Protecting the Water That Connects Us

From the Peace River and Myakkahatchee Creek to the aquifers beneath our feet and the Gulf along our coast, Sarasota County's water is inseparable from the natural environment and the communities that depend upon it.

Our drinking water comes from both surface water and groundwater. In North Port, Myakkahatchee Creek and groundwater wells are important sources of the city's water supply. At the same time, natural areas, swales, canals, and waterways are part of the larger system that carries and filters water through our environment.

Many residents also rely on private wells, drawing directly from the groundwater beneath their properties. Protecting water therefore means much more than protecting our beaches. It means protecting our rivers and creeks, aquifers, watersheds, wetlands, and coastal waters.

These systems are connected. Natural lands help protect watersheds. Watersheds provide wildlife habitat. Our waterways and aquifers provide drinking water. What happens to one can affect the others.

Protecting Sarasota County's water means protecting both our environment and our drinking-water future.