Lake Panasoffkee is located in Sumter County, Florida in the Outlet River drainage basin in the Withlacoochee River watershed.

Throughout the late 1800s and the first half of this century, the lake played an important role in the regional economy as a shipping port for timber, citrus and other regional goods. More recently, the lake serves as a vital recreational freshwater fishing resource, not only for the county but the entire region. With a national reputation, especially for its redearfishery, Lake Panasoffkee is a significant sport fishery resource and an important contributor to the local and regional economy. Although, fishing remains popular at Panasoffkee, the lake’s future as a significant recreational resource is threatened.

The threat to Lake Panasoffkee is the loss of desirable habitats for fisheries. Since the 1940s, there has been a substantial loss of necessary fish bedding areas and open water – almost 800 acres, or 22 percent of the lake’s area – through the build-up of sediment and subsequent encroachment of emergent vegetation. Under seasonal low water conditions portions of the lake become un-navigable. Ironically, the groundwater inflow which keeps the lake’s water quality high is also the major contributor to the sediment which is filling the lake. The groundwater carries large amounts of dissolved calcium carbonate. When the groundwater mixes with the lake water, the calcium carbonate solidifies, producing sediments which settle on the lake bottom, covering fish-spawning areas. These factors have combined to negatively impact the lake’s fishery, promoting increased shoreline vegetation and tussock formations, which impact recreation and navigation.

Without any action, the sedimentation, or "filling in", of Lake Panasoffkee will continue - the fisheries habitats will continue to be reduced, the lake will continue to get smaller, navigability problems will worsen, and the lake’s environmental, aesthetic and economic benefits to the State and its residents will diminish. As the magnitude of the damage increases, so will the costs for restoring the lake.

In recognition of Lake Pansoffkee’s ecological significance, the lake has been designated as an Outstanding Florida Water by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

In 1987, the Florida Legislature enacted the Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Act (Sections 373.451-373-4595, Florida Statutes). They recognized water quality in surface water bodies throughout the state had degraded or were in danger of being degraded and important functions, once performed by associated natural systems, were no longer being provided. The functions to be maintained or improved were identified in the SWIM Act and include providing aesthetic and recreational pleasure for the states citizens; habitat for native plants and animals, including endangered and threatened species; and safe drinking water for the state’s growing population as well as attracting visitors and accruing other economic benefits.

March 29, 2005
Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program 2004 Annual Report - This report provides a summary of the District’s SWIM Program activities for the calendar year 2004.

April 2000
Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plan - The SWIM legislation requires the water management districts to protect the ecological, aesthetic, recreational, and economic value of the State’s surface water bodies, keeping in mind that water quality degradation is frequently caused by point and non-point source pollution, and that degraded water quality can cause both direct and indirect losses of habitats. Lake Panasoffkee was ranked as the fifth priority water body for the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Concerned for the health of Lake Panasoffkee, the 1998 Florida Legislature passed Chapter 98-69, Laws of Florida, creating the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council within the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The Council was charged with identifying strategies to restore the lake and to look specifically look at sport fish recovery strategies, shoreline restoration, sediment control, exotic species management, water quality and fisheries habitat improvement. The Council was required to report to the Legislature by November 25th of each year. The Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council Report to the Legislature, 2004 provides an overview and latest update on restoration activities for Lake Panasoffkee.

In its initial 1998 report, the Council presented the restoration plan for Lake Panasoffkee which identified the following restoration goals to be addressed in priority order: fisheries habitat improvement, shoreline restoration and improved navigation. Furthermore, maintenance of the existing good water quality in the lake was an important consideration in implementation of any recommended strategy.

The key management strategy for Lake Panasoffkee is a multi-year, multi-step dredging project, of approximately 1,900 acres of the 4,800-acre lake, designed to remove sediment and encroaching vegetation from the lake in order to improve the fisheries habitat, restore the historic shoreline, improve navigation, preserve 60 percent coverage of desirable submerged aquatic plants, and protect water quality (SWFWMD 2003). Total costs for the project are estimated at approximately $26 million. Construction of the upland spoil disposal facility for Steps 2 and 3 began in December 2003. Dredging is expected to begin by July 2004 and is expected to continue through 2007.

1999
Lake Panasoffkee Restoration--1999 Archive - …Lake Panasoffkee in Sumter County as a $26-million, six-step restoration program gets underway. Unlike most other threatened lakes throughout the state currently undergoing ambitious refurbishing projects directed by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Lake Panasoffkee has always enjoyed excellent water quality due to substantial groundwater flows from the Florida aquifer. Instead, the 7.5-square mile lake’s woes center on a loss of desirable fisheries habitat. Article found on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website, under Freshwater Fisheries Updates, written by Herb Allen (HA), a renowned outdoor writer… (sorry, this article is no longer available for viewing as the FWC has removed it from their website… ha37-pan.html)

2000
Lake Panasoffkee Restoration--2000 Archive - Phase One of a six-step, $26-million restoration project is underway at Lake Panasoffkee in Sumter County. …Scientists predict the lake’s life will be prolonged by 100 years at the completion of Phase Six when Panasoffkee’s bottom is dredged from the 34-foot contour shoreward, thus deepening 78 percent of the lake by at least one foot. Article found on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website, under Freshwater Fisheries Updates, written by Herb Allen (HA), a renowned outdoor writer… (sorry, this article is no longer available for viewing as the FWC has removed it from their website… ha53-pan.html)

2003
Sumter requests millions from lawmakers - Jimmy Brooks from the Southwest Florida Water Management District asked the legislators for $7.3 million in funding to continue the Lake Panasoffkee restoration project. - by Jodie Munro O’Brien, Daily Commercial

2003
Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council - 2003 Report to the Legislature - This 2003 Report provides the required progress report for 2003 and recommendations for the upcoming year.

2004
Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Project - On January 30, 2004 Sumter County and The Southwest Florida Water Management District celebrated the beginning of the dredging phase of the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration project with a dedication ceremony on Friday, January 30, 2004 at 10:00 a.m.

2004
Step Forward In Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Project - The Lake Panasoffkee restoration project involves dredging approximately 8.4 million cubic yards of sediment from the lake, which will improve fish habitat, restore the historic lake shoreline and improve navigation. The project will also restore approximately 920 acres of open-water habitat that has been lost to the encroachment of dense emergent vegetation since the 1940s. Lake Panasoffkee is designated as an Outstanding Florida Water by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and is one of the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) priority water bodies.

2004-2005
Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Photo Album

2005
Lake Panasoffkee Progress Report - Dredging Continues - Members of the Withlacoochee River Basin Board and the Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Council recently surveyed the progress of the four-step, multimillion dollar Lake Panasoffkee restoration project. The Lake Panasoffkee restoration project involves dredging approximately 8.2 million cubic yards of sediment from the lake, which will improve fish habitat, restore the historic lake shoreline and improve navigation. The project will also restore approximately 920 acres of open-water habitat that has been lost since the 1940s to the encroachment of dense emergent vegetation.

May 13, 2006
Lake Panasoffkee Restoration Celebration

Miscellaneous Information:

The lake is located in the Outlet River drainage basin in the Withlacoochee River watershed. The drainage area for Lake Panasoffkee is 320 square miles.

The highest surface water elevation for Lake Panasoffkee recorded in the Water Management Data Base, 44.28 feet above NGVD, occurred on April 5, 1960. The low of record, 36.73 feet above NGVD, occurred on June 6, 2002.

Surface water inflow to the lake occurs from Big Jones and Little Jones Creeks to the north, and Shady Brook to the south. The lake discharges to the west via the Outlet River to the Withlacoochee River. Although there are permitted ground water withdrawals within the surrounding lake area, there are no surface water withdrawals from the lake currently permitted by the District.

October 2005
Proposed Minimum and Guidance Levels for Lake Panasoffkee - State law (Section 373.042, Florida Statutes; hereafter F.S.) directs the Department of Environmental Protection or the water management districts to establish minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for lakes, wetlands, rivers and aquifers. As currently defined by statute, the minimum level of an aquifer or surface water body is "the level of groundwater in the aquifer and the level of surface water at which further withdrawals would be significantly harmful to the water resources of the area". Adoption of a minimum water level does not necessarily protect a water body from significant harm, however, protection, recovery or regulatory compliance can be gauged once a standard has been established.

2001
Withlacoochee River Watershed Plan 2001 - The Southwest Florida Water Management District has developed the Comprehensive Watershed Management (CWM) program to conduct water resource assessment and planning on a watershed basis. The CWM was designed to allow for careful evaluation of the regional status of water resources, with emphasis on the District’s (Mission) Areas of Responsibility (AORs): Water Supply; Flood Protection; Water Quality; and Natural Systems.

1998
Office of Program Policy Analysis And Government Accountability - Follow-Up Report on the Surface Water Improvement and Management Program - The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is assigned general oversight responsibility for SWIM. However, the chief planning and implementation role is assigned to the state’s five water management districts (WMDs). Each WMD, with the cooperation of other state agencies, local governments, and the public prepare and maintain a list of prioritized water bodies of state and regional significance.

1995
Office of Program Policy Analysis And Government Accountability - Review of the Implementation of the Surface Water Improvement and Management Program by the Department of Environmental Protection and the Five Water Management Districts - This review addressed the following questions: What progress has been made since the SWIM Program was created in 1987? What factors have hindered the SWIM Program’s efforts? and What options exist for the SWIM Program?.