Watershed Management: Watershed Planning

Allen's Creek Watershed

 

The tidal estuary in mid-Pinellas County known as Allen’s Creek and its tributaries, total 6.5 miles in length and drain a watershed of 4,823.3 acres. Allen’s Creek watershed is bounded by Airport Drive on the north, Highland Avenue on the west, and East Bay Drive on the south. The mouth of Allen’s Creek empties into Tampa Bay about 1/4 mile east of US Hwy 19 & 1/4 mile south of Belleair Road.

 

There are several lakes and numerous small ponds in the watershed. Many of the lakes in the original watershed, and their outfalls, have been altered for stormwater treatment and flood control. Even though Allen’s Creek resides in the middle of the most heavily urbanized County in Florida, the creek itself is home to more than 350 acres of tidal wetlands plus the 210 acres of acquired and preserved parks & green space. Allen’s Creek provides a home (food & shelter) for a wide variety of species for some period during the year, or permanently in the case of a few species

Projects in Watershed:

Pinellas County, the City of Largo, and the City of Clearwater agreed to fund and develop a watershed management plan to address the problems of poor creek water quality and degraded habitat. The Board of County Commissioners adopted the watershed plan in October 1996. Since plan adoption work has continued on numerous projects aimed to evaluate and improve the creek:

• water quality monitoring
• restoration of the "Lancaster" tract
• post-construction monitoring at Maple Swamp
• shoreline stabilization projects
• removal of septic tanks
• sewer hook-up

 

Project Update:

 

• A new watershed management plan was completed in 2014 with the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the cities of Clearwater and largo. The plan includes nine recommended projects to address flooding and erosion issues in the watershed. These projects will be prioritized for inclusion in the Capital Improvement Program.

 

 

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