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Winter Haven adopts 2025 annual lakes report, cites water-quality gains and priority projects
Summary
The City of Winter Haven on July 9 adopted its 2025 Annual Lakes Report (Resolution R‑26‑19), reporting that 51% of monitored lakes met Florida regulatory thresholds and highlighting stormwater projects and invasive-plant work; commissioners voted to adopt the report after staff presentation and questions.
The City of Winter Haven on July 9 adopted Resolution R‑26‑19, approving the 2025 Annual Lakes Report after a staff presentation and brief commissioner questions.
City Natural Resources Manager Dustin Everett told the commission that "over half of our lakes met all state water quality standards" in 2025 and that many impaired lakes are showing improving trends. The presentation explained the Lake Health Index — an average of eight criteria measuring water quality, hydrology and ecology — and said the report covers 37 lakes in the study area and includes an interactive online version and a shorter "report in brief." Senior environmental scientist Devin Moore said 65% of the lakes scored in the good to very-good range and that 12 lakes showed year-to-year improvement.
The report singled out priority lakes for management attention. Moore identified Lake Bridal and Lake Hamilton among the highest-priority sites because of water-quality impairments and declining trends; Lakes Link, Martha and Ned were also listed as focus sites. Staff highlighted 2025 projects intended to reduce pollutant loading, including stormwater improvements north of Lake Bridal, a sediment inactivation project, completion of the Lake Elbert trail with green stormwater infrastructure, and the Northern Winter Haven Chain of Lakes Wetland Restoration Project.
Commissioners asked technical questions about the report’s vegetation "heat map," invasive-species treatment and the effect of a recent winter freeze. Everett and Moore described field methods (transects, sonar and vegetation sampling), noted coordination with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Polk County for aquatic-vegetation treatments, and said water-quality sampling is collected year-round so changes related to the freeze will be examined in the 2026 report. Everett described outreach work that connected roughly 3,600 residents through schools, festivals and lake events.
Commissioner Birdsong moved to approve Resolution R‑26‑19; the motion carried after the commission closed the public hearing with no speakers in opposition.
The full 2025 Annual Lakes Report and an interactive version are available on the City of Winter Haven Natural Resources web pages; staff said a one-page "report in brief" was distributed to commissioners.
