Lake County works to restore impaired lakes

EUSTIS – Many experts say it is no secret that many of Central Florida’s lakes are polluted.

Combine the existing situation with the area's exploding growth, and conservationists are urging governmental leaders to manage that growth's impact to the ecosystem, wildlife and the area's drinking water.

In Lake County, experts say it’s a big puzzle to sort out, and local environmentalists are warning local leaders that they need a plan to balance growth with its environmental impacts.

Stan Napier, president of the Trout Lake Nature Center in Eustis, says his group is working hard to change that

"We’re growing so fast in Lake County — I think we’re the third fastest growing county," said Trout Lake Nature Center director Ellen Tramontana. "There’s going to be huge impacts. We need to look at how we can protect our systems."

The U.S. Census shows that between 2010 and 2020, Lake County's population grew by nearly 30% — the equivalent of more than 86,000 people. Experts say that growth, combined with pollution from fertilizers and everyday runoff, has created polluted, contaminated lakes.