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

4 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: 3,342 acres
  • Location: Central Sarasota County
  • Discharges into: Roberts Bay (Venice)

For more information, please see: Hatchett Creek Flood Study Update (2001)

View county-wide water quality trends »

Hatchett Creek

Hatchett 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:
  • 2015A
Chart Legend
  • Trend Line
  • Annual Mean
  • Threshold
Pass

Chlorophyll a

Score: Pass
Units: mg/L Year
2023
Historical
period of record
High 0.0083 0.29
Mean 0.0026 0.0045 0.0239285
Low 0.0011 0.0003
No. of Samples 10 296

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean
Pass

Nitrogen, Total

Score: Pass
Units: mg/L Year
2023
Historical
period of record
High 1.43 3.087
Mean 0.9821 1.0168 0.39125303
Low 0.725 0.34
No. of Samples 9 269

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean
Pass

Phosphorus, Total

Score: Pass
Units: mg/L Year
2023
Historical
period of record
High 0.452 0.997
Mean 0.1898 0.1737 0.14976133
Low 0.113 0.049
No. of Samples 9 279

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean
Pass

Dissolved Oxygen Saturation

Note: Low DO saturation also may be naturally influenced by inflows from nearby wetlands or groundwater sources.
Score: Pass
Units: percent (%) Year
2023
Historical
period of record
High 103.669 184.40
Mean 67.07 47.34 27.47849
Low 28.30 0.00
No. of Samples 18 353

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

BOD, Biochemical oxygen demand

Units: mg/l Year
2023
Historical
period of record
High 1.03 13.70
Mean 1.0 1.06 1.48599
Low 1.00 0.50
No. of Samples 8 230

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Color

Units: PCU Year
2023
Historical
period of record
High 100.00 250.00
Mean 65.89 70.88 22.17458
Low 50.00 25.00
No. of Samples 12 376

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Escherichia coli

Units: MPN/100ml Year
2023
Historical
period of record
High 1918.00 17329.00
Mean 567.68 724.63 2594.09924
Low 187.00 13.40
No. of Samples 9 155

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Nitrogen, Ammonia + Ammonium as N

Units: mg/L Year
2023
Historical
period of record
High 0.191 0.791
Mean 0.1 0.01 0.09105156
Low 0.017 0.00
No. of Samples 9 329

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Nitrogen, Kjeldahl

Units: mg/L Year
2023
Historical
period of record
High 1.39 9.947
Mean 0.88 0.85 0.80637133
Low 0.669 0.17
No. of Samples 9 311

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Nitrogen, Nitrite + Nitrate as N

Units: mg/L Year
2023
Historical
period of record
High 0.43 1.08
Mean 0.08 0.11 0.15536668
Low 0.037 0.00
No. of Samples 9 285

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

pH

Units: None Year
2023
Historical
period of record
High 8.53 9.70
Mean 7.65 7.51 0.28883
Low 7.14 6.17
No. of Samples 18 418

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Salinity

Units: PSS Year
2023
Historical
period of record
High 13.6831 29.9166
Mean 0.76 0.66 2.5336
Low 0.46 0.00
No. of Samples 24 371

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Specific conductance

Units: umho Year
2023
Historical
period of record
High 22358.70 45412.90
Mean 1627.27 1114.79 4201.69958
Low 945.00 0.904
No. of Samples 18 423

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Temperature, water

Units: deg F Year
2023
Historical
period of record
High 187.1946 187.1946
Mean 128.33 81.64 34.31602
Low 68.90 48.20
No. of Samples 18 353

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Turbidity

Units: NTU Year
2023
Historical
period of record
High 3.80 90.00
Mean 3.8 2.19 6.32268
Low 3.80 0.21
No. of Samples 1 251

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 »

Chart Legend
  • Trend Line
  • Annual Mean
  • Threshold
Water quality data are not available for the tidal portion of this creek.

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 »

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Impervious Features

Hatchett 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.

28% of the land area within the Hatchett Creek Basin is covered by impervious surfaces

Impervious Surface Coverage by Type

Land Use / Land Cover

Hatchett 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 Hatchett Creek Basin
Land Use Classification 1990 1995 1999 2005 2011 2014 2017 2020 Trend
Urban & Built-up 1,58747.5% 1,97959.2% 2,14264.1% 2,40772% 2,42572.6% 2,42072.4% 2,45973.6% 2,45673.5% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Agriculture 1143.4% 1013% 1013% 692.1% 150.5% 150.5% 00% 70.2% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Rangeland 2938.8% 521.6% 290.9% 70.2% 60.2% 60.2% 70.2% 40.1% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Upland Forests 91827.5% 70321% 50615.1% 2206.6% 2226.7% 2286.8% 2096.2% 2076.2% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Water 712.1% 1654.9% 1785.3% 2146.4% 2206.6% 2206.6% 2236.7% 2246.7% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Wetlands 2768.3% 2337% 2778.3% 2838.5% 2978.9% 2978.9% 2978.9% 2978.9% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Barren Land 100.3% 00% 00% 00% 90.3% 90.3% 00% 00% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Transportation and Utilities 732.2% 1093.3% 1093.3% 1424.2% 1474.4% 1474.4% 1484.4% 1484.4% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Land Use Chart