GULF OF MEXICO 



565 



The following 8 municipalities, with a total 

 sewered population of 29,950, either have no sew- 

 age treatment facilities or have inadequate septic 

 tanks: 



Sewered 



Municipality: populaihn 



Palmetto 4, 000 



Pass-a-Grille Beach 900 



Palma Cia Park 4,600 



Bradenton 12, 000 



New Port Richie 1,000 



Largo 1.000 



Virginia Park 3,800 



Maryland Manor 2, 650 



Existing treatment facilities at the following 

 3 municipalities that serve about 3,000 persons 

 are inadequate: 



Sejcered 

 Municipality: popuiaiion 



Brooksville 1, 000 



Crystal River 500 



Mulberry 1 , 600 



The following cities have installed, or are in- 

 stalling, adequate sewage treatment plants: 



Sewered 



Municipality: population 



Tampa 140,000 



Tarpon Springs 5,000 



Sarasota 18,000 



Plant City 9,000 



Dunedin 4, 800 



Clearwater 10,000 



Treasure Island 3, 000 



Brewster 800 



St. Petersburg 61,000 



Madeira Beach 5,420 



McDill Air Base 6,000 



Tampa Bay is grossly polluted, and bathing 

 waters in Clearwater Harbor and St. Joseph 

 Sound have been affected adversely. Several large 

 shellfish producing areas are closed to the taking 

 of shellfish because of pollution. The descriptions 

 of these areas are as follows: 



1. Sarasota Bay from Stickney Point Bridge 

 on the south to a line from South Shore of Cow 

 Point to shore of Long Boat Pass. 



2. The Manatee River from its mouth to east 

 bank of Braden River; Braden River to a point 1 

 mile from its mouth. 



3. McKay Bay and tributaries, Hillsborough 

 Bay and tributaries, north of a line drawn from 

 the interbay peninsula east to the south bank of 

 the Alafia River. 



4. Smacks Bayou; Coffee Pot Bayou; Big 

 Bayou; Little Bayou and waters of Tampa Bay 

 in -vicinity of St. Petersburg. 



5. All of Clearwater Harbor. That part of St. 

 Joseph Sound south of a line extended west from 

 the center of Ozona. 



6. Ancle te River and Kramers and Whitcomb 

 Bayous. 



7. Both Homosassa and Little Homosassa 

 Rivers and tributaries. Salt River, St. Martins 

 River, excluding Greenleaf Bay, the northern half 

 of Game Creek Bay, and the portion of salt River 

 south of Crystal River to Ozello. 



WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER AREA (4) 



The Withlacoochee River Area covers the Flor- 

 ida coastal zone from Crystal Bay northward to 

 the middle of Waccasassa Bay. Population is 

 sparse and largely rural. Income is derived chiefly 

 from growing and processing citrus fruits and 

 byproducts. Off the coast, commercial fishing 

 and shellfishing are carried on. The river is used 

 for limited production of hydroelectric power and 

 irrigation. 



Because of small populations and large supplies 

 of dilution water damages from municipal and 

 industrial waste pollution are not great. There 

 are only 7 small municipalities with sewerage 

 systems that serve a total of 5,200 persons. 

 Dunellon, with a sewered population of 1,150, 

 has no treatment facilities and Cedar Key, with 

 a sewered population of 400, has inadequate 

 facilities. 



Although there are objectionable localized 

 points of pollution in the area, there are no closed 

 shellfish areas. Other resources of the Gulf do 

 not now appear affected. 



SUWANNEE RIVER AREA (5) 



This area includes the 50-mile coastal zone of 

 the Suwannee River drainage basin fronting on 

 the Gulf between Waccasassa Bay and Horseshoe 

 Cove. This is one of the largest rivers in Florida 

 and is used for sport fishing, public water supplies, 

 waterfowl hunting, and, near the Gulf, for com- 

 mercial fishing and shellfishing. Population is 

 predominantly rural. Products of the area include 

 corn, tobacco, peanuts, pecans, tung oil, lumber, 

 and raw material for naval stores extraction. 

 There are no noteworthy industrial operations. 



Three small unsewered municipalities will need 

 adequate treatment facilities of some kind when- 

 ever sewerage systems are developed. 



