News - Sarasota.WaterAtlas.orghttps://sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/Recent news items for Sarasota County Water Atlas60FDEP invites public input on new water quality credit programhttps://sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22859<p> Florida&rsquo;s Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is inviting the public to a rulemaking workshop Thursday [March 21st] to share feedback on a proposed water quality credit trading program.</p> <p> The program would allow government entities to buy &ldquo;enhancement credits&rdquo; to compensate for negative impacts to water quality from development projects. An &ldquo;enhancement credit&rdquo; represents a quantity of pollutant removed as a standard unit of measurement, <a href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&amp;Search_String=&amp;URL=0300-0399/0373/Sections/0373.4134.html#:~:text=%E2%80%94As%20used%20in%20this%20section,a%20quantity%20of%20pollutant%20removed." target="_blank" title="FS 373.4134 (2023)">per Florida Statute</a>.</p> <p> Florida&rsquo;s existing <a href="https://floridadep.gov/water/submerged-lands-environmental-resources-coordination/content/mitigation-and-mitigation-banking" target="_blank" title="FDEP program webpage">mitigation banking program</a> relies on similar credits intended to offset negative wetland impacts from development. But Gabrielle Milch of St. Johns Riverkeeper has concerns about both programs, saying they&#39;re designed to prioritize speedy development approvals when environmental health should come first and foremost.</p> <p> &ldquo;It&#39;s easier to keep pollution out of the water than it is to take it out of the water,&rdquo; Milch said, also adding &ldquo;it&#39;s a lot cheaper.&rdquo;</p> <p> Milch previously worked for the St. Johns River Water Management District, where she says her role included helping oversee and enforce development permitting regulations.</p> <p> Back then, in the 1980s, Milch says development permitting in Florida wasn&rsquo;t perfect. But she thinks it&rsquo;s worse today: &ldquo;more generalized and more streamlined,&rdquo; allowing for rapid, potentially unvetted development.&rdquo;</p> <p> FDEP&rsquo;s move to establish the new program follows state lawmakers&rsquo; unanimous approval of HB 965 in 2022, authorizing the creation of water quality enhancement areas (WQEAs), for which credits may be used to compensate for a lack of water quality treatment available onsite.</p> WaterAtlas.orgThu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTReport: Sarasota Bay ecosystem gets clean bill of healthhttps://sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22860<p> Is water quality the only indicator of a healthy ecosystem? Not quite.</p> <p> The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program recently published its 2023 Ecosystem Health Report Card, which showed that all bays in the area are in good standing with their ecosystem health. The chart also shows a larger trend of the bays, from a period of stability to a decline, back to now a recovery.</p> <p> Dave Tomasko, executive director for SBEP, said that water quality is one factor in determining ecosystem health, but there&#39;s more to consider.</p> <p> &ldquo;People use the words water quality and ecosystem health like they&rsquo;re the same thing, and they&rsquo;re not,&rdquo; Tomasko said.</p> <p> Water quality is like dipping a bottle into the bay and looking at what&#39;s in it, he said. But looking at the full picture requires looking at data about nitrogen, chlorophyll, seagrasses and macroalgae.</p> <p> Macroalgae are the large seaweeds that commonly grow on the bottom of the bay or found floating. Those plants are valuable food sources for animals like manatees and sea turtles.</p> <p> But when macroalgae blooms occur, it decreases the amount of oxygen in the water which is harmful for marine life.</p> <p> &ldquo;If we don&rsquo;t collect this information, we&rsquo;re going to miss one of the big problems,&rdquo; Tomasko said.</p> <p> Tomasko said the SBEP came up with the idea for the Ecosystem Health Report Card around 2021, and were able to use historical data to create the chart going back to 2006.</p> <p> <img alt="report card" src="https://media.yourobserver.com/img/photos/2024/03/20/LKOB_p3_Ecosystem.png?94beabde1e982a4eee8f83697e93b1d92468de7c" style="width: 600px;" /></p> WaterAtlas.orgThu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTSarasota Bay Estuary Program releases 2023 water quality report cardhttps://sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22850<p> <img alt="SBEP logo" src="https://cdn.wateratlas.org/img/logos/SBEP.jpg" style="float:left;margin-right:10px;width:150px;" /></p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p> Yesterday, we received the final batch of water quality data for 2023, which allowed us to update our Ecosystem Health Report Card for the period of 2006 up to 2023. As you know, 2023 was a drought year, and we anticipated that we&rsquo;d see further trends of improving water quality - which is what happened. As a reminder, the SBEP&rsquo;s Report Card is not simply water quality, but it also includes information about the amount of macroalgae found on the bottom of the bay, and the acreage of seagrass. The water quality data are from more than 300 samples collected and analyzed by Manatee County and Mote Marine Laboratory (for Sarasota County). The macroalgae data are from 540 stations visited by snorkeling to the bottom of the bay. Our seagrass maps are created every two years by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). For the seagrass maps, the last time we had numbers was for mapping in 2022, so those numbers are carried over into 2023.</p> <p> The scoring is based on the Reference Period of 2006 to 2012, for each bay segment. That reference period was chosen because we had lower levels of nitrogen and chlorophyll-a (a measure of phytoplankton) than the next seven years, and we had a 28% increase in seagrass coverage. Basically, this bay was healthier during 2006 to 2012 than during the years 2013 to 2019. Why so? Well, a big reason is because our bay-wide nitrogen loads were about 20% lower in 2006 to 2012 than 2013 to 2019. That difference in nitrogen loads gave us our 2021 pollutant load reduction goal of 20%, or 12 tons of Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN).</p> <p> The great thing about working with our local government is that the combination of stormwater retrofit projects and recently completed and ongoing upgrades to our wastewater treatment processes seem to have already allowed us to meet that 12 tons per year DIN load reduction goal. That is the most likely reason why our bay&rsquo;s water quality has improved so much over the past few years &ndash; from 2020 up to 2023. Our Ecosystem Health Report Card is thus based on how closely we align with the conditions that existed during the 2006 to 2012 reference period. Results are color-coded: blue and green boxes represent conditions that are similar to or better than what we had in the Reference Period. Yellow boxes represent deviations from those Reference Period Conditions that require attention, and Red boxes represent a condition where remedial action is needed.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> WaterAtlas.orgTue, 19 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTState seeks to speed up decision in wetlands permitting casehttps://sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22843<p> TALLAHASSEE &ndash; Florida is asking a federal judge to speed up a final ruling in a high-stakes case about permitting authority for projects that affect wetlands, as the state sets the stage for a likely appeal.</p> <p> U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss on Feb. 15 ruled that federal officials did not follow required steps in 2020 before transferring wetlands-related permitting authority from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the state. Moss vacated the shift but said the state and the federal government could seek a stay of his ruling. He also did not decide certain legal issues in the case.</p> <p> In a filing Monday, attorneys for the state urged Moss to issue a final judgment, which would help clear the way for an appeal. The filing said Moss&rsquo; Feb. 15 decision has effectively resolved the case&rsquo;s key issues in favor of environmental groups that challenged the shift.</p> <p> &ldquo;This single judicial ruling, which gave complete relief to plaintiffs, immediately placed over 1,000 projects across Florida (including permit applications for environmental restoration, roads and bridges, hospitals, schools, affordable housing, senior living facilities, and grid reliability, among many others) in regulatory limbo with no clear timeline or expectation for a permit decision,&rdquo; the state&rsquo;s 21-page filing said. &ldquo;The situation was immediately urgent and becomes more so with each passing day.&rdquo;</p> <p> The state on Feb. 26 also filed a motion for a stay of Moss&rsquo; decision. The judge has not ruled on the motion and has scheduled an April 4 conference in Washington, D.C. The plaintiffs have opposed a stay.</p> <p> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the transfer of the permitting authority to the state in December 2020, about a month before former President Donald Trump&rsquo;s administration ended. Florida became the third state, after Michigan and New Jersey, to receive the permitting authority.</p> WaterAtlas.orgWed, 13 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTEnvironmental groups oppose a stay in the fight over wetlands permitting in Floridahttps://sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22829<p> Environmental groups Thursday pushed back against a request by Florida for a partial stay of a ruling in a legal battle about a 2020 decision that shifted permitting authority from the federal government to the state for projects that affect wetlands.</p> <p> U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss on Feb. 15 ruled that actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in approving the shift violated the Endangered Species Act.</p> <p> Moss issued an order vacating the approval of the shift.</p> <p> Such permitting authority is usually held by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.</p> <p> Saying permits were in &ldquo;regulatory limbo,&rdquo; the state filed a motion for a limited stay of Moss&rsquo; ruling to keep the &ldquo;bulk&rdquo; of Florida&rsquo;s permitting program in place until a new plan can be put in place or until further court decisions.</p> <p> But in a 22-page filing Thursday, environmental groups argued the state&rsquo;s request would &ldquo;create confusion and perpetuate violations&rdquo; of the Endangered Species Act.</p> <p> &ldquo;The least disruptive path forward, which would also serve developers&rsquo; interest in clarity &hellip; is therefore to deny a limited stay, leave permitting authority with the (Army) Corps, and allow Florida to propose a new program subject to EPA approval,&rdquo; Thursday&rsquo;s filing said.</p> <p> The Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, the Sierra Club, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, the Florida Wildlife Federation, Miami Waterkeeper and St. Johns Riverkeeper filed the lawsuit in January 2021 against the federal government.</p> <p> The state later intervened.</p> <p> The U.S. Department of Justice has opposed the state&rsquo;s request for a partial stay of Moss&rsquo; ruling, but Florida business groups have supported the request.</p> WaterAtlas.orgMon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTUPDATE: Beach reopened after stranded whale removed from Service Club Park beach in Venicehttps://sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22830<p> <strong>9:30 AM 3/13 UPDATE:</strong> Service Club Park is now open, and the No Swim Advisory issued March 11 for beaches from Caspersen to the South Jetty has been lifted as a full tidal cycle has occurred since the deceased whale was removed from the area yesterday afternoon.</p> <hr /> <h4> The 50-feet-long whale was beached on a sandbar about 50 yards out in Venice. Weather prevented a rescue and the whale died between 3 and 4 a.m. Monday.</h4> <p> A sperm whale stranded on a sandbar off Venice Beach died early Monday morning.</p> <p> The animal was stuck in the waves and sand Sunday morning. The Venice Police Department, Sarasota County Sheriff&#39;s Office, Florida Fish &amp; Wildlife Conservation Commission and Mote Marine Laboratory were unsuccessful in rescuing the whale due to heavy winds and surf.</p> <p> Jessica Powell, with NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office in St. Petersburg, confirmed that the whale died overnight.</p> <p> &quot;Unfortunately, the animal passed, &quot; she said. &quot;Right now, the teams are mustering. The idea is to pull the animal onto the beach, which, you can imagine, takes a lot of logistics, a lot of heavy equipment. This is a very large animal, we&#39;re estimating around 60,000 pounds.&quot;</p> <p> Powell said the whale would have a necropsy performed on it after it is brought to the beach.</p> <p> &quot;It helps us understand why the animal was sick,&quot; she said. &quot;It will help us understand more about sperm whales ... help us do a better job of understanding these animals,&quot; Powell said.</p> <p> The FWC on Sunday night said that water conditions were too dangerous to approach the whale by boat to attempt to give the animal a sedative. The whale was estimated to be approximately about 50 feet long.</p> <p> Another assessment was made at low tide, shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday.</p> <p> Biologists were hopeful for a successful rescue Monday as weather conditions became more favorable, but the whale died between 3 and 4 a.m.</p> WaterAtlas.orgMon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTSeagrasses in the Gulf of Mexico could be overgrazed by migrating herbivores due to warming watershttps://sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22831<h4> &quot;If we don&#39;t manage them properly, then those seagrasses will be less resilient, and we could potentially degrade a very, very valuable habitat,&quot; said Tom Frazer of USF.</h4> <p> As oceans warm and organisms that feed on seagrasses move north, they could overgraze parts of the Gulf of Mexico, including areas in the greater Tampa Bay region.</p> <p> This finding comes from a peer-reviewed study recently published in the journal Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution.</p> <p> Tom Frazer, the dean of the College of Marine Science at the University of South Florida, was one of dozens of other scientists who researched areas off Florida&#39;s Gulf Coast, the Florida Keys, the Cayman Islands, and parts of Panama.</p> <p> They focused on turtle grass, which is the predominant structural habitat in the Gulf and the broader Caribbean region. It provides foraging areas for many animals that are important both ecologically and economically.</p> <p> &quot;In Florida, for example, probably about 85% of the fishes that we exploit either recreationally or commercially spend some part of their life history in seagrass beds,&quot; Frazer said.</p> <p> The researchers observed the effects on how grazing and nutrient pollution might alter the growth characteristics or the productivity of seagrass beds.</p> WaterAtlas.orgMon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTSWFWMD launches &ldquo;Water 101&rdquo; campaignhttps://sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22820<p> <img alt="SWFWMD logo" src="https://cdn.wateratlas.org/img/logos/SWFWMD_logo.jpg" style="float:left;margin-right:10px;width:150px;" /></p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p> <em><strong>March 6, 2024</strong></em></p> <p> With more than 1,000 people moving to Florida every day, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has developed the Water 101 campaign, a program to educate new and existing residents as well as communities about how they can help protect local water resources and save water and money.</p> <p> Water is a limited resource in Florida that we all play a role in protecting, which makes it important to understand your personal impact. The choices you make as a homeowner or community, from the plants in your landscape to how you water your lawn, can make a big difference on your overall water use. The District encourages everyone to do their part in protecting and conserving our shared water resources.</p> <p> Water 101 connects homeowners and community managers with helpful water conservation and water quality tips and resources. Residents can visit the Water 101 for Homeowners webpage to access a one-stop shop of tips and educational resources that can help reduce at-home water use, save money and protect nearby waterways. This includes information about the basics of irrigation, local water restrictions and Florida-Friendly Landscaping&trade; as well as instructional videos and an overview on stormwater ponds. Homeowners can also sign up for District newsletters via the webpage or learn where to follow along on social media for more information.</p> <p> The Water 101 for Communities webpage provides resources to help communities lead by example, reducing their water use and encouraging residents to do the same. This includes free online classes hosted by the District with continuing education units for community association managers. It also includes educational materials that can be downloaded and easily shared in newsletters, websites and other community platforms, as well as funding opportunities for water conservation projects.</p> <p> In addition to the website, the District has created a Water 101 for Communities Facebook group that will provide up-to-date information on water conservation classes, water restriction reminders and helpful resources to share with community residents.</p> <p> To learn more about how to save water and money, visit <a href="https://WaterMatters.org/Water101" target="_blank" title="SWFWMD website">WaterMatters.org/Water101</a>.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> WaterAtlas.orgFri, 08 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTExperts: Flooding puts flat Florida at riskhttps://sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22818<h4> Climate summit discusses data, plans to prepare for future storms.</h4> <p> PUNTA GORDA &ndash; Speaking to a crowd of more than 100 on Wednesday [Feb. 28th], Doug Marcy [a senior Coastal Hazards Specialist with NOAA] stressed Florida may not see massive flooding in the immediate future, but long-term projections still have consequences for coastal communities.</p> <p> &quot;One foot of flooding can change the entire estuary system,&quot; Marcy said, pointing to the low-lying, flat terrain of the state.</p> <p> Scholars and residents from across the southwest shoreline gathered in Punta Gorda on Wednesday to attend the 2024 Southwest Florida Climate Summit.</p> <p> The summit hosted a series of talks from experts in climate observation in the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center, covering topics from climate tracking to post-Hurricane Ian resiliency.</p> <p> This year&#39;s summit was hosted by the Coastal and Heartland National Estuary Partnership. It continues Thursday.</p> <p> Jennifer Hecker, CHNEP&#39;s executive director, noted in a previous news release that 2023 was &quot;the hottest year on record globally&quot; and saw Hurricane Idalia sweep through Southwest Florida, similar to Hurricane Ian in 2022.</p> WaterAtlas.orgFri, 08 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTAllowed freeboard height would increase under Longboat Key ordinancehttps://sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/newsviewall.asp?newsid=22821<p> Maintain the status quo, or give property owners more flexibility when it comes to freeboard? That was one of the Longboat Key Town Commission&rsquo;s main topics at the March 4 regular meeting.</p> <p> After analyzing new base flood elevation maps put out by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, town staff with the Planning, Zoning and Building Department worked with Planning and Zoning Board members to draft an ordinance related to freeboard height.</p> <p> Planning and Zoning Board members also pushed a little further than the original recommendation, according to Director of Planning, Zoning and Building Allen Parsons. The board&rsquo;s recommendation to go beyond the status quo led to some discussion among town commissioners.</p> <p> On March 4, Parsons presented to commissioners the proposal for allowing for an additional 2 feet of freeboard on top of the already-required foot of freeboard.</p> <p> The new FEMA flood control maps for Sarasota County are still pending until March 27, but the maps enact a general decrease of about 2 feet for base flood elevation recommendations.</p> <hr /> <p> <em><strong>What is &quot;freeboard&quot;?</strong></em></p> <p> <em><strong><img alt="diagram showing freeboard" src="https://cdn.wateratlas.org/img/news/freeboard.jpg" style="width: 400px; height: 349px;" /></strong></em></p> WaterAtlas.orgFri, 08 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT