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Abstract
Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest open-water estuary and encompasses an area of approximately 1036 km2 (400 mi2) (Burgan and Engle, 2006; TBNEP, 2006). The Bay’s watershed drains 5,698 km2 (2,200 mi2) of land and includes freshwater from the Hillsborough River to the north east, the Alafia and Little Manatee rivers to the east, and the Manatee River to the south (Figure 1). Freshwater inflow also enters the bay from the Lake Tarpon Canal, from small tidal tributaries, and from watershed runoff. Outflow travels from the upper bay segments (Hillsborough Bay and Old Tampa Bay) into Middle and Lower Tampa Bay. Southwestern portions of the water shed flow through Boca Ciega Bay into the Intracoastal Waterway and through the Southwest Channel and Passage Key Inlet into the Gulf of Mexico. The average depth in most of Tampa Bay is only 3.4 m (11 ft); however, 129 km (80 mi) of shipping channels with a maximum depth of 13.1 m (43 ft) have been dredged over time and are regularly maintained. These channels help to support the three ports within the bay, as well as commercial and recreational boat traffic.
Study Area
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Other Government Series |
| Title | Tampa Bay |
| Chapter | N |
| Year Published | 2011 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |
| Contributing office(s) | National Wetlands Research Center |
| Description | 18 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Report |
| Larger Work Subtype | Other Government Series |
| Larger Work Title | Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010 |
| Conference Title | 2013 Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) All Hands Meeting |
| Conference Location | Tampa, FL |
| Conference Date | June 25-27, 2013 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| Other Geospatial | Tampa Bay |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |