TAMPA, FLA. -- It's more than just a name, it's a vital resource, and believe it or not, the health and image of our water is critical.
According to information obtained by the Tampa Bay Business Journal, Bay water was dirty in 1975, as indicated by the dark blue circles in the graph. As the circles almost turn white by 2013, Tampa Bay is cleaner than ever -- and that means money.
"The first thing that anybody sees when they fly into this community is the water," said Port Tampa Bay CEO Paul Anderson, who knows how vital our water is. Thursday night at the Grand Hyatt on Tampa Bay, he hosted a summit of port directors from across the Western Hemisphere here to do business.
"The port alone provides 15 billion dollars in annual economic impact and 80,000 jobs," said Anderson.
And it's not just the industry. Beautiful water attracts tourism and recreation including cruising, boating, diving, and fishing. It packs our hotels and restaurants, creates revenue, and keep our residents working.
This graph shows the percentage of the work force that depends on Tampa Bay -- 47%.
"And having clean water makes our community look like a place where people want to live, play, work, visit, and more importantly spend their money in," said Anderson.
The bottom line? The bay is beautiful, and it's up to all residents to keep it pristine and the economic engine roaring.
