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For a coastal county such as Sarasota, managing the area’s watersheds is of the utmost importance. This past week, the Sarasota County Stormwater Division of Public Works shared its updated Watershed Master Plan with the community. The plan is the product of a countywide study administered by Dr. Fred Bloetscher and his team at Florida Atlantic University to aid decision making in reducing flooding caused by climate change and development.

The major objectives of the plan are to evaluate future conditions and existing conditions storms, assess the impact of sea level rise, identify the county’s wetlands and natural channels and create a dedicated funding source for the county to implement the plan. The updated plan comes at a critical juncture for Sarasota County—last fall, Hurricanes Helene and Milton slammed the region, causing near unprecedented damage to residences and businesses across the area. Understanding how rainfall and storm surges move through the different wetlands and channels of the county is critical in mitigating future flooding.

“The grants for this plan came through the Florida Division of Emergency Management, with the idea being to allow us to figure out ways to reduce flooding short and particularly long term in the community,” says Dr. Bloetscher. “Part of the Division of Emergency Management’s Bureau of Mitigation’s mission is to prioritize flood management and determine the risk of flooding to communities, infrastructure and property. FAU has adopted a program to look at the risk of flooding and certain properties have greater risk potential than others.”

A completion and adoption of the Watershed Master Plan is necessary for Sarasota County to improve its Community Rating System (CRS) classification, a voluntary incentive program that encourages community floodplain practices that exceed the base requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program. Improving the CRS classification would allow for residents to get to the next level of federal flood insurance reduction, paving the way for a safer Sarasota County for years to come.

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