Florida’s freshwater supplies can’t keep up with population growth

The Sunshine State could be facing a significant water shortage as early as next year, according to a report from the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research.

According to the EDR report which was published in June – to maintain the status quo, Florida would need to invest almost $1.7 billion into critical infrastructure projects through 2040, to avoid a significant water supply shortage.

The report notes that EDR examined projects that implemented recovery and prevention strategies for minimum flows and water levels of water bodies and aquifers and projects that benefit natural systems.

EDR found that the expenditures for these projects — which exclude Everglades conservation and restoration costs — are estimated to be around $1.58 billion, with a state share of $234.77 million. According to the report, addressing supply shortages and natural systems would need an investment of $3.27 billion between 2020 and 2040, with a state share of $561 million.

Florida TaxWatch released commentary on EDR’s report, stating Florida is “disjointed and inconsistent” with its selection process for funding water projects. The commentary also points out the 281 water-related member projects identified as budget “turkeys” which totaled $410.3 million in the fiscal year 2024-25 General Appropriations Act.

Myakka wetlands showcase a filtration system at work

By removing impurities, filtration by wetlands improves downstream water quality.

After a short closure due to flooding associated with Hurricane Debby, Myakka River State Park reopened to the public.

As is typical during the rainy season, Myakka's many wetlands continue to act as holding areas for large quantities of surface water. With countless wading birds and American alligators greatly enjoying their expanded wetland habitats, it's an especially magical time to visit the park.

In addition to containing water and supporting biodiversity, wetlands provide another important function. By slowing down the flow of floodwaters, they filter out impurities.

Especially during heavy rain events, many pollutants, such as soil particles, fertilizers and pesticides, are washed from developed areas and carried overland in watersheds to water bodies. Importantly, floodwaters contained by wetlands get filtered as nutrients are stored and absorbed by plants or microorganisms, while sediment has time to settle. Wetlands are therefore often referred to as "nature's kidneys".

As Florida faces water shortage, watchdog group urges state to use a more long-term planning process

To avoid a projected water shortage that state data indicates could start as soon as next year, Florida must adopt a more coordinated, comprehensive system for vetting, choosing and managing water projects, per a new Florida TaxWatch report.

The new report doubles down on the government watchdog group’s ongoing plea for the state to use a longer-term planning process for projects meant to improve water quality and supply. Right now, Florida’s way of approving such projects is largely “catch-as-can,” lacking consistency and accountability, according to Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro.

“Yeah, you get the project funded, but really, does it make a difference? Does it really have the intended impact?” Calabro said. “Can you hold the organization or the entity that gets the $5-$6 million accountable, for getting the job done on time, within budget?”

It’s difficult to impossible to answer such questions without having an objective, standardized plan of work to refer back to, Calabro said.

“You can't do that if you just go: ‘Hey, I got a good project here. Hey, I got a good project there. Hey, I've got a powerful legislator who's chairing this committee now, and may not be next year,’” Calabro said. “The easy way out is generally not the best way out.”

Florida Dept. of Health warning of mosquito-borne illness in many Florida counties

Sarasota Bay is still recovering from Hurricane Debby, which dropped record-breaking rain

After Debby swept through Sarasota Bay as a tropical storm, the water was murky, contained more nutrients, and had lower oxygen levels.

Debby set a new one-day record for rainfall as a tropical storm on Aug. 4 of more than 11 inches at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.

Emily Hall, manager of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Ocean Acidification and Chemical and Physical Ecology Research Programs, said Sarasota Bay was overloaded with the rainfall — not only from tidal creeks, but stormwater pipes.

She said Sarasota Bay was really murky after the storm.

"This was probably the some of the darkest water there in the bay that I've seen," Hall said.

Elevated turbidity reduces the amount of of sunlight that’s able to penetrate through bay waters.

Hall’s team also recorded higher levels of the nutrients of nitrate and ammonia, which could feed aquatic bacteria and algae.

Plus, they found dangerously low dissolved oxygen levels in North Sarasota Bay and near Stickney Point Bridge.

This all could be a problem for marine life.

"We can start to see death happening if they're long-term effects. If it's a short, quick, little thing, sometimes it's just a quick little stressor, and animal organisms and other things can overcome it,” Hall said.

Hall's team is routinely testing the water quality but says it could take six months to a year for it to fully recover.

Record-breaking rain events, like Debby, could be the new norm because of human-driven climate change.

More water evaporates from warmer oceans, and that could lead to intense precipitation.

The resulting runoff could continue to damage water bodies.

"If there's too many nutrients going in at too quick of a time, it is definitely possible that we could be heading in that direction," Hall said.

Population growth has led to more development, which Hall said is accelerating the runoff problem.

A solution would be to keep natural systems alive: Wetlands, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds can help to clean the water and the overall environment.

“We can still have population growth, we could still have development," Hall said, "but you have to really make sure that we're also keeping these other things alive and healthy to help protect that influx.”

Tropical Storm Debby devastated turtle nests, degraded Sarasota Bay water quality

Tropical Storm Debby significantly degraded water quality in Sarasota Bay and likely wiped out nearly half of the known sea turtle nests on area beaches, scientists at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium said in a report released Thursday.

Questions also remain as to whether the immediate impacts over days to weeks will have longer-term ramifications for these ecosystems in the months and years to come.

“Storm events like Debby can have profound effects on our coastal environments,” said Dr. Emily Hall, Manager of Mote's Ocean Acidification and Chemical and Physical Ecology Research Programs.

Mote’s initial analyses after the storm found several immediate issues, including an increase in turbidity and water color, indicating an increase in substances such as dissolved organic matter and particulate matter in the water.

Both of which were likely caused by massive amounts of stormwater resulting from the intense rainfall in the Sarasota Bay watershed.

Experimental project aims to mitigate the effects of red tide

Sarasota County secures 656-acre conservation easement of Longino Ranch, Inc. property

Coastal flooding is getting more common, even on sunny days

Coastal flooding from high tides is getting more common in most parts of the United States, as climate change causes sea levels to rise.

Millions of people are affected by so-called sunny day flooding each year, according to a new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). On average, the U.S. now experiences five extra days of high-tide flooding each year compared to the year 2000.

“Over the past year we’ve seen record coastal flooding,” says Nicole LeBoeuf, the director of the NOAA National Ocean Service.

In the last year, St. Petersburg, Fla., Atlantic City, N.J., Charleston, S.C. and more than 30 other places tied or broke their records for the number of high-tide flood days. Galveston, Texas, which consistently sees some of the most severe and frequent high-tide flooding of any city in the U.S., experienced 23 days of high-tide flooding last year.

The costs of high-tide flooding are enormous. Even a few inches of water can make neighborhoods inaccessible to some residents, including those who use wheelchairs or rely on strollers to transport young children. And standing water can also snarl commutes, block emergency vehicles and cause secondary flooding if sewers back up into buildings or overflow into natural bodies of water.

Sarasota County staff explain causes of flooding from Hurricane Debby

Sarasota County commissioners heard their first report from staff Tuesday [8/27/2024] on the effects on Hurricane Debby.

Staffers told commissioners that despite the county making all possible preparations and the stormwater and wastewater systems mostly working as designed, there was simply too much rain – up to 18 inches in some areas of Sarasota County over a three-day period – for the infrastructure to handle. Staff said the systems are designed to handle 10 inches in a 24-hour period.

Large sections of the county were flooded for days after the storm, causing evacuations of entire communities and an estimated $49 million in damage to homes and property.

There were 17 sanitary sewer overflows reported, with 1.2 million gallons reported spilled during the storm. Nine of the county’s 785 lift stations had sewer overflows; four lift stations were inoperable from high water levels. County trucks hauled nearly 1.5 million gallons of wastewater to treatment facilities.

After the storm, the county estimates as of Aug. 22, 964 tons of storm debris have been removed.

The coastal areas fared better, although some roads were damaged and beach erosion was noted, specifically the loss of 8,600 cubic yards of beach at one section near Turtle Beach Park, and 14,868 cubic yards of sand lost at the Manasota Beach project. That’s the equivalent of 950 dump truck loads, staff said.

The county is expediting the permit process related to storm damage repairs and suspected certain building permit fees for storm-related repairs.

Sarasota Bay Estuary Program announces projects at G.T. Bray Park in Bradenton

BRADENTON – GT Bray Park in Bradenton, FL hosts two new, large-scale environmental restoration projects costing a total of $900,000. Both projects retrofit substantial stormwater treatment areas to optimize their benefits to the public, water, and wildlife.

At the western portion of the park, 130,000 cubic yards of dirt were excavated and invasive plant species were removed from a stream conveyance to make way for created wetlands. Native wetland and upland plants are currently being installed to stabilize the banks and provide wetland habitats for aquatic birds and wildlife. The project is slated to be fully completed within the next month. “GT Bray Park is a fantastic place to view wildlife. Last year, I saw a family of otters playing in the stream adjacent to the project site,” said Megan Barry, Public Outreach Manager for the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP).

The second site, bordering 59th Street West, is complete and features a large stormwater pond previously inundated with invasive aquatic and terrestrial vegetation. The clearing of undesirable species, and planting of over $100,000 worth of native plants, has made the pond more aesthetically pleasing, publicly accessible, and environmentally sound. Both projects were led by SBEP in partnership with Manatee County, the City of Bradenton, and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Together, the sites mark the third large-scale restoration project completed by SBEP via funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Seven more projects are slated to be completed by 2026. “The SBEP is using all of the funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to undertake a variety of large-scale restoration projects to benefit Sarasota Bay habitats and water quality,” said outgoing Staff Biologist Dr. Jay Leverone.

A ribbon-cutting event will be hosted at GT Bray Park on Thursday, September 19 to celebrate the new projects. The event will include remarks from local elected officials and partner agencies including Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, City of Bradenton Councilwoman Jayne Kocher, and EPA Chief of the Ocean, Wetlands & Streams Protection Branch, Thomas McGill. The event is open to the public and will begin at 9:30 AM under the park pavilions adjacent to 51st Street West. “The EPA is pleased to support continuing efforts of the SBEP to preserve and protect critical water resources in Manatee and Sarasota Counties," said Becky Allenbach, Senior Advisor for Everglades and South Florida Issues and SBEP Policy Board Co-chair at U.S. EPA.

Registration now open for 19th Annual Sustainable Communities Workshop on Nov. 7th

Sarasota County to offer sandbags ahead of forecasted rain

The City of North Port is also offering a sandbag location

SARASOTA – Due to the National Weather Service forecast for heavy rain, Sarasota County is offering self-service sandbags to residents.

Residents can pick up sandbags on Thursday, Aug. 22, 3-7 p.m. and Friday, Aug. 23, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m., at the following locations.

• Sarasota County Fleet - South, 4531 Annex Road, Venice.
• Twin Lakes Park, 6700 Clark Road, Sarasota.

Bags and sand will be provided while supplies last. . Individuals are asked to bring their own shovels.

There is a limit of 10 sandbags per vehicle.

Sarasota County staff are out in the community today checking areas that are prone to flooding. The county continues to coordinate with municipalities and the National Weather Service to receive updates on expected weather in our area.

City of North Port:

With more rain in the forecast for North Port in the coming days, the City will open a self-serve sandbag distribution point beginning at 3 p.m. today at George Mullen Activity Center, 1602 Kramer Way, North Port.

Bags and sand will be available while supplies last. Individuals are asked to bring their own shovels.

Based on the current forecast from the National Weather Service, homes in North Port are not anticipated to be impacted by flooding. Some roads may see temporary localized flooding during and immediately following heavy rains.

North Port has received between 3-7 inches of rainfall in some areas of the city over the past 24 hours. The Myakkahatchee Creek is currently at acceptable water levels. City staff will continue to monitor the rainfall and water levels as thunderstorms move through the area.

Town of Longboat Key warns about excessive rainfall, potential flooding

SWFWMD to hold virtual public workshop on ranking water bodies