New data and ‘insights gained from experience’ added
The Gulf Coast Community Foundation has released a new version of its Water Quality Playbook, “featuring updated content that reflects the progress made since its original release in 2020,” the Foundation has announced.
“This latest edition incorporates new data, insights gained from experience, and the most current research — offering a dynamic, evolving resource designed to guide meaningful action,” a news release points out.
“Created for a diverse audience — including community members, homeowners’ associations, and policymakers — the Playbook serves as a practical, solutions-driven roadmap,” the release explains. “With clear, evidence-based strategies, it outlines actionable steps or ‘activities’ to help restore and protect the region’s waterways — ensuring their health and vitality for generations to come,” the release adds.
“We wanted to be able to put information into the public domain that is based on the most current data and circumstances,” said Jon Thaxton, project lead and director of policy and advocacy at Gulf Coast. “Doing this in a digital format allows us to amend the playbook on the fly because change is constant. Sarasota County and other agencies have made great strides to improve our water quality, and we want to keep all of the information available as updated as possible so that improvements can continue,” Thaxton pointed out in the release.
Since the original publication of the Playbook, in 2020, “Sarasota County Government, local municipalities, nonprofits, and businesses, supported generously by local foundations, have successfully implemented numerous recommended actions,” the release continues. “These efforts have led to significant improvements in wastewater infrastructure, the protection and restoration of natural areas, enhanced stormwater treatment solutions, upgraded technical tools, expanded public education initiatives, and the cultivation of innovative public-private partnerships,” it notes.
“Additionally, the playbook has been used internationally as a tool and resource to advance protection and restoration of water quality,” the release says.
“Despite these achievements, challenges remain,” the release acknowledges. “Elevated nutrient levels continue to be a concern in some areas, seagrass in southern bays has not yet recovered, and ongoing pressures from land development and climate change are testing the resilience of our waterways. If sustained action is not taken, the presence of excess nutrients could disrupt the health of our estuaries, potentially leading to chronic macroalgae [seaweed] and phytoplankton blooms (e.g. red tide),” it points out. “This scenario poses a risk to the long-term health of our ecosystem and the preservation of iconic species, including the year-round dolphin population in Sarasota Bay.”
“In Florida, especially along the Gulf Coast, every environmental issue is ultimately a water issue,” said Jennifer Shafer, project lead and co-executive director of the Science & Environmental Council of Southwest Florida, in the release. “Clean water isn’t guaranteed, it’s a choice we make every day, in every policy, every vote, every backyard.”
The release further notes, “This updated 2025 Water Quality Playbook embodies the latest scientific findings, community insights, and valuable lessons learned. It acts as a dynamic guide — flexible, adaptable, and applicable in various regions — combining public policy, education, and practical science to enhance water quality restoration efforts. Gulf Coast is excited to back this community-focused initiative and encourages all residents, businesses, and partners to actively participate in molding the future of Sarasota’s waters for generations ahead,” the release says.
Examples of the accomplishments since the original Playbook was released follow:
- “Since 2020, Suncoast Urban ReForesters (SURF) has planted 10 microforests. [Venice Area Beautification’s] 33-acre planted forest in Venice became Florida’s largest urban afforestation project. Sarasota Audubon and Big Waters Land Trust are rewilding 33 acres at the Celery Fields Quad to enhance habitat, water quality, and stormwater retention.”
- The University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension and Sustainability Program (UF/IFAS) in Sarasota County launched a tool in November 2021 “to help homeowners and professionals adjust fertilizer use by calculating nitrogen levels in reclaimed irrigation water, promoting more sustainable landscape management.”
- In June 2022, Sarasota Bay Watch secured a five-year submerged shellfish lease to grow clams in Sarasota Bay, while Oyster River Ecology received approval for a 10-acre oyster restoration site in the Manatee River. Additionally, vertical oyster gardens (VOGs) are being installed throughout the region to restore oyster habitats, with more than 20,000 pounds of shells recycled and 1,000 VOGs built in 2024 alone.
- In July 2023, the nonprofit Suncoast Waterkeeper announced the creation of a citizen reporting app to enhance mangrove protection. “The Eyes on the Suncoast app empowers residents to report excessive mangrove trimming or damage and water quality problems, strengthening community oversight and enforcement efforts to protect vital coastal habitats and water quality.”
- In December 2023, the City of Sarasota’s historic Bobby Jones Golf Course — the municipality’s largest green space — reopened after a restoration. The 307-acre site “features 20 acres of wetlands, native grasses, and aquatic plants that filter 9.8 million gallons of stormwater from 5,800 acres, removing an estimated 900 pounds of nitrogen annually. A conservation easement ensures long-term environmental protection.”
For a full list of detailed accomplishments since Gulf Coast’s first Water Quality Playbook in 2020 and to fully explore the updated version, visit waterqualityplaybook.org.