Sarasota County Water Atlas

Water Chemistry Ratings

Monitoring data is analyzed to determine stream health based on State water quality standards. Official determination of impairment or attainment of the water quality standards is performed by FDEP and is based on at least three years and up to seven and a half years of data. Information on approximately 17 different parameters are collected at stream sites, but only total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chlorophyll a, dissolved oxygen (percent saturation), and bacteria are assessed according to established water quality criteria mandated by the Clean Water Act. Additionally, the floral and faunal communities (SCI) are assessed at some sites to determine whether waters support a healthy aquatic community.

The "pass/fail" conditions presented here do not indicate impairment as determined by the official Florida Department of Environmental Protection Impaired Waters Rule assessment but, rather, give an indication of stream condition in a particular year in relation to the set regulatory numeric limits. Streams receive an annual "PASS" rating for each parameter if the mean value is below the regulatory value and a "FAIL" rating if the mean value exceeds the regulatory value. Not all water quality parameters have an established numeric criterion, so only some of the graphs below show the regulatory limit, represented by a horizontal red line.

The graphs here illustrate results over the past five years. Data from sites monitored within a single waterbody identification basin (WBID) are combined to determine water quality status for each WBID, and the annual geometric mean of sample results is indicated on the graph for the most recent year. The table to the left of the graph gives the annual and historic range of values for the indicator.

Click the graph to view a larger image and to download the full dataset.

Freshwater Portion of the Creek

Tidal Portion of the Creek

Impervious Features

Whitaker Bayou is located within the Sarasota Bay Watershed. View details about the 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.

27% of the land area within the Whitaker Bayou Basin is covered by impervious surfaces

Land Use / Land Cover

Whitaker Bayou is located within the Sarasota Bay Watershed. View details about the 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 Whitaker Bayou Basin

Land Use Classification	1990	1995	1999	2005	2011	2014	2017	2020	2023	Trend
Urban & Built-up	3,83077.1%	3,83477.2%	3,83177.1%	3,90378.6%	3,95279.6%	3,92179%	3,95179.6%	3,97079.9%	4,00680.7%
Agriculture	2144.3%	1823.7%	1883.8%	1813.6%	1813.6%	1813.6%	1783.6%	1683.4%	1202.4%
Rangeland	40.1%	40.1%	40.1%	40.1%	40.1%	40.1%	40.1%	40.1%	120.2%
Upland Forests	2354.7%	2495%	2495%	1953.9%	1643.3%	1953.9%	1643.3%	1583.2%	1432.9%
Water	1302.6%	1372.7%	1402.8%	1262.5%	881.8%	881.8%	891.8%	911.8%	1172.4%
Wetlands	3156.4%	2324.7%	2274.6%	2294.6%	2224.5%	2224.5%	2224.5%	2214.4%	2074.2%
Barren Land	00%	00%	00%	00%	00%	00%	30.1%	00%	190.4%
Transportation and Utilities	2384.8%	3296.6%	3296.6%	3286.6%	3567.2%	3567.2%	3557.2%	3567.2%	3436.9%