Need to Know

Sarasota Is in an Extreme Drought Right Now

And there's no rain in sight.

03/26/2026 By Megan McDonald

River Revival

Bringing Oysters Back to the Manatee River

A Palmetto project is restoring oyster reefs to improve water quality and rebuild habitat in the Manatee River.

03/10/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Tides and Teeth

Filmmaker Wilson McCourtney Takes on Sharks, Red Tide and Florida’s Water Crisis in His Latest Documentary

"Fighting for Florida" will screen at the 2026 Sarasota Film Festival.

02/16/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Free and Clear

Forever Chemicals in North Port’s Tap Water Prompt a Grassroots Testing Effort

Suncoast Waterkeeper’s "Forever Free" program is intended to inform and empower the public.

08/18/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Public Health

Florida Bans Fluoride in Public Water, Ending Decades-Long Public Health Practice

Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed legislation prohibiting additives in municipal water, including fluoride, prompting a divided response from health experts and local officials.

05/14/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Weather

As Hurricane Helene Nears, the Potential for Flooding Looms

We talked to the executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program to learn more about potential flooding in the area.

09/24/2024 By Kim Doleatto

What Lies Beneath

Something Is Blooming on the Suncoast, and It's Not Pretty

If it's not red tide, what's that awful smell? The answer is dapis pleousa, another type of algae.

05/29/2024 By Emma Moneuse

Water, Water Everywhere

Sarasota Bay Water Quality Improving

Little Sarasota Bay, Roberts Bay, Blackburn Bay and a portion of Sarasota Bay were proposed for removal from a list of impaired waterways. But there's still a lot to be done.

11/10/2023 By Catherine Hicks/Community News Collaborative

Purity Test

How Clean Is Our Drinking Water?

We sent out four samples from different water sources throughout Sarasota to a private lab that specializes in analyzing environmental data to find out exactly what we are putting in our bodies.

09/21/2023 By Isaac Eger

The Survey Says...

Struggling Seagrass in Sarasota Bay Shapes up as an Environmental, Economic Worry

Acreage of underwater meadows have been in decline since 2016, raising concerns in an area with a lot floating on a healthy ecosystem.

08/07/2023 By Catherine Hicks

For the Love of the Sea Cow

Red Tide Is Affecting Manatees. What We Can Do to Help?

Red tide levels might have lessened for now, but the bloom is expected to persist. These gentle giants need our help.

03/21/2023 By Bethany Ritz

Flashback

Sarasota Sailing Regatta, 1961

With plenty of sailing events happening regularly here, here's a look back at a regatta from 1961.

01/27/2023 By Bethany Ritz

Warm Water Warning

What to Know About Flesh-Eating Bacteria in Florida

Here's how to stay safe.

07/12/2022 By Chloe Nelson

Summer trend

Turn Your Backyard Into an Oasis With a Water Feature or Pond

Two local experts share tips on how to elevate your outdoor space—and the mini-ecosystem a body of water can bring.

06/07/2022 By Kim Doleatto

Pool season

How to Keep Your Kids Safe Around the Water This Summer

One of the owners of Aqua-Tots Swim Schools shares four simple tips to keep in mind.

05/18/2022 By Samantha Lane

Utilities

Sarasota County Residents Are Being Asked to Conserve Water

Officials say there is still plenty of water, but are asking people who live in unincorporated areas of Sarasota County and North Port to conserve water for the next 30 days.

10/22/2021 By Staff

Potable Kombat

Picking the Region's Best Drinking Water Was Harder Than You Might Expect

I leaped at the chance to be one of five judges asked to determine the best drinking water in a five-county area.

05/10/2021 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Water Saver

District Asks Homeowners to Skip a Week of Irrigation This Winter

According to research by the University of Florida, grass doesn’t need to be watered as often during the cooler months.

01/07/2020 By Staff

Fast Track

DeSantis Appoints Jack Bispham to Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board

Bispham is the owner-operator of Red Bluff Plantation and will serve a four-year term.

11/07/2019 By Staff

Politics

Southwest Florida Water Management District Appoints New Governing Board Officers

Newly appointed secretary Joel Schleicher represents Sarasota and Charlotte counties.

07/01/2019 By Staff

Sarasota Magazine

Water