Ecosystem Planning for Alligator Creek Watershed, Pinellas County, Florida

Tampa Bay is Florida's largest open-water estuary and home of one of the world's busiest ports. Estuaries are among the world's most productive ecosystems and activities within contributing watersheds impact their health. Ecosystem planning on a watershed scale is the utilization of abiotic communities in such a way as to minimally impact the biotic communities within a specific hydrologically defined geographic area. Decisions within a watershed based on ecosystem needs can lead to a successful restoration and preservation program. The Alligator Creek Watershed encompasses 5,691 acres in a highly urbanized setting crossing several jurisdictional boundaries. The creek has been channelized, redirected and encroached upon to the extent that much of its five mile course bears little resemblance to its original state. Impacts of extensive urbanization have contributed to the degradation of the watershed's natural resources, as well as those of the receiving water body, Tampa Bay. In an effort to restore and protect the natural resources, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, City of Clearwater, Pinellas County and the City of Safety Harbor have joined forces to develop a watershed management plan. With the assistance of Parsons Engineering Science, Inc., the Alligator Creek Watershed Management Plan identifies the causes and sources of flooding, water quality degradation, and habitat loss within its 5,691 acres. The plan recommended solutions to alleviate the problems; these solutions included restoring habitat, reducing impervious surfaces, planning alternative land uses, administering pollution reduction programs, implementing capital improvement projects such as stormwater retrofitting programs, and encouraging public involvement and awareness.