Matheny Creek Condition Report for 2011

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: 1,724 acres
  • Location: Central Sarasota County
  • Discharges into: Little Sarasota Bay

For more information, please see: Matheny Creek Basin Master Plan (1994)

View county-wide water quality trends »

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Matheny Creek

Matheny Creek
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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:
  • 1975B
Chart Legend
  • Trend Line
  • Annual Mean
  • Threshold
Pass

Chlorophyll a

Score: Pass
Units: mg/L Year
2011		 Historical
period of record
High 0.021 0.056
Mean 0.0031 0.0027 0.00719152
Low 0.0011 0.0006
No. of Samples 72 242

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean
Pass

Nitrogen, Total

Score: Pass
Units: mg/L Year
2011		 Historical
period of record
High 1.18 2.99
Mean 0.6608 0.7094 0.35603227
Low 0.446 0.211
No. of Samples 24 150

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean
Pass

Phosphorus, Total

Score: Pass
Units: mg/L Year
2011		 Historical
period of record
High 0.373 1.60
Mean 0.1697 0.1857 0.20378968
Low 0.041 0.041
No. of Samples 72 246

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
2011		 Historical
period of record
High 134.60 179.10
Mean 77.0 77.11 33.54189
Low 47.50 4.97
No. of Samples 72 292

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

BOD, Biochemical oxygen demand

Units: mg/l Year
2011		 Historical
period of record
High 2.86 3.35
Mean 0.9 0.91 0.53315
Low 0.50 0.50
No. of Samples 72 224

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Nitrogen, Ammonia + Ammonium as N

Units: mg/L Year
2011		 Historical
period of record
High 0.083 0.379
Mean 0.02 0.04 0.04938203
Low 0.008 0.008
No. of Samples 72 246

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Nitrogen, Kjeldahl

Units: mg/L Year
2011		 Historical
period of record
High 1.08 2.70
Mean 0.59 0.62 0.28004454
Low 0.44 0.207
No. of Samples 72 246

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Nitrogen, Nitrite + Nitrate as N

Units: mg/L Year
2011		 Historical
period of record
High 0.351 0.634
Mean 0.04 0.04 0.15416875
Low 0.004 0.004
No. of Samples 72 246

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

pH

Units: None Year
2011		 Historical
period of record
High 8.06 8.07
Mean 7.65 7.6 0.24503
Low 7.39 6.46
No. of Samples 27 188

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Salinity

Units: PSS Year
2011		 Historical
period of record
High 0.70 21.86
Mean 0.51 0.48 1.75953
Low 0.20 0.11
No. of Samples 27 192

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Specific conductance

Units: umho Year
2011		 Historical
period of record
High 1401.00 19300.00
Mean 1032.9 645.96 1789.02848
Low 424.00 0.667
No. of Samples 27 192

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Temperature, water

Units: deg F Year
2011		 Historical
period of record
High 81.77 86.936
Mean 74.27 72.46 9.50926
Low 65.03 36.05
No. of Samples 18 164

Five-year Rolling Average

  • Annual Mean

Turbidity

Units: NTU Year
2011		 Historical
period of record
High 7.80 54.40
Mean 1.76 1.96 4.32079
Low 0.64 0.60
No. of Samples 72 242

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

Matheny Creek is located within the Little Sarasota Bay Watershed. View details about the Little Sarasota 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.

35% of the land area within the Matheny Creek Basin is covered by impervious surfaces

Impervious Surface Coverage by Type

Land Use / Land Cover

Matheny Creek is located within the Little Sarasota Bay Watershed. View details about the Little Sarasota 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 Matheny Creek Basin
Land Use Classification 1990 1995 1999 2005 2011 2014 2017 2020 Trend
Urban & Built-up 1,56690.9% 1,56991.1% 1,55590.2% 1,58792% 1,58892.1% 1,57391.2% 1,59492.5% 1,59492.5% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Agriculture 00% 00% 00% 00% 00% 191.1% 00% 00% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Rangeland 573.3% 342% 342% 150.9% 150.9% 110.6% 90.5% 90.5% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Upland Forests 150.9% 181.1% 241.4% 30.2% 30.2% 30.2% 30.2% 30.2% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Water 362.1% 533.1% 613.5% 563.3% 553.2% 553.2% 573.3% 573.3% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Wetlands 160.9% 130.8% 100.6% 140.8% 140.8% 140.8% 140.8% 140.8% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Transportation and Utilities 331.9% 362.1% 402.3% 492.9% 492.9% 492.9% 462.7% 462.7% Land Use Trend Sparkline
Land Use Chart