Lakes in an individual lake region exhibit remarkable similarities. However, lakes in one lake region may differ significantly from those in a different lake region. For example, most lakes in the New Hope Ridge/Greenhead Slope lake region in northwestern Florida (in Washington, Bay, Calhoun, and Jackson Counties) tend to have lower total nitrogen, lower total phosphorus, lower chlorophyll concentrations and higher Secchi depths when compared to other Florida lakes.

In contrast, lakes in the Lakeland/Bone Valley Upland lake region in central Florida (in Polk and Hillsborough Counties) tend to have higher total nitrogen, higher total phosphorus, higher chlorophyll concentrations and lower Secchi depths, when similarly compared.

Using descriptions of lake regions, reasonable and attainable water management goals and strategies can be established for individual lakes.

In addition, lakes with water chemistry that differs markedly from that of other lakes in the same lake region can be identified and investigated to determine the cause of their being atypical.

The lake regions are mapped and described in this EPA publication: Lake Regions of Florida (scroll down to the second part of the EPA page to the section and PDF maps on lake regions of Florida).