Picnic Island South

Photo by Matthew Paulson

In 1885, Port Tampa began its developmental stage with Henry B. Plants’ railroad. The railroad ended in Port Tampa and allowed the area to become integral in military maneuvers and transportation of goods. Port Tampa was annexed by the City of Tampa in 1967, though the neighborhoods and their residents still cultivate its heritage. Picnic Island Park offers scenic views along the sandy shores of Old Tampa Bay and Tampa Bay. Located at the merging point for the two water bodies, the park consists of 7.8 acres and its guests partake in canoeing, fishing and picnicking. Access to Picnic Island Bayou is also available. The pet friendly park has a completely fenced in portion that is off-leash and has water access. The City operates the park, with hours from sunrise to sunset. Lifeguards are on duty from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Onsite amenities include drinking water, rinse area, shade, benches and picnic shelters available for rental. Fishing regulations/licenses may apply. This site references results obtained from monitoring along the northern shores.

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Water Quality

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Current Status
This status is based on the latest sample. The Swim Guide - Florida updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available.

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Source Information

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) adopted new water quality criteria January 2016 for the Healthy Beaches program. They reflect the most current recommendations and water quality grant requirements in the 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Hillsborough County beaches are monitored by the Florida Healthy Beaches Program. Monitoring results are collected weekly on Monday and results are posted to the Florida Healthy beaches website on Wednesday. Samples are collected year round, however the peak season is from Mid-April to November. Swim Guide checks for the latest information daily, Monday - Friday.

The Florida Healthy Beaches Program Categories are: Good = 0-35 Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water;Moderate = 36-70 Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water, and;Poor = 71 or greater Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water. The 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria recommends using 70 CFU per 100 mL as the Beach Action Value (BAV) to guide public health advisories. A Single Sample Maximum (SSM) at 70 CFU per 100 ml and a BAV are functionally the same. If the sample result is above the indicated value, the beach is resampled and tested the following day or a beach advisory is issued with the first test result. The Healthy Beaches program no longer uses geometric means to represent recreational water quality data.On Swim Guide a beach is marked Green when it has a Good or Moderate standing meaning the SSM test results show Enterococci counts between 0- 70 cfu (colony forming units) / 100ml.Swim Guide marks a beach Red when it has a Poor standing. This means the SSM test results show Enterococci counts exceeds the BAV of 70 cfu/100ml. These conservative advisories better inform vulnerable people (children, elderly, and the immunocompromised) who have elevated health risks due to water quality at the beach.A beach is marked Grey when no current or reliable monitoring information is available.Please note: Vibrio vulnificus bacteria, also called flesh eating disease, is a naturally occurring bacteria in some of Florida's waters. This bacteria can be lethal, especially when contracted by individuals with compromised immune systems. Concentrations of the bacteria are higher in the mouths of rivers near oceans. The bacteria is most dangerous when ingested in raw seafood but recent deaths are attributed to individuals who have waded in water with broken skin. Beach goers are urged to use caution and consult a physician if you suspect you have come in contact with the bacteria.

Water Quality Graph