The picture above is from South Gate during the infamous Flood of 1962. If it wasn’t black and white you might think it was from last summer. This photo shows why we need continued maintenance on the creek. Every decade or so, the creek floods, the County dredges and dabbles in maintenance, and then they forget about the creek, allowing for the next generation to flood. We have the opportunity to break this cycle but we still need your help.
Here’s a quick update on where things stand with Phillippi Creek and what’s coming up in the next few weeks.
Your voices are moving the ball—let’s keep the momentum.
IMPORTANT Dates
🚨 URGENT - Stormwater Workshop #4 🚨
Friday, September 5, 9AM
at 1600 Ringling Blvd
This meeting is critical. The County commissioners need to know we’re not asking for a higher level of service, or for new taxes. We’re pushing for Sarasota County to deliver the Level of Service we already pay for that is defined in the Comprehensive Plan.
The County has relied on “navigable waterway” arguments for far too long while neglecting its largest stormwater conveyance, Phillippi Creek as well as other waterways. Now is the time to press the Commissioners to make lasting changes so our homes have a better chance of staying dry for the decades to come.
WE NEED A BIG TURNOUT
Please attend and speak during public comment. Wear a South Gate T-shirt if you have one but if you don’t, wear a white shirt. If you would like talking points, or an easy to read scripted speech, please talk with Nadia or Seth before the meeting.
Stormwater Discussion Panel
Saturday, October 4, 10AM
South Gate Community Center, 3145 Southgate Cir
Forest Lakes in conjunction with with South Gate, SAND, and Pinecraft neighborhoods are hosting a panel of stormwater decision makers. Guests will include:
County Commissioner Mark Smith
Director of the County Stormwater Department, Mr. Ben Quartermaine
Watershed Management Consultant to the County, Mr. Stephen Suau
Each panelist will have 15 minutes to address their role, vision and/or plans for this critical topic. Following the 3 presentations, the audience will have the opportunity to submit questions. Come early as this will be a popular event.
Dredging PRojectS
We’re now right in the middle of storm season with very little progress taking place in the creek. While the County has increased maintenance on ditches and small pockets of the creek, we’re still not where we need to be. Here’s the latest on the various dredging efforts.
US-41 to the mouth of Phillippi Creek
The WCIND project runs from the mouth of Phillippi Creek to just the other side of US-41.
The permit should be in WCIND’s hands soon and once approved, WCIND will put the project out to bid for their section. They’ll also apply for an extension on the permit to Tuttle. This project has been underway for years, well before the floods in 2024, and has been slowly moving through the approval process.
The County expects to use the same contractor for its High Spots project listed below.
“High Spots” / County Permit
This is where the County has stumbled again. The Army Corps is close to issuing its permit, but the County’s attempt to rely on an emergency exemption failed—because the sediment was not solely created by last year’s storms. That means a state permit may now be required. We should know more in the coming weeks.
The Good News: The County has already put out a bid for contractors, so once permits come through, work can begin more quickly.
The Bad News: The “High Spots” permit does not currently include the oxbow canals, even though they are part of the same stormwater system and continue to suffer from severe shoaling.
We need to keep pushing so our South Gate oxbows are included in permit amendments or additions, or potentially even exempt. Even more troubling—this is only a limited navigable dredge, not the full stormwater maintenance dredge that is needed. That distinction matters.
A navigable dredge clears a narrow channel just enough for boat passage;
a stormwater dredge restores the full flood-carrying capacity of the creek.
Without a stormwater dredge, residents and their property remain at risk, and we’ll be back in the same position after the next major storm.
New Stormwater Leadership
Ben Quartermaine is now Sarasota County’s head of the newly created Stormwater Department. Mr. Quartermaine is a professional engineer with a strong background in permitting and project planning as well as a long time resident of Sarasota County.
We are hopeful that his leadership will be a breath of fresh air after years of stalled and mishandled efforts. Residents will be watching closely to see whether his department can deliver the maintenance dredging and long-term planning that Phillippi Creek urgently needs.
South Gate Dam Project
We have some unfortunate news on this update. There’s no other way to put it: the South Gate Dam project is being slow rolled. While the project has received partial funding and approval from the Commissioners, the County has not hired a contractor to do another feasibility study. While this project sits in limbo, we’ll continue to press for answers on timelines and next steps.
How You Can Help (Right Now)
Show up September 5 and speak during public comment. We do not want an increase in taxes for a new level of service for the creek, we want the level of service that the County comprehensive plan already promises.
Add October 4 to your calendar for the Stormwater Panel Discussion—bring a neighbor.
Join the SGCA Phillippi Creek Subcommittee: Join our email list for people who would like to be more involved, so we can mobilize quickly when items hit the agenda.
Together we’re turning decades of deferred maintenance into an actionable plan.
Thank you for being the reason this work is finally moving.