Alafia River Minimum Flows and Levels - Southwest Florida Water ...

4.9.1.2 Recreational Use Assessment - Application for Lithia Springs
Major
Recreation, in the form of swimming and wading, is a primary use of Lithia
Springs Major. The spring pool is considered the main attraction at Lithia
Springs Park, and is designated as a swimming area by Hillsborough County
(see Figure 4-13). Lithia Springs Major is permitted by the Florida Department of
Health as a "bathing place" and as such is subject to use-criteria as described in
Chapter 64E-9, F.A.C. These rules stipulate that the bathing load, i.e., the
maximum number allowed in the bathing area at one time shall be based on a
requirement of 100 ft 2 for each bather. Based on an estimated swimming area of
1 acre, the Lithia Springs Major pool can therefore accommodate 436 bathers.
Department rules also require that a "flow through" defined as a minimum of 500
gallons per anticipated bather per 24 hours for bathing places less than two
acres in size. Discharge necessary to meet flow criteria for a bathing load of 436
individuals in the pool would therefore be 218,000 gallons per day or 0.3 cfs.
To investigate flow requirements necessary to meet actual use of Lithia Spring as
a bathing place, we obtained park attendance records for the period from June
2001 through June 2003. Because park records only included the number of
visitors and campers and not the number of swimmers, District staff surveyed the
park on several days in July 2003 to determine the number of visitors that were
actually swimmers in order to establish a ratio of park visitors to those swimming
at the spring pool. Estimated numbers of swimmers, and the requirement of a
minimum of 500 gallons per individual for a 24-hour period were used to evaluate
the relationship between spring flow and recreational use. This information was
used to identify a possible limiting factor for development of a prescribed flow
reduction for the spring.
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