As you leaned in the lead article in last month’s E-newsletter, Sarasota Bay is ailing from excess nutrients from a variety of urban runoff sources. So much so, that the Department of Environmental Protection is expected to declare the Bay a “Nutrient Impaired” water body in 2020. This is a major threat to our tourism-based economy, our property values and the quality of life on the Suncoast.
Reducing Nutrients in 8 Million Gallons of Runoff
You can help START lead the charge to reduce the excess nutrients running into the Bay by donating to our special Holiday Giving Campaign to bring a new holistic process to Sarasota’s developing Bay Park. The process will reduce the nutrients in an estimated 8 Million gallons of stormwater in every one-inch rain event. This will be achieved by employing:
1. Carbon-Life Nutrient Barrier that filters the runoff from the 53-acre park
2. Restoring the oyster and clam population in the park’s lagoon
3. Mini reefs that create habitat for sea life that filter 30, 000 gallons of seawater every day
START is helping to fund this landmark project because it will be the first of its kind to filter runoff before it runs into the Bay. We believe that a successful result at Bay Park will encourage other developers to add runoff control mechanisms to their projects.
We have already raised about half of the design and monitoring cost for the project. Be part of the solution and help us complete this important water quality project.
You can donate at our secure website at https://start1.org/whatcanyoudo/ or by sending a check to START, P.O. Box 642, Tallevast, Fl. 34270
