## SARASOTA BAY

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

## Restoring Our Bays

111 South Orange Avenue

Suite 200W Sarasota, Florida 34236

941.955.8085

www.sarasotabay.org SARASOTA BAY

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

Restoring Our Bays 

## 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. 

# 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 Bays2010 Project Area MapPalmer Point ParkPROJECT AREA Palmetto Venice Ave. Laurel Ave.



### Casey Key Clark Rd. Bee Ridge Rd.



### Siesta Key

**Longboat Key** Fruitville Rd.

Tamiami Trail 53rd. Ave.

Cortez Rd. Manatee Ave. W. 10th St.

**Anna Maria Island** University Pkwy.

75th St. W. Venice Inlet

Sarasota Bay Tampa Bay Terra Ceia BayPalma SolaBay
Longboat Pass **Lido Key**New PassBig SarasotaPass41413014141 BradentonGulfofMexicoCortez B o w l e e s C r e e k W h i t a k e r B a y o u

H u d s o n B

a y o u

P h i l l i p p i C r e e k C a t fi s h C r e e k

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v e r75681 Proctor Rd.19275

Anna Maria Sound75Coquina Beach S o u t h C r e e kHABITAT RESTORATION -CompletedHABITAT RESTORATION -In ProgressHABITAT RESTORATION -FutureARTIFICIAL REEFS -CompletedARTIFICIAL REEFS -In ProgressARTIFICIAL REEFS -FutureOYSTER HABITAT ENHANCEMENTSSEAGRASS HABITATGULF COAST HERTIAGE TRAIL AUTO TOUR ROUTESARASOTA BAYE S T U A R Y P R O G R AMProject Status Venice (to I-75) (to I-75)Tampa Bay ReefBradenton Beach Pier ReefLeffis Key ReefBayshore North ReefBayshore South ReefWhale Key ReefWalker ReefSportfisherman ReefHart ReefPop Jantzen Reef888 ReefEvans ReefCoker ReefSilvertooth Reef6th Street ParkQuick Point Nature PreserveKen Thompson ParkSarasota BayWalkSouth Lido Park- Phase 1South Lido Park- Phase 2Little Edward Island PreserveBig Edward Island PreserveSkiers Island PreserveBird Colonies PreserveWhite Beach Oyster HabitatTurtle Beach Oyster HabitatJim Neville PreserveCrosley EstateCaples Campus ComplexJoan M. Durante Park & PreserveSister Keys PreserveLeffis Key ParkHog CreekGrassy Point PreserveRobinson PreservePerico BayouFISH Preserve1G.WizPerico Causeway(Scenic Highway) W a r e s C r e e kBallard Elementary SchoolMarie Selby Botanical GardensBulkheads ReefEmerson Point ReefPioneer Park SarasotaDe Soto National Memorial & PreserveBayshore IslandBowlees Creek IslandPalma Sola Bay-Front ParkWares Creek RestorationPine IslandJiggs Landing MANATEE COUNTY SARASOTA COUNTYFISH Preserve 2Gladiola Fields Oyster HabitatEmerson Point PreserveNeal PreserveHerb Dolan Park1912 Cortez SchoolhouseNorth Lido Park- Phase 1North Lido Park- Phase 2Miller ReefBay Preserve at OspreySnake Island Preserve (to I-75) (to I-75) (to I-75) (to I-75) (to I-75)Indian Beach / Sapphire ShoresWhitaker BayouPinecraft ParkRed Bug SloughHistoric Spanish PointBlackburn Point ParkSarasota Bay Estuary ProgramHabitat Restoration ProjectsandThe Gulf Coast Heritage TrailPelican Cove



# T he 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.Robinson PreserveArtificial reef modulesOyster habitat in Sarasota BayRefer to page 27 tolearn more aboutThe Gulf CoastHeritage Trail.

# 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

Restoring Our Bays 

# State of the Bay 2010

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 CourseCCMP 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



# C elebrating 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. 

# “

# W ith 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 

# E stuaries 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. 

## F or 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.

### 7 State of the Bay 2010 

# S arasota 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 par t 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 BA Y

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 

# S arasota 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.

### 9 State of the Bay 2010 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 runningthe 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 graduallyreplaced 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 habitatshad 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%

### 11 State of the Bay 2010 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



# S ince 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

.

### 13 State of the Bay 2010 

## 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 

# S arasota 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 

# H abitats 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 ofwetland 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)

### 15 State of the Bay 2010 

# T he 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

### 17 State of the Bay 2010 

## 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. 

# T he 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 provideshabitat 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 

# E ngaging 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.

### 19 State of the Bay 2010 

## 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 

# S ince 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.

### 21 State of the Bay 2010 

## 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



# B ay 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.

### 23 State of the Bay 2010 • 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.

### 25 State of the Bay 2010 

# T he 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 

# T he 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’sparticipation 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 P E R V I O U S W

A L K W A Y

P E R V I O U S W A L K W A Y S 

## 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 CO 2 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 CO 2 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 (CO 2 ) & Nitrous Oxide (N 2 0) 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 P E R V I O U S W

A L K W A Y

P E R V I O U S W A L K W A Y S 

### 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 CO 2 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 CO 2 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 (CO 2 ) & Nitrous Oxide (N 2 0)

BUFFER ZONE

TREES & PALMS

LARGE SHRUBS HOUSE STRUCTURE

SMALL SHRUBS

GRASSES WILDFLOWERS

GROUNDCOVERS WATER

LARGE SHRUB P E R

V I O U S W

A L K W A Y

M U L

C H E D W A L K W A Y S PERVIOUS
DRIVEWAY SHORELINE

RAIN GARDEN
INFILTRATION
AREAS RAIN GARDEN
INFILTRATION AREAS 

# vv SW ALE

CUT

BERM

10 foot non-fertilized buf fer from the seawall BUFFER ZONE Shoreline Landscaping 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 landscaping 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 bayfront. 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, salt-tolerant, bay-friendly, commercially available way to beautify the landscape while controlling erosion and reducing the amount of nutrients, fertilizer and pesticides entering our bays.

Remember to protect and encourage the establishment of mangroves seaward of your seawall.

For more information on additional shoreline plants or where to obtain them, contact

111 S. Orange Ave., Sarasota, FL 34236 www.sarasotabay.org 941.955.8085 Earth Shaping to Prevent Runoff

A Homeowner’s Guide to Low Maintenance Landscaping Along Seawalls, Bayfronts and Canals

Sarasota Bay Estuary Program www.sarasotabay.org 941.955.8085 Florida Native Plant Society www.fnps.org 321.271.6702 FloridaYards & Neighborhoods www.FloridaYards.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 Distric t www.WaterMatters.org 352.796.7211 Example of a Bay-Friendly Landscape {

{

SARASOTA BAY

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

.

Sponsored in par t by the Manasota Basin Board of the

“Living on the Water’s Edge”and “Landscaping for Climate Change” brochures can be downloaded from the
SBEP website: www.sarasotabay.org 

# vv SW ALE

CUT

BERM

10 FT

. fertilizer free zone from the water ’s edge

6 FT

. vegetated BUFFER ZONE 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 Earth Shaping to Prevent Runoff

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 Distric t www.WaterMatters.org 352.796.7211

Florida Wildflower Foundation www.floridawildflowercouncil.org 407.353.6164 Example of a Bay-Friendly Landscape

. 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 par t by the Manasota Basin Board of the

Printed on recycled content paper Example of a Bay-Friendly Landscape

6 FT. vegetated BUFFER ZONE

10 FT. fertilizer free zone from the water’s edge

TREES & PALMS

LARGE SHRUBS HOUSE STRUCTURE

SMALL SHRUBS

GRASSES WILDFLOWERS

GROUNDCOVERS WATER

AQUATIC VEGETATION

RAIN BARREL/CISTERN P E R

V I O U S W

A L K W A Y

P E R V I O U S W A L K W A Y S PERVIOUS
DRIVEWAY AQUATIC SHORELINE VEGETATION

RAIN GARDEN
INFILTRATION
AREAS

RAIN GARDEN INFILTRATION AREAS LOW-RESOLUTION PDF 6-15-09

### 27 State of the Bay 2010 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 B radenton **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

102 103

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 P h i l l i p p i C r e e k

g 83 301

Upper Myakka Lake

771 61 City of Sarasota Cultural District

● 65 Whitaker-Gateway Park: Provides picnicking, a playground, and a great vista of Sarasota Bay. 14th St., Sarasota____________________________________423.2065 www.scgov.net

● 66 Centennial Park: Largest boat ramp facility in Sarasota. 1059 N. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota_________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 67 The Players Theatre: Sarasota’s oldest community theater (founded in 1930) with auditions open to everyone. Productions of Broadway musicals and special events. A vital and intricate part of the Sarasota community for almost 80 years. 838 N. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota__________________________365.2494 www.theplayers.org

● 68 Art Center Sarasota: Offers a variety of programs; workshops, exhibitions, education, and outreach. Provides a destination for all visual artists in Sarasota. 707 N. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota__________________________365.2032 www.artsarasota.org

● 69 Sarasota Visitor and History Center -

Welcome Center to Sarasota: Provides an understanding of Sarasota County’s heritage and protects its historic resources. Collections consist of late 19th and 20th century photographs, architectural drawings, maps, business and personal papers, newspapers, and other archaeological artifacts. 701 N. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota__________________________957.1877 www.scgov.net www.sarasota.org

● 70 Bayfront BayWalk: In the heart of downtown, take a stroll along the Sarasota bayfront while enjoying wildlife viewing. Located next to Van Wezel.

● 71 Florida West Coast Symphony: The oldest continuing orchestra in the state of Florida; founded in 1949. Features classical music, pops, children’s concerts and resident chamber ensembles. The season includes approximately 75 concerts each year. 709 N. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota_______953.4252 box office: 953.3434 www.fwcs.org

● 72 Van Wezel

Performing Arts Hall: Designed by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, thislandmark has featured worldclass music, dance and theater since 1970 and hosted such artists as Luciano Pavarotti, Willie Nelson, and Julio Iglesias. 777 N. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota__________________________953.3366 www.vanwezel.org

● 73 Gulf Coast Wonder & Imagination Zone (GWIZ): Offers more than 60 hands-on natural and physical science exhibits (great for kids). The Florida Yard Demonstration Landscape and Butterfly Garden offers a showplace of native Florida plants, a cistern, and a turtle and fish pond. 1001 Blvd. of the Arts, Sarasota_______________________309.4949 www.gwiz.org

● 74 Sarasota Garden Club: Offers native plants, a butterfly garden, a 1⁄2-acre pond with turtles and ducks, and other wildlife viewing opportunities including wild parrots and herons. 1131 Blvd. of the Arts, Sarasota_______________________955.0875 sarasotagardenclub.org

● 75 Sarasota Opera: Listed on the National Registry of Historic Buildings and the League of Historic Theaters. Public tours are available of the newly renovated historic 1926 opera house. 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota_______366.8450 or 888.OPERA-12 www.sarasotaopera.org

● 76 Golden Apple Dinner Theatre: A Sarasota landmark founded in 1971 offers cocktails, candlelight dining and a professional Broadway show. 25 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota________________________366.5454 www.thegoldenapple.com ● 64 South Lido Park: This bays to beaches park provides expansive views of the Gulf of Mexico, Big Pass, and downtown Sarasota. The park also offers a nature trail, a self guided canoe trail, picnic tables, grills, playground equipment, volleyball court, horseshoe court, and restrooms. 190 Taft Dr. and 2201 Ben Franklin Dr., Lido Key________861.5000 www.scgov.net ● 101 T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Memorial Reserve: Offers picnic areas, a pavilion, restrooms, and a historic log cabin. In addition to more than 80 miles of primitive hiking trails that run through large expanses of pine flatwoods, dry prairie, oak-palm hammocks, and wetlands. 1800 Carlton Pkwy., Venice___________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 102 Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park: 206 acres of mostly shady oak hammock on both sides of the creek. This park offers a rare opportunity to enjoy the “Old Florida” experience of a blackwater creek. It features birding, hiking, picnicking, camping, and bicycling. There is a nature trail, canoe/ kayak launch, and restroom facilities. 6968 Reisterstown Rd., North Port_____________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 103 Nokomis Beach: Sarasota County’s oldest public beach, with a pavilion, canoe/kayak launch, picnic shelters, a boardwalk, and restrooms. 901 Casey Key Rd., Nokomis_________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 104 North Jetty Park: One of the best surfing beaches on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Popular for fishing it provides a bait stand as well as picnic shelters, volleyball courts, a concession stand, canoe/kayak launch, and restrooms. 100 Casey Key Rd., Nokomis_________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 105 Curry Creek Preserve: An 82-acre primitive preserve that has one of the few remaining coastal creeks in southwest Florida. A wonderful wildlife and birding location. A foot path serves as the site entrance. Pinebrook Rd., Venice_______________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 8 Gamble Plantation Historic State Park: It was one of the most successful sugar mill plantations in Florida built in 1844. This confederate memorial offers a guided tour depicting old Florida living. Also located on the grounds are the sugar mill ruins. 3708 Patten Ave., Ellenton_____________________723.4536 www.floridastateparks.org

● 9 Ray’s Canoe Hideaway: Near Rye Wilderness Park. Offers facilities for canoe/kayak rentals, primitive camping, fishing, bait and tackle shop, and swimming. 1247 Hagel Park Rd., Bradenton__1.888.57CANOE or 747.3909 www.rayscanoehideaway.com

● 10 Rye Preserve: This 145-acre park located along the Manatee River offers picnic areas, pavilion, playground, camping, nature trails, bike trails, horseback riding trails, wildlife observation, fishing, and canoe/kayak launch. 905 Rye Wilderness Trail, Parrish________________776.0900 www.mymanatee.org click on: Conservation Lands Management

● 11 Headwaters at Duette Preserve: Possesses the unique distinction of comprising the headwaters of the Manatee River. A primitive preserve that offers 2,200 acres of trails, parking available for horse trailers. SR 37 and SR 62, Duette______________________ _745.3723 www.mymanatee.org click on: Conservation Lands Management

● 12 Duette Preserve: Offers miles of nature trails, horseback riding trails, non-motorized bicycle trails, picnic tables, camping, and managed hunting and fishing. A pavilion is available by reservation or on a first-come-first-serve basis. 2649 Rawls Rd., Duette________________________776.2295 www.mymanatee.org click on: Conservation Lands Management

● 13 Lake Manatee State Park: Offers camping area, boat ramp, swimming, fishing, and wildlife viewing. The park extends along three miles of the south shore of Lake Manatee, which serves as a water reservoir for Manatee and Sarasota Counties. 20007 SR 64, Bradenton_______________________741.3028 www.floridastateparks.org
● 14 Jiggs Landing: Offers bait, tackle, and a canoe/kayak launch. You can paddle from Jiggs Landing to the Linger Lodge (restaurant) and enjoy an eclectic “Old Florida” experience. 6106 63rd St. E., Braden River Rd., Bradenton____745.3723 www.mymanatee.org click on: Conservation Lands Management

● 15 Pine Island Preserve: Boat access only. South of Braden River Bridge, SR 64, Bradenton__745.3723 www.mymanatee.org click on: Conservation Lands Management
● 16 Braden Castle Ruins: Once the site of Dr. Joseph A. Braden’s Sugar Plantation, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Contains 209 frame bungalows, built from 1924 to 1929 for winter tourists. SR 64 and 27th St. E., Bradenton

● 17 Manatee Village Historical Park: A national historic site that offers a look at the heritage of the area’s settlers. Special attractions include the Village of Manatee, the Cracker Trail, the Bunker Hill School, the Wiggins General Store, a smokehouse, and a sugar cane mill. 1404 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton_______________741.4075 www.manateeclerk.com click on: Clerk Services/Historical
● 18 Family Heritage House Museum: A gallery and resource center for the study of African American achievements, as well as a facility on the Natural Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program. 1707 15th St. E. & 5840 26th St. W., Bradenton___752.5319 www.familyheritagehouse.com

● 19 De Soto National Memorial: A 27-acre National Memorial offering nature trails, canoe/kayak launch, a living history camp and visitors center, and a museum with educational films and artifacts focusing on Native American and Spanish history in Florida. Biking along scenic Riverview Blvd. 3000 75th St . N., Bradenton_____________________792.0458 www.nps.gov/deso

● 20 Riverview Pointe Preserve: An 11-acre preserve located adjacent to De Soto National Memorial. The preserve is part of a large prehistoric coastal village site that was inhabited by Florida Indians from about 356 B.C. to A.D. 110. Manatee Ave. to the end of 75th St . N., Bradenton_745.3723 www.mymanatee.org click on: Conservation Lands Management ● 25 Bean Point Beach: The first homesteader landed here 100 years ago. A walkover provides a spectacular view of the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay. N. Shore Dr. & N. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria Island__________778.7092 www.mymanatee.org click on: Parks and Recreation

● 26 Rod and Reel Pier: Built in 1947, this old style Florida pier offers fishing, casual dining, and spectacular sunsets. 875 North Shore Dr., Anna Maria Island________________778.1885

● 27 Bayfront Park: Offers picnicking, walking and biking to nearby Bean Point Beach and the local fishing piers. 310 N. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria Island___________________742.5923 www.mymanatee.org click on: Parks and Recreation

● 28 Anna Maria City Pier: Originally built in 1911 as a dock for excursion boats from Tampa, the 736-foot pier attracts many sightseers and anglers. 100 Bay Blvd., Anna Maria Island

● 29 Anna Maria Island Historical Society Museum: Built in 1920 as an ice house, the museum houses rare photos of settlers and artifacts such as shells, fossils, sharks’ teeth, and antique quilts. The Old City Jail is next to museum was built in 1927, this landmark is a favorite for photographers. 402 Pine Ave., Anna Maria Island_____________________778.0492 www.islandhistory.us

● 30 Island Players: Founded in 1948, it offers community stage productions. 10009 Gulf Dr. N., Anna Maria Island___________________778.5755 www.theislandplayers.org

● 31 Robinson Preserve: A 487-acre preserve including 40 acres of peaceful waterways for canoeing and kayaking. Paved and primitive walking trails, a visitors center, and a canoe/kayak launch. At the terminus of 99th St. N.W. and 9th Ave. N.W., Bradenton________________________745.3723 www.mymanatee.org click on: Conservation Lands Management

● 32 Geraldson Community Farm: An educational non-profit working farm that grows organic produce available to members every week from November-May. 1401 99th St. N.W., Bradenton________________________723.3252 www.geraldsoncommunityfarm.org

● 33 Manatee County Public Beach: 10 acres of white sand with concessions, lifeguards, a playground, fishing, volleyball, picnic tables, and restrooms. SR 64 and 4200 Gulf Dr., Holmes Beach________________742.5923 www.mymanatee.org click on: Parks and Recreation

● 34 Neal Preserve: 116 acres to explore. Located at the southwest tip of the Perico parcel known locally as Spoonbill Bay. South of SR 64 on Perico Island_______________________776.0900 www.mymanatee.org click on: Conservation Lands Management

● 35 Historic Bridge Street: Quaint shopping, restaurants, and commercial district and location of the Bridge St. Fishing Pier, the center of the Historic Old Town District. It was the first bridge to Anna Maria Island, built in 1920. At the end of Bridge Street is the newly renovated Bradenton Beach City Pier overlooking Sarasota Bay. Bridge St., Bradenton________________________________778.1005 www.cityofbradentonbeach.com/bridgestreet

● 36 Cortez Commercial Fishing Village: Built in the 1880s, this quaint community has preserved its local heritage. Offers walking tours and restaurants. The annual Fishing Festival is held every 3rd weekend of February. 123rd St. and 124th St. off Cortez Rd., Bradenton_______794.1249 www.fishnews.org or www.cortezvillage.org

● 37 Florida Maritime Museum at Cortez: Located at this site is a historic brick schoolhouse built in 1912, defined by classically inspired wooden piers. The building retains its original floor plan, architectural detailing, and character. 4415 119th St. W., Cortez____________________________708.6120 www.clerkofcourts.com/ClerkServices/HisVill/cortez_maritimemuseum

● 38 Coquina BayWalk at Leffis Key: Popular with the locals as a place to take a scenic walk while enjoying the company of Florida’s most beautiful wading birds, this 30-acre preserve includes tidal lagoons, a foot bridge, and boardwalks for public access. Gulf Dr., Bradenton Beach____________________________745.3723 www.mymanatee.org click on: Conservation Lands Management

● 39 Coquina Beach and Bayside Park: 96 acres of white sand accommodates more than two million visitors a year. Picnic shelters, grills, playground, concessions, nature trails, fishing, restrooms, and nearby boat ramps. Gulf Dr. south of Bradenton Beach____________________742.5923 www.mymanatee.org click on: Parks and Recreation

● 40 Greer Island Beach: Also known as Beer Can Island, perfect for secluded beach walks, brilliant sunsets and wildlife viewing opportunities. (Over 200 species of birds have been spotted here.) W. side of Gulf Dr. just past Longboat Key Bridge, Longboat Key_742.5923 www.mymanatee.org click on: Parks and Recreation

● 41 North Shore Rd. Beach Access: A pristine beach provides access to Greer Island Beach/Beer Can Island. 100 N. Shore Rd., Longboat Key______________________742.5923 www.mymanatee.org click on: Parks and Recreation

● 42 Longboat Key Center for the Arts: Established in 1952, now offers exhibits and art classes in sculpture, pottery, copper enameling, jewelry, photography, and more. 6860 Longboat Dr. S., Longboat Key___________________383.2345 www.lbkca.org City Island Environmental Park

● 55 Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium: Get a clo se-up look at the creatures that inhabit nearby coastal waters. Come face-to-face with a shark, touch a horseshoe crab or enjoy watching manatees gliding through the water. Great for kids! Sarasota Bay Explorers at Mote takes visitors on a wonderful tranquil cruise around Sarasota and Roberts Bay. You can experience the local wildlife and marine life narrated by an on-board naturalist. Also offered is the Explorer Kayak Adventures which takes you on a serene guided tour of area bays. 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy., Sarasota__________________388.4441 www.mote.org

● 56 Sarasota BayWalk: A 4.5-acre wetland restoration site offering wildlife viewing and nature trails. 1550 Ken Thompson Pkwy., Sarasota__________________955.8085 www.sarasotabay.org

● 57 Ken Thompson Park: An 84-acre park that offers picnicking, fishing, canoeing, or kayaking. There are indoor/ outdoor restaurants in the area. 1700 Ken Thompson Pkwy., Sarasota__________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 58 City Island/Ken Thompson Boat Ramp

and Bird Rookery: Provides ideal access to Sarasota Bay; offers unique bird viewing. 1700 Ken Thompson Pkwy., Sarasota__________________861.5000 www.scgov.net ● 43 Joan M. Durante Park:
This 32-acre site is located on Sarasota Bay two miles south of the north end of Longboat Key. The park offers nature trails and boardwalks through a wetland and mangrove system. It also includes gazebos, botanical garden, restrooms, playgrounds and picnic areas. Available for special events. Call for reservations. 5550 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key________________ 316.1988 www.longboatkey.org

● 44 Bicentennial Park: A 1⁄2-acre park offering picnicking and a Florida Yard Demonstration Landscape. 2730 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key________________316.1988 www.longboatkey.org

● 45 Crosley Museum: The home of Powel Crosley, the entrepreneur (especially known for soap operas). This historic home, overlooking Sarasota Bay, has towering walls of cast stone, hand carved wooden doors, a stone portico, custom windows, fireplaces and a grand compass room. 1 Seagate Dr. / 8374 N. Tamiami Tr.___________________722.3244 www.powelcrosleymuseum.com

● 46 Asolo Repertory Theatre: Two theaters featuring professional artists and Florida State University students. The Sarasota Ballet of Florida attains the highest international standards by performing mixed repertoires of treasured classics, contemporary and ballet. 5555 N. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota__________800.361.8388 or 351.8000 www.asolo.org

● 47 John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art: The state art museum of Florida featuring 22 galleries with 500 years of European art; the Ringling complex also features the Ringling Mansion (Cá d’Zan) and the Circus Museum. 5401 Bayshore Rd., Sarasota__________________________351.1660 www.ringling.org

● 48 Cá d’Zan: The home of John and Mable Ringling, is the “crown jewel” of the Ringling complex with stained glass windows, whimsical carvings, marble terraces, gardens, and historical furnishings. 5401 Bayshore Rd., Sarasota__________________________359.5700 www.ringling.org

● 49 North Water Tower Park: 20 acres that offer picnicking, a playground, and a 5,463’ course for disc golf. 4700 Rilma Avenue, Sarasota_________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 50 Sarasota Classic Car Museum: The third oldest car museum in the U.S. featuring 100 years of world-class automotive art and history, including John Ringling’s motorcar collection. 5500 N. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota_________________________355.6228 www.sarasotacarmuseum.org

● 51 Sarasota Jungle Gardens: Sarasota’s oldest attraction (1936) features 10 acres of beautiful gardens and jungle trails, bird and reptile shows, Kiddie Jungle, educational programs, shell museum, eco-safaris, and animals from around the world. 3701 Bay Shore Rd.__________________________________355.5305 www.sarasotajunglegardens.com

● 52 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park: A quiet park that offers picnicking near the historic Newtown community. 2523 Coconut Ave., Sarasota_________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 53 Quick Point Nature Preserve: A 34-acre nature park that offers trails, boardwalks, tidal pools, scenic vistas, and wildlife viewing. You can also bike along beautiful Gulf of Mexico Drive, to City Island and nearby Lido Key. 100 Gulf of Mexico Dr.______________________________316.1988 www.longboatkey.org

● 54 Overlook Park/New Pass Fishing Pier: Provides access to Quick Point Nature Preserve. Canoe/kayak launch; limited parking. 101 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key_________________316.1988 www.longboatkey.org ● 84 Sarasota’s Sailor Circus: The oldest continuously running youth circus in America. Founded in 1949. 2075 Bahia Vista St., Sarasota____________________________361.6350

● Circus Sarasota: A Sarasota based circus. Circus Sarasota is committed to broadening the artistic contribution of the circus, while raising the level and perception of the American Circus to that of a fine art. Performance times and locations subject to change; please contact for current information. Office________________________________________________355.9335 www.circussarasota.org

● 85 Celery Fields: 300 acres that mainly consist of open marshlands, ponds and canals, edged by oaks, willows, and pines. This regional stormwater flood control site is also a prime bird-watching location. Located east of I-75 Exit 210, Fruitville Rd. Make right at Coburn Road light and follow road as it curves. The Celery Fields will be on your left. Proceed about 1/2 mile south and make a left onto Palmer Blvd. After about 1/4 mile, make a left into the small parking lot near the gazebo. www.scgov.net

● 86 Sarasota Audubon Society: Palmer Blvd. adopted by the society, is just east of I-75 up to Tatum Road, right through to the Celery Fields. The program consists of monthly meetings open to the public. Sarasota County has long been known for its wildlife and protected areas, and many of these areas have been selected as part of the Great Florida Birding Trail (listed on the website). P.O. Box 15423, Sarasota_____________________________364.9212 www.sarasotaaudubon.org

● 87 Arlington Park and Aquatic Complex: Features an outdoor pool. They offer swimming instruction, walking trails, fishing, picnic areas, playground, and restrooms. www.scgov.net 2650 Waldemere St., Sarasota________________________861.5000

● 88 Florida House Learning Center: A model home and landscape featuring readily available environmentally friendly materials and methods for new and existing Florida homes and yards. The house features an energy-saving passive cooling design and many cost-effective and affordable building methods and materials available through off-the-shelf technology. 4455 Beneva Rd., Sarasota___________________________ 316.1200 www.sarasota.extension.ufl.edu/FHLC

● 89 Red Bug Slough Preserve : Occupies 72 acres with hiking and biking trails that lead away from the road. Trails are shaded by pines and palmettos that give way to oaks draped with Spanish moss. Red signposts mark the paths. Park benches look out over the lake. 5200 Beneva Road__________________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 90 Crowley Museum and Nature Center: A 190-acre park with a nature center, wildlife sanctuary, education facility, nature trails, and pioneer museum. Bird watch from the observation tower. Learn the history of the Florida pioneer spirit in five historic buildings on this native land. 16405 Myakka Rd., Sarasota__________________________322.1000 www.crowleymuseumnaturectr.org

● 91 Siesta Public Beach: Recognized as one of the most beautiful beaches anywhere and as having the whitest sand in the world (99% pure Quartz); offers concessions, picnic shelters, tennis courts, pavilion, ball field, volleyball courts, fitness trail, a safety building, and restrooms. 948 Beach Rd., Siesta Key___________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 92 Phillippi Estates Park/Edson Keith House: A 60-acre park with Indian middens dating back 2000 years. The Edson Keith Mansion was built in 1916 in the classic Italian renaissance style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Enjoy a stroll on the nature trail. This park has picnic areas, canoe/kayak launch, playground, gazebo, fishing piers, and restrooms. 5500 S. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota_________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 93 Twin Lakes Park Facility: A 123 acres baseball park. Professional baseball games are open to the public for no charge from February to October. Also popular for youth activities such as little league baseball, soccer, and football. Adults make use of the tennis and racquetball courts. There is a lot of open space available for picnics, walking, and playing as well as lakes for those who enjoy fishing. Many special events are held on the grounds including, but not limited to: weddings, trade shows, corporate picnics, seminars, dog shows, musical events, and even a circus. 6700 Clark Road, Sarasota __________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 94 Myakka River State Park: One of Florida’s largest and most diverse natural areas at 28,876 acres. Experience our “Old Florida” that offers you fishing, canoe/kayak and bicycle rentals, hiking, nature trails, camping, horseback riding, boat and tram tours, and exceptional wildlife viewing. 13207 SR 72, Sarasota___________________Park Office: 361.6511 Concession/Camping supplies: 923.1120; Wildlife Tours: 365.0100 www.myakkariver.org

● 95 Potter Park: Offers picnicking, nature trails, and tennis and basketball courts. 8587 Potter Park Dr., Sarasota________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 96 Turtle Beach: A bay to beach park with a tidal lagoon connecting to Little Sarasota Bay. Offers a large picnic shelter, volleyball court, horseshoe courts, and

restrooms. 8918 Midnight Pass Rd., Siesta Key__________________________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 97 Palmer Point Park/Neville Marine Preserve: Secluded bays to beaches areas. Popular spots for boaters, canoeists, and excellent for bird viewing. 1/2 mile south of Turtle Beach, Siesta Key______________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 98 Historic Spanish Point: Features pioneer homestead buildings from the late 1800s, beautiful gardens, prehistoric Indian middens (dating from 1250 BC) and nature trails. 337 N. Tamiami Tr., Osprey __________________________966.5214 www.historicspanishpoint.org

● 99 Blackburn Point Park and Bridge: A historic one lane swing bridge with an adjacent park offers picnicking and fishing with view of Little Sarasota Bay. 800 Blackburn Point Rd.______________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 100 Oscar Scherer State Park: Offers nature and hiking trails, camping, swimming, picnicking, fishing, canoe/kayak and bicycle rentals. Look for the endangered Florida Scrub-Jay. 1843 S. Tamiami Tr., Osprey__________________________861.5000 www.floridastateparks.org/oscarscherer ● 59 St. Armands Circle: Where John Ringling started his real estate dreams in 1917, it now offers world renowned dining and shopping pleasures. St. Armands Cir., Sarasota www.visitstarmandscircle.com

● 60 Causeway Park: Offers the Tony Saprito Fishing Pier, a bait shop (Hart’s Landing), and a boat ramp. 420 John Ringling Cswy., Sarasota_____________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 61 Bird Key Park: Offers scenic vistas and recreational pursuits such as wind surfing and fishing (pets welcome). 200 John Ringling Cswy., Bird Key____________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 62 North Lido Beach: A beautiful beach that offers a nature trail, fishing, and sunsets guaranteed to be outstanding. 400 Ben Franklin Dr., Lido Key________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 63 Lido Beach: Popular and active 15-acre beach providing lifeguards year round, concessions, a gift shop, beach wheelchairs, picnicking, playground equipment, swimming pool, and restrooms. 400 Ben Franklin Dr., Lido Key_________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net Area code: 941

● 1 Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier State Park: Among the longest piers in the world. Offering spectacular views from piers on both ends of the bridge. There is a bait and tackle shop, canoe/kayak launch, restaurants, and restrooms. The piers are open 24 hours a day year-round. Located at the north and south ends of the Skyway Bridge on I-275 (US 19). www.floridastateparks.org

● 2 Frog Creek Campground: An 18-acre campground. Electricity, fishing, laundry facilities, restrooms, and shower houses are available. 8515 Bayshore Rd., Palmetto____800.771.3764 or 722.6154 www.frogcreekrv.com

● 3 Emerson Point Preserve: A 365-acre public park offers woodland trails, boardwalks, picnic tables and scenic vistas, along with a sheltered canoe/kayak launch and archaeological exhibits of Native Americans and early Florida settlement life. There are two pavilions available by reservation. 5801 17th St. W., Palmetto____________________721.6885 www.mymanatee.org click on: Conservation Lands Management Palmetto Historical District

● 4 Palmetto Historical Park: The site of Palmetto’s first settlement, which now includes restored buildings, parks, businesses, shops, community clubs, a library, and Heritage Park. Palmetto’s first post office was built here
in 1880. 515 10th Ave. W. and 6th St. W., Palmetto_______723.4570 www.palmettofl.org

● 5 Olympia Children’s Theatre: Built in 1916, it originally served as a theatre and remained in operation as the Palmetto Bakery until the 1950s. Today it is under renovation for use as a performing arts and community center. 512 10th Ave. W., Palmetto____________________721.3456

● 6 Lamb House: Built by Julius A. Lamb in 1899, and purchased in the 1920s by J. Pope Harllee (son of Palmetto’s first settlers). The beautiful home has been restored and is now a private residence. Viewing only, no tours available. 1112 Riverside Dr., Palmetto

● 7 Green Bridge Fishing Pier: Built for $1,000,000 in 1927. Named for E.P. Green who first petitioned for the new bridge that spanned the Manatee River. Open 24 hours. Great fishing, scenic views and a waterfront restaurant. 101 Eighth Ave. W., Palmetto__________________723.4570 www.palmettofl.org

PALMETTO HISTORICAL DISTRICT END NORTHERN SITES CENTRAL SITES SOUTHERN SITES

RIVERFRONT CULTURAL CENTER END Bradenton Riverfront Cultural Center

● 21 South Florida Museum, Bishop

Planetarium, Parker Manatee Aquarium: Explore Florida from “Astronomy to Zoology” with exhibits on the area’s cultural and natural history, astronomy, laser shows and the aquarium’s manatee, Snooty, the oldest manatee “born and raised” in captivity. Great for kids! 201 10th Street W., Bradenton________________________746.4131 www.southfloridamuseum.org

● 22 Manatee Players Riverfront Theatre: An awardwinning community theater company that presents six main stage productions, including live musicals, theatrical plays, and children’s programs during their season. 102 12th St. W., Bradenton___________________________748.5875 www.manateeplayers.com

● 23 ArtCenter Manatee: A long-standing creative presence that offers art with exhibitions, lectures and workshops. 209 9th St. W., Bradenton_____________________________746.2862 www.artcentermanatee.org

● 24 Carnegie Library: Built in 1918 and housing Manatee County’s early records. The first county archival library of its kind in the state of Florida. 1405 4th Ave. W., Bradenton__________________________741.4070 www.manateeclerk.com click on: Clerk Services/Historical Records

● 77 Florida Studio Theatre: Mainstage is located in a historic Sarasota building that presents one of the leading avant garde theaters in the area. 1241 Palm Ave., Sarasota_____________________________366.9000 www.floridastudiotheatre.org

● 78 Burns Court: Unique shopping. A cluster of 1925 Mediterranean Revival bungalows offering antique stores, jewelry, clothing, restaurants, and the Burns Court Cinema. Burns Ct., Sarasota

● 79 Palm Avenue: In the roaring 20s Palm Avenue was Sarasota’s most prestigious address. Today this avenue is a delightful blend of historic Sarasota, fabulous shopping, dining, and artistic highlights showcasing several top art galleries. Palm Ave., Sarasota__________________________________373.9660 www.palmavenue.net

● 80 Towles Court Artist Colony: Includes working artists and artisans living in a renovated, picturesque downtown setting. Open studios and classes. Adams Lane and Morrill St., Sarasota www.towlescourt.com

● 81 Island Park: Offers spectacular Bay views, children’s and dolphin fountains and unforgettable sunsets on Sarasota Bay. Bike nearby Palm Ave. to downtown and/or along the bayfront to nearby Selby Gardens. Bayshore Rd., Sarasota

● 82 Marie Selby Botanical Gardens: Offers 20 distinct garden areas that showcase plant species from all over the world. Take a stroll through the butterfly garden, the bamboo pavilion, koi pond, banyan grove, palm grove, shoreline restoration and the baywalk. Selby Gardens also offers a collection of more than 6,000 orchids and a museum showing more than 20,000 colorful plants. 811 S. Palm Ave., Sarasota____________________________366.5731 www.selby.org

● 83 Payne Park: The newest and largest park within the City of Sarasota. 29 acres featuring a skate park open daily 2pm-7pm. There is an admission fee and a helmet and a signed waiver from parent or guardian is required. There are also nine green clay tennis courts with lights that are open to the public in the evenings and on weekends. 2000 Adams Ln., Sarasota____________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net Venice Cultural and Heritage Park

● 106 Heritage Park: Runs down the center median of West Venice Avenue from Harbor Drive to The Esplanade. It has historical displays, commemorative plaques, benches, and a pedestrian path. Offers a history of prehistoric times, native Americans and fishermen who lived in the area. Venice Ave., Venice_________486.2626 www.venicegov.com

● 107 Venice Archives and Area

Historical Collection: Located in the historic Triangle Inn, built in 1927. Permanent displays include exhibits regarding the life of Dr. Fred Albee and local fossils collected by Roy and Helen Burgess. A special exhibit is changed periodically. 351 S. Nassau St., Venice_____________________________486.2487 www.venicegov.com

● 108 Venice Art Center: Offers free year-round exhibits of local artists’ work and classes for all ages. 390 Nokomis Ave., Venice____________________________485.7136 www.venicestageartcenter.com

● 109 Venice Little Theatre: Offers stage presentations from comedies to musicals in the charming downtown district. 140 W. Tampa Ave., Venice___________________________488.1115 www.venicestage.com

● 110 Venice Beach: Best known for collecting sharks teeth on the beach you can also enjoy diving on a reef containing fossilized material located a quarter mile offshore. Also offers a pavilion, picnic tables, volleyball court, dune walkovers, and restrooms. 100 The Esplanade, Venice___________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 111 Snook Haven: An “Old Florida,” bayou-style restaurant and pleasantly primitive entertainment venue, Snook Haven Restaurant & Fish Camp has been a fixture in Venice for more than 50 years. River boat tours, canoe/kayak launch on site. 5000 E. Venice Ave., Venice__________________________861.5000 http://snookhavenretreat.com

● 112 Jelk Preserve: A primitive 615-acre natural area that showcases the vast ecological wealth along the Myakka River. North and south of the preserve are campgrounds and on the other side of the river is DeerPrairie Creek Preserve. Petfriendly. 2300 N. River Rd., Sarasota________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 113 Service Club Park: Includes boardwalks, native scrub habitat, a secluded beach, volleyball courts, picnicking, and restrooms. Look for the endangered Florida Scrub-Jay. 1190 S. Harbor Dr., Venice____________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 114 Venice Fishing Pier at Brohard Park: Offers sunsets, fishing adventures, picnic shelters, two sand volleyball courts, and a restaurant nearby. Individuals fishing from the 700-foot long pier are not required to have their own fishing license. 1600 S. Harbor Dr., Venice____________________________486.2626 www.venicegov.com

● 115 South Brohard Beach: Located south of Service Club Park. There are showers, picnic tables, restrooms, and boardwalks. Close by is the Venice Fishing Pier. 1190 S. Harbor Dr., Venice____________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 116 Caspersen Beach: Recognized as one of the most enjoyable shelling beaches and a great place to find pre-historic sharks teeth. A bay to beach park that offers nature trails, canoe/kayak launch, wildlife viewing, and restrooms. 4100 Harbor Dr. S., Venice____________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 117 Shamrock Park and Nature Center: Offers nature trails on this 82-acre park. A great spot to picnic or learn more about former homeland of Native American Indians at the environmental center. 3900 Shamrock Dr., Venice____________________________861.5000 www.scgov.net

● 118 Venice Area Audubon Center

& Rookery: A highly used nesting spot by egrets, herons, and anhingas. The best time of year is Dec.-Mar. A great vantage point late in the afternoon is the path to the left of the pavilion. To locate the Rookery continue on Annex Rd. past the Welcome Center; the Rookery is on the right. P.O. Box 1381, Venice Welcome Center 4002 S. US 41, Venice________________496.8984 www.veniceaudubon.org

● 119 Warm Mineral Springs: A natural watering hole and world renowned spa (temperature of the lake holds a year round 87°F), it forms a lake flowing with a million gallons of water per day. The springs are listed on the National Register of Historical Places. 12200 San Servando Ave., North Port_________________426.1692 www.warmmineralsprings.com CITY ISLAND ENVIRO PARK END VENICE CULTURAL AND HERITAGE PARK END

CITY OF SARASOTA CULTURAL DISTRICT 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

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Photos credits: We would like to thank all appropriate sites for supplying photos. Other images courtesy of: Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, Manatee County, Sarasota County, Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau, Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Atura Photography, Elka Photography, Reed Photography, Tom Cross Inc., Sarasota County Dept. of Historical Resources, Florida State Archives, and SWWMD. 

## ‘Gulf Coast Heritage Trail’ The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program was at the forefront of recognizing the economic value of linking and promot

ing Sarasota Bay’s cultural, historical, and environmental heritage. The “Gulf Coast Heritage Trail” was the culmination of thisrecognition, 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 CoastHeritage 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.

SARASOTA BAY

E S T U A R Y P R O G R A M brought to a new height

in the 1920s which sparked the area’s first housing boom.

Mansions and winter

retreats from this time

can still be found including the Gamble Plantation (site 8), the Crosley Musuem (site 45), the Cad’a’Zan (site 48), home of John and Mable Ringling, and Historic Spanish Point (site 98).

**Modern Era** Always important industries, agriculture and fishing eased the counties though the depression of the 1930s.

The region experienced a population explosion after World War II, with the accompanying growth in industry, shopping centers, schools, tourist attractions and accommodations. As they did decades ago, the scenic and bountiful waters of

Manatee and Sarasota still draw new residents

and visitors to its beautiful shores. **Homesteaders**

Florida homesteaders,

also know as “Crackers,” started populating the state in the 1800s. Living in

Florida was hard then without air conditioning and bug repellent. These hardy pioneers eeked out a living rustling wild cattle and living off the land. “Cracker” heritage sites can be found along the Gulf Coast Heritage Trail at Cortez Commerical Fishing Village (site 36), Crowley Museum and Nature Nature Center (site 90), and Historic Spanish Point (site 98). **Golden Age**

By the 1870s the Sarasota Bay region was being advertised as a place for recreation and relaxtion. This probably originated with

advertisements for the Webb Resort Hotel in Osprey but was 

### T he rich heritage of Manatee and Sarasota

counties centers around the Manatee River and Sarasota Bay.

**Native Americans** Mineral springs in southern Sarasora County and burial, midden, and temple mounds located along the river banks and bay shore have provided

evidence of human habitation back 12,000 years. Much like today,

native Florida Indians depended on estuaries, lakes, and rivers for their

livelihood. Over the

centuries this area’s water

resources continued to attract inhabitants. When settlers first arrived in the 1840s, Florida was not yet a state. The territory was populated by
scattered fishermen who came from Cuba and established fishing camps called ranchos on the coast. Seminole Indians, though restricted by the federal government to interior lands, mingled with the new arrivals. By the early 1850s one of the few important Seminole War Chiefs left in Florida was Billy Bowlegs. Billy Bowlegs would frequently visit settlers in the Manatee River area. Visit the South Florida Museum (site 21), and the De Soto National Memorial (site 19) to learn more of the areas’ Native Americans and early Spanish explorers. **Other types of Habitats**

In addition to the important saltwater

wetland habitats of the Sarasota Bay Region, there are

other habitats that are equally significant

to the health of the watershed: flatwoods, prairies, hammocks,

and freshwater

marshlands. These types of diverse habitats with unique wildlife and important biological functions can be seen at state and county parks within the region. For a glimpse of “Old Florida,” visitors should not miss the spectacular Myakka River State Park (site 94). The park includes more than 30,000 acres where deer, bobcat, bald eagle and the American alligator roam free.

Because Florida has such diverse habitats there are an abundance of unique wildlife.

Be aware that Manatee and Sarasota Counties are home to several endangered

or threatened species, such as the scrub-jay, West Indian manatee, gopher tortoise and indigo snake, so keep your distance while you enjoy viewing these fantasic creatures. 

### S arasota Bay forms the coast of Manatee

and Sarasota counties. This series of embayments start at the Anna Maria Sound and goes south to the Venice Inlets. Sarasota Bay has 50 square miles of open water and a 250 square mile watershed—the land, river and streams that drain into a body of water—forming the backbone of the social and economic vitality of the region.

The Bay supports 50 water-dependent industries. Tourism, the largest industry in Sarasota County and the second largest industry in Manatee County, depends strongly on the condition and quality of the Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

Our area is a tropical pardise best known for its aquamarine waters and white sandy

beaches. From the coastal shores to the scenic Manatee and Myakka Rivers you can find outstanding fishing, boating, canoe/ kayak trails, and wildlife viewing. Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium (site 55) is a renowned marine research and educational facility with exhibits featuring sharks, manatees, sea turtles and other marine life that inhabit nearby coastal waters. The South Florida Museum (site 21) triplex showcases Florida from the stone age to the space age, and also offers a planetarium and manatee aquarium.

Experience natural and phyical science handson exhibits at Gulf Coast Wonder & Imagination
Zone; GWiz (site 73). **Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium (site 55).**  **Gulf Coast Wonder & Imagination Zone (site 73).** 

A world-class collection of Baroque art along with a Circus Museum and Venetian-styled mansion are part of the Ringling Museum (sites 47 & 48) , a gift of John and Mable Ringling to the people of Florida.

Other sites and museums such as the Crosley Museum (site 45), Historic Spanish Point (site 98) , and De Soto National Memorial (site 19) educate visitors about the area’s history.

Visual arts are enhanced by community arts organizations, college galleries, fairs, festivals and commercial art galleries

There is a rich circus heritage that still can be seen through the performances of Circus Sarasota and Sarasota’s Sailor Circus (site 84), the oldest continuously running youth circus in America. **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 manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, is Florida’s

official marine mammal. Florida Department of Environmental Protection estimates there are about 2,400 of these gentle, fascinating mammals living in Florida. These vegetarian giants can grow to a length of 10 feet and can weigh up to 3,000 pounds as adults. Locally,

manatees can be found around the fringes of Sarasota Bay from April to December. **Sea Turtles** The Gulf beaches along the barrier islands support loggerhead turtles and their nesting activities May through October. Five species of sea turtles inhabit the Gulf Coast region: loggerhead, green, hawksbill, leatherback, and Kemp’s Ridley. However, loggerhead turtles, which are classified as threatened, are the predominant species on our beaches. In 1998, more than 4,538 nests of loggerhead

t u r t l e s w e re

documented in the region.

**Dolphins** During the spring and summer, mothers

and calves can be

found in the shallow

water s of Palma Sola Bay and Anna
Maria Sound.The
newborns are safer in the shallow coastal waters away from such predators as adult Bull Sharks,
which swim in the Gulf offshore in the summer. In the fall and winter, dolphins are more frequently found in the passes and along Gulf shorelines. A large Bottlenose Dolphin population call Sarasota Bay ho me year round. **Birds** The migratory routes of birds, are referred to as “flyways”. These flyways, are not specific, they are general routes that most migrating birds follow. Florida is a part of the Atlantic Flyway System, which accounts for the high number of bird species found in our area. Most migrating birds require the presence of wetland estuaries, rich habitats where a source of freshwater meets the Gulf. Large numbers of migrating shorebirds will return to the same stopover site year after year. These large

flocks of shorebirds

will feed for several days or weeks in order to build up their

energy reserves to continue their flight.

Some feathered

friends who live and visit our area are the great blue heron, common loon, palm warblers, roseate spoonbill, snowy egret, wood stork, white ibis, anhinga, brown pelican, osprey, bald eagle and the endangered Florida scrub jay. **The wood stork are wetland dwellers and**  **use fresh, brackish, and salt water for feeding**  **and nesting. They are an ancient species of birds and**  **are Federally protected. Ca’d’Zan (site #48) at Ringling Museum (site 47).**  

### T he Gulf Coast Heritage Trail offers an array of

cultural attractions, which range from visual and performing arts to nationally famous museums. Home to many writers, artists and patrons,

Manatee and Sarasotacounties present a yearround festival of the Arts.

Among the riches from which visitors and locals may choose are productions on theatrical stages, including professional theater companies and dinner theaters. At the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall (site 72), you can see a full season of artistic performances. Music lovers can select from among a symphony orchestra, an opera company, choral groups, smaller orchestras, concert bands and numerous jazz ensembles. The region’s cultural community also offers outstanding ballet and ballroom dance companies. 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... 

## T h e 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.

**Mangroves** Mangrove are also known as ”walking trees,” changing tides giving their extensive root system the illusion of movement. They are a critical part of the Sarasota Bay ecosystem. There are three types of mangroves: the red mangrove, the black mangrove,

and the white

mangrove.

Mangroves are rich with life, providing food and

safe haven for coastal

and marine creatures.

Mangroves also provide benifits to humans, helping to filter pollutants and play a major role in stabilizing shores, preventing erosion and as a

buffer for our communities from storm surges. S arasota Bay Estuary Program & The Gulf Coast Heritage Trail 941.955.8085

Arts/Cultural Interests Arts Hotline 941.745.ARTS Manatee County Cultural Alliance 941.721.0405 Sarasota County Arts Council 941.365.5118 County Parks Manatee County 941.749.7123 Sarasota County 941.861.5000 Department of Historical Resources Manatee County Department of Historical Resources 941.741.4070 Sarasota County Department of Historical Resources 941.861.5000 Public Transportation Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) 941.749.7116 Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) 941.861.1234

State Parks Myakka River State Park 941.361.6511 Oscar Scherer State Park 941.483.5956

Tourist Information Manatee County Tourist Information Center 941.729.7040 Sarasota County Tourist Information Center 941.957.1877

Anna Maria Chamber of Commerce 941.778.1541

Manatee Chamber of Commerce 941.748.3411 Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce 941.383.2466

Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce 941.955.2508 Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce 941.349.3800

Venice Area Chamber of Commerce 914.488.2236 Englewood Chamber of Commerce 941.474.5511

Some museums and art institutions have limited operating hours. It is recommended you call the locations prior to your visit

.

**Explore the mangrove tunnels at South Lido Park (site 64).**  

### E stuaries, where fresh water from rivers and

creeks mixes with saltwater from the sea, are also known as “cradles of the sea.” Estuaries provide important spawning grounds and nurseries for at

least two-thirds of the nation’s fisheries and are among the most biologically productive areas in the world. The two most locally important Bay habitats are seagrasses and mangroves. **Seagrasses** Seagrass beds are important to estuarine productivity in many ways. The grass beds provide protective nursery area for juvenile fish, shrimp, and crabs, and provide a surface for growth of algal epiphytes which

serve as food for fish and

crustaceans. Manatees feed directly on seagrasses. Seagrass roots also bind

soils and reduce erosion and turbidity during strong

tidal currents or storms.

You can visit and learn more about the importance of these habitats at one of the many restoration sites located on Sarasota Bay by referencing this guide. Each restoration site offers boardwalks, nature trails, educational signage and brochures. Sites such as Quick Point Nature Preserve (site 53), Coquina BayWalk at Leffis Key (site 38)

and the Sarasota BayWalk (site 56) are accessible by boat and by land. 

### Gulf Coast Heritage Trail 

### Gulf Coast Heritage Trail

**YOUR GUIDE TO PARADISE**

The ar ea’s rich heritage History **Our Area’s Greatest Natural Asset** Sarasota Bay

**Manatee & Sarasota Counties NATURE ABOUNDS**  Wildlife

**UNIQUE ECOSYSTEMS OF THE GULF COAST** Habitat

**Southwest Florida** RESOURCE DIRECTORY e

**Marina at the Manatee riverfront, downtown Bradenton.**  **The endangered Florida Scrub-Jay may be spotted**  **in scrubby flatwoods habitats such as Oscar**  **Scherer State Park (site #100), Rye Preserve (site 10), and**  **Service Club Park (site 113). Loggerhead Turtle** 

**Joan M. Durante Park boardwalk. (site 43)** SARASOTA BAY

E S T U A R Y P R O G R A M **Sarasota Bay Estuary Program**

111 S. Orange Ave.

Suite 200W Sarasota, Fl 34236
941.955.8085

www.sarasotabay.org

**John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art (site 47). Red Drum (Redfish), nice catch!** 

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

**Siesta Public Beach, another beautiful sunset. (site 91) Roseate Spoonbill**  DEVERSE DESTINATIONS Cultural Attractions

**Sarasota Opera House (site 75).**

**Historic Spanish Point (site 98).**

**Crosley Museum (site 45). Welcome to the** 

**Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (site 82). Historic Bridge Street Pier**  **(site 35). Circus Sarasota.** 

**Overlooking downtown Sarasota and Sarasota Bay.**

**Quick Point Nature Preserve (site 53) has educational; habitat markers along the nature trail.**  This publication is presented by the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP)

Mission Statement

The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) is dedicated to restoring the area’s greatest and most important natural asset—Sarasota Bay.

SBEP strives to improve water quality,
increase habitat and enhance the natural
resources of the area for use and enjoyment by the public.

e

You can be part of the solution...

Unfortunately, a leading cause of death and injuires among Florida Manatees, Sea Turtles and Dolphins

are human-related from collisions with boat hulls and propellers, entanglement in floats, fishing lines and ingestion of foreign objects, such as garbage thrown from boats. Please follow safety cautions to ensure protection for our region’s wildlife. Many of Florida’s wildlife are protected by State and Federal laws. It’s illegal to feed, pet, follow, or harass protected species on land

or in the water. **You can view manatees at The Parker Manatee**  **Aquarium (site 21), and at Mote Marine**  **Aquarium (site 55). Dolphin** 

**De Soto National Memorial (site 19). Bayfront BayWalk (site # 70 ) located near the**  **Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall (site 72).**

**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.**

help protect the natural beauty of our community and maintain our healthy Bay—

• Respect wildlife - appreciate from a distance.

• Do not litter.

• Pick-up after your pet and dispose of the

waste properly.

• Follow all boating regulations and

posted signs. **Sunset on the Manatee River.**

“Look out Below... Where seagrasses grow, Manatees go.“ **Great Blue Herons nesting in the mangrove treetops.**  **Pinewood flatwoods at Carlton Reserve (site 101).** 

**Endangered Gopher tortoise. Billy Bowlegs**  **Days gone by... Anna Maria Island.**  **Cortez Commerical Fishing Village (site 36).**

**Crowley-Tatum House (site 90).**

**Historic Spanish Point, Butteryfly Garden (site 98).**  Brochure design & production: Patti Cross/Tom Cross Inc. 941.966.3843 patticross@comcast.net

Do your part– 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.

### 29 Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan – Re-Examination 

# CCMP Action Plans



# T he 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 promulgated as a result. Sandwich Terns. (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 frame

work 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.

### 31 Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan – Re-Examination 

## 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.

### 33 Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan – Re-Examination 

### 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 protectionand 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)

### 35 Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan – Re-Examination 

### 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.

### 37 Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan – Re-Examination



## 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.

Roseate Spoonbill. 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 aregenerally 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.

## 2010 Project Area Map

Palmer Point Park

PROJECT AREA Palmetto

Venice Ave. Laurel Ave. **Casey Key** Clark Rd. Bee Ridge Rd.

**Siesta Key Longboat Key** 

Fruitville Rd.

Tamiami Trail 53rd. Ave. Cortez Rd. Manatee Ave. W. 10th St. **Anna Maria Island**

University Pkwy. 75th St. W.

Venice Inlet 

## Sarasota Bay Tampa Bay

Terra Ceia Bay

Palma Sola Bay

Longboat Pass

**Lido Key** New Pass

Big Sarasota Pass 41 41

301

41

41 

### Bradenton



# Gulf of 

# Mexico Cortez

B o w l e e s C

r e e k

W

h i t a k e r B a y o u

H

u d

s o

n B a y o u

P h i l l i p p i C r e e k

C a t fi

s h C

r e e k N o r t h C r e e k

D o n a B a y

R o b e r t s B

a y L y o n s B a y B l a c k b u r n B a y L i t t l e S a r a s o t a B a y Roberts Bay B r a d e n R i v e r M

a

n

a

t e e 

### R 

### i 

### v



### e



### r

75

681 Proctor Rd. 19 275

Anna Maria Sound

75

Coquina Beach

S o u t

h C

r e e k

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) Tampa Bay Reef

Bradenton Beach Pier Reef

Leffis Key Reef

Bayshore North Reef

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 Sister Keys Preserve Leffis Key Park

Hog Creek Grassy Point Preserve Robinson Preserve

Perico Bayou

FISH Preserv e1

G.Wiz Perico Causeway (Scenic Highway) W a r e s C r e e k

Ballard Elementary School

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Bulkheads Reef

Emerson Point Reef

Pioneer Park



### Sarasota De Soto National Memorial & Preserve

Bayshore Island

Bowlees Creek Island Palma Sola Bay-Front Park Wares Creek Restoration

Pine Island

Jiggs Landing

MANATEE COUNTY SARASOTA COUNTY FISH Preserve 2

Gladiola Fields Oyster Habitat Emerson Point Preserve

Neal Preserve

Herb Dolan Park

1912 Cortez Schoolhouse

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)

(to I-75)

(to I-75) Indian Beach / Sapphire Shores

Whitaker Bayou

Pinecraft Park

Red Bug Slough

Historic Spanish Point

Blackburn Point Park 

### Sarasota Bay Estuary Program

Habitat Restoration Projects

and The Gulf Coast Heritage Trail

Pelican CoveThe Sarasota Bay Estuary Programis dedicated to restoring theregion’s greatest and most importantnatural asset — Sarasota Bay. Theprogram strives to improve waterquality, increase habitat and enhancenatural resources of the area for theuse and enjoyment to the public.Northern Sarasota Bay: a place of spectacular beauty.

Robinson Preserve

Artificial reef modules

Oyster habitat in Sarasota Bay Refer to page 27 to
learn more about
The Gulf Coast Heritage Trail.

## SARASOTA BAY

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

## Restoring Our Bays

111 South Orange Avenue

Suite 200W Sarasota, Florida 34236

941.955.8085

www.sarasotabay.org SARASOTA BAY

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

Restoring Our Bays 

## 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. 

# 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