The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold a public workshop at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 10, to review and solicit public feedback on the draft 2025 Sarasota Bay Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) plan. The meeting will take place at the Bay Preserve Carriage House, located at 353 Palmetto Ave. in Osprey.
In 1987 the Florida Legislature created the SWIM Act to protect, restore and maintain Florida's highly threatened surface water bodies. Under this act, the state's five water management districts identify a list of priority water bodies within their authority and implement plans to improve them.
SWIM plans are designed to improve or maintain the health of a water body, focusing on management actions, projects, initiatives, and quantifiable objectives within the District’s areas of responsibility.
Members of the public can view the draft Sarasota Bay SWIM plan and submit public comment at WaterMatters.org/SWIM/Sarasota-Bay. The webpage has additional information about the bay. Public comments must be submitted by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, and will be reviewed by District staff.
The meeting agenda can be found on the District’s calendar. Questions about the meeting can be submitted to SwimPlanUpdate@WaterMatters.org.