Project Description

The Sarasota Bay Watershed Management Plan was updated through a collaboration of community stakeholders and water engineers in 2022 to identify flooding and water quality hotspots in the Sarasota Bay watershed and to develop a suite of possible projects that improve flood protection, water quality and natural systems in neighborhoods throughout the area. The project built on several decades of prior work by Sarasota County and the Southwest Florida Water Management District to identify and implement cost-effective capital improvement projects to protect neighborhoods and the environment.

The project kicked-off in fall 2020 with technical analysis, including flood modeling and analysis of water quality data and trends. Further analysis of flood and water quality conditions has identified hot spots in the watershed with high nutrient loading and flooding issues. A Stakeholder Advisory Committee was convened with 11 community leaders representing neighborhood and business concerns throughout the Sarasota Bay watershed. Check the DOCUMENTS section for presentations and MANAGEMENT PLAN section for final deliverables.