Caution
Rating icon - Chlorophyll a Rating icon - Total Nitrogen Rating icon - Total Phosphorous Rating icon - Dissolved Oxygen Saturation

3 out of 4 indicators were rated as PASS.

All four indicators must pass for the creek to be rated as PASS.

Learn more about how this report is created

  • Size: 6,399 acres
  • Location: Central Sarasota County
  • Discharges into: Roberts Bay (Venice)

For more information, please see: Curry Creek Basin Master Plan Update, Venice County Model (2001)

View county-wide water quality trends »

Curry Creek

Curry Creek

Water Chemistry Ratings | Freshwater Portion of the Creek

Creek Conditions Ratings are based on comparing nitrogen, phosphorus, chlorophyll and dissolved oxygen to water quality guidelines or regulations. Florida law defines a maximum allowable concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, and chlorophyll a, and a minimum allowable concentration of dissolved oxygen in these streams. Learn more about these ratings and how they are calculated »

Data for the following WBIDs is averaged when compiling the data below:
  • 2009
  • 2009B
  • 2009C
  • 2016
Chart Legend
  • Trend Line
  • Annual Mean
  • Threshold
Pass

Chlorophyll a

Score: Pass
Units: mg/L Year
2022
Historical
period of record
High 0.0275 0.132
Mean 0.0058 0.007 0.01083779
Low 0.0024 0.0003
No. of Samples 24 621

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean
Pass

Nitrogen, Total

Score: Pass
Units: mg/L Year
2022
Historical
period of record
High 3.155 3.155
Mean 1.0195 1.0895 0.39945402
Low 0.133 0.117
No. of Samples 24 492

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean
Pass

Phosphorus, Total

Score: Pass
Units: mg/L Year
2022
Historical
period of record
High 0.465 0.885
Mean 0.1661 0.2426 0.16049686
Low 0.071 0.043
No. of Samples 24 563

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean
Caution

Dissolved Oxygen Saturation

Note: Low DO saturation also may be naturally influenced by inflows from nearby wetlands or groundwater sources.
Score: Caution
Units: percent (%) Year
2022
Historical
period of record
High 84.7987 166.80
Mean 34.1 51.95 21.64794
Low 1.3632 1.3632
No. of Samples 24 633

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

BOD, Biochemical oxygen demand

Units: mg/l Year
2022
Historical
period of record
High 2.21 6.58
Mean 1.12 1.33 0.72723
Low 1.00 0.50
No. of Samples 22 479

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Color

Units: PCU Year
2022
Historical
period of record
High 450.00 450.00
Mean 89.89 109.28 90.2233
Low 25.00 5.00
No. of Samples 24 674

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Escherichia coli

Units: MPN/100ml Year
2022
Historical
period of record
High 871.00 4106.00
Mean 157.79 160.46 434.0196
Low 52.00 10.00
No. of Samples 11 126

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Nitrogen, Ammonia + Ammonium as N

Units: mg/L Year
2022
Historical
period of record
High 0.856 25.57
Mean 0.04 0.02 1.03547553
Low 0.008 0.00
No. of Samples 24 636

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Nitrogen, Kjeldahl

Units: mg/L Year
2022
Historical
period of record
High 2.84 26.19
Mean 0.95 1.04 1.14222163
Low 0.10 0.05
No. of Samples 24 603

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Nitrogen, Nitrite + Nitrate as N

Units: mg/L Year
2022
Historical
period of record
High 0.315 0.79
Mean 0.05 0.06 0.07131449
Low 0.006 0.00
No. of Samples 24 568

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

pH

Units: None Year
2022
Historical
period of record
High 8.88 8.90
Mean 7.49 7.56 0.3168
Low 7.04 5.52
No. of Samples 24 4,351

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Salinity

Units: PSS Year
2022
Historical
period of record
High 35.471 78.50
Mean 2.22 10.65 15.79622
Low 0.1667 0.00
No. of Samples 24 4,294

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Specific conductance

Units: umho Year
2022
Historical
period of record
High 52838.20 61277.60
Mean 3965.85 15614.55 16379.89734
Low 345.958 0.286
No. of Samples 24 4,322

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Temperature, water

Units: deg F Year
2022
Historical
period of record
High 188.2259 191.9267
Mean 169.67 75.25 14.47576
Low 142.9586 47.858
No. of Samples 24 4,238

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Turbidity

Units: NTU Year
2022
Historical
period of record
High 40.00
Mean 2.55 2.17166
Low 0.70
No. of Samples 0 482

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean
Other Measures of Creek Health:

Water Chemistry Ratings | Tidal Portion of the Creek

Creek Conditions Ratings are based on comparing nitrogen, phosphorus, chlorophyll and dissolved oxygen to water quality guidelines or regulations. Florida law defines a maximum allowable concentration of chlorophyll a and a minimum allowable concentration of dissolved oxygen in these streams. Florida has no regulatory thresholds for nitrogen or phosphorus in tidal creeks so trends are used to rate the creeks. Learn more about these ratings and how they are calculated »

Data for the following WBIDs is averaged when compiling the data below:
  • 2009A
Chart Legend
  • Trend Line
  • Annual Mean
  • Threshold
Other Measures of Creek Health:

Oysters

Because they are immobile and will tolerate a fairly wide salinity range, eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are valuable as an indicator of the relative health of aquatic ecosystems in the tidally-influenced portions of coastal creeks. Sarasota County has established an oyster monitoring program to track the location, types, and status of oyster reefs. Data from this monitoring program is shown below. Learn more about Oysters »

Loading oyster site map...
Most Recent Sarasota County Oyster Monitoring Program Data
Icon Site ID Year Dead Live Total % Live
1 CC1 2020 23 135 158 85
2 CC2 2020 13 92 105 87

Impervious Features

Curry Creek is located within the Dona and Roberts Bay Watershed. View details about the Dona and Roberts Bay Watershed »

Rain that falls on land that is in a natural state is absorbed and filtered by soils and vegetation as it makes it way into underground aquifers. However, in developed areas, "impervious surfaces" impede this process and contribute to polluted urban runoff entering surface waters. These surfaces include human infrastructure like roads, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots that are covered by impenetrable materials such as asphalt, concrete, brick and stone, as well as buildings and other permanent structures. Soils that have been disturbed and compacted by urban development are often impervious as well. Learn more about Impervious Features »

The Sarasota County Stormwater Environmental Utility (SEU) mapped impervious surfaces in the County in 2013. A map showing impervious surfaces can be viewed using the Water Atlas Map Viewer tool.

13% of the land area within the Curry Creek Basin is covered by impervious surfaces

Impervious Surface Coverage by Type

Land Use / Land Cover

Curry Creek is located within the Dona and Roberts Bay Watershed. View details about the Dona and Roberts Bay Watershed »

Land use within a creek's watershed has a major effect on its water quality. In general, less development means better water quality. Land Cover/Land Use classifications categorize land in terms of its observed physical surface characteristics (e.g. upland or wetland), and also reflect the types of activity that are taking place on it (agriculture, urban/built-up, utilities, etc.). Florida uses as its standard a set of statewide classifications which were developed by the Florida Department of Transportation. Learn more about Land Use and Land Cover »

Acreage and Percentage within each Land Use / Land Cover Category for Curry Creek Basin
Land Use Classification 1990 1995 1999 2005 2011 2014 2017 2020 Trend
Urban & Built-up 2,08932.7% 2,33136.4% 2,91545.6% 3,50454.8% 3,62156.6% 3,51955% 3,82559.8% 4,02562.9% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Agriculture 1,53223.9% 1,37421.5% 1,20118.8% 73611.5% 3856% 3695.8% 2704.2% 2253.5% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Rangeland 1742.7% 2123.3% 1882.9% 751.2% 3175% 3225% 2143.3% 1532.4% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Upland Forests 1,45222.7% 1,22919.2% 82612.9% 76712% 70711.1% 81312.7% 70111% 5358.4% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Water 3505.5% 4386.8% 4827.5% 4937.7% 4927.7% 4927.7% 5087.9% 5498.6% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Wetlands 5268.2% 4637.2% 4617.2% 4837.6% 5228.2% 5228.2% 5198.1% 5108% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Barren Land 80.1% 210.3% 00% 00% 00% 00% 00% 00% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Transportation and Utilities 2664.2% 3305.2% 3265.1% 3415.3% 3545.5% 3625.7% 3605.6% 4026.3% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Land Use Chart