Southern Region - Southwest Florida Water Management District

L618
WMP - Sarasota - Coastal Fringe Areas
Project Type
AORs
Flood Protection
Cooperative Funding
Strategic Initiatives
Floodplain Management
Sarasota County
Cooperator(s)
Project Manager Dawn Turner
Task Manager(s)
Status
Proposed Coop. Funding Application
Recommendation
Fund as a 1A priority. This request is for continued funding of a multi-year funding project that implements Watershed Management
Plans (WMPs) for the coastal fringe areas of Sarasota County.
Description
This multi-year funded project is to perform the: 1) Topographic Information, 2) Watershed Evaluation, and 3) Watershed
Management Plan elements of the District's Watershed Management Program (WMP) for several coastal watersheds in Sarasota
County. Watershed Management Plans will be updated for 1) the North Roberts Bay Coastal Watershed, 2) the Lemon Bay Coastal
Watershed, and 3) portions of the Sarasota Bay, Little Sarasota Bay, and Dona/Roberts Bay Coastal Watersheds. These Coastal
Watershed areas cover approximately 25-square miles within the County. The only areas excluded from Sarasota's Coastal Fringe
are a small portion of the Little Sarasota Bay Coastal (Vamo Road area) Basin and the Lyons Bay portion of the Dona Bay Coastal
Basin, which were developed under a separate contract. Phase 1 of the Coastal Fringe Watershed updates includes development
of a Watershed Management Plan for the North Roberts Bay Coastal Watershed. The North Roberts Bay Coastal Watershed is
approximately 5.9 square miles in the coastal fringe of the Phillippi Creek and Matheny Creek Basins, including Siesta Key from
Midnight Pass to Siesta Drive. Phase 2 includes the Lemon Bay Coastal Watershed, which is approximately 7.2 square miles,
excluding the area outside of the County. Phase 3 includes portions of the Sarasota Bay, Little Sarasota Bay, and Dona/Roberts
Bay Coastal Watersheds. The total area in Phase 3 is approximately 9.2 square miles.
Benefits
The WMP provides a method to evaluate the capacity of a watershed to protect, enhance, and restore water quality and natural
systems, while achieving flood protection. The information developed provides the science for the District's Resource Management
and Environmental Resource Permitting (ERP). It assists local governments: 1) with their land management responsibilities by
establishing a level of service and developing Best Management Practices (BMPs) to address level of service deficiencies; and 2)
provides a Geodatabase and projected results from watershed model simulations for floodplain management, and water quality.
Costs
The estimated total budget amount for this multi-year project is $1,966,632, of which the District's share is $983,316. For FY2007,
the District budgeted $500,000. However, Sarasota County was only able to fund $246,491. Unmatched District funds were
balanced forward. For FY2008, the District budgeted $200,000, which was encumbered to the agreement. However, Sarasota
County was unable to provide funding in FY2008. For FY2009 Sarasota County encumbered $34,422 for project; and in FY2010
Sarasota County budgeted $200,00 for project, bringing the total for those two years $234,433. Since the District provided $200,000
in FY2008, only $34,422 was budgetted in FY2010 to match the County funds. For FY2011 the District budgetted $200,000, with
Sarasota County providing $200,000 in matching funds. The County withdrew their funding request in FY2012; but wishes to
resume funding in FY2013. A request for $400,000 ($200,000 District share) has been received for FY2013. As each project
element is completed the project budget may require refinement based on the information gathered. The future funds identified for
the project are contingent upon approval of such amounts by the District Governing Board in the annual budget. The District funding
amounts shown in the table include staff salaries, travel and central garage charges.
Additional Information
The WMP includes five major elements: 1) Topographic information, 2) Watershed Evaluation, 3) Watershed Management Plan, 4)
Implementation of Best Management Practices, and 5) Maintenance of Watershed Parameters and Models. Implementing
elements of the WMP with local governments is one of the District's Strategic Priorities. The development of watershed models
and plans to identify potential projects or BMPs will help to resolve or mitigate water resource issues. The District has worked with
the County to develop an implementation schedule by watershed based on their projected funding levels. Sarasota County will
manage this project. A cooperative funding agreement will be developed as a multi-year funded project contingent on the approval
of future funding to complete the project. This project will require a cooperative funding request each fiscal year until completed.
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