The Lemon Bay Watershed spans a total of 74.5 square miles, 71% of which lies within Sarasota County. The area within the county, totaling 52.6 square miles, is the only portion of the watershed for which information is available on the Sarasota County Water Atlas. The watershed contains 79 named lakes/ponds, 27 named rivers/streams/canals and 2 named bays/bayous.
A watershed management plan defines and addresses existing or future water quality problems.
Experience has shown that effective watershed management includes active participation from stakeholders, analysis of the specific causes and sources of water quality problems, identification of measurable water quality goals, and implementation of specific actions needed to solve those problems.
The Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship Team (NEST) concept is based on the idea of promoting neighborhood involvement in environmentally friendly projects to protect and restore our water resources. The NEST program projects focus on providing watershed education and getting neighbors involved in activities that improve their neighborhoods and enhance their watershed. The program goal is to help citizens and neighborhoods become advocates and champions for the watersheds they live in. The NEST program was developed in response to a need to get citizens and the general public better educated and more involved in the management and protection of the water resources of Sarasota County.
Below are NEST sites found in the Lemon Bay Watershed
Watersheds are areas of land with waterways that flow to a common destination. The boundaries between watersheds are elevated areas called divides. In this Atlas, the watersheds are composed of groups of creeks that flow to a single bay or group of bays. Drainage basins are subunits of watersheds and are defined by the main creek that flows through them. Sarasota County has five watersheds, named after the bays or river, and 28 drainage basins, named after the creeks. Stormwater improvements to reduce flooding and improve water quality are based on the drainage basin unit. Learn more about watersheds »
Specific drainage basins within this watershed include:
The map below has icons denoting the locations of weather observation sites used by weather.com in and around Lemon Bay Watershed (outlined in blue). Click on an icon for a weather summary which includes current temperature, cloud conditions, humidity level, wind speed/direction, today's high and low temperature forecast, and summary forecast for the next four days. For more details, click the "Hourly" or "10-day" links to get detailed weather status or an extended forecast. Weather.com data is a service of The Weather Channel, a 24-hour, 7-day network providing weather information via cable TV, internet, and radio.
| Month-to-Date Total | Historic Monthly Average | Year-to-Date Total | Historic 12 Month Average Total | Data as of | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon Bay Watershed | 3.73 in. | 2.28 in. | 13.87 in. | 43.16 in. | 5/21/2013 |
The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality. It tells you how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. The AQI focuses on health effects you may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. EPA calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. For each of these pollutants, EPA has established national air quality standards to protect public health. (From EPA's AIRNow)
Visit AIRNow and learn more about EPA's AQI, air quality and human health at http://www.airnow.gov/.
| AQI Levels |
|---|
| Good 0-50 |
| Moderate 51-100 |
| Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 101-150 |
| Unhealthy 151-200 |
| Very Unhealthy 201-300 |
| Hazardous 301-500 |
Loading Realtime Air Quality Index (AQI) Data...
This section provides links to capital improvement projects occurring in Sarasota County. Such activities may include stormwater control structures, retrofit projects, retention and detention ponds, and other stormwater pollution controls. Learn more about capital improvement projects »
Who to call about environmental concerns and to report environmentally harmful activities. For potentially life threatening emergencies dial 911.
| Concern or Activity | Contact(s) |
|---|---|
| Dangerous Boating / Accidents | FWCC, Division of Boating Safety |
| Algal Blooms | |
| Fish Kill | FWCC, Fish Kills |
| General Concerns/Complaints |
FDEP Sarasota County |
| Industrial Waste/Spill | FDEP |
| Injured Wildlife or Illegal Activities | FWCC, Wildlife Violations |
| Shoreline Alterations, Wetland Impacts | FDEP |
| Aquatic Plant Removal | FWCC |
| Water Pollution, Residuals Landspreading | FDEP |
| Wetlands Issues/Dredge and Fill | FDEP |
Legend:
FWCC - Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
FDEP - Florida Department of Enviromental Protection
Sarasota County needs you to help manage and protect its natural resources! Fill out this form, and we will contact you with more information about becoming a volunteer. Learn more about volunteering »
Visit the following links to view historical information on this water resource:
