located within the following watersheds: Dona & Roberts Bay Watershed, Lemon Bay Watershed
Lemon Bay is a shallow, narrow bay between Englewood and Manasota Key that receives flow from several creeks, including Alligator Creek, Forked Creek, Gottfried Creek, Ainger Creek, Oyster Creek, and Buck Creek. The bay flushes to Venice Inlets, Stump Pass, Gasparilla Pass, and Charlotte Harbor. It is designated as an Aquatic Preserve, an Outstanding Florida Waterway, an EPA Gulf of Mexico Ecological Management Site, a National Estuarine Preserve, and part of the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program study area. Before the creation of the Intracoastal Waterway in Venice, Alligator Creek was the headwaters of northern Lemon Bay. Shellfish harvesting is conditionally approved in some specific portions of the western half of Lemon Bay, but is prohibited elsewhere. Learn more about what constitutes a bay or estuary »
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There are no associated names for this body of water.
This water resource is monitored by 274 sampling locations, which have collected a total of 1,175,766 samples ranging from 1/25/1971 to 5/18/2013. The sites sampling this water resource are:
| Surface Area | 6,549 acres |
|---|
| Watershed | Dona & Roberts Bay Watershed |
|---|---|
| Latitude | 26° 55' 10" |
| Longitude | 82° 20' 41" |
| Tributaries | AINGER CREEK, ALLIGATOR CREEK, BOAT BASIN, CANAL 28-392, DE CHARLES CANAL, FORKED CREEK, GOTTFRIED CREEK, OYSTER CREEK, SAN VICTORIA CANAL, TRINITIE CANAL |
|---|---|
| Passes | STUMP PASS |
Watersheds are areas of land with waterways that flow to a common destination. The boundaries between watersheds are elevated areas called divides. In this Atlas, the watersheds are composed of groups of creeks that flow to a single bay or group of bays. Drainage basins are subunits of watersheds and are defined by the main creek that flows through them. Charlotte Harbor NEP has five watersheds, named after the bays or river, and 19 drainage basins, named after the creeks. Stormwater improvements to reduce flooding and improve water quality are based on the drainage basin unit. Learn more about watersheds »
Lemon Bay is located within the Dona & Roberts Bay Watershed.
Specific drainage basins within this watershed include:
Tides affect everything from fish distribution to the water levels in coastal creeks and estuarine rivers. Boaters and fishermen are careful to time their activities to be in sync with tidal fluctuations. Tides have a big impact on local weather and the extent to which storm surges will impact us.
The predicted high and low tides for today and tomorrow are shown below along with hourly tide predictions for the next 24 hours. Learn More about Tides »
The Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS) program is a joint effort of the National Weather Service (NWS), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Department of Defense (DOD). The ASOS serves as the nation's primary surface weather observing network. ASOS is designed to support weather forecast activities and aviation operations and, at the same time, support the needs of the meteorological, hydrological, and climatological research communities. The following is near real-time data from the nearest available ASOS location.
Click the airport icon (
) on the map below for detailed weather information.
Who to call about environmental concerns and to report environmentally harmful activities. For potentially life threatening emergencies dial 911.
| Concern or Activity | Contact(s) |
|---|---|
| Dangerous Boating / Accidents | FWCC, Division of Boating Safety |
| Algal Blooms | |
| Fish Kill | FWCC, Fish Kills |
| General Concerns/Complaints |
DeSoto, Hardee, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota:
Charlotte & Lee: |
| Industrial Waste/Spill | FDEP |
| Injured Wildlife or Illegal Activities | FWCC, Wildlife Violations |
| Shoreline Alterations, Wetland Impacts |
DeSoto, Hardee, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota:
Charlotte & Lee: |
| Aquatic Plant Removal | FWCC |
| Water Pollution, Residuals Landspreading | FDEP |
| Wetlands Issues/Dredge and Fill |
DeSoto, Hardee, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota:
Charlotte & Lee: |
Legend:
FWCC - Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
FDEP - Florida Department of Enviromental Protection
Nautical charts show water depth, the shoreline of adjacent land, prominent topographic features, aids to navigation, and other navigational information. They are maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and have recently been made available as geo-referenced, digital images which can be now be viewed within the Advanced Mapping Tool.
Every one of us contributes pollution to our streams, lakes, bays and oceans. The wastewater, dirt, and debris of our lives eventually drains downstream. Each of us must minimize our contribution to keep our waterways healthy and enjoyable. Some materials are powerful pollutants like raw sewage, petroleum, or pesticides, but even natural, biodegradable plant materials can add nitrogen to water resources and cause algal blooms and fish kills. Please use the information below to assist you in reporting an incident to the correct agency. Learn More about Reporting Pollution »
Charlotte Harbor NEP needs you to help manage and protect its natural resources! Fill out this form, and we will contact you with more information about becoming a volunteer. Learn more about volunteering »
0 volunteers on Lemon Bay have submitted a water quality sample for this water resource within the last 18 months.
Visit the following links to view historical information on this water resource:
