Watershed Management: Watershed Planning
Clearwater Harbor / St. Joseph Sound Watershed
Pinellas County has partnered with US EPA Region 4, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), and the cities of Dunedin, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, and Largo, to develop a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) to protect the natural resources of Clearwater Harbor and St. Joseph Sound. These waters occur along the county’s western coastline and provide haven to 14,700 acres of seagrass; an acreage equal to 60% of the total seagrass acreage found in Tampa Bay. Potential federal funding sources identified include the Gulf of Mexico Program and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Stakeholder involvement throughout the project has provided a mechanism to distribute information to the public about the economic and natural resource value of the project area as Gulf resources as well as on-going project programs. The final implementation of structural and non-structural management options identified in the Plan will provide the necessary level of protection to preserve the existing seagrass, mangrove/marsh, and open-water habitat along this resource rich lagoon and open-water system.