WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SECTION
The People - The Water Resources Management Section is staffed by ten environmental scientists including specialists in marine science, limnology, wetland science, marine and freshwater fishery science as well as lake and watershed management.
The Mission - The mission of the Water Resources Management Section is to protect and improve the environmental and aesthetic quality of the County surface waters that include creeks, streams, lakes, bays, and coastal waters.	The Programs - A variety of programs are focused on monitoring, assessing, managing, and improving surface water related natural resources for beneficial use by wildlife and the public. Major programs include:

Ambient Water Quality Monitoring -In County lakes, streams, and open waters of Tampa Bay, Boca Ciega Bay, and the intracoastal waterways.

Watershed Planning/Implementation - Waterbody and drainage basin assessments and projects aimed to restore environmentally sensitive waterbodies.

Benthic Macroinvertebrate and Sediment Chemistry Monitoring - The types of animals living in the bay's bottom sediments serve as an indicator of long-term conditions and are periodically examined and enumerated to assess overall water and sediment quality conditions. The chemical composition of bay sediments is also measured each year.

Seagrass Monitoring and Assessment - Seagrass health has been closely linked to water clarity in Tampa and Boca Ciega Bays. County scientists periodically examine seagrass density, species composition, and areal coverage throughout County marine waters.

Tampa Bay Estuary Program Initiatives - The Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP ), since 1991, has served to facilitate a variety of intergovernmental initiatives to protect and enhance the Tampa Bay estuary. Scientists from the Water Resources Management Section are active local partners of numerous collaborative TBEP efforts including programs addressing water and sediment quality, seagrass research and restoration, stormwater runoff pollution, atmospheric deposition, manatee protection, and public education.

Stormwater - Rainwater carries pollutants into the County's storm drainage system and eventually into the nearest waterbody. Read about some of the things you can do to help.

Public Outreach - Through numerous programs, staff provide public education on a variety of important water resource related environmental issues. Programs include presentations to school and civic groups, citizen stormdrain marking events, and environmental expos. A Stormwater Hotline is available for reporting illegal discharges of pollution to storm drains.

Citizen Complaints and Inquiries - Staff scientists investigate and respond to citizen calls ranging from problems and questions about their backyard ponds and fish kills, to environmental crimes such as illicit discharges of hazardous waste products into the environment.

Atlas of Pinellas County Water Quality Data