South Creek Oyster Habitat Enhancement and Restoration

The SBEP is a part of the US EPA National Estuary Program, created by Congress to protect and preserve the estuaries and watersheds in the Sarasota Bay region along Florida's Gulf Coast – recognized as "estuaries of national significance." The Sarasota Bay waterways were designated as priority water bodies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Section 320 of the Water Quality Act of 1987. The program is the partnership of local, state and federal governments and agencies as well as non-profits, research institutions, universities and community members. SBEP collective funding and resources to improve ecosystems and communities in the region is guided by specific supported projects and actions outlines in the SBEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) and annual work plan in the following categories WQQ: Water Quality and Quantity, WH: Watershed Habitats, FW: Fish & Wildlife, and CE: Community Engagement. Oyster habitat enhancement meets multiple objectives in the SBEP CCMP Watershed Habitat Activity WH-5: Monitor oyster reef habitat quality, explore optimal placement of new reefs, and establish/enhance oyster and artificial reefs; and Fish & Wildlife Activity FW-2: Monitor native bivalve populations and protect, restore, and enhance their habitats. Projects involving community support and engagement from other governmental stakeholders in the habitat enhancement and restoration process also support Community Engagement Activity CE-2: Support volunteer restoration and citizen science activities that contribute to assessment, monitoring, and restoration of bay and gulf waters, shorelines, wetlands, and other habitats. The Sarasota Bay Estuary is a series of five coastal lagoons located on the southwest coast of Florida. The watershed of this region is over 85% developed into an urban landscape (Figure 1) with shorelines that are over 80% hardened with seawalls. Restoration opportunities are limited due to the private ownership of most of the properties along the coast and within the watershed. The remaining habitats are largely state submerged lands, state and county parks, municipal park properties, and stormwater conveyances in the watershed and are under constant pressure from rising tides that compresses the habitats against hardened infrastructure that is mostly under private ownership. The habitats within the bay and watershed represent a rich mosaic that includes seagrass meadows, hardbottom, oyster reefs, beaches, saltwater wetlands, freshwater wetlands, and upland habitats. The SBEP uses Habitat Restoration Plans to focus its finite resources on restoration and conservation projects that are impactful. This project will be completed in the southern portion of the SBEP area to balance the distribution of funds throughout the entire region. The project area will be in the South Creek watershed, which is a tidal tributary to Blackburn Bay. Blackburn Bay receives salt water through the Venice Inlet and fresh water from a canal and South Creek. This enhancement should focus on oyster habitat west of 41 bridge and east of Inter Coastal Waterway (ICW) for appropriate salinity requirements. Project Area Fig. 1 South Creek Watershed and Blackburn Bay Fig. 2 Aeriel view of project area Courtesy of Sarasota County oyster mapping & monitoring program