ABSTRACT:
From November 1998 through early April 1999, a bird die-off occurred on the north shore of Lake Apopka, Florida. The deaths occurred on former farmlands that had been purchased to reduce nutrient run-off into the lake by the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). An estimated 680 birds died, mostly American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) and wading birds, including over 40 endangered American wood storks (Mycteria americana). The Lake Apopka agreement was based on cooperative efforts to assess the impact of the die-off to avian wildlife and to examine appropriate restoration options.