Celebrating Paradise

State of the Bay

2010

Staying the Course

SARASOTA BAY

E S T U A R Y P R O G R A M

Restoring Our Bays
2010 Project Area Map

Palmetto

53rd. Ave.

Cortez Rd.

Manatee Ave. W.

10th St. Anna Maria Island

75th St. W.

Tampa

Bay

Terra Ceia

Bay

Palma Sola

Bay

Longboat Pass

41

41

301

41

Bradenton

Cortez

Braden River

Manatee River

19

275

Anna Maria Sound

75

Coquina Beach

Tampa Bay Reef

Bradenton Beach Pier Reef

Leffis Key Reef

Bayshore North Reef

Sister Keys Preserve

Leffis Key Park

Grassy Point Preserve

Robinson Preserve

Perico Bayou 

FISH Preserve1

Perico Causeway (Scenic Highway) Wares Cre ke

Ballard Elementary School

Bulkheads Reef

Emerson Point Reef

De Soto National Memorial & Preserve

Palma Sola Bay-Front Park

Wares Creek Restoration

Pine Island

FISH Preserve 2

Gladiola Fields Oyster Habitat

Emerson Point Preserve

Neal Preserve

Herb Dolan Park

1912 Cortez Schoolhouse

(to I-75)

(to I-75)

Sarasota Bay Estuary Program

Habitat Restoration Projects 

and

The Gulf Coast Heritage Trail

The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program is dedicated to restoring the 

region’s greatest and most important 

natural asset — Sarasota Bay. The 

program strives to improve water 

quality, increase habitat and enhance 

natural resources of the area for the 

use and enjoyment to the public.

Northern Sarasota Bay: a place of spectacular beauty.
Celebrating Paradise Staying the Course

State of the Bay

2010

SARASOTA BAY

E S T U A R Y P R O G R A M

Restoring Our Bays

SARASOTA BAY

E S T U A R Y P R O G R A M

Restoring Our Bays
Comprehensive Conservation 

Management Plan 

Re-Examination

Table of Contents

Sarasota Bay: 

Our Greatest Asset

4 Introduction

5 Accomplishments

6 About the Bay

7 Sarasota Bay Management

 Goals

8 Sarasota Bay History

10 Sarasota Bay Shows 

 Significant Improvements

 Water Quality 

 Nitrogen Pollution

 Bacteria Contamination

 Wastewater Pollution

 Air Pollution

 Stormwater Pollution

12 Tributary Watershed Management Plans

 Phillippi Creek

 Bowlees Creek

 Whitaker Bayou

13 Sarasota Bay Technical Studies 

 Water Quality Targets

 Macroalgae 

 Red Tide

 Fisheries Independent Monitoring

14 Bay Habitats

 Freshwater Wetlands

 Saltwater Wetlands

15 Wetland Restoration

16 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation

 Seagrass

 Seagrass Targets

17 Hard-Bottom Habitats 

 Oysters

 Artificial Reefs

SARASOTA BAY

E S T U A R Y P R O G R A M State of the Bay 2010 Restoring Our Bays

Public Involvement:

Engage, Educate, and Encourage

18 Community Involvement in Restoring the Bay

 Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC)

 Special Projects Initiated by the CAC

19 Learning Through Service

 Bay Buddies 

 Sarasota Bay Guardians

20 Environmental Education Programs

 Protection, Involvement, Education & 

 Restoration Program (PIER Program)

 Pooches for the Planet 

 Florida-Friendly Landscaping Principles

22 Bay Partners Grants Program 

24 Sarasota Bay Events 

 Bay Wise Kayak Tours

 Participation in Workshops and Conferences

25 Electronic Media 

 Website: www.sarasotabay.org

 Video: ‘Sarasota Bay: Celebrating Our Water Heritage’

 ‘Bay Reflections’ E-newsletter

26 Publications 

 ‘Living On the Waters Edge’ Brochures

 ‘Landscaping for Climate Change’

 ‘Gulf Coast Heritage Trail’

28 Call to Action 

 Citizen Participation in Restoring and Protecting 

 Sarasota Bay and Its Tributaries is Critical 

 Volunteer Opportunities

Celebrating Paradise Staying the Course
CCMP Action Plans

29 Introduction to the CCMP Action Plans

30 Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation

30 Stormwater Treatment and Prevention

32 Freshwater and Saltwater Wetlands

33 Fisheries and Other Living Resources

35 Recreational Use

36 Governance to Oversee Implementation

38 Glossary

40 Project Area Map

41 Acknowledgements 
Celebrating Paradise 

Celebrating Paradise – Staying the Course” State of the Bay 2010 is an update on progress 

made in carrying out the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). 

Included in this document are revisions of the CCMP to “The Voyage to Paradise Reclaimed,” 

signed in 1995 by the Governor of Florida and the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency. The fully revised CCMP is in preparation and will be released in 2011.

The achievements since 1989, when this Bay Program was founded, have been substantial, 

with reductions in nitrogen and bacterial pollution, recovery and restoration of natural habitats, 

and increased public education and access for recreational opportunities.

Staying the Course

South Lido; Sarasota. 

“
With the founding of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program in 1989, 

a partnership among local government agencies was established. 

Results of that partnership include:

•	Significant water quality improvements in the Bay and tributaries due

to an estimated 64-percent reduction in nitrogen pollution since 1988 

	•	Seagrass coverage has increased by 24 percent above 1950

	•	Scallops returned to the Bay in 2008

	•	Restoration and enhancement of approximately 650 acres of wetland

 habitat with creation of 28 new ecological parks around the Bay

	•	Manufacture and deployment of 3,000 artificial reef modules on

 nine new reefs

	•	Establishment of the first oyster re-colonization projects

	•	Creation of the Gulf Coast Heritage Trail to promote managed 		

 public access to points of environmental, cultural, and historic 

 interests around the Bay

	•	Establishment of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program as a special 		

 district within the state of Florida

	•	Implementation of a comprehensive public education program. 		

		 Since 2001, 34,000 local school children have received outdoor 		

 education about Sarasota Bay 

	•	All Sarasota Bay waters now meet state water

		 quality standards for nutrient pollution

Accomplishments

The Sarasota Bay Estuary 

Program received first place 

as a Gulf Guardian in 2009 

by the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency, Gulf 

of Mexico Program. The 

accolade came in the 

“Partnership” category due 

to water quality and 

seagrass improvements.
6 State of the Bay 2010

Estuaries are places where freshwater 

mixes with salty water from the sea.

Teaming with life, our nation’s estuaries 

provide vital habitats for 80 percent of 

the world’s fish and shellfish species. 

Estuaries are one of our nation’s most 

valuable natural resources, creating more 

food per acre than the richest farmland. 

About the Bay

Sarasota Bay: Our Greatest Natural Asset

 Although Sarasota Bay is not a classic 

estuary with the influence of a major 

river, it is still a highly productive coastal 

lagoon system. The lagoon is formed 

by a necklace of barrier islands to the 

west and the mainland of Manatee and 

Sarasota counties to the east. The coastal 

lagoon – with its unique ecological

character of small embayments, 

tidal tributaries, coves, inlets, 

and passes – is bounded by Anna 

Maria Sound to the north and 

stretches to just north of the 

Venice inlet to the south.

 Sarasota Bay is made of a series 

of smaller bays or embayments. 

Each of these embayments is unique

from one another. They differ in 

overall size, shape, water depth, 

habitat, sediment characterization, 

circulation, freshwater inputs, 

and pollutant delivery. Because of 

these differences, each embayment 

must be analyzed and managed 

independently, while but at the same 

time recognizing their connectivity. 

The following embayments have 

their own unique characteristics:

Palma Sola Bay, Big Sarasota Bay, 

Roberts Bay, Little Sarasota Bay, and 

Blackburn Bay. 

 Tributaries are creeks or 

streams that gather water from 

the adjacent lands (watershed) 

and discharge it into a bay. The 

primary tributaries are Palma Sola 

Creek, Bowlees Creek, Whitaker 

Bayou, Hudson Bayou, Phillippi 

Creek, Catfish Creek, North 

Creek, and South Creek.

Watershed map.

For purposes of this 

document, “Sarasota 

Bay” refers to the area 

that encompasses all 

of the Bays from the 

northern tip of Anna 

Maria Island south to 

Venice Inlet.

Big Pass area near Sarasota.
State of the Bay 2010 7

Sarasota Bay was named an “estuary 

of national significance” in the Water 

Quality Act of 1987. After official 

designation as a National Estuary Program 

in June 1989, a Policy Committee of local 

elected officials and high-ranking federal 

and state officials was established to oversee 

program operations. 

 Policy Committee members first took 

action by establishing citizen, technical, 

and management committees to assist in 

developing program activities and to institute 

these core policy themes:

	 •	Make public awareness a high priority

	 •	Seek the required level of funds from

 all available sources to implement 

 the program

	 •	Increase overall visibility of

 the program

	 •	Focus the program on action, 	

 not study, whenever possible

The Comprehensive Conservation 

and Management Plan (CCMP) in 1995 

recognized the success of the program’s 

operations by maintaining staff to oversee the 

committee structure to implement the Bay 

Restoration Plan. The CCMP set restoration 

goals and called for an independent review of 

progress every three years. 

Sarasota Bay Management

As a part of the 2001 triennial 

review of program performance, the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

recommended that the Sarasota Bay 

Estuary Program (SBEP) “establish a more 

formal agreement with its stakeholders.”

 The SBEP was established as a special 

district in Florida on July 23, 2004, with

the signing of an interlocal agreement. 

Partners to the agreement are Sarasota 

County, Manatee County, City of Sarasota, 

City of Bradenton, Town of Longboat Key, 

Florida Department of Environmental 

Protection, and Southwest Florida Water 

Management District (SWFWMD). U.S. 

EPA is participating as a partner under 

memoranda of understanding.

The SBEP is one of twenty-eight 

EPA National Estuary Programs in the 

United States. There are four National 

Estuary Programs in the State of Florida 

including Indian River Lagoon NEP, 

Tampa Bay Estuary Program, and 

Charlotte Harbor Estuary Program.

Sponsored in part by the

Manasota Basin Board of the

Goals

The SBEP continues to focus 

on eight goals:

1. Improve water transparency

2. Reduce the quantity and 

improve the quality of 

stormwater runoff to the Bay

3. Restore lost seagrasses 

and shoreline habitats, 

and eliminate further losses

4. Establish an appropriate 

management structure for 

Sarasota Bay

5. Provide increased levels of 

managed access to Sarasota 

Bay and its resources

6. Restore and sustain fish 

and other living resources in 

Sarasota Bay

7. Improve beach, inlet, and 

channel management

8. Educate the public on 

issues and problems facing 

Sarasota Bay

SARASOTA BAY E S T U A R Y P R O G R A M

Citizens Advisory Committee field trip to 

Quick Point Nature Preserve. 
8 State of the Bay 2010

Sarasota Bay was formed about 6,000 years ago. Sea 

level has fluctuated substantially during the past few 

million years in response to global climate changes and 

alterations in polar ice caps. Geologically, sea level in what 

is now the Sarasota Bay area has ranged from as much as 

330 feet below to perhaps as much as 100 feet above present

levels. As recently as 17,000 years ago, the shoreline of the 

Gulf of Mexico was approximately 60 miles to the west.

Sarasota Bay served as a primary waterway for the 

Tocobaga, Timucuan, and Calusa Indians during the 1500s.

Huge shell mounds, called middens, were created by 

these people and are still visible on the mainland of Sarasota 

Bay. However, diseases brought to the New World by 

Europeans during the late 16th century destroyed these early 

Indian populations.

 

Cuban fishers established fish camps, 

or rancheros, on the shore of the Bay 

from 1700 to the mid-1800s. Mullet 

and mullet roe were the principal 

products traded with Havana then, 

although drum, turtle, and trout 

were also salted and shipped south. 

Seminole Indians, newly arrived in 

the Sarasota Bay area, also roamed 

the Bay and coastal region hunting, 

fishing, and farming.

	 European explorers used

Sarasota Bay as a sheltered water 

link between Charlotte Harbor and 

Tampa Bay. An early homesteader 

to the region was Josiah Gates, who 

Sarasota Bay History

Tarpon were bountiful. (Florida archives)

Cortez fishermen pulling their nets 

off Anna Maria Bayfront Park. 

(Florida archives)

Clam digging in early 1900s. 

(Sarasota County Dept. of Historical Resources)

arrived in the Manatee River area in 1842. A year later, 

William Whitaker sailed to the high yellow bluffs on the 

mainland further south and staked his claim to what is now 

much of the northwest portion of the City of Sarasota. 

Beginning in 1920, large scale drainage projects 

were constructed to eventually drain 100,000 acres of 

freshwater sawgrass marsh. These marshes extended

east of the coastal ridge to 

Myakka and from Tampa Bay to 

Charlotte Harbor. The marshes 

were drained initially to create 

agricultural opportunities and 

later provided residential and 

commercial landscapes. 

The slow trickle of settlers 

became a stream, and then a flood 

after World War II. Although fewer 

than 100,000 people lived in the 

Sarasota Bay area 50 years ago, that 

early settler population has now 

swelled to more than 500,000, 

with continued growth projected.

Coastal and Bay development 

intensified from the late 1950s 

to 1970, as hundreds of acres 

of Bay bottom were dredged to 

produce waterfront lots. Canals 

were dredged and the spoil used 

to create subdivisions. The drained 

saltwater marshes were converted to 

residential neighborhoods.
State of the Bay 2010 9

Bird Key, located between the City of 

Sarasota mainland and St. Armands Key, 

was once the location of one of the largest 

seagrass beds in Sarasota Bay. The Bird 

Key development was bulkheaded with 

seawalls. Dredges filled the area behind 

the seawalls with material from the Bay 

bottom, and the resulting expanded island

was subdivided into single-family home 

sites (shown in the images above).

During this development cycle, the 

Intracoastal Waterway was dredged to 

provide a deep, protected channel running 

the length of the Bay and beyond. Dredgespoil islands were created throughout 

the Bay during construction of the 

Intracoastal Waterway, covering seagrass 

beds and changing water-circulation 

patterns. The natural shore was gradually 

replaced by seawalls to retain dredge-andfill material for housing sites, with the 

seawalls protecting the homes from storms 

and boat wakes.

As development took place regionally, natural land 

cover was replaced by nonporous parking lots, roads, and 

rooftops. Seagrass coverage was reduced as as result of 

declining water quality.	 

Bird Key/Big Pass, Sarasota. 

Image to the left is the same area 

in 1927.

(A Historical Geography of Southwest 

Florida Waterways”)

Sarasota Bay was a very different place in 

1989 from what native residents remember. 

Seagrass beds had diminished, and remaining 

seagrass flats were scarred by the tracks of 

boat propellers. Scallop, oyster, and clam 

harvests were also reduced, and anglers’ 

catches were generally reduced as well. 

Miles of natural shoreline habitats 

had been replaced by seawalls, and onceabundant mangrove wetlands depleted. 

Intense residential and commercial 

development throughout the Bay area 

created an accompanying increase in 

stormwater runoff, wastewater pollution, 

sediment and chemical contaminants in 

the Bay. The human-social environment 

had changed as well, with people often 

unfamiliar with their neighbors and 

generally lacking a sense of place 

and community. 

In 1989, a new vision was established 

by the citizens of Sarasota Bay to reclaim its 

integrity. This vision included a Sarasota Bay with clear waters 

and abundant habitat, people experiencing this abundance

while soaking up its natural beauty, and commitment through 

education to engage the community in cultivating this vision 

of a healthy Sarasota Bay. As a result the Sarasota Bay Estuary 

Program was formed.

In 1989, a new vision was 

established by the citizens 

of Sarasota Bay to reclaim 

its integrity. As a result the 

Sarasota Bay Estuary 

Program was formed.
10 State of the Bay 2010

Sarasota Bay Shows Significant Improvements

Water Quality

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection 

(FDEP) is responsible for ensuring that state waters meet 

federally mandated water quality standards. Every five years,

the state of Florida revaluates Sarasota Bay and tributaries 

to see if its waters meet these standards. The SBEP and its 

partners continue to monitor and evaluate water quality

within the Bay and its tributaries. 

In 2009, all major segments of Sarasota Bay met water 

quality standards and were removed from the state list of

impaired water bodies. However, several tributaries and 

embayments are potentially impaired. These include Cedar 

Hammock, Eligraw Bayou, Hudson Bayou, Clower Creek, 

North Creek, and South Creek. Three tributaries have been 

verified as impaired for action: Bowlees Creek, Whitaker 

Bayou, and Phillippi Creek. 

Two main types of pollution affect Sarasota Bay waters: 

nitrogen and bacteria.

Nitrogen Pollution

Nitrogen is the principal pollutant of concern in 

Sarasota Bay. While nitrogen is an essential plant nutrient, 

it is possible to have “too much of a good thing.” Nitrogen 

enters the tributaries, and ultimately the Bay, from a variety 

of sources, including wastewater, stormwater, groundwater, 

and the atmosphere. Excess nitrogen causes algal blooms that

cloud the water and reduce the amount of light available for 

submerged seagrasses. An overabundance of nitrogen can also 

contribute to a significant increase in macroalgal biomass; 

when these plants die and decompose, they deplete oxygen

available for fish and other organisms. 

Nitrogen pollution in Sarasota Bay has decreased 

by approximately 64 percent since 1989. The decrease

can be attributed to improvements in wastewater and 

stormwater management.

The SBEP and its partners continue to monitor and 

research nitrogen nutrient dynamics, light penetration, 

chlorophyll levels, and other key water quality parameters to

understand and manage nutrient loading to the Bay. 

Bacteria Contamination

Bacterial contamination is currently assessed as fecal 

and total coliform, which are indicators of human health 

risks. Primary sources of bacteria can be either natural or 

human in origin. Therefore, to develop an appropriate 

management plan to reduce bacteria, a source or sources 

must first be identified. 

Bacterial contamination levels in tributaries leading 

to Sarasota Bay have also declined as a result of the 

implementation of the Comprehensive Conservation and 

Management Plan.

Bacterial levels, however, intermittently remain above 

standards in three waterbodies – Palma Sola Bay, Bowlees 

Creek, and Phillippi Creek – and are listed as impaired by the 

DEP. In Phillippi Creek, studies have concluded that septic 

tanks are the source of elevated bacteria; sources have not 

been identified in Palma Sola Bay and Bowlees Creek.

Wastewater Pollution 

Wastewater treatment plants with direct discharge to 

surface waters within the Sarasota Bay are being eliminated. 

Only two plants remain; both are scheduled to be 

eliminated in this decade. 

The recurrence of prolonged droughts in Southwest 

Florida has led to the emergence of reclaimed wastewater as a 

valuable alternative source for irrigation. All partners within 

the watershed have developed reclaimed water systems that 

have resulted in nearly 60 percent of wastewater now being 

reclaimed as alternative supply. The remainder is to be 

injected using deep well technology.

In addition, Sarasota County has been consolidating 

its small wastewater treatment plants and replacing existing

septic tanks with centralized systems. Today, only 14 

treatment plants remain in the basin. 

Wastewater Pollution 

was Decreased by 95%
State of the Bay 2010 11

on retention and detention ponds, removes only 30 to 40

percent of the nitrogen that enters these systems.

To address stormwater pollution, regional stormwater 

treatment systems have been constructed. Fertilizer 

ordinances prohibiting nitrogen application during the 

summer wet season have been implemented. 

Florida-Friendly Landscaping programs and a LowImpact Design manual have also been created and pest 

mangement programs have been implemented.

The development of these program and practices is designed 

to remediate additional increases in nitrogen pollution in the 

watershed. Stormwater reuse is an option for the future.

Stormwater discharged through pipes delivers pollution to the Bay. (New College)

Air Pollution 

National studies have indicated that air pollution 

contributes substantial nitrogen pollution to estuaries. 

Atmospheric studies sponsored by the SBEP show that while 

nitrogen levels have doubled in the atmosphere in the past 

50 years, direct deposition only accounts for 14 percent of the 

total nitrogen input to Sarasota Bay. These studies also showed 

that current levels of atmospheric nitrogen do not stimulate 

algal productivity within Sarasota Bay. Approximately 80

percent of the atmospheric nitrogen that falls on Sarasota 

Bay is produced by local “mobile emission” sources such as 

vehicles, motor boats, and lawn mowers. Additional research 

and education is warranted to reduce these emissions and their 

effects on water quality and climate change.	

Stormwater Pollution

During the first half of the 20th century, large-scale 

government-sponsored efforts were undertaken to drain 

sawgrass marshes and ponds redefining the natural 

landscape. The resulting drainage network was expanded

from 1950 to 1980, conveying stormwater from the many 

new residential development projects for the purpose of 

flood control.

These drainage activities, coupled with an increase in 

impervious surface area from paving, further accelerated 

stormwater runoff. 

As wastewater loads were being reduced, stormwater 

loads were increasing, and soon comprised 44 percent 

of the total nitrogen load to the Bay. This increase has 

resulted in making stormwater pollution a top regional 

priority. Conventional stormwater treatment, which relies 

Stormwater Runoff Contributes 

the Most Pollution to the Bay

Wastewater Nitrogen Loads (Tons/yr)

Atmospheric

15%

Point Source 5%

Non-Point 

Source

44%

Baseflow

20%
12 State of the Bay 2010

Tributary Watershed Management Plans

Since all segments of Sarasota Bay meet state water 

quality standards, the focus has shifted to improving the

tributaries. The tributaries contributing the greatest pollution 

load to Sarasota Bay are Phillippi Creek, Bowlees Creek, and 

Whitaker Bayou.

Phillippi Creek

 Nitrogen pollution levels in Phillippi Creek have 

declined 60 percent since 1988. Although Phillippi Creek 

remains listed for fecal and total coliforms, significant 

work has been completed on the system: 

• 	Removal of 19 small private wastewater treatment plants

•	Construction and expansion of the Bee Ridge 	 	

 wastewater treatment facility to accommodate 

 additional flow

• Construction of the Celery Fields Regional 	 	 	

 Stormwater Treatment Facility and Pine Craft Levee 

 Project to prevent flooding

• Continuing implementation of the septic-to-sewer program

Bowlees Creek 

			 		 Although Bowlees Creek still exceeds state standards

for both nitrogen pollution and bacteria, Manatee County 

has implemented significant stormwater and wastewater 

programs to remediate impairment:

•	 Installation of silt traps in the Airport Drain

 stormwater system 

•	Construction of a stormwater treatment system, silt 	 	

 traps and littoral zone plantings in Nicholson Branch

•	Upgrade to the Sarasota Cay Club Marina pump-out facility

•	Modernization of sewer system service to Trailer Estates

•	Assessment of the performance of sewer lines in the Creek basin

•	Expansion of stormwater treatment capacity of Lake Brennan

Phillippi Creek, Sarasota. 
State of the Bay 2010 13

Red Tide

Another critical issue for Southwest Florida and Sarasota 

Bay is red tide. Understanding the relationship between water 

quality pollution and the development and persistence of

red tide is a top SBEP priority. Scientists do not agree on the 

cause of red tide; however, it is speculated that human-derived 

pollutants (nutrients) may be intensifying and prolonging the 

red tides along the coast

Initial SBEP sponsored research by Mote Marine 

Laboratory found that nutrients in rainfall had a greater 

impact on phytoplankton growth (Karenia brevis, the red 

tide organism) in the Gulf of Mexico than in Sarasota Bay.

More recently, studies have been undertaken to determine 

which nutrient species (i.e., nitrates, ammonia, urea, etc.) are 

preferred by different species of algae, and possibly red tide. 

However, a red tide event has not occurred in Sarasota Bay 

since 2005 to evaluate species preferences.

Macroalgae

Another plant community found in Sarasota Bay is 

commonly referred to as macroalgae. These bottom-dwelling 

plants occur naturally in the Bay and Gulf. However, when 

Sarasota Bay Technical Studies

excess nutrients are present in the water, macroalgae are very

good at competing with other plant communities (seagrasses 

and phytoplankton) for these nutrients and rapidly increasing 

in biomass. When this happens, large mats of algae become 

free from the bottom, where they may blanket and suffocate 

seagrass meadows and ultimately wash up on local beaches. 

The plants then become a nuisance to beachgoers.

The SBEP recently contracted with Harbor Branch 

Oceanographic Institute at Florida Altantic University for 

a study to address macroalgae biomass and distribution in 

the Bay and to determine where nutrients come from that 

fuel its growth. Two sampling events, one each during the 

wet and dry seasons, quantify the type and amount of algae

species in the Bay. For each species, a tissue sample is collected 

to analyze its nitrogen signature. From this analysis, the 

source of the nitrogen responsible for nourishing the algae 

can be determined. This will help to refine targeted nutrient 

management strategies.

Water Quality Targets

For the past several years, the SBEP has been working 

with its partners to establish local water quality targets for the

maintenance and restoration of seagrass beds in Sarasota Bay. 

Developing these targets also coincides with the EPA’s intent to 

develop water quailty standards for all waters within Florida.

	 To date, the SBEP has established seagrass and water quality

targets for each Bay segment. The SBEP and partners are in the 

process of establishing empirical relationships between seagrass, 

chlorophyll, light, and nutrient loading to each Bay segment. 

Appropriate water quality standards and numeric loading

criteria will be recommended to the EPA and FDEP.

Whitaker Bayou 

Significant improvements have been made to improve 

water quality in this watershed.

A watershed management plan by SWFWMD and 

Sarasota County to address water quality impairments

is planned for 2010. In addition, the SBEP, in 

partnership with Sarasota County and the City of 

Sarasota, is developing a stormwater and habitat 

restoration and management plan for Whitaker Bayou.

• The City of Sarasota and Sarasota County have 

upgraded the wastewater treatment plant and 

distribution system, provided sewer service 

to remaining homes with septic tanks in the 

watershed, removed remaining small private 

wastewater treatment plants, and expanded urban

and agricultural use systems to reduce wastewater 

discharge to the Bayou. In 2009 the City 

Commission approved removal of the discharge in 

Whitaker Bayou.

•

Fisheries Independent Monitoring

The Florida Wildlife Research Institute has conducted 

a long-term fisheries monitoring program – the Fisheries 

Independent Monitoring (FIM) program – since the late 

1980s. This program, which monitors Florida’s coastal 

fishery resources, finally came to Sarasota Bay in 2009. 

The FIM program uses standardized sampling techniques

throughout the state; the data are used for generating fish 

species inventories, documenting species’ habitat and dietary 

requirements, and assessing fish health. The database helps

fisheries managers to develop ecosystem models and assess 

the implications of water resource management actions. 

Preliminary results from the first year show Sarasota Bay to be 

home to a highly abundant and diverse assemblage of adult 

and juvenile fish species, including popular recreational species 

such as snook, redfish, and spotted sea trout.
14 State of the Bay 2010

Habitats critical to Bay marine life include 

freshwater and saltwater wetlands, 

seagrasses, and hard bottom. Restoring all of 

these habitats is vital to restoring the balance in 

the Sarasota Bay watershed.

Freshwater wetlands

Freshwater wetlands, sawgrass marshes, and 

ponds were once the predominant feature of the 

Sarasota Bay watershed. Beginning in 1920, the 

removal of these freshwater wetlands significantly 

reduced the ability of the watershed to filter 

runoff and increased the amount of freshwater 

delivered to the Bay. Large-scale drainage projects 

significantly reduced the number of freshwater 

sawgrass marshes and ponds in the region.

Saltwater wetlands

Tidal wetlands, primarily mangroves in the 

Sarasota Bay area, are essential nursery areas 

for many aquatic species. Wetlands decreased

in Sarasota Bay by more than 1,609 acres (38

percent) between 1950 and 1990. The loss of 

wetland habitat was mostly due to dredge-andfill operations that took place in the 1950s and 

1960s to create waterfront homesites and boat 

access. A shoreline mapping project showed 

that more than 100 miles of seawalls and other 

hardened structures now dominate the Sarasota 

Bay shoreline. A number of restoration projects 

have been undertaken to reclaim wetlands.

Bay Habitats

Tidal ponds provide the essential nursery areas for many aquatic species, and habitat for wildlife such as the Woodstorks 

and the White Heron shown in the inset image. 

The Sarasota Bay 

Estuary Program has 

undertaken numerous 

restoration projects to 

reclaim wetlands.

(Lou Newman)
State of the Bay 2010 15

The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and its partners 

embarked on substantial saltwater wetland restoration 

and enhancement projects totaling more than 650 acres. 

 The SBEP adopted an annual goal of restoring at least 

one percent of the wetland habitat lost, totaling 18 acres per 

year. Completed to date are 28 wetland enhancement and 

restoration project sites, all of which involve numerous 

partners and volunteers.

Habitat restoration in the Sarasota Bay area generally 

involves removal of exotic vegetation from a designated

site, excavation of intertidal lagoons to create juvenile

fish nurseries, and altering land elevations to support 

native habitat. With the help of volunteers, the newly 

created shorelines are planted with native marsh grasses 

such as cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and upland 

vegetation as appropriate.

 The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program is updating its 

comprehensive habitat master plan. The goal of this plan 

is to restore the balance of critical habitats that may have 

been disproportionately lost.

Wetland Restoration

Restorations recently completed and/or 

ongoing projects include:

	 •	Robinson Preserve: 487 acres

	 •	FISH Preserve/1912 Schoolhouse: 100 acres

	 •	Sister Keys: 50 acres

	 •	Palma Sola Scenic Highway (SR 640): 3 miles of 	 	

 bordering habitat

	 •	Bird Colony Islands: 2 acres of bird rookery

	 •	North Lido Park: 25 acres

	 •	South Lido Park: 100 acres

	 •	Bowlees Creek island: 3.5 acres

	 •	 Bradenton Beach Living Shoreline Herb Dolan N. Park: 1 acre

	 •	Perico Preserve: 75 acres

	 •	Ungarell Preserve on Palma Sola Bay: 38 acres

	 •	Neal Preserve: 119 acres

Restorations completed prior to 2004 include:

	 •	Perico Bay Interconnect: 4 acres

	 •	Leffis Key: 30 acres

	 •	 Joan M. Durante Park: 32 acres

	 •	Powel Crosley Estate: 10 acres

	 •	GWIZ/6th Street: 10 acres

	 •	Quick Point Preserve: 25 acres

	 •	Pioneer Park: 10 acres

	 •	Ken Thompson Park: 3 acres

	 •	Sarasota Baywalk: 2 acres

	 •	Emerson Point: 365 acres

	 •	Caples at New College of Florida Restoration: 1 acre

	 •	Snake Island: 2 acres

	 •	Ballard Elementary School: 2 acres

	 •	Palmer Point Park: 3 acres

	 •	Bay Preserve at Osprey: 5 acres

	 •	Celery Field Enhancement: 50 acres

The SBEP has created a comprehensive habitat restoration 

plan that earmarks 31 additional projects for completion. A

location map idenifying project sites is provided at the end of 

this document.

Wetland construction at Leffis Key. 

Tower at Robinson Preserve, Manatee County.

Leffis Key after restoration was completed. 
16 State of the Bay 2010

Between 1950 and 1988, seagrass 

coverage decreased 15 percent mainly as 

a result of poor water clarity and physical 

disturbances. Since 1988, the Bay has 

gained 3,991 acres of seagrass and today has

24 percent more seagrass than 1950.

The overall increase in seagrass cover 

and the infilling of numerous patchy 

seagrass beds strongly suggest that water 

quality has improved in the Bay. Trends in

seagrass acreage vary among embayments, 

suggesting differences in water quality from

one part of the Bay to another. The SBEP 

and its partners are working to understand 

the complex relationships between water

quality and seagrass response throughout

the Bay.

Seagrass Targets

The SBEP has established targets for seagrass acreage 

for each of the bay segments based on historic and current 

seagrass trends in Sarasota Bay. These targets will guide 

the program as it develops water quality targets aimed at

preserving seagrasses at desired target levels. The targets 

set for each segment were the average of 2004 and 2006 

for the 1950 seagrass level. Water quality targets have been

established to meet seagrass targets.

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation

Seagrass Cover (in acres)

Bay Segment 1950

(Historical)

2008

(Most Recent)

Seagrass 

Target

Palma Sola 1,031 1,164 1,031

Sarasota Bay 7,269 9,996 7,269

Roberts Bay 283 299 348

Little Sarasota Bay 883 837 702

Blackburn Bay 273 345 447

Total 9,739 12,641 9,797

Seagrass

Seagrass is an important habitat feature 

of bays and estuaries. Seagrasses provide 

shelter and serve as nursery areas essential 

to many estuarine-dependent fish and 

invertebrates. Five species of seagrasses are 

found in Sarasota Bay: shoal grass, turtle 

grass, manatee grass, widgeon grass, and star 

grass. Seagrass growth in the Bay depends 

on clear water in order for light, essential 

for plant life, to reach the Bay floor where 

grasses grow.

Sarasota Bay seagrasses are mapped 

every two years using aerial photography by 

the Southwest Florida Water Management 

District. This photography is used to estimate 

the location and amount of seagrasses present 

throughout the estuary. The photography is 

also used to distinguish two specific types of 

seagrass distribution: patchy seagrass (less 

than 75-percent coverage) and continuous 

seagrass (greater than 75-percent coverage). A 

minimum of 25-percent coverage is required

for mapping a patchy seagrass bed.

Seagrasses have been mapped roughly 

every two years since 1988. In addition, a set 

of aerial photographs taken in 1950 has been 

used to calculate historical seagrass coverage. 

From this series of maps, temporal trends 

in seagrass cover and distribution have been 

evaluated to understand how this important habitat type has 

changed over time.

Bay scallops – Argopecten 

irradians – can be found 

living in healthy seagrass 

meadows along the west 

coast of Florida.

• They are a popular 

recreational fishery north of 

Sarasota Bay

• Their populations serve as 

an important barometer of 

water quality

• They filter large amounts 

of seawater

• Their populations lend 

themselves to restoration 

techniques

• Their populations have 

shown signs of recovery in 

Sarasota Bay since 2008 
State of the Bay 2010 17

Artificial reefs

The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program continues to create 

and enhance artificial reefs in Sarasota Bay. Starting with 

the development of a master artificial reef plan in 1996, 

the SBEP identified 20 potential sites that 

would be suitable for artificial reefs. These 

sites were selected because they contained 

appropriate sediments, as well as being deep 

enough not to impede navigation. 

 Since 2000, the SBEP and its partners 

have constructed more than 3,000 artificial

reef modules, called “reef balls,” which 

now rest on the bottom of the Bay. These 

prefabricated reef ball modules are domed 

structures (two feet high and three to four 

feet in diameter) with holes throughout 

for fish and crabs to move through. The 

SBEP currently has eight active reef sites 

created primarily from reef balls. Other reef 

materials, such as PVC pipe and limestone 

boulders, have been placed on two other 

reefs in the Bay. In addition, reef modules 

are being deployed around channel markers 

throughout the Bay to create additional 

juvenile fish habitat.

 Preliminary monitoring has 

documented a variety of marine life either 

taking up residency within the reef balls 

(gag groupers and stone crabs) or utilizing 

the habitat for its structure (gray snapper, 

sheepshead, and bait fish). Several local guides have shared 

stories about how these artificial reefs have become popular 

spots for both fishing and diving.

The SBEP has embarked on separate programs to 

restore lost oyster bar habitats and create artificial 

hard-bottom reefs.

Oysters

The current SBEP oyster program builds on the 

success of a pilot project which showed that prospective 

Sarasota Bay oyster habitats are substrate-limited. Two 

locations – one each in Sarasota and Manatee counties 

– are targeted for restoration. White Beach (Sarasota 

County) is in a highly urbanized setting that once 

supported oyster beds, but shoreline alterations and 

residential development have since destroyed them. 

The Gladiola Fields (Manatee County) lie adjacent to 

agricultural fields, and the creation of oyster habitat in 

this area will improve water quality by filtering runoff.

The project will restore oyster habitat at each site 

using methods that will result in a habitat most closely 

resembling natural oyster reefs. Oyster recruitment, 

growth, and habitat utilization continue to be monitored 

quarterly for two years. 

Oyster bed in Sarasota Bay. 

Reef balls provide habitat for fish and crabs throughout 

the Bay. 

Oysters are widely 

recognized as valued 

estuarine habitats. Oysters 

provide food for people, 

fish, and wildlife, and 

the structural complexity 

of oyster reefs provides 

habitat for many estuarinedependent organisms. 

Oysters help improve water 

quality and clarity by 

filtering large volumes of 

water. In addition, shallow 

water oyster habitats help 

stabilize shorelines and 

reduce erosion by breaking 

wave and wake energy 

before it reaches the shore.

Hard-Bottom Habitats
18 State of the Bay 2010

Engaging the community 

through education is 

another critical component 

to the success of the mission 

of the Sarasota Bay Estuary 

Program. This mandate for 

educational outreach has 

remained a cornerstone of 

the SBEP. Today, the SBEP 

has stepped up its efforts 

to forge partnerships that 

expand the reach and scope

of its educational programs. 

The diverse offering for all 

ages promotes the benefits 

of Bay stewardship and 

encourages citizens to 

spread the word in their 

local communities.

Citizens 

Advisory Committee

The Citizens Advisory Committee 

(CAC) provides a mechanism for 

structured citizen input to the Sarasota 

Bay Estuary Program and assists in 

disseminating relevant information to the 

public. The CAC is currently made up 

of 27 citizens from Manatee and Sarasota counties who are 

interested in the issues and challenges facing Sarasota Bay. 

They develop a yearly action plan to communicate SBEP 

activities and strive to influence public policies that affect the 

Bay and its resources. 

CAC activities are divided into three components 

– outreach, involvement, and education. 

Annually, the Citizens Advisory Committee develops a plan 

of action with the following goals: 

	 •	 Promote environmental stewardship and community 	 	

 involvement for protection of Bay resources

	 •	 Promote cultural change in the region with regard to 	 	

 land and water resources

	 •	 Establish links between the activities in the watershed 	 	

 and the resultant impacts on streams, rivers, and the Bay 

Community Involvement in 

Restoring the Bay

The CAC also 

establishes immediate 

goals and priorities 

that target specific 

issues, including:

	•	 Stormwater pollution 	 	

 components such as 

		 fertilizer, pesticides, toxicity,

 litter, and pet waste

	•	 Development practices 	 	

 such as smart growth, 

 low impact development, 

 wastewater and 

 stormwater reuse

	•	 Habitat issues such 	 	

		 as tributary quality, 	 	

 overall habitat loss, 

 dam and weirs, top 

 predators, fisheries 

 productivity, and 

 harmful algae blooms

	•	 Public involvement including outreach

 programs, education, recreational use of 

 the Bay, and landscaping behaviors 

 in the public

	 •	 Climate change including the challenges

 it will bring for the Bay, habitats, wildlife, 

 and the community, as well as how to meet 

 or mitigate those challenges

Efforts of the CAC have brought these issues to 

the forefront of community decision-making:

	 •	 Fertilizer ordinances prohibiting application of nitrogen

 and phosphorus during the summer rainy season were 

 passed in many jurisdictions. 

	 •	 Sarasota County is in the process of promulgating a Low

 Impact Development manual.

	 •	 The region is considering options for stormwater resuse.

	 •	 Tributaries and habitat quality have become the focus of

 problematic activity as a part of watershed planning.

	 •	 Climate change was recommended by the EPA during

 recent program evaluation for attention and 

 consideration of future problematic activity.

Diverse offering for all ages 

promotes the benefits of Bay 

stewardship and encourages 

citizens to spread the word in 

their local communities.

Public Involvement: Engage, Educate, and Encourage

Learning about the Bay 

with hands-on activities.
State of the Bay 2010 19

Special Projects Initiated 

by the CAC:

The SBEP was the lead agency in a successful application 

to the Florida State Community Issue Budget Request for

funding for the design phase of two local projects in 2008. The 

Community Issue Budget Request funding received by SBEP

was $150,000 for the Whitaker Bayou Greenway Park and 

Stormwater Retrofit, and $100,000 for Indian Beach/Sapphire

Shores Stormwater Retrofit.

The purpose of the Whitaker Bayou Greenway Park and 

Stormwater Retrofit Project is to improve the water quality,

native habitat, stormwater quantity, recreational access, and

community appreciation of Whitaker Bayou. 

The purpose of the Indian Beach Sapphire Shores 

Stormwater Retrofit Pilot Project is to utilize the latest 

stormwater technologies and Low-Impact Development 

strategies to capture, detain and treat stormwater from north 

U.S. 41 and the Indian Beach/Sapphire Shores neighborhood

as a demonstration project for other coastal neighborhoods 

and municipalities.

Among the community benefits from these projects 

will be improved neighborhood aesthetics, removal of 

contaminants and bacteria in stormwater in neighborhoods, 

reduced exposure to contaminated stormwater, increased

citizen education and involvement, and ultimately improved 

water quality in Sarasota Bay.

In keeping with the SBEP’s partnership emphasis, these 

projects are collaborative efforts with the City of Sarasota, 

Sarasota County, neighborhoods, and consulting firms. 

The City of Sarasota Surtax III is expected to appropriate

$1 million in surtax funding for the construction phase of

the Indian Beach Sapphire Shores Stormwater Retrofit Pilot 

Project, and $3 million to implement the Whitaker Bayou

Greenway Park Project. Although this financial commitment 

encompasses implementation funding, the SBEP is still looking 

for additional funding partners.

The SBEP has created volunteer opportunities to get 

everyday people involved in making a difference in their 

community by engaging in activities that make a positive 

impact on the Sarasota Bay watershed. These volunteers help 

the SBEP, local governments and nonprofit partners with the 

restoration and maintenance of parks and preserves in the 

Sarasota Bay watershed by removing trash and exotic plants,

and planting native plants.

Bay Buddies 

Sarasota Bay Buddies is a volunteer program that 

began in 2005 and is run in partnership with Volunteer 

Services of Manatee County. VSMC recruits students from 

private and public schools, after-school programs and other 

youth programs in Sarasota and Manatee counties who 

are interested in helping 

the environment. More 

than 1,500 Bay Buddies 

have participated in local 

restoration projects that help 

restore Sarasota Bay.

Bay Guardians

Sarasota Bay Guardians is 

a volunteer program that 

began in 2010 and is run 

in partnership with Around 

the Bend Nature Tours. Bay 

Guardians was established 

to get families, teens, and 

Learning Through Service

children out in the field, 

where they learn about 

the flora and fauna of the 

region while engaging in 

activities that contribute 

to the restoration of 

Sarasota Bay.

The SBEP backs 

these volunteer programs 

wholeheartedly and invites 

everyone to get involved!

Bay Guardians at 

Robinson Preserve.

Bay Buddies working at Lido Key, Sarasota.
20 State of the Bay 2010

Since its inception, the Sarasota Bay Estuary 

Program has taken an active role in 

environmental education by publishing reports, 

developing curricula for schools, and initiating 

community activities.

Protection, Involvement, 

Education & Restoration 

(PIER) Program

 The SBEP launched the PIER program, an 

innovative hands-on education program aimed 

at educating and inspiring area students, in 

February 2003. The PIER program is offered

to public and private schools (grades K–12) in 

Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Curriculum and field trips 

for grades K-8

 The PIER program’s Sarasota Bay Coastal 

Habitats is a unique curriculum developed in

conjunction with Mote Marine Laboratory and 

Around the Bend Nature Tours, aimed at students 

in grades K through 8. The curriculum provides 

lesson plans and activities about watersheds, 

habitats, wildlife, native and non-native plants, 

stormwater runoff, and pollution for teachers. 

Each lesson plan is supported by background 

information, resources, lesson plans, and activities. 

Students also take field trips – guided by Around 

the Bend Nature Tours – to local restoration sites 

around the watershed that provide hands-on 

activities, such as taking soil samples, observing weather patterns, 

and identifying plants and animals. 

 These activities ensure student participants receive the 

background education and real world/hands-on experience to

make their education experience as beneficial as possible.

Environmental Education Programs

Lessons correlate with the National 

Science Standards and Florida’s Sunshine State 

Standards. To date, almost 34,000 students

in Sarasota and Manatee counties have 

participated in the PIER Program.

Curriculum and fieldtrips for 

9th-12th grades

The SBEP is currently working on 

developing a teaching resource and field study 

program for high school students and an 

environmental student internship program. The 

current advisory committee for the program 

consists of representatives from the SBEP, 

National Park Service, Manatee County Schools, 

Sarasota County Schools, Florida State Parks, 

New College of Florida, Florida Sea Grant, 

University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, 

and the Foundation for Teaching Economics. 

PIER Science Teacher Training 

Workshops, New College of Florida

The science teacher-training workshops are 

offered three times a year by New College of 

Florida, Natural Sciences Department. Teachers 

from all grade levels are encouraged to attend 

the workshops, with a focus on improving 

teaching skills and the understanding of science 

and how to teach science. Workshops run a full 

day on Saturdays at the Pritzker Marine Science 

Research Center, and also provide teachers the 

opportunity to earn continuing education credits. Workshops 

are sponsored by the SBEP as part of the PIER program. 

The workshops focus on creating interdisciplinary learning 

opportunities about topics such as watersheds, fire ecology, 

and invasive species for science teachers.

PIER program, Sarasota Bay. 

The purpose of the 

PIER program is to:

• Educate students 

 about the local 

 coastal ecology

• Promote the benefits 

 of environmental 

 stewardship

•Increase students’ 

 environmental 

 literacy and steward 

 ship behaviors

Students in science, 

environmental, and 

oceanography classes or 

clubs are prime 

candidates for the 

PIER program. 
State of the Bay 2010 21

Pooches for the Planet 

- “Clean Waters! Clean 

Yards! Clean Shoes!”

 Pooches for the Planet is a 

pet waste education program 

that was developed by the 

Tampa Bay Estuary Program 

and brought to the Sarasota 

Bay watershed communities in 

2009. Pooches for the Planet 

helps educate the public about 

the harmful effects of pet waste 

pollution on our waterways and 

encourages people to pick up 

after their pets. The TBEP and 

SBEP are partnering with local 

animal shelters to promote dog 

adoptions and the Pooches for 

the Planet message with a special 

adoption kit filled with pet waste 

education material, donations 

or coupons from local pet 

businesses, and a bio-degradable 

pet waste bag dispenser with the 

slogan “Scoop That Poop!”

Florida-Friendly 

Landscaping

 A cornerstone of the citizens’ action 

plan is the Florida-Friendly Landscaping 

(FFL) programs started in the 

early 1990s. FFL’s purpose 

is to help protect Florida’s 

natural resources by creating 

attractive, low-maintenance 

Florida-friendly landscapes. 

Principles advocated by the 

program include conserving 

water, improving stormwater 

runoff, and reducing the need 

for pesticides and fertilizer 

application – all of which 

improve the quality and reduce

the quantity of stormwater

runoff to the Bay. The 

community’s participation in 

FFL practices is essential for 

long-term preservation and 

enhancement of the Bay. These 

principles apply not only to 

communities on the Bay, but 

throughout the entire watershed.

Florida-Friendly Landscaping 

emphasizes these major principles:

Right plant, right place – Plants selected to suit a specific site will require minimal amounts of water, fertilizer, and pesticides.

Water efficiently – Irrigate only when your lawn and landscape need water. Efficient watering is the key to a healthy 

Florida yard and conservation of limited resources.

Fertilize appropriately – Less is often best. Over-use of fertilizers can be hazardous to your yard and the environment.

Mulch – Maintaining a three-inch layer of mulch will help retain soil moisture, prevent erosion, and suppress weeds.

Attract wildlife – Plants in your yard that provide food, water, and shelter can conserve Florida’s diverse wildlife.

Control yard pests responsibly – Unwise use of pesticides can harm people, 

pets, beneficial organisms, and the environment.

Recycle – Grass clippings, leaves, and yard trimmings recycled on-site provide 

nutrients to the soil and reduce waste disposal.

Reduce stormwater runoff – Water running off a yard can carry 

pollutants such as soil, debris, fertilizer, and pesticides that can 

adversely impact water quality. Reducing this runoff will help prevent 

further degradation. 

Protect the waterfront – Shorelines – whether on a bay, river, stream, 

pond, or beach – are very fragile and should be carefully protected to 

maintain freshwater and marine ecosystems. 

Bags are available throughout the region. 
22 State of the Bay 2010

Bay Partners Grants Program

Bay Partners Grants is a grant program to 

jump-start community projects that promote 

Bay restoration, Bay education, or Bay-friendly 

landscaping. The SBEP has awarded Bay 

Partners grants to 83 community organizations

– including schools, churches, neighborhoods, 

condominium associations, and non-profit 

organizations – since 2002.

 The purpose of the Sarasota Bay Estuary 

Program’s Bay Partners Grants is to promote 

environmental education, awareness, community 

involvement, and stewardship, and to improve the 

overall quality of Sarasota Bay and its tributaries.

To further these goals, funding is available 

for projects that focus on Bay education, Bay 

restoration or Bay-friendly landscaping.

Types of projects eligible for funding:

	 • 	Create a wildlife garden

	 • 	Remove invasive species and replace them 	 	 	

 with native plants

	 • 	Enhance an existing landscape with

 native plants

	 • 	Improve and beautify an existing foot/bike 	 	 	

 trail with Bay-friendly landscaping

	 • 	Micro-irrigate a Florida-friendly landscape

	 • 	Enhance a pond with Florida native plants

	 • 	Improve an impacted tributary riparian habitat

	 • 	Design and implement a targeted Bay education and 	 	

 stewardship program

	 • 	Install Bay education signage

	 • 	Put in a rain garden or bioswale

	 • 	Retrofit a Bay-friendly landscape

	 • 	Educate neighbors about pet waste; distribute 		 	

 biodegradable doggie bags

Foxfire West.

Recipients of Bay Partners Grants:

• 	4-H Club and David Cohen Park • 	Action Central Revitalization Committee • 	American Littoral Society • 	Anna Maria Environmental Enhancement • 	Anna Maria Historical Society • 	Aquarian Quest

•	Archery Club • 	Around the Bend Nature Tours • 	Azalea Park Homeowners’ Association • 	Ballard Elementary School • 	Bay Haven Elementary School

•	Bayshore Elementary School • 	Bay Wise Kayak Tours • 	Beekman Place • 	Booker High School • 	Boys and Girls Club • 	Buccaneer Bay Homeowners’ Association • 	Calusa Lakes Community • 	City of Bradenton Beach • 	City of Holmes Beach • Crooked Creek Condominiums • 	Crosley Museum/SGI – USA Sarasota Chapter

	 • 	 Daughtrey Elementary School

	 • 	 Dolphin Tower Condominium Association

	 • 	 Environmental Library Foundation

	 • 	 Fairway Bay

	 • 	 Foxfire West

	 • 	 Florida Native Plant Nursery	

	 • 	 G.WIZ Hands-on Science Museum

	 • 	 Glen Oaks Estates Homeowners Association

	 • 	 Gulf Coast Heritage Association

	 • 	 Hardee County Schools

	 • 	 Harllee Middle School

	 • 	 Historic Spanish Point

	 • 	 Hudson Bayou Association

	 • 	 Island Village Montessori School

The SBEP’s Bay 

Partners Grants 

Program has provided 

funds for many local 

schools, non-profits, 

government agencies, 

businesses, civic 

associations, and 

environmental clubs. 
State of the Bay 2010 23

	 • 	Sarasota Audubon Society

	 • 	Sarasota Garden Club

	 • 	School Board of Manatee County

	 • 	School Board of Sarasota County

	 • 	School in the Park

	 • 	Sea Breeze Elementary School

	 • 	Sierra Club

	 • 	Simply Green Solutions

	 • 	South Creek Homeowners’ Association

	 • 	Southgate Community Association

	 • 	St. Margaret of Scotland Episcopal Church

	 • 	Stonebridge Community

	 •	 Sunbow Bay Condominium Association

	 • 	Suncoast School for Innovative Studies

	 • 	Keep Manatee Beautiful

	 • 	Keep Sarasota Beautiful

	 • 	King’s Gate Club

	 • 	Kinnan Elementary School

	 • 	 Lakeridge Falls

	 •	 Manatee County Natural Resources

	 •	 Manatee County YMCA

	 • 	Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

	 • 	Mission Estates

	 • 	Mote Marine Laboratory

	 • 	New College of Florida

	 • 	 Palma Sola Botanical Park

	 • 	 Palma Sola Presbyterian

	 • 	 Palma Sola Scenic Highway

	 • 	 Pelican Cove

	 • 	 Pelican Man Bird Sanctuary

	 • 	Reef Rakers

	 • 	Reef Rovers Bay Houses

	 • 	Riggs Landing

	 • 	Rose Street Pathway Volunteers

Recipients of Bay Partners Grants (continued):

Mote Marine Laboratory. 

Pelican Cove. Historic Spanish Point butterfly garden.. 

Around the Bend Nature Tours. 

Sarasota Audubon Society.

	 • 	Tidy Island

	 • 	Venice Audubon Society

	 • 	Village of the Pines

	 • 	Volunteer Services of

 Manatee County

	 •	 Wakeland Elementary School	

	 • 	Westchester Condominiums

	 • 	Windward Bay Condominiums

Aquarian Quest.

Sierra Club.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
24 State of the Bay 2010

Sarasota Bay Events

Bay Wise Kayak Tours

 Bay Wise Kayak Tours began in 2007 with a Bay 

Partners Grant award. The popular kayak tours to restoration 

sites and special places around Sarasota Bay are led by retired 

marine biologist and CAC member Dr. Jack Taylor. These 

educational kayak tours in Sarasota Bay engage visitors and 

residents to discover plants, animals, habitats, and other features 

that make Sarasota Bay an Estuary of National Significance.

Participation in Workshops 

and Conferences

 The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program hosts public events 

to provide fun, educational forums about Sarasota Bay. 

The interaction and information provided at such events 

raises public awareness and promotes stewardship by creating 

environmental advocates within the community. Jointly, with 

other government agencies and non-profit organizations, the 

SBEP participates in Earth Day events, native plant sales, and 

the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival. A sampling of the 

more recent events hosted or sponsored by the SBEP include:

•	 2005-2010 National Estuaries Days

 The SBEP offers reduced-ticket prices for Bay cruises 

	 	 on Sarasota Bay Explorers and admission to Mote

	 	 Marine Aquarium

•	 2005-2010 Florida Native Plant Sales

 In cooperation with the local Serenoa Chapter of the 

 Florida Native Plant Society, the public had an 

 opportunity to purchase native plants and learn 

	 	 about Florida-friendly landscaping techniques

	 •	 2007-2008 E-Fest

 Florida’s Green Living Music and Arts Festival, one of 

the largest environmental festivals in Florida. 

 The SBEP has also been involved in organizing, 

presenting, or sponsoring conferences and community 

engagement workshops each year, including:

• 	Sustainable Communities Workshop

	 • 	Gulf of Mexico Alliance

• 	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 	 	

 Smart Growth

	 • 	Florida Scenic Highway State Conference

	 • 	Trees Florida State Conference

	 • 	Florida Native Planet Society State Conference

	 • 	U.S. EPA Non-Point-Source Outreach Conference

	 • 	Association of National Estuary Programs Conference

	 • 	Restore America’s Estuaries Conference

	 • 	Estuary Research Federation Conference

National Estuary Day.
State of the Bay 2010 25

The SBEP provides a wealth of current scientific 

information and educational materials through 

its website www.sarasotabay.org, videos, newsletter, and 

associated websites including the Sarasota County Water 

Atlas (www.sarasota.wateratlas.org). 

Website (www.sarasotabay.org) 

The SBEP website is an interactive and comprehensive 

clearinghouse of information about SBEP projects, 

programs, and partners. The site includes in-depth sections 

that address habitat restoration, the water connection, 

educational outreach, ecotourism, research, and the many 

ways the community can get involved in protecting and 

restoring Sarasota Bay. Also included are a media center 

and a community events and calendar section. Interactive 

components include video clips from the documentary 

“Sarasota Bay: Celebrating Our Water Heritage,” 

downloadable brochures on a multitude of subjects, and 

an interactive Gulf Coast Heritage Trail map. The website 

was redesigned and new content was developed in 2008 by 

Florida Journeys Communications.

Neighborhood Action Center is a special section on the 

SBEP website that was designed to help neighborhoods, 

homeowners, and condo associations access the information 

and resources they need to undertake projects and education 

programs that help engage their community in the 

restoration of Sarasota Bay. In the Neighborhood Action 

Center, you can find detailed stories of neighborhoods that 

successfully implemented Bay-friendly projects, information 

on Bay Partners Grants, resources about Bay-Friendly 

Landscaping, and the Pooches for the Planet pet waste 

education program.

Electronic Media

Video

 “Sarasota Bay: Celebrating Our Water Heritage” is a 

documentary-style 30-minute video that documents the

restoration and continued recovery of the Sarasota Bay 

ecosystem. The documentary makes a compelling case 

for what’s been achieved—and still needs to happen—to 

sustain the health of Sarasota Bay. Topics covered in the 

video include:

	 •	Indications that the water system has

 improved substantially

	 •	Habitat restoration – 20 years of progress

	 •	Why continued nutrient reduction cannot be overstated

 as a priority

	 •	Low-impact development – high-impact issue for

 the future

	 •	The “Water Connection”– why citizen participation 	 	

 matters so much

	 •	Gulf Coast Heritage Trail and ecotourism

	 •	The SBEP’s vision for a sustainable future

 Produced by Florida Journeys Communications for 

the SBEP in 2008, this project took two years to create and 

features interviews with some of the community’s leaders; 

it also addresses the Bay’s most pressing issues and features 

beautiful footage of Sarasota Bay.

SBEP home page. 

Bay Reflections E-newsletter

The “Bay Reflections” newsletter went paperless in 

2007. This public-friendly report, produced quarterly, helps

keep SBEP’s partners and supporters up to date with SBEP 

projects, programs, and the latest Bay science.
26 State of the Bay 2010

The SBEP has produced a series of brochures to educate 

the public about Bay issues and provide information 

on recreational opportunities. Many of the brochures are 

available at local tourist information centers.

Protecting the health of Sarasota Bay 

begins in your yard.

‘Living On the Waters Edge’

A freshwater and saltwater version of the “Living 

on the Water’s Edge” brochure features landscape design 

suggestions and a native plant pallet to help homeowners 

reduce fertilizer, pesticide and irrigation use associated with 

traditional landscape maintenance and design. Bay-friendly 

landscaping practice promotes the use of buffer zones 

around waterways and educates the public about fertilizing 

restrictions. “Living on the Water’s Edge” brochures 

have been widely used in the Sarasota Bay region and 

adapted to other regions in the state. The brochures 

were developed by the SBEP, Sustainable Sarasota, 

and Sarasota County’s Neighborhood Environmental 

Stewardship Team program to help educate the public 

about Sarasota County, City of Sarasota, and Longboat Key 

fertilizer ordinances.

‘Landscaping For Climate Change’

“Landscaping for Climate Change” is an outreach 

program developed by the SBEP and Sustainable Sarasota 

to help educate the public about hidden carbon and 

nitrogen footprints associated with traditional landscaping 

maintenance, and to offer low-emission alternatives. 

“Landscaping for Climate 

Change” helps the SBEP 

meet U.S. EPA guidelines 

for global warming outreach, 

and is featured on the EPA’s 

Climate Ready Estuaries 

website (epa.gov/CRE/

communications.html). 

“Landscaping for Climate 

Change” was also recognized 

by the National Wildlife 

Federation as a local solution 

to the global issue of climate 

change. The “Landscaping for 

Climate Change” brochure 

and presentation can be 

downloaded from the SBEP 

website (www.sarasotabay.org).

The community’s 

participation in Bayfriendly landscaping 

practices is essential for 

long-term preservation and 

enhancement of the Bay. 

These principles apply not 

only to communities on the 

Bay, but throughout the 

entire watershed.

Publications

1. Minimize Mowing

2. Incorporate Native Plants

3. Reduce Hardened Surfaces

4. Conserve Energy by Conserving Water

5. Minimize/Eliminate Fertilizers & Pesticides

WATER

Compost Bin

Rain Barrel / Cistern

6. Reuse Yard Waste

7. Increase Tree Canopy

8. Create Biodiversity 

9. Naturalize the Shoreline

10. Engage Your Neighborhood

PERVIOUS WALKWAY

PERVIOUS WALKWAYS

8

1

3

AQUATIC SHORELINE VEGETATION

RAIN GARDEN INFILTRATION AREAS

TREES PROVIDE 

SHADE OVER HOUSE

HOUSE STRUCTURE

WITH A GREEN ROOF

PERVIOUS

DRIVEWAY

RAIN GARDEN

INFILTRATION

AREAS

10

2

4

6

5

9

7

Climate Friendly Landscape Guidelines

Conventional landscapes require 

energy intensive, polluting, and 

expensive maintenance practices 

through demands for irrigation, 

fertilizers and frequent mowing.

When we reduce our carbon dioxide 

and nitrous oxide emissions we 

are preserving the vitality of the 

communities that we appreciate today 

for generations of tomorrow. 

Landscaping for climate change 

strategies can help to offset the 

emissions footprint of our 

everyday activities. 

A Better Way to Landscape FY

DID 

Accord

• A po

in an 

• A rid

an h

• Nati

trad

to th

abili

• The 

of la

17,0

ever

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• It re

one 

equi

from 

• It re

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900 

Trees and other vegetation benefit 

the climate in many ways: human 

comfort, energy conservation, 

cooling urban climates, and 

reducing air pollution.

Using Climate Friendly Landscape 

Guidelines reduce the demand 

for non-renewable resources 

and improves the water and air 

quality. Within this brochure are 

steps you can take to make your 

yard climate friendly. 

Saraso

www.sa

Florida 

www.fn

Associ

www.af

Environ

www.ep

www.ep

Saraso

www.sc

www.sc

US Clim

www.cl

Nation

and At

www.no

Reduce Greenhouse Gases such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2) & Nitrous Oxide (N20)

1. Minimize Mowing

2. Incorporate Native Plants

3. Reduce Hardened Surfaces

4. Conserve Energy by Conserving Water

5. Minimize/Eliminate Fertilizers & Pesticides

WATER

Compost Bin

Rain Barrel / Cistern

6. Reuse Yard Waste

7. Increase Tree Canopy

8. Create Biodiversity 

9. Naturalize the Shoreline

10. Engage Your Neighborhood

PERVIOUS WALKWAY

PERVIOUS WALKWAYS

8

1

3

AQUATIC SHORELINE VEGETATION

RAIN GARDEN INFILTRATION AREAS

TREES PROVIDE 

SHADE OVER HOUSE

HOUSE STRUCTURE

WITH A GREEN ROOF

PERVIOUS

DRIVEWAY

RAIN GARDEN

INFILTRATION

AREAS

10

2

4

6

5

9

7

LANDSCAPING

For Climate Change

Making a Difference 

for Tomorrow

Climate Friendly Landscaping

Climate Friendly Landscape Guidelines

SARASOTA BAY

SARASOTA BAY

E S T U A R Y P R O G R A M

Conventional landscapes require 

energy intensive, polluting, and 

expensive maintenance practices 

through demands for irrigation, 

fertilizers and frequent mowing.

When we reduce our carbon dioxide 

and nitrous oxide emissions we 

are preserving the vitality of the 

communities that we appreciate today 

for generations of tomorrow. 

Landscaping for climate change 

strategies can help to offset the 

emissions footprint of our 

everyday activities. 

A Better Way to Landscape FYI

DID YOU KNOW

According to EPA-

?

• A power push mower emits as much pollution 

in an hour as 11 cars

• A riding mower emits as much pollution in 

an hour as 34 cars

• Native plants work much better than 

traditional mowed grass as a carbon sink due 

to their extensive root systems and increased 

ability to retain and store water

• The few ounces spilled during each refueling 

of lawn and garden equipment adds up to 

17,000,000 gallons of gasoline nationwide, 

every summer

• Annual U.S. nitrous oxide emissions began 

rising sharply from 2003 to 2006, largely as 

a result of increases in the application of 

synthetic fertilizers (DOE EIA)

• It requires 22,159 Btu of energy to produce 

one pound of nitrogen (USDA). That’s equivalent to 111 tons of CO2 or emissions 

from 20 cars

• It requires about 180,000 Btu of energy to 

produce one pound of insecticide or 

herbicide (USDA). That’s equivalent to 

900 tons of CO2 or emissions from 165 cars

Trees and other vegetation benefit 

the climate in many ways: human 

comfort, energy conservation, 

cooling urban climates, and 

reducing air pollution.

Using Climate Friendly Landscape 

Guidelines reduce the demand 

for non-renewable resources 

and improves the water and air 

quality. Within this brochure are 

steps you can take to make your 

yard climate friendly. 

Sarasota Bay Estuary Program 

www.sarasotabay.org 941.955.8085

Florida Native Plant Society

www.fnps.org 321.271.6702

Association of Native Plant Nurseries

www.afnn.org 877.352.2366

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) www.epa.org

www.epa.gov/greenacres 800.424.8802

Sarasota County

www.scgov.net

www.scgov.net/sustainabilty 941.861.5000

US Climate Science Program 

www.climatescience.gov

National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration 202.482.6090 www.noaa.gov

Printed on recycled content paper

Reduce Greenhouse Gases such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2) & Nitrous Oxide (N20)

lternatives

er and 

 Code, 

2

eautiful and 

provides 

ling of 

uired (10 

 or greater) 

o irrigation or 

ted buffer 

nts may be 

ination with 

nts were 

an attractive, 

ally available 

 controlling 

 nutrients, 

 bays.

ge the 

of your seawall. 

al shoreline 

tact

236

085

A Homeowner’s Guide to

 Low Maintenance Landscaping

Along Seawalls, 

Bayfronts and Canals

m 

941.955.8085

321.271.6702

s

941.861.5000

urseries

877.352.2366

941.861.5000

nsion Service 

941.861.5000 

352.796.7211

“Living on the Water’s Edge”and “Landscaping for Climate 

Change” brochures can be downloaded from the 

SBEP website: www.sarasotabay.org

SWALE

CUT

Shoreline Buffer Zone Alternatives

Sarasota County Fertilizer and Landscape 

Management Code, Ordinance 2007-062

Living on the water’s edge is a beautiful and

special place to live. This brochure provides a

landscape example with a sampling of plants that

could be used in the required (10 feet ) fertilizer

free zone and (6 feet or greater) recommended

low maintenance (no irrigation or fertilizer after

establishment) vegetated buffer zone along the

waterfront. These plants may be used as an

alternative to or in combination with an existing

turf grass buffer. The plants were selected as

an example to provide an attractive, drought

tolerant, bay-friendly, commercially available way

to beautify the landscape while controlling erosion

and reducing the amount of nutrients, fertilizer and

pesticides entering our waterways.

Remember, no matter where you live, your yard

is connected to the bay and Gulf through a series

of ponds, canals and creeks.

For more information on additional shoreline

plants or regulations, contact

Homeowner’s 

Guide 

to

Low Maintenance 

Landscaping

Along Stormwater Ponds

Sarasota Bay Estuary Program www.sarasotabay.org 941.955.8085

Florida Native Plant Society www.fnps.org 321.271.6702

Florida Yards & Neighborhoods 

www.Florida Yards.org 941.861.5000

Association of Native Plant Nurseries www.afnn.org 877.352.2366

Sarasota County 

www.scgov.net 941.861.5000

UF/IFAS Sarasota County Extension Service 

http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu 941.861.5000

Southwest Florida Water Management District 

www.WaterMatters.org 352.796.7211

Florida Wildflower Foundation 

www.floridawildflowercouncil.org 407.353.6164

. SARASOTA BAY

E S T U A R Y P R O G R A M

SARASOTA BAY

E S T U A R Y P R O G R A M

Sponsored in part by the

Manasota Basin Board of the

Printed on recycled content paper

AQUATIC VEGETATION

RAIN BARREL/CISTERN

KWAY

DEN

ON

ARDEN INFILTRATION AREAS
State of the Bay 2010 27

Refer to 

call-out map

for locations 

of sites 4-7.

Refer to 

call-out map

for locations

of sites 21-24.

94

95

96

97

100

118 117

99

Venice

Big Sarasota Pass

Terra Ceia Bay

Palma Sola

Bay

Sarasota

Bradenton

Holmes

Beach

Longboat Pass

Manasota

Key

Palma Sola Scenic Highway

Anna Maria 

Scenic Highway

Tamiami Trail

Scenic Highway

Tamiami Trail

Scenic Highway

New Pass

Lemon Bay/Myakka Trail

Scenic Highway

275

Englewood Rd.

Jacaranda Blvd.

Manasota

Beach Rd.

Harbor Dr.

Venice Ave.

N. River Rd.

Laurel Ave.

Clark Rd.

Proctor Rd.

Bee Ridge Rd.

Fruitville Rd.

Upper Manatee River Rd.

Tamiami Trail

53rd. Ave.

Cortez Rd.

Manatee Ave. W.

10th St.

Anna Maria 

Rye Rd.

University Pkwy.

75th St. West

41

301

41

Englewood

North

Port

Palmetto

Longboat Key

Siesta Key

Casey Key

Bahia Vista St. Ringling Cswy.

Siesta Dr.

41

41

41

Carlton Pkwy.

41

Lido

Key

MANATEE COUNTY

SARASOTA COUNTY

SARASOTA COUNTY

CHARLOTTE COUNTY

101

103 102

104

105

111

112

113

114 119

BUS

41

BUS

Stump Pass

Lemon Bay

Myakka River

Myakkahatchee Creek

Venice Inlet

Little Sarasota Bay

Sarasota

Bay

Manatee River

Tampa

Bay

Braden River

Lake Manatee 

Lower Myakka Lake

1

75

64

64

62 2

8

11

12

9

10

15

16

3

19-20 31

32

17

18

25-28

29

33 34

35 36-37

30

38-39

40-41

42

14

75

75

13

43

44

45

46-48 49 50

51 52

301

53-54

70

780

72

Refer to 

call-out map

for locations

of sites 65-82.

Manatee River

85-86

210

213

207

205

217

220

224

228

88

89

88

90

91 92 93

98

Refer to 

call-out map

for locations

of sites 106-110.

116

115

120

121 123

124

122

125

126 127

681

776

776

775

75

200

195

193

191

87

55

56-58

59

60

61

62-63

84

Gulf of Mexico

Phillippi Creek

g

83

301

Upper Myakka Lake

771

61

eserve: Offers 

ric log cabin. In 

ing trails that run 

prairie, oak-palm 

__________861.5000

ental Park: 206

des of the creek. 

 “Old Florida” 

irding, hiking, 

nature trail, canoe/

__________861.5000

oldest public beach, 

lters, a boardwalk, 

__________861.5000 

urfing beaches on 

 provides a bait 

ts, a concession 

__________861.5000

primitive preserve 

ks in southwest 

on. A foot path 

__________861.5000

SOUTHERN SITES

ge Park 

ss. A special exhibit 

__________486.2487

round exhibits of 

__________485.7136

 presentations from 

wn district.

__________488.1115

ting sharks teeth on 

containing fossilized 

offers a pavilion, 

 and restrooms. 

__________861.5000

you-style restaurant 

 Snook Haven 

Venice for more 

aunch on site.

__________861.5000 

_________861.5000

alks, native scrub 

cnicking, and 

crub-Jay.

__________861.5000

rk: Offers sunsets, 

olleyball courts, and 

e 700-foot long pier 

se.

__________486.2626

h of Service Club 

 and boardwalks. 

__________861.5000

__________861.5000

ter: Offers nature 

cnic or learn more 

Indians at the 

__________861.5000 

__________496.8984

atering hole and 

olds a year round 

ns of water per day. 

of Historical Places.

__________426.1692 

RAL AND HERITAGE PARK END

● 120 Manasota Beach: 

This bays to beaches park is a 

wonderful place to take a quiet 

stroll, collect shells, or fly a 

kite; provides picnic shelters, 

showers, and restrooms. A boat 

ramp is on the bay side.

8570 Manasota Beach Rd., Manasota Key________________861.5000

www.scgov.net 

● 121 Blind Pass Beach/Hermitage: The Hermitage, one of the 

oldest structures in Englewood, is located at this bays to beaches 

park that offers a playground, a nature trail, a canoe/kayak launch, a 

picnic shelter, and restrooms.

6725 Manasota Key Rd., Manasota Key__________________861.5000

www.scgov.net

● 122 Lemon Bay Playhouse: A community-based theater that 

hosts a variety of entertainment and other cultural activities. 

96 W. Dearborn St., Englewood__________________________475.6756

www.lemonbayplayhouse.com

● 123 Lemon Bay Park 

Environmental Center: At this 200-acre site there 

are nature trails, restrooms, a 

canoe/kayak launch, pavilion, 

environmental classes, a 

butterfly garden, and the 

environmental center.

570 Bay Park Blvd., Englewood________________________861.5000

www.scgov.net 

●	124 Green St. Church and Museum: Built in 1926, it was 

the first church in the Englewood area. 

416 W. Green St., Englewood_________________________861.5000

www.scgov.net 

● 125 Indian Mound Park: A 5-acre park featuring a short 

educational trail showing Florida’s native flora and fauna including 

a prehistoric Indian mound site (dating from 1000 BC). Nature 

trails provide various views of the mound.

210 Winson Ave., Englewood_________________________861.5000

www.scgov.net

● 126 Englewood Beach/Chadwick Park: Offers a 

wide expanse of beachfront, a boardwalk, picnic shelters, 

volleyball courts, restrooms, a concession area, and paved 

parking in Charlotte County. This beach is close to several 

restaurants and shopping opportunities.

2100 N. Beach Rd., Englewood__________________473.1018

www.charlottecountyfl.com 

● 127 Cedar Point 

Environmental Center: An 

88-acre, environmentally sensitive 

area dedicated to lifestyles of 

the inhabitants of the preserve. 

Canoe/kayak launch, hiking trails 

through southwest Florida pine 

flatwoods, oak scrub, salt flats, and 

the mangrove fringe of Lemon Bay.

SR 775, 2300 Placida Rd., Englewood____________475.0769

www.charlottecountyfl.com

Manatee Ave.

4th St.

5th St.

6th St. 10th Ave.

1st Ave W.

Riverside Dr.

4-6 7

21-23

24

Manatee River

41

BUS

Palmetto Historical 

District

Bradenton Riverfront 

Cultural Center

Main St.

Fruitville Rd.

6th St.

10th St.

41

15th St.

Blvd. of 

the Arts

Orange Ave.

Cocoanut Ave.

Palm Ave.

Bayfront Dr.

Pineapple Ave. Ringling Blvd.

Morrill St.

Ringling Cswy.

2nd St.

Osprey Ave.

Hudson Bayou

Sarasota Bay

67-68

65-66

69

71-74

70

75-80

82

81

City of Sarasota Cultural District

Roberts Bay

Dona Bay

41

Venice Ave.

Tampa Ave.

Nassau St.

110 106

107

108

109

Park Blvd.

Venice Cultural Heritage Park

Legend

Gateway Entrance

Heritage Trail Route

Scenic Highway

Conservation Area

Historical Site

Natural Site

Cultural Site

# Interstate Exit

‘Gulf Coast 

Heritage Trail’

The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program 

was at the forefront of recognizing the 

economic value of linking and promoting Sarasota Bay’s cultural, historical, and 

environmental heritage. The “Gulf Coast 

Heritage Trail” was the culmination of this 

recognition, and was the first regional ecoheritage based tourism trail program within 

Florida. The GCHT connects those special 

places that still remain that weave together 

the fabric of our history.

‘Gulf Coast Heritage 

Trail’ map

For the eco-heritage tourist, this map 

is a must have. Whether one’s passion, 

is birding, kayaking or visiting our area’s 

educational, natural and cultural icons, 

the “Gulf Coast Heritage Trail” highlights 

the bountiful natural and cultural heritage 

that define our sense of place. A sense of 

place is the culture, heritage and diversity 

of a region. It is finding inspiration in the 

past, creating meaning for the present, and 

planning for the future. Beginning at the 

Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier State Park 

in northern Manatee County and ending 

at Cedar Point Environmental Center on 

Lemon Bay in Englewood, the Gulf Coast 

Heritage Trail map highlights 127 mustvisit destinations near and along Sarasota 

Bay. A hard copy of the GCHT is available 

through the SBEP’s partner, the Sarasota 

Convention & Visitors Bureau. 

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE:

The map shown on the other side of this 

brochure assists you in locating points of interest 

identified by numbers which are color coded: 

● Historical

● Natural (environmental)

● Cultural

Manatee

 The Florida man

of the West Indian 

official marine ma

Department of En

estimates there ar

gentle, fascinating 

Florida. These veg

to a length of 10 f

up to 3,000 poun

manatees can be 

fringes of Sarasot

Birds

The migratory ro

of birds, are referre

to as “flyways”. Th

flyways, are not sp

they are general ro

that most migratin

follow. Florida is a 

of the Atlantic Flyw

System, which acc

high number of bi

migrating birds req

estuaries, rich hab

meets the Gulf. La

shorebirds will retu

 Some feathere

friends who live a

our area are the g

blue heron, comm

loon, palm warble

roseate spoonbill

snowy egret, woo

brown pelican, os

endangered Flori

The wood stork are 

wetland dwellers an

use fresh, brackish, 

salt water for feedi

and nesting. They a

ancient species of b

are Federally prote

The Trail promotes a scenic tour route and 

includes bicycle staging areas where visitors 

may park then peddle to nearby destinations. 

Additionally, nature walks, scenic trails and 

wildlife viewing opportunities can be found 

at many of the points of interest. If you are 

interested in canoeing and kayaking, launch areas 

and trails have been mapped. Our area’s history 

and “the Arts” can also be enjoyed by using this 

guide. Because the Trail cannot be traveled in 

a day, it has been segmented into three areas: 

North, Central and South. The recommended 

scenic routes are the most pleasant and highlight 

the character of the area. Each North, Central 

and South tour routes takes a full day or up to 

several days depending on the number of points 

of interest you decide to visit along the way. The 

North tour route takes you through Manatee 

County which is rich in agricultural heritage. 

Enjoy the downtown waterfronts of Palmetto and 

Bradenton, along the scenic Manatee River, which 

offer a wealth of cultural and historical attractions. 

The Central tour route focuses on the City of 

Sarasota and northern Sarasota County. It is best 

known for white sandy beaches, arts, culture and 

fine dining. Enjoy Sarasota’s cultural coast 

and the local treasures surrounding the 

gem of the area, Sarasota Bay. The South

tour route takes you through southern 

Sarasota County in and around the quaint 

historic district of Venice. Treasures in the 

area include pre-historic shark teeth finds, 

large nature preserves and canopy roads. 

Whether you’re a naturalist, a cyclist, a 

kayaker, one who appreciates fine art and 

culture, or a history buff, the Gulf Coast 

Heritage Trail has 

something for you. 

Enjoy exploring 

the wonders 

of paradise...

The Gulf Coast of Florida is a sub-tropical 

paradise best known for its aquamarine 

waters and white sandy beaches. The 

area features outstanding fishing, boating 

and wildlife viewing opportunities. The 

area is also rich in history, culture and the 

Arts; providing a wide range of unique 

destinations for everyone to enjoy.

Enjoy discovering paradise... 

On the Heritage Trail of Manatee 

and Sarasota Counties, you are 

invited to tour, visit and 

experience an array of 

environmental, cultural 

and historical gems 

throughout this region 

of Florida.

M

E

ihfh fid 

Gulf Coast Heritage Trail

YOUR GUIDE TO PARADISE

Our Area’s Greatest Natural Asset

Sarasota Bay Manatee & Sarasota Counties

 UNIQUE ECOSY

Joan M. Durante Park boardwalk. (site 43) 

Red Drum (Redfish), nice catch!

Paddle at the Myakka River State Park. (site 94)

Siesta Public Beach, another beautiful sunset. (site 91)

Welcome to the

Discover Sarasota and Manatee Counties’ natural areas, botanical 

gardens, wildlife and bird viewing. enjoy the wide variety of culture 

and history that abounds here on Florida’s Suncoast.

Restoration and preservation efforts suggest 

that Florida will continue to be defined by the 

beauty and utility of its coast, allowing future 

generations to share its benifits.

Information on the 127 destinations that are 

highlighted on the Gulf Coast Heritage Trail map. 

The guide includes historical, wildlife, and cultural 

information. Available by visiting the Sarasota Bay 

Estuary Program’s website: 

www.sarasotabay.org/tourism-ght.html
28 State of the Bay 2010

Citizen participation in restoring 

and protecting Sarasota Bay and 

its tributaries is critical

The ecological landscape of Sarasota Bay provides a 

treasure trove of natural capital. These assets are 

the very foundation upon which our region’s 

quality of life and economic success are built.

Healthy ecosystems make very significant 

economic contributions, but often in ways that 

transcend conventional accounting. 

	 The health of Sarasota Bay is inextricably

linked to the economic vitality and quality of life

experienced in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program is committed 

to restoring and protecting the ecosystem that 

is an economic engine of the region. You can

help in this important work by expanding our

network of environmental stewards. Join with 

others who share the vision to conserve, protect 

and preserve Sarasota Bay. 

How can you help? 

A widespread collaborative effort is necessary to make a 

positive difference in the health of Sarasota Bay. Individuals 

can do their part by being responsible stewards. Be sure to 

recycle, reduce the use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides 

in your yard, carpool, plant Florida-friendly landscapes and 

conserve water. These are a few simple efforts that can help 

make a positive impact in the SBEP’s ultimate goal – to 

restore Sarasota Bay’s natural water heritage. 

	 You can get involved by contacting Sarasota Bay Estuary

Program at 941-955-8085, or email info@sarasotabay.org to 

find out about current projects in which you can get involved.

What else can you do?

Public lands:

	 •	Follow land preservation, land use, and zoning issues

 to make informed decisions about development 

 and preservation

	 •	 Serve on planning or permitting boards 		

 that oversee development

	 •	 Help maintain an existing public beach or

 nature preserve

	 •	 Help a local community or conservation

 group raise money to buy

 habitat for preservation

	 •	 Stay involved in your community

Home and garden:

	 •	 Use fertilizers and pesticides sparingly

	 •	 Keep septic systems in good

 working order

	 • 	 Pick up animal waste and dispose of

 it properly

	 •	 Minimize use of toxic household chemicals

	 •	 Take motor oil to approved disposal or 	 	

 recycling sites

	 •	 Plant Florida native plants in your

 yard to create habitat and reduce 

 stormwater contamination

Volunteer Opportunities

Solving Sarasota Bay’s problems is a long-term 

process, so residents need to be strongly motivated 

to maintain their commitment to the Bay. Getting 

residents involved in hands-on activities that promote 

personal interaction with the Bay and its resources is a 

powerful step. 

 The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program has 

motivated the community to take action by offering 

volunteer opportunities and grants. Scores of volunteers 

have helped through: 

	 • Volunteer planting at restoration sites

	 •	 Instruction during student field trips

	 •	Participation in associated programs and events

	 •	Networking with civic and community associations

 The interaction between civic organizations and the 

community has resulted in widespread grassroots action to 

restore and protect the Bay.

Call to Action

Working together to make a difference. (Sarasota County archives) 

The Sarasota Bay 

Estuary Program 

continues to be a 

leader in creating a 

sustainable future 

for our community. 

Become our partner 

today and make a 

commitment to do 

your part to realize 

that vision.
Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan – Re-Examination 29

CCMP Action Plans

The Comprehensive Conservation and Management 

Plan, approved in 1995, has served as the 

framework for identifying and implementing specific 

actions to restore Sarasota Bay. The interlocal agreement, 

signed in 2004, requires that the Sarasota Bay Estuary

Program re-examine the CCMP every five years. The

following document summarizes the results of this 

reexamination.

	 Six action plans continue to guide management and

restoration decisions within the Bay and its watersheds. 

These action items are:

 1. Wastewater treatment and reclamation

 2. Stormwater treatment and prevention

 3. Freshwater and saltwater wetlands

 4. Fisheries and other living resources

 5. Recreational use

 6. Governance

The following present the action plans as revised and 

approved in January 2010.

 The interlocal agreement also establishes 

the long-term financial support structure 

	 necessary to implement the CCMP and requires

that measurements of program progress toward 

accomplishing action items be created.

The Citizen 

Advisory Committee 

and Technical 

Advisory Committee 

participated in a 

year-long process to 

review and update 

the CCMP. This work 

included summarizing 

progress made on 

specific action items, 

refining action items 

where appropriate, 

and making 

recommendations 

to the Management 

and Policy Boards for 

adoption. The following 

plan of action was 

Sandwich Terns. promulgated as a result. (Lou Newman). Aerial of Bird Colony Key.
30 Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan – Re-Examination

Note: The septic tank replacement program is 34-percent

complete; only nine small wastewater treatment plants will 

remain in the basin by the end of 2009. 

Action 3.2: 

Remaining privately owned utilities should upgrade to meet 

the Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation policies in this 

Action Plan.

Objective 4.0: 

Develop a wastewater reclamation program to

eliminate discharge to Sarasota Bay.

Action 4.1:

Reconsider a regional program to reclaim treated wastewater. 

Action 4.2:

Explore options for alternative supply including the use 

of treated wastewater or potable water, aquifer recharge 

and protection, and other uses in Southern Water Use 

Caution Area. 

Note: A regional reclamation strategy was developed and 

implemented by each respective partner in the region, 

and substantial wastewater in the Sarasota Bay basin was 

reclaimed for alternative uses. 

Objective 5.0:

Attain or surpass water quality standards (i.e., 

beneficial uses) in water bodies in Sarasota Bay and its 

tributaries. (Also, see Stormwater Action Plan.)

Action 5.1:

Set resource-based water quality targets providing a framework for the establishment of site-specific alternative criteria.

Action 5.2:

Develop and participate in the preparation of Basin 

Management Action Plans for “impaired” waters or to meet 

established water quality targets.

 Action Plan: 

Wastewater treatment 

and Reclamation

Goal: 

Improve water transparency

Policies

 All wastewater in the Sarasota Bay watershed should be 

treated to meet or exceed Advanced Wastewater Treatment

(AWT) standards by the time effluent reaches the Bay or 

its tributaries. Septic systems can be acceptable if the septic 

tanks are located more than 900 feet from the Bay or its 

tributaries and meet current code.

 Treated wastewater should be reclaimed for reuse. 

Explore options for zero discharge of wastewater directly in

surface waters in the Sarasota Bay watershed. 

Objective 1.0:

Wastewater treatment and reclamation policies should 

be consistent throughout the region.

Action 1.1:

Local governments in the Sarasota Bay region should require

by ordinance, and appropriate monitoring and enforcement, 

the wastewater treatment policies outlines in the CCMP. 

Action 1.2:

Educate the public about the need for consistent policies on 

wastewater treatment and reclamation.

Objective 2.0: 

Continue to use excess capacity of the City of Sarasota

wastewater treatment facility to provide sewer service 

to areas with inefficient septic systems and package 

treatment plants to maximize collection and treatment

of wastewater. 

Objective 3.0: 

Provide centralized wastewater treatment throughout

the Phillippi Creek area. 

Action 3.1: 

Complete septic tank replacement and wastewater treatment 

plant consolidation in northern Sarasota County.

Longboat Pass. 

 Mangroves in Sarasota Bay.
Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan – Re-Examination 31

 Action Plan: 

Stormwater Treatment 

and Prevention

Goal: 

Manage the quantity and 

improve the quality of 

stormwater runoff 

to Sarasota Bay.

Policies:

Promote basin-wide pollution 

prevention, water conservation, and 

stormwater treatment techniques

to significantly reduce nitrogen, 

sediment, and toxic substance

loadings to Sarasota Bay. 

Replicate the quality, quantity,

and timing of freshwater flows to 

natural conditions of Sarasota 

Bay. Promote stormwater 

re-use (harvesting).

Objective 1.0: 

Improve stormwater quality.

Action 1.1:

Implement Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL), which 

emphasizes reductions in use of pesticides and water and 

encourages broader use of slow-release nitrogen fertilizers.

Action 1.2:

Sediment control. Encourage on-site sediment management 

in the FFL.

Action 1.3:

Develop and support pollution-prevention programs (FFL).

Note: Florida-Friendly Landscaping coordinators have 

been established in both counties complementing the 

SWFWMD Builder/Developer Program. A fertilizer

ordinance has been adopted by Sarasota County, the City 

of Sarasota, and Longboat Key, covering 75 percent of 

the watershed — no nitrogen and phosphorus application 

during the summer. FFL concepts have been incorporated 

into most new developments in the watershed.

Objective 2.0: 

Reduce sediment and contaminant loadings through 

development and implementation of watershed 

improvement management plans. 

Action 2.1:

Develop and implement a revised watershed management 

master plan for the Sarasota Bay region, with priority on the 

following tributaries: Phillippi Creek, Bowlees Creek, Cedar 

Hammock Creek, Hudson Bayou, and Whitaker Bayou.

2.1.2: 

Implement a stormwater utility with appropriate rate 

structure and related public education in Manatee County.

2.1.3: 

Focus watershed stormwater master plans on reducing 

toxins, sediment, and nitrogen loads to the Bay while also

controlling flooding.

Note: SBEP efforts have focused on priority watersheds. 

Major stormwater retrofit projects were completed in the 

Phillippi and Bowlees Creek watersheds. Preparations are being 

made for similar projects in Hudson and Whitaker Bayou. 

Florida Friendly yards that incorporate native plants that require less maintenance, fertilizers and pesticides as 

well using pervious walkways reduce the amount of nutrients that enter our waterways. 
32 Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan – Re-Examination

Objective 3.0: 

Manage the quantity and rate of stormwater runoff to 

Sarasota Bay.

Action 3.1:

Improve stormwater management systems for 

maximum efficiency.

Action 3.2:

Explore options to treat and reclaim (harvest) stormwater.

Objective 4.0: 

Reduce and mitigate developmental loadings to 

Sarasota Bay.

Action 4.1:

Through comprehensive land-use plans and landdevelopment regulations, reduce the amount of existing

impervious surface in the watershed and seek alternatives for 

reducing hardened surfaces in future development.

Action 4.2:

Support development and implementation of low-impact 

design standards.

Note: The SBEP has completed a study with the University 

of Florida to further evaluate soil compaction and soil 

modification per construction activity. Severe compaction 

was found in new developments. Sarasota County has 

prepared a Low-Impact Design manual. FDEP has proposed 

changes to the State Stormwater Regulations. 

Objective 5.0: 

Achieve, maintain, or surpass state water quality standards. 

Action 5.1:

Re-evaluate impacts of agricultural activities on Sarasota Bay 

and development management plans as necessary under the 

watershed management planning process. 

Action 5.2:

Evaluate impacts of citrus, cattle, sod, and other agricultural 

activities in the watershed.

Action 5.3:

Re-evaluate potential benefits, impacts, and inappropriate 

use of re-use water in relation to fertilizer, irrigation, 

and runoff.

Action Plan: 

Freshwater and 

Saltwater Wetlands

Goal: 

Restore shoreline 

and wetland habitats 

and eliminate further losses.

Policies

	 		 Increase the quantity, improve the quality, and protect

the diversity of freshwater and saltwater wetlands in the 

Sarasota Bay watershed.

 Recreate valuable fishery habitats throughout the Bay.

Objective 1.0: 

Implement comprehensive five-year habitat protection 

and restoration plan.

Action 1.1:

Update the five-year plan and develop a database for 

tracking progress in habitat restoration.

Action 1.2:

Enhance, restore and create wetlands throughout the 

Bay region.

Action 1.3:

Maintain wetland protection in local comprehensive plans, 

ordinances, and land-development regulations. Incorporate 

wetlands and open-space concept in road, bridge, 

stormwater, wastewater, and other infrastructure projects. 

Action 1.4:

Recognize the importance of adjacent upland areas as buffers 

in restoring, creating, or protecting wetlands. 

Action 1.5:

Encourage and facilitate wetland protection through public 

ownership or private conservation arrangements.

Leffis Key restoration area. 

Florida Friendly Landscaping. 
Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan – Re-Examination 33

Action 2.2:

Encourage citizen groups to restore and protect wetlands 

through trash and exotic-plant removal.

Action 2.3:

Coordinate wetlands activities with the SBEP, citizen 

organizations, and existing citizen advisory committees of

local governments. 

Action 2.4:

Continue to promote neighborhood wetlands protection 

and homeowner shoreline management through the FloridaFriendly Landscaping Program. 

Note: Myriad wetland restoration projects have been 

completed throughout the Sarasota Bay watershed to 

complete the action plan.

Action 1.6:

Remove exotic noxious plants.

Action 1.7:

Coordinate wetlands activities with the SBEP, citizen 

organizations, and existing citizen advisory committees of

local governments.

Action 1.8:

Develop and implement policies that are consistent across 

jurisdictions regarding shoreline alterations such as docks, 

seawall, or other shoreline protection alternatives. 

Action 1.9:

Provide cooperative consultations (as requested) to the

private and public sectors on development proposals and 

regulatory issues that impact wetlands.

Action 1.10:

Continue to provide technical information to programs 

to increase public education and citizen involvement in 

wetlands issues. 

Action 1.1:

Encourage that fines for environmental violations at 

the regional and local level (from either permitted or 

unpermitted activities) be directed to environmental 

enhancement projects within the watershed. 

Objective 2.0: 

Provide opportunities for citizen involvement in

wetlands protection, enhancement, and acquisition.

Action 2.1:

Support an ongoing education program on mangrove 

protection and care. Bird Colony Island restoration area. 

Limpkins. (Lou Newman)

Grassy Point restoration area. 
34 Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan – Re-Examination

Action Plan:

Fisheries and Other 

Living Resources 

Goal: 

Restore and sustain fish 

and other living resources 

in Sarasota Bay.

Policies:

Increase and protect fishery habitat, particularly for juveniles of 

recreationally and commercially important species. 

Protect existing fish populations.

FINFISH

Objective 1.0:

Improve tributary habitats of Sarasota Bay with a 

special emphasis on juvenile life stages.

Action 1.1:

Identify salinity zones within the tributaries.

Action 1.2:

Prioritize restoration projects within tributaries as to their 

potential for increasing critical juvenile habitat (restoring the 

balance).

Action 1.3:

Characterize, delineate and quantify shoreline features

(habitats) within the tributaries.

Action 1.4:

Develop methods/measures to quantify improvements to

juvenile fisheries.

Objective 2.0: 

Increase available habitats for fish in Sarasota Bay.

Action 2.1:

Educate the public on the need for improved fishery habitats.

Action 2.2:

Restore, enhance, and protect the value of freshwater and 

saltwater wetlands as fishery habitats.

Action 2.3:

Improve Sarasota Bay tributaries to restore the value of 

juvenile fisheries habitats.

Action 1 2.4:

Install seawall habitat modules along seawalls where 

appropriate. 

2.4.1: Encourage private-sector manufacturing and 

marketing of the most effective designs for these modules.

2.4.2: Encourage homeowners to volunteer their 

seawalls and shoreline for projects. Encourage their 

participation through education, incentives, and 

permitting assistance. 

2.4.3: Develop measures to demonstrate restoration 

effectiveness to increase acceptability by permitting agencies. 

2.4.4: Sponsor a workshop to review research, share 

ideas, develop criteria, and discuss permitting issues. 

Action 2.5:

Explore opportunities for living shorelines throughout the

Sarasota Bay area.

2.5.1: Sponsor community workshops on living shorelines.

Objective 3.0: 

Protect existing fish populations.

Action 3.1:

Establish a conservation area near Sister Keys with limited 

access or activity.

Action 3.2:

Promote catch-and-release and other angling practices to 

increase conservation.

Action 3.3:

Seek designation of Sarasota Bay as a test area for enhanced 

fisheries management measures combined with careful 

monitoring. Establish a baseline for relative fish abundance 

and diversity within Sarasota Bay.

Red drum.

At Robinson Preserve/Perico Bayou. (Fred Loveland)
Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan – Re-Examination 35

Action 6.5:

Repair seagrass scarring where appropriate.

Note: Seagrass acreage has increased by approximately 4,040

acres since 1988. Continuous seagrass coverage has increased 

by more than 5,158 acres. Seagrass is presently at 47 percent 

above 1988 levels.

Objective 8.0: 

Implement the Artificial Reef Master Plan.

Action 8.1: 

Re-examine the artificial reef master plan every five years.

Action 8.2: 

Document reef habitat quality.

Action 8.3:

Establish targets for artificial reefs. 

Note: Fifty acres of Sarasota Bay have been enhanced by 

artificial reefs. 

Action Plan: 

Recreational Use 

Goal: 

Provide increased levels 

of managed access to 

Sarasota Bay and its resources.

Policies:

Enhance recreational opportunities on Sarasota Bay while 

protecting Bay resources.

Recreational use of Sarasota Bay shall not adversely impact 

Bay resources.

Increase public awareness, foster behavioral change, and 

promote environmental stewardship.

Action 1.2: 

Promote enforcement for boat speeds and no-wake zones in 

Sarasota Bay.

Objective 2.0:

Reduce recreational use impacts on natural resource 

areas within Sarasota Bay.

SHELLFISH

Objective 4.0: 

Restore and enhance shellfish populations and 

their habitats.

Action 4.1:

Reduce levels of contaminants in tributaries and restore 

natural stream flows to creeks and streams (see Stormwater 

Action Plan).

Action 4.2:

Establish oyster reefs in appropriate locations in Sarasota Bay.

Action 4.3:

Support the re-establishment of bay scallops with appropriate 

monitoring. Continue bay scallop seeding where water 

quality has improved.

Action 4.4:

Educate the public about the regulations regarding 

shellfish harvesting.

Note: High densities of bay scallops were found throughout 

the Bay in 2008. The initial “Great Bay Scallop Search” for 

Sarasota Bay was launched in 2008 (Sarasota Bay Watch). 

Oyster reef and scallop seeding are fully implemented. 

Scallops were found throughout the system in 2008; search 

to be implemented in 2009.

BOTTOM HABITATS

Objective 5.0: 

Protect seagrasses from scarring by boat propellers.

Action 5.1: 

Improve channel marking on the Intracoastal Waterway 

(ICW) and connector channels. 

SEAGRASS

Objective 6.0: 

Maximize opportunities for re-establishing and

protecting seagrass habitat throughout Sarasota Bay.

Action 6.1:

Establish or exceed seagrass targets and meet water quality targets

for the maintenance of seagrass acreage in designated areas. 

Action 6.2:

Implement water quality improvement strategies to increase

productive seagrass habitat (see Wastewater and Stormwater 

Action Plans).

Action 6.3:

Using appropriate techniques, restore seagrass habitat

in selected areas of disturbed excavated Bay bottom by

using dredge material as applicable, to elevate the bottom 

to within six feet of mean sea level, pending outcome of

demonstration project. 

Action 6.4:

Enforce boat speed limits in Sarasota Bay watershed to 

reduce turbidity.

Artificial reef. 
36 Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan – Re-Examination

Action 3.4: 

Identify Bay vista points in local comprehensive plans and 

consider them in landscaping, road-building and other 

construction.

Action 3.5: 

Fully implement and expand the Sarasota Bay Heritage Trail

and Blueways System. 

Note: Heritage Trail and Blueways system fully implemented 

with the assistance of the National Park Service. The maps 

and guides (Blueways and Heritage Trail) are regularly used 

and distributed at information centers. The SBEP updated 

the Heritage Trail guide in FY08.

Objective 4.0: 

Improve education of recreational users to protect the 

resources of Sarasota Bay.

Action 4.1: 

Work with appropriate organizations to increase enrollment 

in boater education programs to promote better protection of 

Bay resources.

Action 4.2: 

Develop an educational program for target audiences 

including youths, tourists, and visitors to improve awareness 

and sensitivity about the Bay.

Note: Educational programs are fully implemented through 

annual Citizen Action Plans: Participation, Involvement, 

Education and Restoration; Bay Buddies; and signage. 

Objective 5.0: 

Promote the Sarasota Bay region as “paradise.” 

Action 5.1:

Continue to develop and market a system of integrated 

recreational opportunities.

Note: Heritage Trail and Blueways System are operational. 

The Sarasota area is commonly referred to as “paradise” 

by the business community and Chambers of Commerce; 

and media.

Action 5.2:

Promote litter prevention throughout the Sarasota 

Bay region.

Note: Litter prevention 

programs are operated 

by Keep Manatee/

Sarasota Beautiful. Ecotourism is becoming an 

increasingly prominent 

opportunity regionally. 

Action 2.1: 

Promote channel marking to protect threatened marine 

areas, such as seagrasses. 

Action 2.2: 

Promote posting markers to discourage boats from 

approaching bird rookeries.

Action 2.3:

Discourage deliberate feeding of seabirds and marine 

mammals through education and signage. 

Action 2.4:

Support fishing catch-and-release activities.

Action 2.5:

Promote disposal of fishing line and other marine debris in 

appropriate containers. 

Action 2.6:

Promote enhanced enforcement of all boating, fishing, and 

other waterborne rules and laws.

Action 2.7:

Encourage marinas and other waterfront businesses to follow 

safe, non-polluting practices.

Action 2.8:

Encourage and support coastal cleanup initiatives.

Note: Channel marking mostly complete; bird and wildlife 

feeding discouraged regionally. Marine patrol are ticketing as 

necessary (activity ongoing).

Objective 3.0: 

Improve recreational access to Sarasota Bay.

Action 3.1: 

Facilitate neighborhood-initiated improvements for 

visual access to the Bay through the Florida-Friendly 

Landscaping Program.

Action 3.2: 

Enhance recreational use of publicly owned Bayfront land.

Action 3.3:

Acquire undeveloped Bay shoreline as public recreation

Bayfront parks or low-impact preserves.

Joan M. Durante Park restoration area. 

Roseate Spoonbill. 
Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan – Re-Examination 37

Action Plan: 

Governance to 

Oversee Implementation 

Goal: 

Establish an appropriate 

institutional structure to 

oversee implementation 

of the Sarasota Bay 

Comprehensive Conservation 

and Management Plan (CCMP)

Policies:

Oversee and promote implementation of the CCMP to 

ensure effective participation of public agencies and 

private citizens.

	 Improve Sarasota Bay to the maximum extent possible,

given best-available technology and economic constraints. 

Objective 1.0: 

Maintain an appropriate committee structure and staff 

to ensure effective implementation of the Sarasota Bay 

Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan.

Action 1.1:

Implement the CCMP utilizing the Interlocal agreement.

The SBEP Interlocal Agreement requires a re-examination

of the CCMP every five years. FY 09. The SBEP Interlocal

Agreement was enacted Oct. 1, 2005, adding the Town of 

Longboat Key and City of Bradenton to the Policy Board as 

contributing members. The CWA was re-authorized in 2000 

and is presently undergoing revision at the Congressional 

level. Surface Water Improvement Management Program 

(SWIM) designation occurred in 1996, and funding 

continued through FY 08. Independent assessments by U.S.

EPA were completed in 1997, 2000, 2003, and 2006.

Action 1.2:

Conduct an independent strategic assessment of program 

performance at intervals not to exceed three years

subsequent to approval by Florida’s governor and the U.S.

EPA administrator. 

Objective 2.0:

Expand financial opportunities to benefit Sarasota

Bay.

Action 2.1:

Support Clean Water Act reauthorization for continuing 

appropriation for CCMP implementation.

Action 2.2: 

Maintain designation of Sarasota Bay (in 1995) as a State 

of Florida Surface Water Improvement and Management 

program priority water body.

Action 2.3:

Continue and expand grant writing to benefit Sarasota Bay

and fund specific projects in the CCMP. 

Action 2.4:

The SBEP encourages an independent foundation to further 

support the goals of the CCMP.

Objective 3.0:

Expand environmental education programs, with an

emphasis on boaters.

Loggerhead turtle. (Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium) 

Dolphin are common to Sarasota Bay. 

(Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium) 

Guided nature walks. (Sarasota County Government)
Accretion – the build-up of land due to artificial or 

natural causes.

Algae – any of various primitive, chiefly aquatic, one-celled 

or multicellular plants that lack true stems, roots, and leaves 

but usually contain chlorophyll. Included among the algae 

are kelps and other seaweeds and the diatoms.

Algal bloom – a proliferation of algae in a body of water 

often associated with excess nutrients (especially phosphorus 

and nitrogen) in the water column and/or sediments.

Artificial reef – a manmade reef of sunken ships, cars, 

demolition spoil, military tanks, oil rigs, or specially 

constructed modules deployed for the purpose of promoting 

marine life.

Bacteria – small single-celled organisms from the Moneran 

kingdom. They are known as prokaryotes, which are 

classified together because they lack nuclear membranes. 

They are the most primitive living beings, but help in the 

nitrogen cycle.

Bayou – a small, sluggish secondary stream or lake.

Coastal lagoon – a shallow body of water, especially one that 

is separated from a sea by sandbars, barrier islands, or coral 

reefs located on, near, or bordering a coast or seashore.

Chlorophyll – a chemical mixture or compound found 

in the chloroplasts of plant cells that gives plants their 

green color. Plants use chlorophyll to convert the energy of 

sunlight to food in the process known as photosynthesis.

Creek – a natural stream or channel, normally smaller than 

and often flowing into a river.

Deep-well injection system – a process whereby liquid, 

usually either treated water or treated wastewater, is 

pumped underground.

Dredging – removing bottom material from a waterway.

Ecological/habitat restoration – altering an area in such a 

way as to reestablish an ecosystem’s structure and function, 

usually bringing it back to its original (pre-disturbance) state.

Ecosystem – an interdependent and dynamic system of living 

organisms with their physical and geographical environment.

Effluent – the liquid waste of sewage and industrial processing.

Embayment – indention in a shoreline forming a bay.

Enhancement – modification of a natural or created habitat 

to increase the level of one or more functions, typically to the 

detriment of other functions.

Erosion – the loosening, transporting, and wearing away of 

the land, chiefly by water or wind.

Estuarine habitat – the natural home or dwelling place of an 

organism that lives in an estuary.

Estuary – regions of interaction between rivers and nearshore 

ocean waters, where tidal action and river flow create a 

mixing of fresh water and saltwater. These areas may include 

bays, mouths of rivers, salt marshes, and lagoons. These 

brackish water ecosystems shelter and feed marine life, birds, 

and wildlife.

Florida-Friendly yard – landscaping principles utilized in 

Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program, which has nine 

principles including 1) right plant, right spot, 2) water 

efficiently, 3) non-cypress mulch, 4) recycle or compost, 5) 

minimize fertilizer, 6) reduce chemical pest control, 7) reduce 

stormwater runoff, 8) plant with wildlife in mind by using 

native species, 9) utilize plants to protect shoreline instead of 

structures and do not use chemicals close to shoreline.

Groundwater – any water naturally stored underground in 

aquifers, or that flows through and saturates soil and rock, 

supplying springs and wells, often used as a drinking 

water source.

Habitat – the natural or unnatural environment of a plant 

or animal.

Hard-bottom habitat – primary reef structures accreted from 

coquina mollusks, sand, and shell marl, which lithified 

parallel to ancient shorelines and have been expanded by 

colonies of polychaete worms and other invertebrate and 

macroalgal species.

Hardened shorelines/shore hardening – the artificial 

alteration of a shoreline, using seawalls, rubble, or other 

means; replacement of vegetation or otherwise natural 

shoreline with manmade structures.

Hydrology – the science of dealing with the occurrence, 

circulation, distribution, and properties of the waters of the 

Earth, and their reaction with the environment.

Impervious surface – any surface such as roads, rooftops, or 

parking lots that does not allow water to soak into the ground.

Glossary

38
39

Littoral zone – the portion of a body of fresh water 

extending from the shoreline lakeward to the limit of 

occupancy of rooted plants; a strip of land along the 

shoreline between the high and low water levels.

Mangrove – a salt-tolerant tree that grows along tropical 

coasts in salty ocean water, sending down roots from its 

branches that form a breeding place for marine life and aid 

in building up dry land.

Nitrogen pollution – pollution containing nitrogen which 

stimulates aquatic algal growth, thus robbing waters of 

oxygen-killing fish and other aquatic organisms. Nitrogen 

pollution comes from runoff of excess fertilizers, animal 

waste, and other diffuse sources, as well as from wastewater 

treatment plants and other industries.

Non-point source pollution – diffuse pollution sources (i.e. 

without a single point of origin or not introduced into a 

receiving stream from a specific outlet). The pollutants are 

generally carried off the land by stormwater. Common nonpoint sources are agriculture, lawns, and city streets.

Paulstrine – any inland wetland that lacks flowing water 

and contains ocean derived salts in concentrations of less 

than .05 percent. 

Point-source pollution – pollutants that are discharged or 

emitted from traceable, detectable, and discrete sources such 

as sewage pipes or smokestacks. 

Pollution – contamination of soil, water, or the atmosphere 

by the discharge of harmful substances.

Red tide – a bloom of dinoflagellates that causes reddish 

discoloration of coastal ocean waters. Certain dinoflagellates 

produce toxins (brevetoxin) that kill fish, contaminate 

shellfish, and irritate the respiratory systems of people and 

other animals.

Runoff – a portion of precipitation on the land that 

ultimately reaches a body of water.

Salinity – any concentration of salt in water, usually 

measured in parts per thousand.

Salt marsh – a marine habitat that is usually wet with 

saltwater and contains shrubby vegetation and grasses.

Seagrass bed – a mass or growth of marine plants, generally 

found on the sea bottom in relatively shallow water.

Sediment – the soil, sand, minerals, and organic material 

at the bottom of surface waters, such as streams, lakes 

and rivers. Sediments collecting in rivers, reservoirs, and 

harbors can destroy fish and wildlife habitat and cloud the 

water so that sunlight cannot reach aquatic plants. Loss of 

topsoil from farming, mining, or building activities can be 

prevented through a variety of erosion-control techniques.

Sound – a body of water, wider than a strait or channel, 

usually connecting larger bodies of water.

Stormwater runoff – precipitation that does not infiltrate 

into the ground or evaporate due to impervious land 

surfaces, but instead flows onto adjacent land or water areas 

and is routed into drain/sewer systems.

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) – a calculation of 

the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can 

receive and still meet government established water-quality 

standards and an allocation of that amount to the pollutants 

sources.

Tributary – a body of water, such as a creek or stream, that 

supplies a larger body of water, such as a lake or estuary.

Wastewater – water that has been used for industrial or 

domestic purposes and is therefore contaminated 

with pollutants. 

Watershed – the land area from which surface runoff drains 

into a stream, channel, lake, reservoir, or other body of 

water; also called a drainage basin.

Water-quality standards – the goals for a waterbody by 

designating its uses, setting criteria to protect those uses, and 

establishing provisions to protect waterbodies from pollutants.

Wetlands – a land inclusion that has a predominance of 

hydric (wet) soils and is inundated or saturated by surface 

or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient 

to support a prevalence of vegetation adapted to wet soil 

conditions under normal circumstances.
Palmer Point Park

PROJECT AREA

Venice Ave.

Laurel Ave.

Casey Key 

Clark Rd.

Bee Ridge Rd.

Siesta Key 

Longboat Key 

Fruitville Rd.

Tamiami Trail

University Pkwy.

Venice Inlet

Sarasota 

Bay

Lido Key 

New Pass

Big Sarasota Pass

41

Gulf 

of

Mexico

Bowlees Creek

Whitaker Bayou

Hudson Bayou

Phillippi Creek

Catfish Creek

North Creek

Dona Bay

Roberts Bay Lyons Bay

Blackburn Bay

Little Sarasota Bay

Roberts

Bay

75

681

Proctor Rd.

South Creek

 

 HABITAT RESTORATION - Completed

 HABITAT RESTORATION - In Progress

 HABITAT RESTORATION - Future

 ARTIFICIAL REEFS - Completed

 ARTIFICIAL REEFS - In Progress

 ARTIFICIAL REEFS - Future

 OYSTER HABITAT ENHANCEMENTS

 SEAGRASS HABITAT

 GULF COAST HERTIAGE TRAIL AUTO TOUR ROUTE

SARASOTA BAY

E S T U A R Y P R O G R A M

Project Status

Venice

(to I-75)

(to I-75)

Bayshore South Reef

Whale Key Reef

Walker Reef

Sportfisherman Reef

Hart Reef

Pop Jantzen Reef

888 Reef

Evans Reef

Coker Reef

Silvertooth Reef

6th Street Park

Quick Point Nature Preserve

Ken Thompson Park

Sarasota BayWalk

South Lido Park- Phase 1

South Lido Park- Phase 2

Little Edward Island Preserve

Big Edward Island Preserve

Skiers Island Preserve

Bird Colonies Preserve

White Beach Oyster Habitat

Turtle Beach Oyster Habitat

Jim Neville Preserve

Crosley Estate 

Caples Campus Complex

Joan M. Durante Park & Preserve

Hog Creek

G.Wiz

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Pioneer Park

Sarasota

Bayshore Island

Bowlees Creek Island

Jiggs Landing

MANATEE COUNTY

SARASOTA COUNTY

North Lido Park- Phase 1

North Lido Park- Phase 2

Miller Reef

Bay Preserve at Osprey

Snake Island Preserve

(to I-75)

(to I-75)

(to I-75)

Indian Beach / Sapphire Shores 

Whitaker Bayou 

Pinecraft Park 

Red Bug Slough

Historic Spanish Point

Blackburn Point Park

Pelican Cove

Robinson Preserve

Artificial reef modules

Oyster habitat in Sarasota Bay

Refer to page 27 to 

learn more about 

The Gulf Coast 

Heritage Trail.
Acknowledgements – State of the Bay 2010

SBEP Policy Board

Deborah Getzoff, Florida Department of Environmental Protection 

Jon Chappie, Commissioner, Manatee County

Jon Thaxton, Commissioner, Sarasota County

Jack Bispham, Manasota Basin Board, Southwest Florida Water Management District

Kelly Kirschner, Commissioner, City of Sarasota

Marianne Barnebey, Commissioner, City of Bradenton 

Lynn Larson, Commissioner, Town of Longboat Key

Tony Able, U.S. EPA Region 4

SBEP Management Board

Charles Kovach, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Anne Marie Lauritsen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Javiar Vargas, City of Sarasota

Felicia Burks, U.S. EPA Region 4, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Jennette Seacrest, Southwest Florida Water Management District

Aubree Hershorin, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Frank Courtney, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Charlie Hunsicker, Manatee County Natural Resources 

Jack Merriam, Sarasota County Environmental Services

Seth Kohn, City of Bradenton

Juan Florensa, Town of Longboat Key Public Works

Gary Comp, WilsonMiller, Inc.; Co-chair, Technical Advisory Committee

John Stevely, Florida Sea Grant; Co-chair, Technical Advisory Committee

Nick Gladding, Chair, Citizens Advisory Committee

SBEP Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)

The Technical Advisory Committee provides a mechanism for technical peer review and input to projects and 

programs of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program. The TAC initiates technical studies, reviews projects put forth 

by other SBEP committees for scientific merit, and assists SBEP staff with restoration and management plans 

for Bay resources.

SBEP Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) 

The Citizens Advisory Committee provides a mechanism for structured citizen input to the Sarasota Bay Estuary 

Program and assists in disseminating relevant information to the public. The CAC develops action plans to 

communicate SBEP activities and strives to influence public policies that affect the Bay and its resources. 

Staff

 Mark Alderson, Director mark@sarasotabay.org

 Marian Pomeroy, Finance Director marian@sarasotabay.org

 Jay Leverone, Ph.D., Staff Scientist jay@sarasotabay.org

 Sara Kane, Public Outreach Coordinator sara@sarasotabay.org 

 Morgan Reilly, Administrative Assistant morgan@sarasotabay.org

 Written by: SBEP Staff, Paul Roat, and Caroline McKeon

 Edited by: Cathy Ciccolella

 Graphics and layout design: Patti Cross

 Illustrations: Patti and Tom Cross

This publication is dedicated in memory of Tom Cross (1954-2008), a longtime local environmental 

proponent and talented artistic contributor to SBEP publications. His vision and talents will be missed.