vxEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
(4504F)
EPA842-F-97-002I
June 1997
Demonstrating Practical Tools for Watershed
Management Through the National Estuary Program
^Characteristics:
• The Sarasota Bay watershed comprises about 150 square miles of land*
and 52 square miles of water surface.
• Nearly 500,000 people live in the Sarasota Bay area.
• Land use in the watershed is 42 percent residential, 10 percent
commercial, 8 percent agricultural, and 40 percent open space.
rThe Problem:
• Wetland loss, including encroachment of non-native plant species, is
one of the major problems threatening Sarasota Bay.
• Since 1950, the Sarasota Bay watershed has lost 39% of its intertidal
habitat. Freshwater and non-forested wetlands have also declined >:
dramatically, more than 45% in the past 20 years.
• Only 20 percent of the shoreline remains in its natural state.
• Non-native plants have invaded 66% of mangrove wetlands in the bay.
ferhe Project:
The Coquina BayWalk at Leffis Key Restoration Project was designed to create native habitat on 30 acres of public land.
Project objectives also included improving water quality, increasing public access to the bay, and providing opportunities for
public education and participation.
Sarasota Bay
The National Estuary Prografti
1stuaries and other coastal and marine waters are national
resources that are increasingly threatened by pollution, habitat
loss, coastal development, and resource conflicts. Congress
established the National Estuary Program (NEP) in 1987 to provide a
greater focus for coastal protection and to demonstrate practical,
innovative approaches for protecting estuaries and their living
resources.
As pan of the demonstration role, the NEP offers funding for member
estuaries to design and implement Action Plan Demonstration
Projects that demonstrate innovative approaches to address priority
problem areas, show improvements that can be achieved on a small
scale, and help determine the time and resources needed to apply
similar approaches basin-wide.
The NEP is managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). If currently includes 28 estuaries: Albemarle-Pamlico
Sounds, NC; Barataria-Terrebonne Estuarine Complex, LA;
Barnegdt Bay, NJ; Buzzards Bay, MA; Casco Bay, ME; Charlotte
Harbor, FL; Columbia River, OR and WA; Corpus Christi Bay, TX;
Delaware Estuary, DE, NJ, and PA; Delaware Inland Bays, DE;
Galveston Bay, TX; Indian River Lagoon, FL; Long Island Sound, CT
and NY; Maryland Coastal Bays, MD; Massachusetts Bays, MA;
Mobile Bay, AL; Morro Bay, CA; Narragansett Bay, RI; New
Hampshire Estuaries, NH; New York-New Jersey Harbor, NY and NJ;
Peconic Bay, NY; Puget Sound, WA; San Francisco Bay-Delta
Estuary, CA; San Juan Bay, PR; Santa. Monica Bay, CA; Sarasota
Bay, FL; Tampa Bay, FL; and Tillamook Bay, OR.
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Introduction to Sarasota Bay
Oarasota Bay is located on Florida's fast-growing
O southwest coast. Although bay resources have been
significantly affected by habitat modifications over the
past 50 years, Sarasota Bay still supports an abundance
of aquatic life.
Rapid residential development has caused major changes
in the bay's ecosystem.
Natural shorelines
have been replaced by
seawalls, bulkheads,
and riprap. Large=scale
dredge and fill
projects, completed
during the 1950s,
dramatically altered
the bay's shoreline and
bottom habitat.
The Sarasota Bay
National Estuary
Program has focused
habitat restoration
efforts on bettering
both intertidal and
bottom habitats through improvements hi water quality,
restoration of wetlands, and creation of artificial reefs for
juvenile fish. The Leffis Key project is one of many
restoration projects completed in the bay to restore lost
wetland habitat. And many more are planned or under
construction.
Overview of the CocjUJna BayVValk
at Leffis.Key \" I... j : j*j,' : ;.>
Leffis Key is a 30-acre site, owned by Manatee
County, located along the Sarasota Bay shoreline on
the southeast tip of Anna Maria Island, just north of
Longboat Pass. The site is directly adjacent to Coquina
Beach. It is estimated that more than two million people
visit Coquina Beach annually, making it one of the most
heavily utilized
recreational areas
in the Manatee-
Sarasota county
region.
The disposal of
material from the
dredging of the
Intracoastal
Waterway during
the 1950s covered
a small mangrove
island and created
the peninsula
known as Leffis
Key. The site had
become vegetated
by non-native plant species such as Australian pine and.
Brazilian pepper. Seagrass beds were also covered
during dredged material disposal in the 1950s.
Since the site was in public ownership and was heavily
modified, it became a prime candidate for restoration.
Project Objectives
.e objectives of the Coquina Bay Walk project were
to:
restore one of many dredged material disposal sites in
Sarasota Bay as a model for other projects;
increase the area of functional mangrove, wetland,
and shallow water habitats;
improve bay circulation;
increase levels of managed access to the northern
sections of Sarasota Bay and its resources;
increase available spawning and juvenile fish habitat;
and
increase bay educational and interpretive facilities
available to both local residents and tourists.
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installed, and an educational brochure was produced to
inform visitors to the site about the ecological
importance and interdependence of the mangrove forest
and other surrounding habitats.
The site is monitored regularly for plant survival.
Maintenance is/provided by the Manatee County
Department of Recreation and Parks.
r l iie Sarasota Bay National Estuary Program drafted
JL the initial proposal for funding in concert with the
Florida Department of Environmental Protection and
Manatee County. The project design was initially
developed by the staff members of the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection and reviewed
and influenced by the Sarasota Bay National Estuary
Program Technical
Advisory Committee.
Manatee County Public
Works staff members
also participated in
surveying, topographic
mapping, and final
design of the site, as
well as constructing the
project.
During construction,
the first step was to
remove exotic species.
This was followed by
excavation of intertidal
pools and tidal inlets and construction of boardwalks
and walkways for public access.
The overall plan was to recreate the island through
excavation of a channel through the peninsula, thus re-
establishing tidal circulation around the area. A
footbridge was installed to provide visitor access to the
BayWalk. Fill material from the key and adjacent north
and south shorelines was used to create dunes to serve
as visual and sound barriers to road traffic. Volunteers
planted more than 50,000 native saltmarsh, intertidal,
and upland plants and trees. Interpretive signage was
'THhe project re-established over 30 acres of wetland
J. habitat previously disrupted by human activities. As
such, it becomes a significant part of the larger program
to restore intertidal and freshwater wetlands in Sarasota
Bay. /
The project has received positive media reviews. It won
an Environmental Excellence Award from the Florida
Marine Research Institute, was featured in Good
Housekeeping magazine, and is now included in the
Florida Wildlife Viewing Guide.
The project made it
possible to draw
together a wide range of
active participants and
funding sources
directed toward a
common goal. These
included Manatee
County, Florida
Department of
Environmental
Protection, the City of
Bradenton Beach,
Florida Sea Grant, and
the US Environmental
Protection Agency. The
Sarasota Bay National Estuary Program provided
technical assistance and citizen input to the project. The
US Environmental Protection Agency provided $75,000
as Early Action Demonstration Project Funds. Manatee
County provided significant in-kind services including
design, site preparation, and excavation, as well as
$9,000 from the county pollution-recovery account. The
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
provided approximately $250,000 and the Florida
Department of Natural Resources provided native
plants. Overall cost of the Coquina BayWalk project
totaled approximately $350,000.
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Lessons Learned
Sarasota Bay National Estuary Program has
identified areas throughout the region which are
suitable for wetland restoration and is working hard to
meet goals established as part of their planning process.
Specific lessons include:
• Dredged material disposal areas can be successfully
restored into productive habitats with recreational and
educational value.
• Tourists and local residents have been attracted to the
site in significant numbers.
• Volunteers are more than willing to
participate in planting. They indicate that it
is fun and rewarding.
• Restoration efforts are excellent media
events.
• Funds are generally available for habitat
restoration.
Previous Publications in the .Demonstration Projects Seriei
Report Title
Biological Nutrient Removal Project
Buttermilk Bay Coliform Control Project
Georgetown Stormwater Management Project
Texas Coastal Preserves Project
Shell Creek Stormwater Diversion Project
City Island Habitat Restoration Project
Buzzards Bay "SepTrack" Initiative
NationalJEstuary Program
Long Island Sound, CT/NY
Buzzards Bay, MA
Delaware Inland Bays, DE
Galveston Bays, TX
Puget Sound, WA
Sarasota Bay, PL
Buzzards Bay, MA
Date Publication'#
New Options for Dredging in Barataria-Terrebonne Barataria-Terrebonne Basin, LA
1995
1995
1995
1995
1995
1995
1997
1997
EPA842-
EPA842-
EPA842-
EPA842-
EPA842-
EPA842-
EPA842-
EPA842-
•F-95-001A
•F-95-001B
•F-95-001C
-F-95-001D
•F-95-001E
-F-95-001F
-F-97-002G
-F-97-002H
pFor copies of any of these publications contact:
National Clearinghouse for Environmental Publications
Telephone: (513)489-8190
Facsimile: (513) 489-8695
vvEiPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(4504F)
Washington, DC 20460
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