Water Quality Contour Maps

Generate your own custom map!

In addition to the automatically generated monthly contour maps below, the new system allows anyone to generate their own custom water quality contour maps.

Create your map

Compare contour maps!

We've added a new tool to help you compare contour maps of different parameters and/or dates.

Compare Maps

Contour mapping is one of the best ways to visualize spatial differences in coastal water quality. The maps presented below are generated automatically by spatial processes that originally were developed using funding from the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County (EPCHC), through its Pollution Recovery Fund. Sarasota County funded map generation for coastal bays and inlets from Palma Sola Bay to Lemon Bay, and the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP) supported development of additional contour maps for Southwest Florida.

The water quality data used to create Charlotte Harbor area contour maps are supplied by the Coastal Charlotte Harbor Monitoring Network (CCHMN), a cooperative network supported by the efforts of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the South Florida Water Management District, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection-Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves, Lee County, Charlotte County, and the cities of Sanibel and Cape Coral.

Disclaimer

Like any data provisioning system, the Water Quality Contour Mapping application has some restrictions to use. The below disclaimer should be read carefully before requesting contour maps. Also, the user should fully understand that the information provided should in no way be altered to misrepresent data content or the degree of accuracy provided by the data.

The data obtained from the Charlotte Harbor NEP Water Atlas may be provisional and thus subject to revision. The sponsoring project partners, the Florida Center for Community Design and Research at the University of South Florida, and the University of South Florida specifically disclaim any warranty, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular use. The entire risk as to quality and performance is with the user.
In no event will the sponsoring project partners, the Florida Center for Community Design and Research at the University of South Florida, the University of South Florida, or the data providers themselves be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or other damages, including loss of profit, arising out of the use of these data even if the funding agencies, sponsoring project partners, data providers, or the University of South Florida or the Florida Center for Community Design and Research at the University of South Florida have been advised of the possibility of such damages. If you have any questions concerning these data, please use this data contact form.

If you have any specific ideas that could help us improve the water quality contour mapping system or if you have questions related to the limitations of the current system, please provide your suggestions using our comment form.

I have read and acknowledge the limitations of the current water quality contour mapping system.

Accept Decline

Contour Mapping Timeline

The image being displayed is showing Chlorophyll a data starting with the most recent month of data and cycling through to the oldest contour map generated. Below are the available parameters having contour maps generated routinely. Select from the list below to see the change over time.

Map Legend

Chlorophyll a (ug/l)

Contour Map Parameters

Monthly Generated Water Quality Contour Maps

Each month new contour maps are automatically generated for the parameters listed below. You can also select a prior year to access archived maps.

The PDF documents below contain maps showing both the parameter distribution within the bays for the selected month, as well as the average monthly distribution for that parameter over the previous ten years (if available).

Filter By Year:

Contour Maps for All Available Parameters
Parameter	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC

Featured Programs