386-758-0525
A great photo gallery with information on invasive plants is available from FWC’s Weed Alert page and from UF’s Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants website
For all persons interested in controlling or removing aquatic vegetation from the lake, the required FWC Aquatic Plant Removal Permit Application is available HERE.
Lakewatch
Since 1986, volunteers have regularly collected samples of the water in Lake Santa Fe, to be tested for levels of phosphorous, nitrogen, and chlorophyll, as well as water clarity. This data, along with the results of fish and aquatic vegetation surveys, may be found by contacting Lakewatch or calling 352-392-4817.
Santa Fe Audubon Society, Inc. is the newest of 44 Audubon chapters in Florida, and is chartered by the National Audubon Society and Audubon Florida. The chapter serves Putnam, Bradford, western Clay, and eastern Alachua Counties. Santa Fe Audubon strives to offer recreational, educational, and conservation activities that reflect the values embodied in that way of life. See their new website – www.santafeaudubon.org
Melrose Florida weblinks – Links to local history, happenings and organizations are including on the Melrose Business and Community Association website (melrosefl.com). The MBCA is an active organization that meets each month to find ways to serve and improve our community.
A scientific publication on Lake Santa Fe hydrology is at Pirkle and Brooks_1958, which details the lake’s water budget, lack of significant outflow and documents evaporation as the primary means of water loss from the lake.
Lake Alto and Lake Santa Fe Water Budget Modeling, Final Technical Report to SRWMD, 2018 – Alto_Santa_Fe_Final_Report_20180205.pdf
Links on Local History:
Historic Melrose, Inc. is committed to provide community support for the promotion and preservation of the cultural and historical heritage of Melrose and the local area. HMI and Alert Productions produced the 2016 documentary “The Lake Santa Fe Story“, a video about our area’s history, environment and citizens.
Information on the History of Waldo Florida website (waldohistory.com) includes details on The Santa Fe Canal Company and their efforts to connect Santa Fe Lake, through Lake Alto to Waldo. More info on the canal is at Headin’ Down the Waldo Canal on the Florida Memory Blog. Another in-depth description on a float trip through the THE SANTA FE CANAL is from Brian Hunt An abbreviated version titled When Steam Was King was published in the magazine HOME: Living in Greater Gainesville. More north Florida history articles by Brian Hunt are also accessible from the HOME magazine website.