Abstract:
The Dona Bay Watershed Management Plan (DBWMP)is a regional initiative that promotes and furthers the implementation of the Sarasota County Comprehensive Plan, Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans of the Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Programs, and the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Southern Coastal Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan. Specifically, this initiative is to plan, design, and implement a comprehensive watershed management plan and projects for the Dona Bay watershed to achieve the following general objectives: provide a more natural freshwater/saltwater regime in the tidal portions of Dona Bay; provide a more natural hydrologic regime for the Dona Bay watershed; protect existing and future property owners from flood damage; protect and/or improve existing water quality, and develop potential alternative surface water supply options that are consistent with, and support other plan objectives.